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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Physical Science (Income $0-$30k)

12 Ranked Colleges
261 Degrees Awarded
$12,000 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor's For Those Making $0-$30k

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking.

In 2019-2020, 4,159 people earned their degree in physical science, making the major the 154th most popular in the United States.

At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 261 physical science graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,303 and $24,501 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, we looked at 12 colleges that offer a degree in physical science. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent physical science programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the physical science program at the school. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.

Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k.

Top 12 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Physical Science (Income $0-$30k)

#1

Michigan State University

East Lansing, Michigan
#5 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Michigan State University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k. Michigan State is a large public school situated in East Lansing, Michigan. It awarded 2 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

Michigan State also took the #5 spot in our “Best Physical Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $6,686 for bachelor’s degree physical sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Michigan State University.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Physical Science at Michigan State University

#2

Emory University

Atlanta, Georgia
#3 in overall quality

Out of the 12 schools in the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Emory University landed the #2 spot on the list. Located in Atlanta, Georgia, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 6 degrees to qualified bachelors’s physical sciences students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree physical sciences students whose families make $0-$30k list, Emory has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Physical Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Emory University is $11,468 for bachelor’s degree physical sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Emory University Physical Science Report

#11 in overall quality

Out of the 12 schools in the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Fresno landed the #3 spot on the list. Located in Fresno, California, this large public school awarded 16 degrees to qualified bachelors’s physical sciences students in 2019-2020.

Fresno State also took the #11 spot in our “Best Physical Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Fresno State is $3,264 for Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 4.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Physical Science at Fresno State

#8 in overall quality

Out of the 12 schools in the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Arizona State University - Tempe landed the #4 spot on the list. Tempe, Arizona is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s physical sciences degrees to 49 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree physical sciences students whose families make $0-$30k list, ASU - Tempe has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Physical Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Arizona State University - Tempe is $7,044 for bachelor’s degree physical sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full Arizona State University - Tempe Physical Science Report

#5

Washington State University

Pullman, Washington
#9 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Washington State University. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Washington State University is a large school located in Pullman, Washington that handed out 5 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

Wazzu also took the #9 spot in our “Best Physical Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Washington State University is $9,334 for bachelor’s degree physical sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 4.6% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Physical Science at Washington State University

#6

University of California - Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz, California
#6 in overall quality

University of California - Santa Cruz came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Santa Cruz, California, this fairly large public school handed out 7 degrees to qualified bachelors’s physical sciences students in 2019-2020.

UC Santa Cruz did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Physical Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Santa Cruz is $10,872 for bachelor’s degree physical sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full University of California - Santa Cruz Physical Science Report

#12 in overall quality

California State University - Stanislaus ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Stan State is a public institution located in Turlock, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 2 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree physical sciences students whose families make $0-$30k list, Stan State has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Physical Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $3,410 for Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend California State University - Stanislaus.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Physical Science at California State University - Stanislaus

#8

Kansas State University

Manhattan, Kansas
#2 in overall quality

Kansas State University landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. K -State is a large school located in Manhattan, Kansas that handed out 7 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

K -State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Physical Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend K -State is $14,232 for Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full K -State Physical Science Report

#4 in overall quality

University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #9. University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus is a large school located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania that handed out 9 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree physical sciences students whose families make $0-$30k list, Pitt has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Physical Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Pitt is $20,075 for Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low student loan default rate of 3.5% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus Physical Science Report

#10

Western Kentucky University

Bowling Green, Kentucky
#10 in overall quality

With a ranking of #10, Western Kentucky University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Bowling Green, Kentucky is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s physical sciences degrees to 3 students in 2019-2020.

WKU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Physical Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Western Kentucky University is $11,714 for Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Physical Science at Western Kentucky University

#11

Rowan University

Glassboro, New Jersey
#7 in overall quality

Rowan University ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Rowan is a fairly large public school situated in Glassboro, New Jersey. It awarded 2 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

Rowan also took the #7 spot in our “Best Physical Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $18,401 for bachelor’s degree physical sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Rowan.

Full Rowan Physical Science Report

#12

Rochester Institute of Technology

Rochester, New York
#1 in overall quality

Rochester Institute of Technology landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Rochester Institute of Technology is a fairly large school located in Rochester, New York that handed out 11 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree physical sciences students whose families make $0-$30k list, RIT has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Physical Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $27,095 for bachelor’s degree physical sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend RIT.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.

Read more about Physical Science at Rochester Institute of Technology

Notes and References

References

  • The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of our data about colleges.
  • Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
  • Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

  • *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
  • Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.

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