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2023 Best Value Physical Science Schools For Those Making $0-$30k

25 Ranked Colleges
3,823 Degrees Awarded
$9,400 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Physical Science Schools For Those Making $0-$30k

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value Physical Science Schools For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking.

General Physical Sciences is the 144th most popular major in the country with 3,823 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. In 2019-2020, general physical sciences graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $26,561 and had an average of $12,761 in loans still to pay off.

For this year’s “Best Value Physical Science Schools For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, we looked at 25 colleges that offer a degree in general physical sciences. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great general physical sciences programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the general physical sciences program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

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The physical science school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Best Value Physical Science Schools For Those Making $0-$30k”.

One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.

Best Value Physical Science Schools For Those Making $0-$30k

The colleges and universities below are the best for physical science students whose families make $0-$30k.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for General Physical Sciences (Income $0-$30k)

1
UChicago crest
University of Chicago
Chicago, Illinois

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Chicago. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Physical Science Schools For Those Making $0-$30k. This fairly large school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 24 ’s physical science degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UChicago, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best General Physical Sciences Schools” ranking. It costs about $2,500 for Physical Science students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Chicago.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 100%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full University of Chicago General Physical Sciences Report

2
Middlesex County College crest
Middlesex County College
Edison, New Jersey

Out of the 25 schools in the Best Value Physical Science Schools For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Middlesex County College landed the #2 spot on the list. Located in Edison, New Jersey, this medium-sized public school handed out 202 degrees to qualified ’s physical science students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Middlesex County College, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best General Physical Sciences Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Middlesex County College is $9,393 for Physical Science students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Middlesex County College General Physical Sciences Report

3

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend New York City College of Technology. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Physical Science Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Brooklyn, New York is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s physical science degrees to 70 students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at City Tech, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best General Physical Sciences Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for New York City College of Technology is $2,908 for physical science students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on General Physical Sciences at New York City College of Technology

4
Emory crest
Emory University
Atlanta, Georgia

Out of the 25 schools in the Best Value Physical Science Schools For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Emory University landed the #4 spot on the list. Emory is located in Atlanta, Georgia and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 4 ’s physical science degrees to qualified students.

Emory also made our “Best General Physical Sciences Schools” list, coming in at #3. It costs about $8,538 for Physical Science students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Emory.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on General Physical Sciences at Emory

5
LaGuardia crest
LaGuardia Community College
Long Island City, New York

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend LaGuardia Community College. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Physical Science Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. LaGuardia is a fairly large public school situated in Long Island City, New York. It awarded 243 ’s physical science degrees in 2020-2021.

LaGuardia also took the #8 spot in our “Best General Physical Sciences Schools” ranking. It costs about $6,878 for physical science students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend LaGuardia Community College.

Full LaGuardia Community College General Physical Sciences Report

6

University of Maryland - College Park came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physical Science Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. College Park, Maryland is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s physical science degrees to 1 students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UMCP, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best General Physical Sciences Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UMCP is $6,067 for Physical Science students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full University of Maryland - College Park General Physical Sciences Report

7
Michigan State crest
Michigan State University
East Lansing, Michigan

Michigan State University ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Physical Science Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Michigan State is located in East Lansing, Michigan and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 2 ’s physical science degrees to qualified students.

Michigan State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best General Physical Sciences Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Michigan State is $6,927 for Physical Science students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.6% 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 General Physical Sciences at Michigan State

8
Jackson College crest
Jackson College
Jackson, Michigan

With a ranking of #8, Jackson College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Physical Science Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Jackson, Michigan, this small public school awarded 25 degrees to qualified ’s physical science students in 2020-2021.

Jackson College did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best General Physical Sciences Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Jackson College is $9,507 for physical science students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 100%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about General Physical Sciences at Jackson College

9
Medgar crest
Medgar Evers College
Brooklyn, New York

With a ranking of #9, Medgar Evers College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Physical Science Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Brooklyn, New York is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s physical science degrees to 225 students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our physical science students whose families make $0-$30k list, Medgar has also earned the #17 rank in our “Best General Physical Sciences Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Medgar is $5,515 for physical science students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on General Physical Sciences at Medgar

10

Arizona State University - Tempe did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Physical Science Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #10. This large school is located in Tempe, Arizona, and it awarded 58 ’s physical science degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at ASU - Tempe, the school also landed the #11 spot in our “Best General Physical Sciences Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Arizona State University - Tempe is $8,969 for Physical Science students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full ASU - Tempe General Physical Sciences Report

11

Borough of Manhattan Community College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Physical Science Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #11. Located in New York, New York, this fairly large public school handed out 131 diplomas to qualified ’s physical science students in 2020-2021.

BMCC also made our “Best General Physical Sciences Schools” list, coming in at #18. The estimated yearly cost for Borough of Manhattan Community College is $4,920 for physical science students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about General Physical Sciences at Borough of Manhattan Community College

12

With a ranking of #12, University of California - Santa Cruz did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Physical Science Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. UC Santa Cruz is a public institution located in Santa Cruz, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 14 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

UC Santa Cruz did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best General Physical Sciences Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend UC Santa Cruz is $11,038 for Physical Science students whose families make $0-$30k.

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

Read more about General Physical Sciences at University of California - Santa Cruz

13

California State University - Stanislaus landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Best Value Physical Science Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. California State University - Stanislaus is a public institution located in Turlock, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 1 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Stan State, the school also landed the #21 spot in our “Best General Physical Sciences Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Stanislaus is $4,122 for physical science students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on General Physical Sciences at Stan State

14
RBC crest
Richard Bland College of William and Mary
South Prince George, Virginia

With a ranking of #14, Richard Bland College of William and Mary did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Physical Science Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in South Prince George, Virginia, this small public school handed out 157 diplomas to qualified ’s physical science students in 2020-2021.

RBC also made our “Best General Physical Sciences Schools” list, coming in at #12. The estimated yearly cost for RBC is $11,995 for Physical Science students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about General Physical Sciences at RBC

15
Wazzu crest
Washington State University
Pullman, Washington

Washington State University ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Physical Science Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Wazzu is a large public school situated in Pullman, Washington. It awarded 5 ’s physical science degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our physical science students whose families make $0-$30k list, Wazzu has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best General Physical Sciences Schools” ranking. It costs about $7,689 for physical science students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Wazzu.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Wazzu General Physical Sciences Report

16
GaSou crest
Georgia Southern University
Statesboro, Georgia

Georgia Southern University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Physical Science Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #16. GaSou is located in Statesboro, Georgia and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 7 ’s physical science degrees to qualified students.

GaSou not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #13 on our “Best General Physical Sciences Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Georgia Southern University is $12,637 for physical science students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on General Physical Sciences at Georgia Southern University

17

With a ranking of #17, University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Physical Science Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 4 ’s physical science degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Pitt, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best General Physical Sciences Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Pitt is $15,084 for Physical Science students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Physical Sciences at Pitt

18
UNM Taos crest
University of New Mexico - Taos Campus
Ranchos de Taos, New Mexico

University of New Mexico - Taos Campus landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Best Value Physical Science Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This small school is located in Ranchos de Taos, New Mexico, and it awarded 28 ’s physical science degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our physical science students whose families make $0-$30k list, UNM Taos has also earned the #20 rank in our “Best General Physical Sciences Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of New Mexico - Taos Campus is $9,884 for physical science students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about General Physical Sciences at UNM Taos

19

University of New Mexico - Gallup Campus came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physical Science Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Gallup, New Mexico, this small public school awarded 7 diplomas to qualified ’s physical science students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UNM Gallup, the school also landed the #23 spot in our “Best General Physical Sciences Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UNM Gallup is $6,797 for physical science students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about General Physical Sciences at UNM Gallup

20
Humboldt State University crest
Humboldt State University
Arcata, California

Humboldt State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Physical Science Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #20. Humboldt State University is located in Arcata, California and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 2 ’s physical science degrees to qualified students.

Humboldt State University also took the #19 spot in our “Best General Physical Sciences Schools” ranking. It costs about $11,473 for physical science students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Humboldt State University.

Read full report on General Physical Sciences at Humboldt State University

21

University of New Mexico - Valencia County Campus came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physical Science Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of New Mexico - Valencia County Campus is a small school located in Los Lunas, New Mexico that handed out 22 ’s physical science degrees in 2020-2021.

UNM Valencia did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #24 on our “Best General Physical Sciences Schools” list. It costs about $7,759 for physical science students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of New Mexico - Valencia County Campus.

Full University of New Mexico - Valencia County Campus General Physical Sciences Report

22

With a ranking of #22, Wright State University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Physical Science Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Wright State University - Main Campus is located in Dayton, Ohio and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 1 ’s physical science degrees to qualified students.

Wright State University - Main Campus also made our “Best General Physical Sciences Schools” list, coming in at #16. The estimated yearly cost for Wright State University - Main Campus is $11,980 for physical science students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Wright State University - Main Campus General Physical Sciences Report

23

Rochester Institute of Technology came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physical Science Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. RIT is a private not-for-profit institution located in Rochester, New York. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 41 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

RIT also took the #2 spot in our “Best General Physical Sciences Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for RIT is $28,322 for physical science students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Rochester Institute of Technology General Physical Sciences Report

24
WKU crest
Western Kentucky University
Bowling Green, Kentucky

Western Kentucky University landed the #24 spot on the 2023 Best Value Physical Science Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Bowling Green, Kentucky, and it awarded 1 ’s physical science degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our physical science students whose families make $0-$30k list, WKU has also earned the #22 rank in our “Best General Physical Sciences Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Western Kentucky University is $12,195 for Physical Science students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on General Physical Sciences at Western Kentucky University

25

University of New Mexico - Los Alamos Campus ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Physical Science Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of New Mexico - Los Alamos Campus is a public institution located in Los Alamos, New Mexico. The school has a small population, and it awarded 1 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

UNM Los Alamos did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #25 on our “Best General Physical Sciences Schools” list. It costs about $10,662 for Physical Science students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UNM Los Alamos.

Read more about General Physical Sciences at UNM Los Alamos

Notes and References

References

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