2026 Best Value General Physical Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region
[General Physical Sciences](/majors/physical-sciences/general-physical-sciences/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong general physical sciences education at a price that pays off.
College Factual analyzed 15 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best value general physical sciences schools.
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2026 Best Value General Physical Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in general physical sciences, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value General Physical Sciences Schools
North Central Michigan College tops our 2026 list of the best value general physical sciences schools in the Great Lakes Region. Set in the town of Petoskey, North Central Michigan College is a mid-sized public institution. Students from in state pay about $5,430 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $10,590. General Physical Sciences graduates carry a median of $12,398 in student loans. Soon after graduation, general physical sciences degree recipients from North Central Michigan College generally make around $42,952. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Students looking for strong value in general physical sciences will find it at Jackson Community College, which ranked #2. Jackson Community College is a moderately-sized public school located in the rural area of Jackson. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $7,350, compared with $10,200 for out-of-state students. General Physical Sciences graduates carry a median of $16,960 in student loans. Soon after graduation, general physical sciences degree recipients from Jackson Community College generally make around $41,322. Set against $16,960 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff.
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 15 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 1 ranked schools only.
- 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).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
