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2023 Best Value General Physics Schools For Those Making $0-$30k

217 Ranked Colleges
12,875 Degrees Awarded
$4,900 Avg Net Price*
Best Value General Physics Schools For Those Making $0-$30k

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. College Factual has developed its “Best Value General Physics Schools For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

In 2020-2021, 12,875 people earned their degree in general physics, making the major the 60th most popular in the United States.

This year’s “Best Value General Physics Schools For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking analyzed 217 colleges that offered a degree in general physics. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent general physics 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 general physics program at the school. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

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Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value General Physics Schools For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

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. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.

Best Value General Physics Schools For Those Making $0-$30k

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

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

1
Stanford crest
Stanford University
Stanford, California

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Stanford University. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value General Physics Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Stanford, California, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 51 diplomas to qualified ’s general physics students in 2020-2021.

Stanford not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best General Physics Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Stanford University is $1,233 for General Physics 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 school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read full report on General Physics at Stanford University

2
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 #2 for the Best Value General Physics Schools For Those Making $0-$30k. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s general physics degrees to 102 students in 2020-2021.

UChicago also made our “Best General Physics Schools” list, coming in at #2. The estimated yearly cost for University of Chicago is $2,500 for general physics students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 100%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.0% 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 Physics at University of Chicago

3
Northwestern crest
Northwestern University
Evanston, Illinois

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Northwestern University. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value General Physics Schools For Those Making $0-$30k. Evanston, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s general physics degrees to 47 students in 2020-2021.

Northwestern also took the #3 spot in our “Best General Physics Schools” ranking. It costs about $245 for General Physics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Northwestern University.

With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 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 0.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Physics at Northwestern

4

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value General Physics Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is a public institution located in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The school has a large population, and it awarded 105 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at U-M, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best General Physics Schools” ranking. It costs about $2,670 for General Physics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about General Physics at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

5
Johns Hopkins crest
Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, Maryland

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Johns Hopkins University. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value General Physics Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Johns Hopkins is located in Baltimore, Maryland and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 40 ’s general physics degrees to qualified students.

Johns Hopkins also took the #4 spot in our “Best General Physics Schools” ranking. It costs about $2,084 for general physics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Johns Hopkins University.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Full Johns Hopkins General Physics Report

6

With a ranking of #6, University of Wisconsin - Madison did quite well on the 2023 Best Value General Physics Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Madison, Wisconsin, this large public school awarded 144 degrees to qualified ’s general physics students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW - Madison, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best General Physics Schools” ranking. It costs about $3,981 for general physics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UW - Madison.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, 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.

Read more about General Physics at University of Wisconsin - Madison

7
Williams crest
Williams College
Williamstown, Massachusetts

Williams College ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value General Physics Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Williams College is a small school located in Williamstown, Massachusetts that handed out 19 ’s general physics degrees in 2020-2021.

Williams also took the #19 spot in our “Best General Physics Schools” ranking. It costs about $1,451 for general physics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Williams College.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about General Physics at Williams

8

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Physics Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UNC Chapel Hill is a public institution located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. The school has a large population, and it awarded 57 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

UNC Chapel Hill excels when it comes to general physics quality. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our “Best General Physics Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend UNC Chapel Hill is $3,753 for general physics students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.

Read full report on General Physics at UNC Chapel Hill

9

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Physics Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in Champaign, Illinois, and it awarded 106 ’s general physics degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our general physics students whose families make $0-$30k list, UIUC has also earned the #16 rank in our “Best General Physics Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is $4,858 for General Physics students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Physics at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

10
Cornell crest
Cornell University
Ithaca, New York

Cornell University ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value General Physics Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Cornell is a private not-for-profit institution located in Ithaca, New York. The school has a large population, and it awarded 96 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Cornell also took the #6 spot in our “Best General Physics Schools” ranking. It costs about $5,244 for general physics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Cornell University.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. 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.

Read more about General Physics at Cornell University

11

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities did quite well in the 2023 Best Value General Physics Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #11. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities is a large public school situated in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It awarded 89 ’s general physics degrees in 2020-2021.

UMN Twin Cities did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best General Physics Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Minnesota - Twin Cities is $7,698 for General Physics students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about General Physics at University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

12
UF crest
University of Florida
Gainesville, Florida

University of Florida ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value General Physics Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Florida is a large school located in Gainesville, Florida that handed out 58 ’s general physics degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend University of Florida is $65 for General Physics students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on General Physics at University of Florida

13
Wake Forest University crest
Wake Forest University
Winston-Salem, North Carolina

Wake Forest University landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Best Value General Physics Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Winston-Salem, North Carolina is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s general physics degrees to 17 students in 2020-2021.

On top of its placing in this ranking, Wake Forest University also did well on our “Best General Physics Schools” list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The yearly cost to attend Wake Forest University is $10,401 for General Physics students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Physics at Wake Forest University

14

University of California - Berkeley did quite well in the 2023 Best Value General Physics Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #14. This large school is located in Berkeley, California, and it awarded 197 ’s general physics degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Berkeley, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best General Physics Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UC Berkeley is $8,450 for general physics students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.8% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%.

Read full report on General Physics at UC Berkeley

15

University of Maryland - College Park came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Physics Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UMCP is a public institution located in College Park, Maryland. The school has a large population, and it awarded 109 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our general physics students whose families make $0-$30k list, UMCP has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best General Physics Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Maryland - College Park is $6,067 for General Physics 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.

Read full report on General Physics at UMCP

16

California Institute of Technology landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Best Value General Physics Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This small school is located in Pasadena, California, and it awarded 52 ’s general physics degrees in 2020-2021.

On top of its placing in this ranking, Caltech also did well on our “Best General Physics Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our “Best General Physics Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Caltech is $-539 for General Physics students whose families make $0-$30k. When an average net price is negative, it usually means that the student will receive more financial aid than it costs to attend the school.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 3 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full California Institute of Technology General Physics Report

17
Purdue crest
Purdue University - Main Campus
West Lafayette, Indiana

With a ranking of #17, Purdue University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Best Value General Physics Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. West Lafayette, Indiana is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s general physics degrees to 78 students in 2020-2021.

Purdue excels when it comes to general physics quality. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. It costs about $5,995 for General Physics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Purdue.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, 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.

Full Purdue General Physics Report

18

University of California - Los Angeles ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value General Physics Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of California - Los Angeles is a large public school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 123 ’s general physics degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our general physics students whose families make $0-$30k list, UCLA has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best General Physics Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Los Angeles is $9,037 for General Physics students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, 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 96%.

Read more about General Physics at UCLA

19

University of Washington - Seattle Campus did quite well in the 2023 Best Value General Physics Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #19. This large school is located in Seattle, Washington, and it awarded 262 ’s general physics degrees in 2020-2021.

UW Seattle not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #17 on our “Best General Physics Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for UW Seattle is $5,194 for general physics students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.1%, 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.

Full UW Seattle General Physics Report

20

Indiana University - Bloomington ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value General Physics Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. IU Bloomington is a public institution located in Bloomington, Indiana. The school has a large population, and it awarded 40 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Indiana University - Bloomington is $5,752 for General Physics students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.4% 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 more about General Physics at IU Bloomington

21
Florida State crest
Florida State University
Tallahassee, Florida

Florida State University ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value General Physics Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Florida State University is a public institution located in Tallahassee, Florida. The school has a large population, and it awarded 56 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Florida State is $4,950 for General Physics students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.8%, 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 95%.

Read full report on General Physics at Florida State

22

Ohio State University - Main Campus came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Physics Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Columbus, Ohio, this large public school handed out 113 diplomas to qualified ’s general physics students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our general physics students whose families make $0-$30k list, Ohio State has also earned the #21 rank in our “Best General Physics Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Ohio State is $7,068 for General Physics students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad 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 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on General Physics at Ohio State

23
William & Mary crest
William & Mary
Williamsburg, Virginia

William & Mary came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Physics Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. William & Mary is a public institution located in Williamsburg, Virginia. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 38 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for William & Mary is $5,972 for General Physics students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.7% 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%.

Read more about General Physics at William & Mary

24

University of California - San Diego ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value General Physics Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of California - San Diego is a large public school situated in La Jolla, California. It awarded 54 ’s general physics degrees in 2020-2021.

UCSD also made our “Best General Physics Schools” list, coming in at #18. The yearly cost to attend University of California - San Diego is $9,823 for general physics students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.0% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full UCSD General Physics Report

25
University of Arizona crest
University of Arizona
Tucson, Arizona

University of Arizona ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value General Physics Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Arizona is located in Tucson, Arizona and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 49 ’s general physics degrees to qualified students.

University of Arizona not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best General Physics Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Arizona is $8,987 for general physics students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about General Physics at University of Arizona

Rest of the Best 33 in Best Value General Physics Schools For Those Making $0-$30k

Not only did these schools make the top 33 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

26
27
University of Virginia crest
University of Virginia - Main Campus
Charlottesville, Virginia
27
29
Michigan State crest
Michigan State University
East Lansing, Michigan
30
31
Smith crest
Smith College
Northampton, Massachusetts
32
Northeastern crest
Northeastern University
Boston, Massachusetts
33
Hunter crest
Hunter College
New York, New York

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