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2023 Best Value Colleges for General Physics (Income $30-$48k)

217 Ranked Colleges
12,875 Degrees Awarded
$6,600 Avg Net Price*
Best Value General Physics Schools For Those Making $30-$48k

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. College Factual has developed its “Best Value General Physics Schools For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

General Physics is the 60th most popular major in the country with 12,875 degrees awarded in 2020-2021.

This year’s “Best Value General Physics Schools For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking analyzed 217 colleges that offered a degree in general physics. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great general physics programs and 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. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

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The general physics 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 General Physics Schools For Those Making $30-$48k”.

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. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Best Value General Physics Schools For Those Making $30-$48k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value General Physics Schools For Those Making $30-$48k.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for General Physics (Income $30-$48k)

1
Stanford crest
Stanford University
Stanford, California

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Stanford University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value General Physics Schools For Those Making $30-$48k. Located in Stanford, California, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 51 degrees 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 $1,581 for general physics students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.5% 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%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read full report on General Physics at Stanford

2
UChicago crest
University of Chicago
Chicago, Illinois

Out of the 217 schools in the Best Value General Physics Schools For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Chicago landed the #2 spot on the list. This fairly large school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 102 ’s general physics degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our general physics students whose families make $30-$48k list, UChicago has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best General Physics Schools” ranking. It costs about $4,777 for General Physics students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UChicago.

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.

Read full report on General Physics at University of Chicago

3
Northwestern crest
Northwestern University
Evanston, Illinois

Out of the 217 schools in the Best Value General Physics Schools For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Northwestern University landed the #3 spot on the list. Northwestern University is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Evanston, Illinois. It awarded 47 ’s general physics degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our general physics students whose families make $30-$48k list, Northwestern has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best General Physics Schools” ranking. It costs about $917 for General Physics students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Northwestern.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. 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.

Read full report on General Physics at Northwestern University

4
Williams crest
Williams College
Williamstown, Massachusetts

Out of the 217 schools in the Best Value General Physics Schools For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Williams College landed the #4 spot on the list. Williamstown, Massachusetts is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s general physics degrees to 19 students in 2020-2021.

Williams did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #19 on our “Best General Physics Schools” list. It costs about $5,480 for General Physics students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Williams College.

With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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.

Full Williams College General Physics Report

5

Out of the 217 schools in the Best Value General Physics Schools For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor landed the #5 spot on the list. This large school is located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and it awarded 105 ’s general physics 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 $5,670 for general physics students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor.

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 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Physics at U-M

6

With a ranking of #6, California Institute of Technology did quite well on the 2023 Best Value General Physics Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. This small school is located in Pasadena, California, and it awarded 52 ’s general physics degrees in 2020-2021.

Caltech also claimed a top spot on our “Best General Physics Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our “Best General Physics Schools” list. It costs about $12,190 for General Physics students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend California Institute of Technology.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 3 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read more about General Physics at California Institute of Technology

7

University of Wisconsin - Madison landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Best Value General Physics Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. University of Wisconsin - Madison is located in Madison, Wisconsin and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 144 ’s general physics degrees to qualified students.

UW - Madison not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best General Physics Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend UW - Madison is $4,788 for general physics students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.9% 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 UW - Madison

8
Cornell crest
Cornell University
Ithaca, New York

Cornell University ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value General Physics Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Cornell University is a large school located in Ithaca, New York that handed out 96 ’s general physics degrees in 2020-2021.

Cornell also made our “Best General Physics Schools” list, coming in at #6. The yearly cost to attend Cornell University is $5,133 for general physics students whose families make $30-$48k.

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

9
Johns Hopkins crest
Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, Maryland

Johns Hopkins University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value General Physics Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #9. This large school is located in Baltimore, Maryland, and it awarded 40 ’s general physics degrees in 2020-2021.

Johns Hopkins not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best General Physics Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Johns Hopkins University is $4,859 for General Physics students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.3% 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 undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about General Physics at Johns Hopkins University

10
Wake Forest University crest
Wake Forest University
Winston-Salem, North Carolina

With a ranking of #10, Wake Forest University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value General Physics Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Wake Forest University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 17 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Wake Forest University excels when it comes to general physics quality. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. The estimated yearly cost for Wake Forest University is $5,612 for general physics students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.6% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full Wake Forest University General Physics Report

11

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Physics Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a large school located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina that handed out 57 ’s general physics 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 University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is $5,729 for General Physics students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%.

Full UNC Chapel Hill General Physics Report

12

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value General Physics Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. UMN Twin Cities is a public institution located in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The school has a large population, and it awarded 89 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

UMN Twin Cities not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best General Physics Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Minnesota - Twin Cities is $8,609 for General Physics students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, 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 93%.

Read full report on General Physics at University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

13

University of Washington - Seattle Campus landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Best Value General Physics Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Seattle, Washington is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s general physics degrees to 262 students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW Seattle, the school also landed the #17 spot in our “Best General Physics Schools” ranking. It costs about $6,399 for General Physics students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Washington - Seattle Campus.

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 2.1% 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 Washington - Seattle Campus

14
UF crest
University of Florida
Gainesville, Florida

With a ranking of #14, University of Florida did quite well on the 2023 Best Value General Physics Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of Florida is a public institution located in Gainesville, Florida. The school has a large population, and it awarded 58 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for UF is $2,857 for general physics students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.

Read more about General Physics at UF

15
Purdue crest
Purdue University - Main Campus
West Lafayette, Indiana

Purdue University - Main Campus ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value General Physics Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in West Lafayette, Indiana, this large public school awarded 78 degrees to qualified ’s general physics 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. The estimated yearly cost for Purdue University - Main Campus is $5,853 for general physics students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 Purdue

16

University of California - Berkeley did quite well in the 2023 Best Value General Physics Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #16. UC Berkeley is a public institution located in Berkeley, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 197 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

UC Berkeley also took the #10 spot in our “Best General Physics Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UC Berkeley is $9,999 for general physics students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.8%, 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 full report on General Physics at University of California - Berkeley

17

With a ranking of #17, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign did quite well on the 2023 Best Value General Physics Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is located in Champaign, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 106 ’s general physics degrees to qualified students.

UIUC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best General Physics Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is $8,036 for general physics students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about General Physics at UIUC

18
William & Mary crest
William & Mary
Williamsburg, Virginia

William & Mary landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Best Value General Physics Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. William & Mary is a medium-sized public school situated in Williamsburg, Virginia. It awarded 38 ’s general physics degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $7,507 for General Physics students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend William & Mary.

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 undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full William & Mary General Physics Report

19

University of California - Los Angeles did quite well in the 2023 Best Value General Physics Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #19. University of California - Los Angeles is a large school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 123 ’s general physics degrees in 2020-2021.

UCLA did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best General Physics Schools” list. It costs about $9,891 for general physics students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UCLA.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.6% 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 Physics at University of California - Los Angeles

20

Indiana University - Bloomington ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value General Physics Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. IU Bloomington is located in Bloomington, Indiana and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 40 ’s general physics degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $7,061 for General Physics students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Indiana University - Bloomington.

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 full report on General Physics at IU Bloomington

21
Florida State crest
Florida State University
Tallahassee, Florida

With a ranking of #21, Florida State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value General Physics Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. This large school is located in Tallahassee, Florida, and it awarded 56 ’s general physics degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $7,349 for General Physics students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Florida State.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.8%, 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 95%.

Read full report on General Physics at Florida State

22

University of California - San Diego came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Physics Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This large school is located in La Jolla, California, and it awarded 54 ’s general physics degrees in 2020-2021.

UCSD not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #18 on our “Best General Physics Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for UCSD is $11,176 for general physics students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Physics at University of California - San Diego

23

Ohio State University - Main Campus ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value General Physics Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Ohio State is a large public school situated in Columbus, Ohio. It awarded 113 ’s general physics degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our general physics students whose families make $30-$48k list, Ohio State has also earned the #21 rank in our “Best General Physics Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Ohio State University - Main Campus is $8,581 for general physics students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.

Read full report on General Physics at Ohio State University - Main Campus

24
University of Arizona crest
University of Arizona
Tucson, Arizona

University of Arizona did quite well in the 2023 Best Value General Physics Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #24. University of Arizona is a large public school situated in Tucson, Arizona. It awarded 49 ’s general physics degrees in 2020-2021.

University of Arizona also took the #11 spot in our “Best General Physics Schools” ranking. It costs about $10,160 for General Physics students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Arizona.

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

Full University of Arizona General Physics Report

25

University of South Florida - Main Campus came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Physics Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Tampa, Florida, this large public school awarded 48 diplomas to qualified ’s general physics students in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend University of South Florida - Main Campus is $5,632 for general physics students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about General Physics at USF Tampa

Rest of the Best 33 in Best Value General Physics Schools For Those Making $30-$48k

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
28
29
30
Hunter crest
Hunter College
New York, New York
31
32
Emory crest
Emory University
Atlanta, Georgia
33

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