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2022 Best Value General Physics Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k

167 Ranked Colleges
1,782 Degrees Awarded
$40,800 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees*
Best Value General Physics Schools for a Master's For Those Making $30-$48k

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value General Physics Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

In 2019-2020, 13,287 people earned their degree in general physics, making the major the 57th most popular in the United States.

At the master’s degree level specifically, there were 1,782 general physics graduates with average earnings and debt of $56,398 and $43,194 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value General Physics Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking looked at 167 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s 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. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

One Size Does Not Fit All

When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Best Value General Physics Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k” list to help you make the college 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. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.

Best Value General Physics Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k

The colleges and universities below are the best for master’s degree general physics students whose families make $30-$48k.

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

#1

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Cambridge, Massachusetts
#5 in overall quality

Out of the 167 schools in the Best Value General Physics Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Massachusetts Institute of Technology landed the #1 spot on the list. Located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 4 degrees to qualified masters’s general physics students in 2019-2020.

MIT not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best General Physics Master’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at MIT are $56,719, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read full report on General Physics at MIT

#2

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois
#4 in overall quality

Out of the 167 schools in the Best Value General Physics Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Northwestern University landed the #2 spot on the list. Northwestern University is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Evanston, Illinois. It awarded 10 masters’s general physics degrees in 2019-2020.

Northwestern not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best General Physics Master’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Northwestern are $56,567, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read full report on General Physics at Northwestern

#3

Stanford University

Stanford, California
#6 in overall quality

Out of the 167 schools in the Best Value General Physics Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Stanford University landed the #3 spot on the list. Stanford is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Stanford, California. It awarded 4 masters’s general physics degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our master’s degree general physics students whose families make $30-$48k list, Stanford has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best General Physics Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Stanford are $55,011.

Full Stanford General Physics Report

#4

Harvard University

Cambridge, Massachusetts
#8 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Harvard University. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value General Physics Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. This large school is located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and it awarded 24 masters’s general physics degrees in 2019-2020.

Harvard also made our “Best General Physics Master’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #8. Average graduate tuition and fees at Harvard University are $50,654, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full Harvard University General Physics Report

#5

University of Chicago

Chicago, Illinois
#3 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Chicago. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value General Physics Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k. This fairly large school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 17 masters’s general physics degrees in 2019-2020.

UChicago also made our “Best General Physics Master’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #3. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at University of Chicago are $61,548.

Read full report on General Physics at UChicago

#1 in overall quality

Columbia University in the City of New York landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Physics Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This large school is located in New York, New York, and it awarded 11 masters’s general physics degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our master’s degree general physics students whose families make $30-$48k list, Columbia has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best General Physics Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Columbia University in the City of New York are $51,194, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full Columbia University in the City of New York General Physics Report

#7

University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
#12 in overall quality

University of Pennsylvania came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Physics Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This large school is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 14 masters’s general physics degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UPenn, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best General Physics Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Pennsylvania are $41,760, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full University of Pennsylvania General Physics Report

#8

Princeton University

Princeton, New Jersey
#10 in overall quality

Princeton University ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value General Physics Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. Princeton University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Princeton, New Jersey. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 29 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Princeton, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best General Physics Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Princeton are $56,470, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read full report on General Physics at Princeton

#9

Cornell University

Ithaca, New York
#11 in overall quality

Cornell University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Physics Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This large school is located in Ithaca, New York, and it awarded 30 masters’s general physics degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Cornell, the school also landed the #11 spot in our “Best General Physics Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Cornell University are $30,042, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about General Physics at Cornell University

#10

Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, Maryland
#9 in overall quality

Johns Hopkins University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Physics Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Johns Hopkins University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Baltimore, Maryland. The school has a large population, and it awarded 9 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Johns Hopkins not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best General Physics Master’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Johns Hopkins University are $59,425, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full Johns Hopkins University General Physics Report

#11

Brown University

Providence, Rhode Island
#15 in overall quality

With a ranking of #11, Brown University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value General Physics Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. Brown University is a medium-sized school located in Providence, Rhode Island that handed out 32 masters’s general physics degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our master’s degree general physics students whose families make $30-$48k list, Brown has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best General Physics Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Brown are $60,363, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about General Physics at Brown University

#12

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, Michigan
#13 in overall quality

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Physics Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is a public institution located in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The school has a large population, and it awarded 11 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our master’s degree general physics students whose families make $30-$48k list, U-M has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best General Physics Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at U-M are $49,548, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about General Physics at U-M

#21 in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - Madison came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Physics Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. University of Wisconsin - Madison is a large school located in Madison, Wisconsin that handed out 13 masters’s general physics degrees in 2019-2020.

UW - Madison not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #21 on our “Best General Physics Master’s Degree Schools” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at University of Wisconsin - Madison are $25,523.

Read more about General Physics at UW - Madison

#14

Northeastern University

Boston, Massachusetts
#19 in overall quality

Northeastern University came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Physics Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Northeastern University is a large school located in Boston, Massachusetts that handed out 8 masters’s general physics degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our master’s degree general physics students whose families make $30-$48k list, Northeastern has also earned the #19 rank in our “Best General Physics Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Northeastern are $25,558.

Read full report on General Physics at Northeastern University

#15

University of Florida

Gainesville, Florida

University of Florida came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Physics Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Gainesville, Florida is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s general physics degrees to 5 students in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at UF are $30,130, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full University of Florida General Physics Report

The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Physics Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #16. Located in Edinburg, Texas, this large public school handed out 12 diplomas to qualified masters’s general physics students in 2019-2020.

Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at UT Rio Grande Valley are $15,151.

Full The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley General Physics Report

#17

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, North Carolina

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Physics Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, this large public school handed out 5 degrees to qualified masters’s general physics students in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill are $30,248, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read full report on General Physics at UNC Chapel Hill

#18

Vanderbilt University

Nashville, Tennessee

Vanderbilt University came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Physics Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Vanderbilt University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Nashville, Tennessee. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 3 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at Vanderbilt are $50,624, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full Vanderbilt General Physics Report

#19

University of California - Riverside

Riverside, California
Top 25% in overall quality

University of California - Riverside landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Physics Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. UCR is a large public school situated in Riverside, California. It awarded 30 masters’s general physics degrees in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at UCR are $28,686, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about General Physics at UCR

#20

Boston College

Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts

Boston College came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Physics Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Boston College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 2 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at Boston College are $31,930, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about General Physics at Boston College

California State University - Los Angeles landed the #21 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Physics Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s general physics degrees to 5 students in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at Cal State LA are $17,723, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about General Physics at Cal State LA

#22

University of California - Berkeley

Berkeley, California
#18 in overall quality

University of California - Berkeley landed the #22 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Physics Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. UC Berkeley is a large public school situated in Berkeley, California. It awarded 29 masters’s general physics degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Berkeley also took the #18 spot in our “Best General Physics Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at UC Berkeley are $29,347, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full UC Berkeley General Physics Report

Top 25% in overall quality

With a ranking of #23, University of Washington - Seattle Campus did quite well on the 2022 Best Value General Physics Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. UW Seattle is a public institution located in Seattle, Washington. The school has a large population, and it awarded 20 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at University of Washington - Seattle Campus are $30,294.

Full UW Seattle General Physics Report

#24

California Institute of Technology

Pasadena, California
#14 in overall quality

California Institute of Technology ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value General Physics Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. This small school is located in Pasadena, California, and it awarded 6 masters’s general physics degrees in 2019-2020.

Caltech not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best General Physics Master’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Caltech are $56,649, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full Caltech General Physics Report

#25

The City College of New York

New York, New York

With a ranking of #25, The City College of New York did quite well on the 2022 Best Value General Physics Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. This fairly large school is located in New York, New York, and it awarded 7 masters’s general physics degrees in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at The City College of New York are $20,832, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about General Physics at CCNY

Rest of the Best 26 in Best Value General Physics Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $30-$48k

Not only did these schools make the top 26 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

#26

University of Virginia - Main Campus

Charlottesville, Virginia

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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