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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for General Physics (With Aid)

321 Ranked Colleges
8,178 Degrees Awarded
$11,300 Avg Net Price*
Best Value General Physics Schools for a Bachelor's For Those Getting Aid

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. 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 Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid” ranking is part of that endeavor.

General Physics is the 57th most popular major in the country with 13,287 degrees awarded in 2019-2020.

At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 8,178 general physics graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,303 and $24,501 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value General Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid” ranking analyzed 321 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.

One Size Does Not Fit All

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 a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most 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 Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value General Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for General Physics (With Aid)

#1

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Cambridge, Massachusetts
#1 in overall quality

Out of the 321 schools in the Best Value General Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Massachusetts Institute of Technology landed the #1 spot on the list. Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a fairly large school located in Cambridge, Massachusetts that handed out 83 bachelors’s general physics degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at MIT, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best General Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Massachusetts Institute of Technology is $16,636 for Bachelor’s Degree General Physics students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.1%, 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 98%. The impressive 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.

Full Massachusetts Institute of Technology General Physics Report

#2

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Top 10% in overall quality

Out of the 321 schools in the Best Value General Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill landed the #2 spot on the list. UNC Chapel Hill is a public institution located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. The school has a large population, and it awarded 49 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, UNC Chapel Hill is also in the top of our “Best General Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It’s in the top 10% of all schools in this category. It costs about $12,352 for bachelor’s degree general physics students with aid per year to attend University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Physics at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Top 15% in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Washington - Seattle Campus. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value General Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. University of Washington - Seattle Campus is a large school located in Seattle, Washington that handed out 207 bachelors’s general physics degrees in 2019-2020.

UW Seattle also claimed a top spot on our “Best General Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. It costs about $13,297 for bachelor’s degree general physics students with aid per year to attend UW Seattle.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, 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 93%.

Read full report on General Physics at UW Seattle

#4

The City College of New York

New York, New York

Out of the 321 schools in the Best Value General Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, The City College of New York landed the #4 spot on the list. New York, New York is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s general physics degrees to 24 students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $2,385 for Bachelor’s Degree General Physics students with aid per year to attend CCNY.

Read more about General Physics at The City College of New York

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Los Angeles. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value General Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. This large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 16 bachelors’s general physics degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Los Angeles is $2,768 for Bachelor’s Degree General Physics students with aid.

The low student loan default rate of 1.4% 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 Cal State LA

The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value General Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. Edinburg, Texas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s general physics degrees to 10 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley is $4,514 for bachelor’s degree general physics students with aid.

The low student loan default rate of 4.8% 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%.

Full The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley General Physics Report

Top 10% in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - La Crosse did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #7. Located in La Crosse, Wisconsin, this fairly large public school handed out 34 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s general physics students in 2019-2020.

UW - La Crosse also claimed a top spot on our “Best General Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools in this category. The estimated yearly cost for UW - La Crosse is $14,580 for Bachelor’s Degree General Physics students with aid.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Wisconsin - La Crosse General Physics Report

#20 in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - Madison ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value General Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. This large school is located in Madison, Wisconsin, and it awarded 61 bachelors’s general physics degrees in 2019-2020.

UW - Madison not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #20 on our “Best General Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison is $17,708 for Bachelor’s Degree General Physics students with aid.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. The student loan default rate at the school is 0.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Physics at UW - Madison

California State University - Fullerton ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value General Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Fullerton, California, this large public school handed out 19 degrees to qualified bachelors’s general physics students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Fullerton is $7,991 for bachelor’s degree general physics students with aid.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Cal State Fullerton General Physics Report

#10

University of California - Riverside

Riverside, California
Top 15% in overall quality

University of California - Riverside ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value General Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. UCR is located in Riverside, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 38 bachelors’s general physics degrees to qualified students.

UCR excels when it comes to general physics quality. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our “Best General Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Riverside is $12,871 for bachelor’s degree general physics students with aid.

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 student loan default rate at the school is 2.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Physics at UCR

#11

University of Florida

Gainesville, Florida

University of Florida ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value General Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. University of Florida is located in Gainesville, Florida and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 41 bachelors’s general physics degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for University of Florida is $6,302 for bachelor’s degree general physics students with aid.

The low student loan default rate of 2.0% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%.

Read full report on General Physics at UF

Brigham Young University - Idaho did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #12. BYU - I is a private not-for-profit institution located in Rexburg, Idaho. The school has a large population, and it awarded 20 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $7,167 for Bachelor’s Degree General Physics students with aid per year to attend Brigham Young University - Idaho.

The low student loan default rate of 3.2% 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%.

Full Brigham Young University - Idaho General Physics Report

Top 15% in overall quality

Missouri University of Science and Technology did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #13. Located in Rolla, Missouri, this medium-sized public school handed out 16 degrees to qualified bachelors’s general physics students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Missouri University of Science and Technology is also in the top of our “Best General Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. It costs about $14,262 for bachelor’s degree general physics students with aid per year to attend Missouri University of Science and Technology.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about General Physics at Missouri University of Science and Technology

California State University - Long Beach did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #14. This large school is located in Long Beach, California, and it awarded 53 bachelors’s general physics degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $9,622 for bachelor’s degree general physics students with aid per year to attend California State University - Long Beach.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Physics at CSULB

#15

Hunter College

New York, New York

Hunter College landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. Hunter College is a large public school situated in New York, New York. It awarded 14 bachelors’s general physics degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Hunter is $2,490 for Bachelor’s Degree General Physics students with aid.

The low student loan default rate of 4.0% 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%.

Full Hunter College General Physics Report

Top 15% in overall quality

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. UIUC is located in Champaign, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 68 bachelors’s general physics degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, UIUC is also in the top of our “Best General Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The yearly cost to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is $15,880 for Bachelor’s Degree General Physics students with aid.

The low student loan default rate of 2.4% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign General Physics Report

#17

Harvard University

Cambridge, Massachusetts
#12 in overall quality

Harvard University came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. Harvard is located in Cambridge, Massachusetts and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 45 bachelors’s general physics degrees to qualified students.

Harvard not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best General Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Harvard University is $15,386 for Bachelor’s Degree General Physics students with aid.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Physics at Harvard

#18

Princeton University

Princeton, New Jersey
#11 in overall quality

Princeton University landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. Princeton, New Jersey is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s general physics degrees to 39 students in 2019-2020.

Princeton also made our “Best General Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #11. The yearly cost to attend Princeton University is $11,317 for Bachelor’s Degree General Physics students with aid.

The low 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%. The impressive 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.

Full Princeton General Physics Report

University of South Florida - Main Campus did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #19. This large school is located in Tampa, Florida, and it awarded 41 bachelors’s general physics degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for University of South Florida - Main Campus is $8,355 for bachelor’s degree general physics students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about General Physics at University of South Florida - Main Campus

#20

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, Michigan
#14 in overall quality

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. This large school is located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and it awarded 51 bachelors’s general physics degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree general physics students with aid list, U-M has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best General Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is $15,336 for bachelor’s degree general physics students with aid.

With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 1.2% 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%.

Full U-M General Physics Report

#21

University of California - Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara, California
#17 in overall quality

University of California - Santa Barbara ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value General Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. University of California - Santa Barbara is a large school located in Santa Barbara, California that handed out 161 bachelors’s general physics degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCSB, the school also landed the #17 spot in our “Best General Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Santa Barbara is $15,884 for Bachelor’s Degree General Physics students with aid.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, 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 91%.

Read full report on General Physics at University of California - Santa Barbara

#22

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California
#21 in overall quality

University of California - Los Angeles landed the #22 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s general physics degrees to 64 students in 2019-2020.

UCLA also took the #21 spot in our “Best General Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UCLA is $14,279 for Bachelor’s Degree General Physics students with aid.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Physics at UCLA

#23

Stanford University

Stanford, California
#9 in overall quality

Stanford University came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. Stanford is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Stanford, California. It awarded 18 bachelors’s general physics degrees in 2019-2020.

Stanford also made our “Best General Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #9. It costs about $11,496 for bachelor’s degree general physics students with aid per year to attend Stanford.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read more about General Physics at Stanford University

#24

Purdue University - Main Campus

West Lafayette, Indiana

With a ranking of #24, Purdue University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2022 Best Value General Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. Purdue University - Main Campus is located in West Lafayette, Indiana and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 38 bachelors’s general physics degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $13,986 for bachelor’s degree general physics students with aid per year to attend Purdue.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, 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 University - Main Campus General Physics Report

The University of Texas at Dallas ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value General Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. UT Dallas is a large school located in Richardson, Texas that handed out 27 bachelors’s general physics degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend The University of Texas at Dallas is $15,232 for bachelor’s degree general physics students with aid.

The low student loan default rate of 4.9% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about General Physics at UT Dallas

Rest of the Best 49 in Best Value General Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid

Not only did these schools make the top 49 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

#27

University of Wyoming

Laramie, Wyoming
#29

University of Wisconsin - River Falls

River Falls, Wisconsin
#31

University of Arizona

Tucson, Arizona
#32

Appalachian State University

Boone, North Carolina
#34

University of California - Berkeley

Berkeley, California
#35

University of Wisconsin - Whitewater

Whitewater, Wisconsin
#37

Truman State University

Kirksville, Missouri
#39

The University of West Florida

Pensacola, Florida
#40

University of North Georgia

Dahlonega, Georgia
#43

University of Central Florida

Orlando, Florida
#44

North Carolina State University

Raleigh, North Carolina
#46

University of Virginia - Main Campus

Charlottesville, Virginia
#46

Northern Kentucky University

Highland Heights, Kentucky
#49

University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point

Stevens Point, Wisconsin

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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