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2023 Best Value General Physics Schools in the Great Lakes Region

43 Ranked Colleges
1,713 Degrees Awarded
$16,300 Avg Net Price*
Best Value General Physics Schools in the Great Lakes Region

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. 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 in the Great Lakes Region” ranking is part of that endeavor.

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

Across the Great Lakes region, there were 1,713 general physics graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value General Physics Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking, we looked at 43 colleges that offer 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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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 in the Great Lakes Region”.

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 in the Great Lakes Region

The colleges and universities below are the best for great lakes region general physics students.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for General Physics in the Great Lakes Region

1

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value General Physics Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. UW - Eau Claire is a public institution located in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 27 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

UW - Eau Claire also made our “Best General Physics Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #12. The yearly cost to attend UW - Eau Claire is $16,051 for Great Lakes Region General Physics students.

Read more about General Physics at University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire

2

Out of the 43 schools in the Best Value General Physics Schools in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Wisconsin - River Falls landed the #2 spot on the list. UW - River Falls is a medium-sized public school situated in River Falls, Wisconsin. It awarded 18 ’s general physics degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW - River Falls, the school also landed the #21 spot in our “Best General Physics Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - River Falls is $13,844 for great lakes region general physics students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Physics at University of Wisconsin - River Falls

3

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wisconsin - La Crosse. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value General Physics Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. UW - La Crosse is a fairly large public school situated in La Crosse, Wisconsin. It awarded 27 ’s general physics degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW - La Crosse, the school also landed the #23 spot in our “Best General Physics Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - La Crosse is $14,654 for great lakes region general physics students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on General Physics at UW - La Crosse

4

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Western Illinois University. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value General Physics Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. WIU is a public institution located in Macomb, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 12 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend WIU is $15,305 for great lakes region general physics students.

Read more about General Physics at Western Illinois University

5
Purdue crest
Purdue University - Main Campus
West Lafayette, Indiana

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Purdue University - Main Campus. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value General Physics Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Purdue University - Main Campus is a large school located in West Lafayette, Indiana that handed out 78 ’s general physics degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Purdue, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best General Physics Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Purdue University - Main Campus is $13,377 for Great Lakes Region General Physics 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%. 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 Purdue University - Main Campus

6

University of Wisconsin - Madison did quite well in the 2023 Best Value General Physics Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #6. This large school is located in Madison, Wisconsin, and it awarded 144 ’s general physics degrees in 2020-2021.

UW - Madison also made our “Best General Physics Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #4. The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Madison is $17,234 for great lakes region general physics students.

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 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Physics at UW - Madison

7

Northern Illinois University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Physics Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. This fairly large school is located in Dekalb, Illinois, and it awarded 9 ’s general physics degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Northern Illinois University is $13,956 for great lakes region general physics students.

Full NIU General Physics Report

8

University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value General Physics Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point is a medium-sized public school situated in Stevens Point, Wisconsin. It awarded 3 ’s general physics degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $13,346 for great lakes region general physics students per year to attend UW - Stevens Point.

Read full report on General Physics at University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point

9

University of Wisconsin - Parkside ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value General Physics Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. UW - Parkside is a small school located in Kenosha, Wisconsin that handed out 8 ’s general physics degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Parkside is $11,082 for Great Lakes Region General Physics students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full UW - Parkside General Physics Report

10

Ohio University - Athens Campus did quite well in the 2023 Best Value General Physics Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #10. OHIO Athens is located in Athens, Ohio and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 21 ’s general physics degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at OHIO Athens, the school also landed the #19 spot in our “Best General Physics Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $23,831 for great lakes region general physics students per year to attend Ohio University - Athens Campus.

Read more about General Physics at OHIO Athens

11
WMU crest
Western Michigan University
Kalamazoo, Michigan

Western Michigan University landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Best Value General Physics Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Western Michigan University is located in Kalamazoo, Michigan and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 20 ’s general physics degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our great lakes region general physics students list, WMU has also earned the #16 rank in our “Best General Physics Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Western Michigan University is $20,371 for Great Lakes Region General Physics students.

Read full report on General Physics at WMU

12

University of Wisconsin - Whitewater landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Best Value General Physics Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. UW - Whitewater is located in Whitewater, Wisconsin and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 3 ’s general physics degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for UW - Whitewater is $14,417 for Great Lakes Region General Physics students.

Full University of Wisconsin - Whitewater General Physics Report

13

University of Akron Main Campus landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Best Value General Physics Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Akron, Ohio is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s general physics degrees to 9 students in 2020-2021.

It costs about $17,945 for Great Lakes Region General Physics students per year to attend University of Akron Main Campus.

Read full report on General Physics at University of Akron Main Campus

14

Illinois State University landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Best Value General Physics Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Normal, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s general physics degrees to 22 students in 2020-2021.

Illinois State also took the #20 spot in our “Best General Physics Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Illinois State University is $20,830 for Great Lakes Region General Physics students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Physics at Illinois State

15

Cleveland State University ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value General Physics Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. This fairly large school is located in Cleveland, Ohio, and it awarded 8 ’s general physics degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $16,943 for Great Lakes Region General Physics students per year to attend Cleveland State University.

Full Cleveland State University General Physics Report

16

Kent State University at Kent ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value General Physics Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in Kent, Ohio, this large public school handed out 25 diplomas to qualified ’s general physics students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Kent State, the school also landed the #25 spot in our “Best General Physics Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Kent State is $19,117 for Great Lakes Region General Physics students.

Full Kent State General Physics Report

17

Bowling Green State University - Main Campus ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value General Physics Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Bowling Green, Ohio is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s general physics degrees to 12 students in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend BGSU is $18,558 for Great Lakes Region General Physics students.

Read more about General Physics at BGSU

18

University of Cincinnati - Main Campus ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value General Physics Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in Cincinnati, Ohio, this large public school awarded 26 diplomas to qualified ’s general physics students in 2020-2021.

UC also took the #14 spot in our “Best General Physics Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Cincinnati - Main Campus is $22,415 for great lakes region general physics students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on General Physics at University of Cincinnati - Main Campus

19

With a ranking of #19, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign did quite well on the 2023 Best Value General Physics Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. UIUC is a public institution located in Champaign, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 106 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

UIUC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best General Physics Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UIUC is $14,321 for Great Lakes Region General Physics students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.3% 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%. 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 UIUC

20

With a ranking of #20, University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee did quite well on the 2023 Best Value General Physics Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee is located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 16 ’s general physics degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee is $17,486 for Great Lakes Region General Physics students.

Full UWM General Physics Report

21
PFW crest
Purdue University Fort Wayne
Fort Wayne, Indiana

Purdue University Fort Wayne did quite well in the 2023 Best Value General Physics Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #21. Fort Wayne, Indiana is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s general physics degrees to 10 students in 2020-2021.

It costs about $11,629 for great lakes region general physics students per year to attend Purdue University Fort Wayne.

Full PFW General Physics Report

22
Ball State crest
Ball State University
Muncie, Indiana

Ball State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value General Physics Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #22. Ball State University is a public institution located in Muncie, Indiana. The school has a large population, and it awarded 11 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Ball State, the school also landed the #24 spot in our “Best General Physics Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $14,765 for Great Lakes Region General Physics students per year to attend Ball State.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Physics at Ball State

23

Grand Valley State University landed the #23 spot on the 2023 Best Value General Physics Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. GVSU is a public institution located in Allendale, Michigan. The school has a large population, and it awarded 4 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Grand Valley State University is $17,356 for great lakes region general physics students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Grand Valley State University General Physics Report

24

University of Illinois at Chicago did quite well in the 2023 Best Value General Physics Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #24. UIC is a public institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 26 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our great lakes region general physics students list, UIC has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best General Physics Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Illinois at Chicago is $13,214 for Great Lakes Region General Physics students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Physics at University of Illinois at Chicago

25
Eastern Michigan crest
Eastern Michigan University
Ypsilanti, Michigan

Eastern Michigan University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value General Physics Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #25. Ypsilanti, Michigan is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s general physics degrees to 3 students in 2020-2021.

It costs about $15,127 for great lakes region general physics students per year to attend Eastern Michigan.

Read full report on General Physics at Eastern Michigan

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