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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Physics (Income $0-$30k)

327 Ranked Colleges
8,542 Degrees Awarded
$4,300 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor's 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 Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

Physics is the 67th most popular major in the country with 14,123 degrees awarded in 2019-2020. In 2017-2018, physics graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $42,475 and had an average of $22,421 in loans still to pay off.

At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 8,542 physics graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,303 and $24,501 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, we looked at 327 colleges that offer a degree in physics. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great physics programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the physics program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

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 Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k” 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. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Physics (Income $0-$30k)

#1

California Institute of Technology

Pasadena, California
#7 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California Institute of Technology. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Pasadena, California, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 34 degrees to qualified bachelors’s physics students in 2019-2020.

Caltech also took the #7 spot in our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $5,456 for Bachelor’s Degree Physics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Caltech.

The student-to-faculty ratio of 3 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, 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 Physics at California Institute of Technology

#2

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois
#4 in overall quality

Out of the 327 schools in the Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Northwestern University landed the #2 spot on the list. This large school is located in Evanston, Illinois, and it awarded 11 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.

Northwestern also took the #4 spot in our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Northwestern University is $1,866 for Bachelor’s Degree Physics students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 6 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 0.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Physics at Northwestern University

#3

University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
#8 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Pennsylvania. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s physics degrees to 60 students in 2019-2020.

UPenn also made our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #8. The yearly cost to attend UPenn is $3,181 for bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. 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%.

Full University of Pennsylvania Physics Report

#4

University of Chicago

Chicago, Illinois

Out of the 327 schools in the Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Chicago landed the #4 spot on the list. University of Chicago is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 63 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.

UChicago not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Chicago is $2,712 for bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The 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 excellent freshman retention rate of 100%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Physics at UChicago

#5

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Cambridge, Massachusetts

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Massachusetts Institute of Technology. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Cambridge, Massachusetts is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s physics degrees to 83 students in 2019-2020.

MIT also made our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #1. The yearly cost to attend Massachusetts Institute of Technology is $4,535 for Bachelor’s Degree Physics students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 98%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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. 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%.

Full MIT Physics Report

#6

Stanford University

Stanford, California
#9 in overall quality

With a ranking of #6, Stanford University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Stanford is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Stanford, California. It awarded 18 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.

Stanford also took the #9 spot in our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Stanford is $-1,387 for Bachelor’s Degree 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.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 0.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default 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.

Full Stanford University Physics Report

#7

Princeton University

Princeton, New Jersey
#11 in overall quality

With a ranking of #7, Princeton University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. This medium-sized school is located in Princeton, New Jersey, and it awarded 39 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.

Princeton also made our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #11. It costs about $1,386 for Bachelor’s Degree Physics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Princeton.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The 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 Physics at Princeton

#8

Harvard University

Cambridge, Massachusetts
#12 in overall quality

With a ranking of #8, Harvard University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 45 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s physics students in 2019-2020.

Harvard also took the #12 spot in our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Harvard is $2,973 for Bachelor’s Degree Physics students whose families make $0-$30k.

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%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read more about Physics at Harvard

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, this large public school awarded 51 degrees to qualified bachelors’s physics students in 2019-2020.

U-M did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $3,166 for bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $0-$30k 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 student loan default rate at the school is 1.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Physics at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

#10

Dartmouth College

Hanover, New Hampshire

Dartmouth College landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Hanover, New Hampshire is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s physics degrees to 12 students in 2019-2020.

Dartmouth not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Dartmouth is $12,052 for Bachelor’s Degree Physics students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Dartmouth College Physics Report

#11

Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, Maryland
#22 in overall quality

With a ranking of #11, Johns Hopkins University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Johns Hopkins University is located in Baltimore, Maryland and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 18 bachelors’s physics degrees to qualified students.

Johns Hopkins also made our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #22. The yearly cost to attend Johns Hopkins University is $3,526 for Bachelor’s Degree Physics students whose families make $0-$30k.

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 student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The 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.

Read more about Physics at Johns Hopkins

#12

University of Florida

Gainesville, Florida

University of Florida came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of Florida is located in Gainesville, Florida and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 41 bachelors’s physics degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend UF is $1,994 for Bachelor’s Degree Physics students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Physics at University of Florida

University of Wisconsin - Madison came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in Madison, Wisconsin, and it awarded 61 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.

UW - Madison also took the #20 spot in our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Madison is $4,367 for bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $0-$30k.

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

Read more about Physics at University of Wisconsin - Madison

#14

Brown University

Providence, Rhode Island
Top 20% in overall quality

Brown University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #14. Located in Providence, Rhode Island, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school awarded 27 degrees to qualified bachelors’s physics students in 2019-2020.

Brown also claimed a top spot on our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. It costs about $201 for bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Brown University.

The low 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The impressive 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.

Read full report on Physics at Brown University

#15

Cornell University

Ithaca, New York

Cornell University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #15. Cornell is a large school located in Ithaca, New York that handed out 52 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.

Cornell also took the #15 spot in our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Cornell is $7,484 for bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $0-$30k.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Full Cornell University Physics Report

#16

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, North Carolina

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Chapel Hill, North Carolina is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s physics degrees to 49 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on this list, UNC Chapel Hill is in the top on our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. It costs about $4,026 for bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $0-$30k 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 school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Physics at UNC Chapel Hill

#17

Williams College

Williamstown, Massachusetts

Williams College ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Williams is located in Williamstown, Massachusetts and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 11 bachelors’s physics degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for Williams is $2,498 for bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read full report on Physics at Williams College

#5 in overall quality

With a ranking of #18, Columbia University in the City of New York did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in New York, New York, and it awarded 29 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.

Columbia did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Columbia is $8,916 for Bachelor’s Degree Physics students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Full Columbia Physics Report

With a ranking of #19, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a large public school situated in Champaign, Illinois. It awarded 68 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on this list, UIUC is in the top on our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools in this category. It costs about $5,477 for bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UIUC.

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

Read full report on Physics at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

University of Washington - Seattle Campus came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of Washington - Seattle Campus is a public institution located in Seattle, Washington. The school has a large population, and it awarded 207 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, UW Seattle is also in the top of our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It’s in the top 15% of all schools in this category. The estimated yearly cost for UW Seattle is $7,850 for Bachelor’s Degree Physics students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 2.2% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Physics at University of Washington - Seattle Campus

#21

Vanderbilt University

Nashville, Tennessee

Vanderbilt University landed the #21 spot on the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Vanderbilt University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Nashville, Tennessee. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 9 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $3,156 for Bachelor’s Degree Physics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Vanderbilt University.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, 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%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read full report on Physics at Vanderbilt

#22

University of Maryland - College Park

College Park, Maryland

University of Maryland - College Park came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UMCP is a large public school situated in College Park, Maryland. It awarded 75 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on this list, UMCP is in the top on our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools in this category. The estimated yearly cost for UMCP is $8,054 for bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $0-$30k.

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 2.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Physics at UMCP

#23

University of California - Berkeley

Berkeley, California

University of California - Berkeley ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of California - Berkeley is located in Berkeley, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 135 bachelors’s physics degrees to qualified students.

UC Berkeley also made our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #16. The estimated yearly cost for UC Berkeley is $8,392 for Bachelor’s Degree Physics students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Physics at UC Berkeley

#24

The City College of New York

New York, New York

With a ranking of #24, The City College of New York did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. The City College of New York is a public institution located in New York, New York. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 24 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for CCNY is $704 for Bachelor’s Degree Physics students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full CCNY Physics Report

#25

William & Mary

Williamsburg, Virginia

With a ranking of #25, William & Mary did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Williamsburg, Virginia, this medium-sized public school handed out 29 degrees to qualified bachelors’s physics students in 2019-2020.

William & Mary also claimed a top spot on our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $4,711 for Bachelor’s Degree Physics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend William & Mary.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low 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 more about Physics at William & Mary

Rest of the Best 50 in Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k

Not only did these schools make the top 50 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

#26

University of Wisconsin - La Crosse

La Crosse, Wisconsin
#28

Northeastern University

Boston, Massachusetts
#32

University of California - Riverside

Riverside, California
#34

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California
#37

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, Minnesota
#38

Purdue University - Main Campus

West Lafayette, Indiana
#39

Hunter College

New York, New York
#40

Florida State University

Tallahassee, Florida
#42

University of California - Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara, California
#43

Wellesley College

Wellesley, Massachusetts
#44

University of Central Florida

Orlando, Florida
#45

Indiana University - Bloomington

Bloomington, Indiana
#46

Oberlin College

Oberlin, Ohio
#47

North Carolina State University

Raleigh, North Carolina

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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