2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Physics (Income $0-$30k) in the Great Lakes Region
When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking.
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.
Across the Great Lakes region, there were 1,820 physics graduates with average earnings and debt of $41,980 and $21,326 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,215 physics graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,075 and $25,381 respectively.
For this year’s “Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, we looked at 57 colleges that offer a degree in physics. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent 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 physics program at the school. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.
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Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.
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Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k.
Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Physics (Income $0-$30k) in the Great Lakes Region
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Northwestern University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k. Northwestern is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Evanston, Illinois. It awarded 11 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.
Northwestern also took the #2 spot in our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Northwestern University is $1,866 for great lakes region 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 0.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. 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.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Chicago. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. UChicago is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 63 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.
UChicago also made our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #1. The estimated yearly cost for University of Chicago is $2,712 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Physics students whose families make $0-$30k.
With a freshman retention rate of 100%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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. 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%.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k. Located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, this large public school handed out 51 degrees to qualified bachelors’s physics students in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at U-M, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is $3,166 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Physics students whose families make $0-$30k.
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%.
Out of the 57 schools in the Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Wisconsin - Madison landed the #4 spot on the list. This large school is located in Madison, Wisconsin, and it awarded 61 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $0-$30k list, UW - Madison has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UW - Madison is $4,367 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $0-$30k.
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 low student loan default rate of 0.8% 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%.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region 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 our great lakes region bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $0-$30k list, UIUC has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UIUC is $5,477 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Physics students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 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.
With a ranking of #6, University of Wisconsin - La Crosse did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. UW - La Crosse is located in La Crosse, Wisconsin and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 34 bachelors’s physics degrees to qualified students.
UW - La Crosse did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - La Crosse is $7,939 for Great Lakes Region 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 86%. The low student loan default rate of 1.6% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Read more about Physics at University of Wisconsin - La Crosse
Ohio State University - Main Campus did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #7. Ohio State is a public institution located in Columbus, Ohio. The school has a large population, and it awarded 65 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Ohio State, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $8,194 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Physics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Ohio State.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
Purdue University - Main Campus landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Purdue is located in West Lafayette, Indiana and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 38 bachelors’s physics degrees to qualified students.
Purdue not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Purdue University - Main Campus is $5,483 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $0-$30k.
With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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%.
Indiana University - Bloomington ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. IU Bloomington is located in Bloomington, Indiana and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 20 bachelors’s physics degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $0-$30k list, IU Bloomington has also earned the #20 rank in our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend IU Bloomington is $4,969 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Physics students whose families make $0-$30k.
The student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
Read full report on Physics at Indiana University - Bloomington
With a ranking of #10, Oberlin College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Oberlin College is a small school located in Oberlin, Ohio that handed out 12 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Oberlin, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Oberlin is $9,037 for great lakes region 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 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.
Michigan State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #11. Michigan State is a large school located in East Lansing, Michigan that handed out 46 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Michigan State, the school also landed the #15 spot in our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Michigan State is $6,686 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $0-$30k.
The student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.
University of Notre Dame came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Notre Dame, Indiana is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s physics degrees to 31 students in 2019-2020.
Notre Dame also made our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #6. The yearly cost to attend Notre Dame is $12,498 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Physics students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low student loan default rate of 0.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, 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.
University of Wisconsin - River Falls landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UW - River Falls is a medium-sized school located in River Falls, Wisconsin that handed out 20 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $0-$30k list, UW - River Falls has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - River Falls is $8,366 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $0-$30k.
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%.
Read full report on Physics at University of Wisconsin - River Falls
University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Stevens Point, Wisconsin, this medium-sized public school awarded 8 degrees to qualified bachelors’s physics students in 2019-2020.
UW - Stevens Point did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $11,446 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Physics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UW - Stevens Point.
University of Wisconsin - Whitewater landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Whitewater, Wisconsin is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s physics degrees to 7 students in 2019-2020.
UW - Whitewater did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UW - Whitewater is $11,868 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $0-$30k.
Beloit College landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This small school is located in Beloit, Wisconsin, and it awarded 9 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Beloit, the school also landed the #24 spot in our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Beloit College is $8,574 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Physics students whose families make $0-$30k.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.
With a ranking of #17, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is a fairly large school located in Edwardsville, Illinois that handed out 4 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for SIUE is $8,055 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Physics students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read more about Physics at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, and it awarded 18 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.
UW - Eau Claire also made our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #17. It costs about $11,528 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UW - Eau Claire.
University of Wisconsin - Parkside did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #19. Kenosha, Wisconsin is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s physics degrees to 6 students in 2019-2020.
It costs about $6,652 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Physics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UW - Parkside.
Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. IUPUI is located in Indianapolis, Indiana and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 5 bachelors’s physics degrees to qualified students.
The estimated yearly cost for IUPUI is $5,052 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $0-$30k.
Full Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis Physics Report
Ball State University landed the #21 spot on the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Ball State is a large public school situated in Muncie, Indiana. It awarded 6 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for Ball State University is $8,403 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Physics students whose families make $0-$30k.
Saginaw Valley State University ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Saginaw Valley State University is a public institution located in University Center, Michigan. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 6 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend Saginaw Valley State University is $10,522 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Physics students whose families make $0-$30k.
Purdue University Fort Wayne came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. PFW is located in Fort Wayne, Indiana and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 7 bachelors’s physics degrees to qualified students.
The yearly cost to attend PFW is $7,129 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Physics students whose families make $0-$30k.
University of Illinois at Chicago came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of Illinois at Chicago is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 8 bachelors’s physics degrees to qualified students.
The estimated yearly cost for UIC is $10,648 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh is a public institution located in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 7 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for UW Oshkosh is $11,687 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Physics students whose families make $0-$30k.
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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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- Credit for the banner image above goes to A. T. Service.
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