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2022 Best Value Colleges for Physics (Income $0-$30k) in Massachusetts

16 Ranked Colleges
723 Degrees Awarded
$11,400 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Physics Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value Physics Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

In 2019-2020, 14,123 people earned their degree in physics, making the major the 67th most popular in the United States. 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 Massachusetts, there were 723 physics graduates with average earnings and debt of $53,000 and $21,896 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Physics Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking looked at 16 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s 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. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

More Ways to Rank Physics Schools

When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Best Value Physics Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k” list to help you make the college decision.

To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.

Best Value Physics Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k

The colleges and universities below are the best for massachusetts physics students whose families make $0-$30k.

Top 16 Best Value Colleges for Physics (Income $0-$30k) in Massachusetts

#1

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Cambridge, Massachusetts

Out of the 16 schools in the Best Value Physics Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Massachusetts Institute of Technology landed the #1 spot on the list. Located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 118 degrees to qualified ’s physics students in 2019-2020.

MIT not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Physics Schools in Massachusetts” list. It costs about $4,535 for massachusetts physics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

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 student loan default rate at the school is 1.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 3 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read full report on Physics at Massachusetts Institute of Technology

#2

Harvard University

Cambridge, Massachusetts

Out of the 16 schools in the Best Value Physics Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Harvard University landed the #2 spot on the list. Harvard University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The school has a large population, and it awarded 106 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Harvard did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Physics Schools in Massachusetts” list. It costs about $2,973 for Massachusetts Physics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Harvard University.

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%. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 5 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 Harvard University

#3

Williams College

Williamstown, Massachusetts

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Williams College. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Physics Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k list. Williams College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Williamstown, Massachusetts. It awarded 11 ’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our massachusetts physics students whose families make $0-$30k list, Williams has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best Physics Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Williams is $2,498 for massachusetts physics students whose families make $0-$30k.

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. 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%.

Full Williams College Physics Report

#4

Northeastern University

Boston, Massachusetts

Out of the 16 schools in the Best Value Physics Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Northeastern University landed the #4 spot on the list. Northeastern is located in Boston, Massachusetts and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 47 ’s physics degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our massachusetts physics students whose families make $0-$30k list, Northeastern has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Physics Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. It costs about $10,239 for massachusetts physics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Northeastern.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Northeastern Physics Report

#5

Wellesley College

Wellesley, Massachusetts

Out of the 16 schools in the Best Value Physics Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Wellesley College landed the #5 spot on the list. This small school is located in Wellesley, Massachusetts, and it awarded 15 ’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.

Wellesley did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Physics Schools in Massachusetts” list. It costs about $8,785 for Massachusetts Physics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Wellesley.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The low student loan default rate of 1.5% 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 Wellesley College

#6

Boston College

Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts

Boston College ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Physics Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k list. Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s physics degrees to 27 students in 2019-2020.

Boston College also took the #8 spot in our “Best Physics Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. It costs about $6,353 for Massachusetts Physics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Boston College.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full Boston College Physics Report

#7

College of the Holy Cross

Worcester, Massachusetts

College of the Holy Cross did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #7. Located in Worcester, Massachusetts, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 13 diplomas to qualified ’s physics students in 2019-2020.

Holy Cross not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Physics Schools in Massachusetts” list. The yearly cost to attend Holy Cross is $15,036 for massachusetts physics students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 0.5% 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 10 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 excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Holy Cross Physics Report

#8

Smith College

Northampton, Massachusetts

With a ranking of #8, Smith College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k list. Smith College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Northampton, Massachusetts. It awarded 13 ’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.

Smith did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best Physics Schools in Massachusetts” list. It costs about $6,075 for Massachusetts Physics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Smith.

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%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read full report on Physics at Smith

#9

Boston University

Boston, Massachusetts

Boston University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #9. Boston U is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Boston, Massachusetts. It awarded 44 ’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Boston U, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best Physics Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Boston University is $12,903 for massachusetts physics students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, 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 92%.

Read full report on Physics at Boston University

#10

University of Massachusetts Amherst

Amherst, Massachusetts

University of Massachusetts Amherst did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #10. Located in Amherst, Massachusetts, this large public school awarded 91 diplomas to qualified ’s physics students in 2019-2020.

UMass Amherst did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Physics Schools in Massachusetts” list. The yearly cost to attend UMass Amherst is $13,137 for massachusetts physics students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 2.8% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Physics at UMass Amherst

#11

University of Massachusetts - Lowell

Lowell, Massachusetts

University of Massachusetts - Lowell came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physics Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UMass Lowell is located in Lowell, Massachusetts and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 32 ’s physics degrees to qualified students.

UMass Lowell did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best Physics Schools in Massachusetts” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Massachusetts - Lowell is $11,560 for massachusetts physics students whose families make $0-$30k.

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%.

Full UMass Lowell Physics Report

#12

Brandeis University

Waltham, Massachusetts

Brandeis University landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Waltham, Massachusetts is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s physics degrees to 23 students in 2019-2020.

Brandeis not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Physics Schools in Massachusetts” list. It costs about $13,567 for Massachusetts Physics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Brandeis.

The student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The low 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 90%.

Full Brandeis Physics Report

#13

Bridgewater State University

Bridgewater, Massachusetts

With a ranking of #13, Bridgewater State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Bridgewater, Massachusetts, this fairly large public school awarded 8 diplomas to qualified ’s physics students in 2019-2020.

Bridgewater State also took the #15 spot in our “Best Physics Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. It costs about $13,332 for Massachusetts Physics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Bridgewater State.

Read full report on Physics at Bridgewater State University

#14

University of Massachusetts - Boston

Boston, Massachusetts

With a ranking of #14, University of Massachusetts - Boston did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Massachusetts - Boston is located in Boston, Massachusetts and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 19 ’s physics degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UMass Boston, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best Physics Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UMass Boston is $13,859 for massachusetts physics students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Physics at University of Massachusetts - Boston

#15

Wheaton College Massachusetts

Norton, Massachusetts

Wheaton College Massachusetts landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Wheaton College Massachusetts is located in Norton, Massachusetts and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 14 ’s physics degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our massachusetts physics students whose families make $0-$30k list, Wheaton College Massachusetts has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best Physics Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. It costs about $20,511 for massachusetts physics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Wheaton College Massachusetts.

The low student loan default rate of 3.1% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full Wheaton College Massachusetts Physics Report

#16

Suffolk University

Boston, Massachusetts

Suffolk University landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Suffolk University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Boston, Massachusetts. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 3 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Suffolk also took the #14 spot in our “Best Physics Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. It costs about $27,748 for Massachusetts Physics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Suffolk.

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%.

Read more about Physics at Suffolk University

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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