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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Physics (Income $30-$48k) in the Great Lakes Region

57 Ranked Colleges
1,215 Degrees Awarded
$9,200 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor's in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. 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 for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

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 $30-$48k” 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. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

One Size Does Not Fit All

The 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 Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k”.

In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest 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 in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k

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 $30-$48k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Physics (Income $30-$48k) in the Great Lakes Region

#1

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois
#2 in overall quality

Out of the 57 schools in the Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Northwestern University landed the #1 spot on the list. Northwestern is a large school located in Evanston, Illinois that handed out 11 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $30-$48k list, Northwestern has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $3,995 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Northwestern University.

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%. 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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%.

Read full report on Physics at Northwestern University

#2

University of Chicago

Chicago, Illinois

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Chicago. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k. This fairly large school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 63 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.

UChicago not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Chicago is $2,800 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Physics students whose families make $30-$48k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 0.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 100%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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.

Full UChicago Physics Report

Out of the 57 schools in the Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor landed the #3 spot on the list. Located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, this large public school handed out 51 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s physics students in 2019-2020.

U-M also made our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #3. It costs about $5,887 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.2%, 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.

Read more about Physics at U-M

Out of the 57 schools in the Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Wisconsin - Madison landed the #4 spot on the list. University of Wisconsin - Madison is located in Madison, Wisconsin and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 61 bachelors’s physics degrees to qualified students.

UW - Madison not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $6,860 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Physics students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UW - Madison.

With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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%.

Full UW - Madison Physics Report

#5

Purdue University - Main Campus

West Lafayette, Indiana

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Purdue University - Main Campus. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k. This large school is located in West Lafayette, Indiana, and it awarded 38 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $30-$48k list, Purdue has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Purdue is $5,879 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Physics students whose families make $30-$48k.

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.

Full Purdue University - Main Campus Physics Report

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #6. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a public institution located in Champaign, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 68 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UIUC, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is $8,464 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $30-$48k.

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

Full University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Physics Report

#7

University of Notre Dame

Notre Dame, Indiana
#6 in overall quality

University of Notre Dame ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. This fairly large school is located in Notre Dame, Indiana, and it awarded 31 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $30-$48k list, Notre Dame has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Notre Dame is $15,609 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Physics students whose families make $30-$48k.

The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 9 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 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%.

Read full report on Physics at Notre Dame

Ohio State University - Main Campus came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Columbus, Ohio, this large public school awarded 65 degrees to qualified bachelors’s physics students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $30-$48k list, Ohio State has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Ohio State University - Main Campus is $10,037 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, 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 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Physics at Ohio State

University of Wisconsin - La Crosse did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #9. University of Wisconsin - La Crosse is a fairly large school located in La Crosse, Wisconsin that handed out 34 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $30-$48k list, UW - La Crosse has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $9,795 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Physics students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Wisconsin - La Crosse.

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 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%.

Full UW - La Crosse Physics Report

#10

Indiana University - Bloomington

Bloomington, Indiana

Indiana University - Bloomington came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. IU Bloomington is a large public school situated in Bloomington, Indiana. It awarded 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 $30-$48k list, IU Bloomington has also earned the #20 rank in our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $6,192 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Indiana University - Bloomington.

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 low student loan default rate of 4.3% 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%.

Read more about Physics at IU Bloomington

#11

University of Wisconsin - River Falls

River Falls, Wisconsin
#13 in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - River Falls ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of Wisconsin - River Falls is located in River Falls, Wisconsin and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 20 bachelors’s physics degrees to qualified students.

UW - River Falls also took the #13 spot in our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - River Falls is $10,124 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Physics students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 more about Physics at University of Wisconsin - River Falls

#12

University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point

Stevens Point, Wisconsin
#18 in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point 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 $30-$48k ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Stevens Point, Wisconsin, and it awarded 8 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.

UW - Stevens Point also made our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #18. The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point is $11,433 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point Physics Report

#13

Beloit College

Beloit, Wisconsin
#24 in overall quality

Beloit College came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Beloit College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Beloit, Wisconsin. The school has a small population, and it awarded 9 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Beloit did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #24 on our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Beloit College is $7,628 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Physics students whose families make $30-$48k.

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

Read more about Physics at Beloit

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Edwardsville, Illinois, and it awarded 4 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is $9,938 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Physics students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full SIUE Physics Report

#15

University of Wisconsin - Whitewater

Whitewater, Wisconsin

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 $30-$48k ranking. University of Wisconsin - Whitewater is a fairly large public school situated in Whitewater, Wisconsin. It awarded 7 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.

UW - Whitewater also made our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #16. The yearly cost to attend UW - Whitewater is $12,156 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Physics at University of Wisconsin - Whitewater

#16

University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire

Eau Claire, Wisconsin

With a ranking of #16, University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. UW - Eau Claire is located in Eau Claire, Wisconsin and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 18 bachelors’s physics degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $30-$48k list, UW - Eau Claire has also earned the #17 rank in our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UW - Eau Claire is $11,828 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Physics at University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire

#17

Oberlin College

Oberlin, Ohio

With a ranking of #17, Oberlin College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Oberlin is located in Oberlin, Ohio and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 12 bachelors’s physics degrees to qualified students.

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 $11,560 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Full Oberlin College Physics Report

Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Indianapolis, Indiana is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s physics degrees to 5 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis is $6,315 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Physics students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Physics at Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis

University of Wisconsin - Parkside came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Kenosha, Wisconsin, this small public school handed out 6 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s physics students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for UW - Parkside is $9,018 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Physics students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Physics at UW - Parkside

#20

Saginaw Valley State University

University Center, Michigan

Saginaw Valley State University ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Saginaw Valley State University is a medium-sized public school situated in University Center, Michigan. It awarded 6 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $11,734 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Physics students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Saginaw Valley State University.

Full Saginaw Valley State University Physics Report

#21

Purdue University Fort Wayne

Fort Wayne, Indiana

Purdue University Fort Wayne ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Purdue University Fort Wayne 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.

It costs about $7,686 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend PFW.

Read full report on Physics at Purdue University Fort Wayne

University of Illinois at Chicago ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. UIC is a public institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 8 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend UIC is $11,185 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Physics students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low student loan default rate of 3.4% 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 more about Physics at University of Illinois at Chicago

#23

Grand Valley State University

Allendale, Michigan

Grand Valley State University 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 $30-$48k ranking. Located in Allendale, Michigan, this large public school handed out 5 degrees to qualified bachelors’s physics students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Grand Valley State University is $12,459 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Physics students whose families make $30-$48k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Physics at GVSU

University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh 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 $30-$48k ranking. University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh is located in Oshkosh, Wisconsin and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 7 bachelors’s physics degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $13,114 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UW Oshkosh.

Full UW Oshkosh Physics Report

#25

Oakland University

Rochester Hills, Michigan

Oakland University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #25. This fairly large school is located in Rochester Hills, Michigan, and it awarded 6 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Oakland University is $7,751 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Physics students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full Oakland University Physics Report

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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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