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2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Making $30-$48k

16 Ranked Colleges
461 Degrees Awarded
$12,300 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor's in Massachusetts For Those Making $30-$48k

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking - to help you make that decision.

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. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 461 physics graduates with average earnings and debt of $42,887 and $24,387 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking analyzed 16 colleges that offered 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. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

More Ways to Rank Physics Schools

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 Massachusetts For Those Making $30-$48k”.

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. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Making $30-$48k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Making $30-$48k.

Top 16 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Physics (Income $30-$48k) in Massachusetts

#1

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Cambridge, Massachusetts

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Massachusetts Institute of Technology. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Making $30-$48k list. Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a fairly large school located in Cambridge, Massachusetts that handed out 83 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.

MIT also took the #1 spot in our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. It costs about $1,820 for massachusetts bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 98%. 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.

Full MIT Physics Report

#2

Harvard University

Cambridge, Massachusetts
#3 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Harvard University. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Making $30-$48k list. This large school is located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and it awarded 45 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.

Harvard also made our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” list, coming in at #3. It costs about $1,010 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree Physics students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Harvard.

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 5 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read more about Physics at Harvard University

#3

Northeastern University

Boston, Massachusetts
#4 in overall quality

Out of the 16 schools in the Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Northeastern University landed the #3 spot on the list. Northeastern University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Boston, Massachusetts. The school has a large population, and it awarded 29 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Northeastern did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” list. The yearly cost to attend Northeastern University is $12,823 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree Physics students whose families make $30-$48k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default 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.

Read more about Physics at Northeastern

#4

Wellesley College

Wellesley, Massachusetts
#5 in overall quality

Out of the 16 schools in the Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Wellesley College landed the #4 spot on the list. Wellesley is a small school located in Wellesley, Massachusetts that handed out 15 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.

Wellesley also took the #5 spot in our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Wellesley is $4,519 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree Physics students whose families make $30-$48k.

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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Wellesley College Physics Report

#5

Boston College

Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts
#7 in overall quality

Out of the 16 schools in the Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Boston College landed the #5 spot on the list. Boston College is a fairly large school located in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts that handed out 15 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our massachusetts bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $30-$48k list, Boston College has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Boston College is $8,951 for massachusetts bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. 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 more about Physics at Boston College

#6

Williams College

Williamstown, Massachusetts
#13 in overall quality

Williams College landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. 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.

In addition to being on our massachusetts bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $30-$48k list, Williams has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Williams is $2,223 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree Physics students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 90%, 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 student loan default rate at the school is 2.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Williams Physics Report

#7

Boston University

Boston, Massachusetts
#6 in overall quality

With a ranking of #7, Boston University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Making $30-$48k list. Boston University is a large school located in Boston, Massachusetts that handed out 25 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.

Boston U not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” list. It costs about $13,256 for massachusetts bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Boston University.

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

Full Boston U Physics Report

#8

Smith College

Northampton, Massachusetts
#12 in overall quality

Smith College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #8. This small school is located in Northampton, Massachusetts, and it awarded 13 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Smith, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. It costs about $10,169 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree Physics students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Smith College.

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. 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 Smith Physics Report

#9

College of the Holy Cross

Worcester, Massachusetts
#2 in overall quality

College of the Holy Cross landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Worcester, Massachusetts, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 13 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s physics students in 2019-2020.

Holy Cross also took the #2 spot in our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Holy Cross is $19,031 for massachusetts bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, 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.

Full Holy Cross Physics Report

#10

University of Massachusetts Amherst

Amherst, Massachusetts

University of Massachusetts Amherst landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This large school is located in Amherst, Massachusetts, and it awarded 51 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our massachusetts bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $30-$48k list, UMass Amherst has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UMass Amherst is $14,474 for massachusetts bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. 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%.

Read full report on Physics at University of Massachusetts Amherst

#11

University of Massachusetts - Lowell

Lowell, Massachusetts
#10 in overall quality

University of Massachusetts - Lowell landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Lowell, Massachusetts, and it awarded 20 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.

UMass Lowell did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” list. The estimated yearly cost for UMass Lowell is $12,330 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree Physics students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low student loan default rate of 4.4% 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 UMass Lowell Physics Report

#12

University of Massachusetts - Boston

Boston, Massachusetts
#16 in overall quality

With a ranking of #12, University of Massachusetts - Boston did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Boston, Massachusetts, this fairly large public school handed out 13 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s physics students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our massachusetts bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $30-$48k list, UMass Boston has also earned the #16 rank in our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Massachusetts - Boston is $15,055 for massachusetts bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Physics at University of Massachusetts - Boston

#13

Wheaton College Massachusetts

Norton, Massachusetts
#8 in overall quality

Wheaton College Massachusetts landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Norton, Massachusetts is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s physics degrees to 14 students in 2019-2020.

Wheaton College Massachusetts also made our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” list, coming in at #8. It costs about $22,008 for massachusetts bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Wheaton College Massachusetts.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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%.

Read full report on Physics at Wheaton College Massachusetts

#14

Bridgewater State University

Bridgewater, Massachusetts
#15 in overall quality

Bridgewater State University landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Bridgewater, Massachusetts is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s physics degrees to 8 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our massachusetts bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $30-$48k list, Bridgewater State has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Bridgewater State University is $14,707 for massachusetts bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full Bridgewater State University Physics Report

#15

Brandeis University

Waltham, Massachusetts
#11 in overall quality

Brandeis University ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Waltham, Massachusetts, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school handed out 11 degrees to qualified bachelors’s physics students in 2019-2020.

Brandeis also took the #11 spot in our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. It costs about $16,074 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree Physics students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Brandeis.

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

Read full report on Physics at Brandeis University

#16

Suffolk University

Boston, Massachusetts
#14 in overall quality

Suffolk University ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Making $30-$48k list. Suffolk University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Boston, Massachusetts. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 3 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Suffolk also made our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” list, coming in at #14. The yearly cost to attend Suffolk is $28,938 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree Physics students whose families make $30-$48k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on 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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