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

71 Ranked Colleges
1,510 Degrees Awarded
$7,900 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor's in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this 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 the Southeast region, there were 2,160 physics graduates with average earnings and debt of $34,400 and $23,843 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,510 physics graduates with average earnings and debt of $36,277 and $25,415 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking, we looked at 71 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.

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

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 Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. 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 Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k

The colleges and universities below are the best for southeast region bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $30-$48k.

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

#1

University of Florida

Gainesville, Florida

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Florida. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Gainesville, Florida, this large public school awarded 41 degrees to qualified bachelors’s physics students in 2019-2020.

UF not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It costs about $4,069 for southeast region bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Florida.

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

Read more about Physics at UF

#2

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, North Carolina

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, this large public school awarded 49 degrees to qualified bachelors’s physics students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southeast region bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $30-$48k list, UNC Chapel Hill has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $6,063 for southeast region bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UNC Chapel Hill.

The low student loan default rate of 1.9% 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 95%.

Full UNC Chapel Hill Physics Report

#3

Wake Forest University

Winston-Salem, North Carolina
#4 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Wake Forest University. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k. Located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school handed out 9 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s physics students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southeast region bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $30-$48k list, Wake Forest University has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Wake Forest University is $5,981 for southeast region bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 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 Wake Forest University Physics Report

#4

Vanderbilt University

Nashville, Tennessee
#15 in overall quality

Out of the 71 schools in the Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Vanderbilt University landed the #4 spot on the list. 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.

Vanderbilt did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It costs about $6,017 for southeast region bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Vanderbilt University.

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 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 8 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 Vanderbilt

#5

University of Virginia - Main Campus

Charlottesville, Virginia

Out of the 71 schools in the Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Virginia - Main Campus landed the #5 spot on the list. University of Virginia is a large school located in Charlottesville, Virginia that handed out 32 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.

University of Virginia not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It costs about $11,696 for southeast region bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Virginia.

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

Full University of Virginia Physics Report

#6

William & Mary

Williamsburg, Virginia

William & Mary did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #6. Williamsburg, Virginia is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s physics degrees to 29 students in 2019-2020.

William & Mary did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The yearly cost to attend William & Mary is $4,963 for southeast region bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $30-$48k.

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

Read full report on Physics at William & Mary

University of South Florida - Main Campus came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Tampa, Florida is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s physics degrees to 41 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at USF Tampa, the school also landed the #19 spot in our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend USF Tampa is $5,616 for southeast region bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.5%, 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 92%.

Read more about Physics at USF Tampa

#8

The University of West Florida

Pensacola, Florida

With a ranking of #8, The University of West Florida did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. UWF is a fairly large public school situated in Pensacola, Florida. It awarded 8 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend The University of West Florida is $3,912 for southeast region bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Physics at UWF

University of Central Florida came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. UCF is a large school located in Orlando, Florida that handed out 32 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend University of Central Florida is $7,847 for southeast region bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 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.

Read full report on Physics at University of Central Florida

#10

Florida State University

Tallahassee, Florida

Florida State University ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Florida State is a large public school situated in Tallahassee, Florida. It awarded 35 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.

Florida State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Florida State is $6,816 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Physics students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 3.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Florida State University Physics Report

#11

North Carolina State University

Raleigh, North Carolina

With a ranking of #11, North Carolina State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Raleigh, North Carolina, this large public school awarded 41 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s physics students in 2019-2020.

NC State also made our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #11. The estimated yearly cost for North Carolina State University is $9,887 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Physics students whose families make $30-$48k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, 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 more about Physics at North Carolina State University

With a ranking of #12, Florida International University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Florida International University is a large public school situated in Miami, Florida. It awarded 34 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $6,683 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Physics students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Florida International University.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.

Read full report on Physics at FIU

#13

Emory University

Atlanta, Georgia
#13 in overall quality

With a ranking of #13, Emory University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Emory University is a fairly large school located in Atlanta, Georgia that handed out 20 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.

Emory also took the #13 spot in our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $9,629 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Physics students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Emory.

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 school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%.

Read more about Physics at Emory University

#14

Northern Kentucky University

Highland Heights, Kentucky

Northern Kentucky University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #14. Located in Highland Heights, Kentucky, this fairly large public school handed out 8 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s physics students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Northern Kentucky University is $6,295 for southeast region bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Physics at NKU

#15

University of Georgia

Athens, Georgia
#8 in overall quality

University of Georgia landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This large school is located in Athens, Georgia, and it awarded 9 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.

UGA also made our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #8. The estimated yearly cost for University of Georgia is $10,241 for Southeast Region 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 94%. The low student loan default rate of 2.5% 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 more about Physics at University of Georgia

Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Atlanta, Georgia, this large public school awarded 52 degrees to qualified bachelors’s physics students in 2019-2020.

Georgia Tech not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It costs about $11,454 for southeast region bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus.

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 student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Physics at Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus

#17

University of North Florida

Jacksonville, Florida

University of North Florida did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #17. UNF is a fairly large public school situated in Jacksonville, Florida. It awarded 12 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $5,942 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Physics students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of North Florida.

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%.

Full University of North Florida Physics Report

#18

University of North Georgia

Dahlonega, Georgia

With a ranking of #18, University of North Georgia did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. UNG is a fairly large public school situated in Dahlonega, Georgia. It awarded 25 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for University of North Georgia is $8,707 for southeast region bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Physics at UNG

#19

Virginia Tech

Blacksburg, Virginia

Virginia Tech did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #19. Virginia Tech is a large public school situated in Blacksburg, Virginia. It awarded 75 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.

Virginia Tech also made our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #3. It costs about $14,010 for southeast region bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Virginia Tech.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Virginia Tech Physics Report

#20

Florida Atlantic University

Boca Raton, Florida

Florida Atlantic University came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Boca Raton, Florida, this large public school handed out 9 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s physics students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Florida Atlantic University is $7,331 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Physics students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Physics at FAU

#21

Marshall University

Huntington, West Virginia

With a ranking of #21, Marshall University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Marshall University is located in Huntington, West Virginia and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 6 bachelors’s physics degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $6,741 for southeast region bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Marshall University.

Full Marshall University Physics Report

#22

Appalachian State University

Boone, North Carolina

Appalachian State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #22. Located in Boone, North Carolina, this large public school awarded 27 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s physics students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Appalachian State University is $9,884 for southeast region bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low student loan default rate of 3.9% 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 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Physics at Appalachian State

#23

Augusta University

Augusta, Georgia

Augusta University landed the #23 spot on the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Augusta, Georgia, and it awarded 3 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $9,816 for southeast region bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Augusta University.

Read full report on Physics at Augusta University

#24

Virginia Military Institute

Lexington, Virginia

With a ranking of #24, Virginia Military Institute did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. VMI is located in Lexington, Virginia and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 12 bachelors’s physics degrees to qualified students.

VMI not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Virginia Military Institute is $6,604 for southeast 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%.

Read more about Physics at Virginia Military Institute

#25

West Virginia University

Morgantown, West Virginia

West Virginia University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #25. West Virginia University is located in Morgantown, West Virginia and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 12 bachelors’s physics degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend WVU is $10,486 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Physics students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Physics at West Virginia University

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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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