Find Schools

Study Area & Zipcode

Find Schools Near

2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Physics (Income $48-$75k) in the Great Lakes Region

57 Ranked Colleges
1,215 Degrees Awarded
$41,980 Avg Salary
Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor's in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. 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 $48-$75k” ranking.

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 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.

This year’s “Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking looked at 57 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in physics. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality physics programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the physics program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

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. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.

Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k

The colleges and universities below are the best for great lakes region bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $48-$75k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Physics (Income $48-$75k) in the Great Lakes Region

#1

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois
#2 in overall quality

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 $48-$75k. Northwestern is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Evanston, Illinois. It awarded 11 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.

Northwestern did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Northwestern is $6,452 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Physics students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 6 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 97%.

Read full report on Physics at Northwestern University

#2

University of Chicago

Chicago, Illinois

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 $48-$75k list. UChicago is a fairly large school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 63 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $48-$75k list, UChicago has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $7,934 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of Chicago.

With a freshman retention rate of 100%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 0.6% 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%. 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.

Read full report on Physics at UChicago

Out of the 57 schools in the Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor landed the #3 spot on the list. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is a public institution located in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The school has a large population, and it awarded 51 bachelors’s degrees 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. It costs about $10,028 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor.

With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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%.

Full U-M 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 $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Wisconsin - Madison landed the #4 spot on the list. University of Wisconsin - Madison is a large public school situated in Madison, Wisconsin. It awarded 61 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW - Madison, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison is $13,227 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Physics students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 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 University of Wisconsin - 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 $48-$75k. This large school is located in West Lafayette, Indiana, and it awarded 38 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.

Purdue also took the #14 spot in our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Purdue University - Main Campus is $9,654 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $48-$75k.

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

Full Purdue University - Main Campus Physics Report

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Champaign, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s physics degrees to 68 students in 2019-2020.

UIUC also made our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #8. The yearly cost to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is $13,351 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Physics students whose families make $48-$75k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default 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.

Full University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Physics Report

With a ranking of #7, 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 $48-$75k list. This fairly large school is located in La Crosse, Wisconsin, and it awarded 34 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.

UW - La Crosse also took the #5 spot in our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - La Crosse is $13,304 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Physics at University of Wisconsin - La Crosse

#8

University of Notre Dame

Notre Dame, Indiana
#6 in overall quality

University of Notre Dame 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 $48-$75k ranking. Located in Notre Dame, Indiana, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 31 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s physics 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 estimated yearly cost for Notre Dame is $17,768 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read more about Physics at University of Notre Dame

Ohio State University - Main Campus came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This large school is located in Columbus, Ohio, and it awarded 65 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.

Ohio State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Ohio State University - Main Campus is $13,982 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $48-$75k.

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

Read full report on Physics at Ohio State University - Main Campus

#10

Beloit College

Beloit, Wisconsin
#24 in overall quality

Beloit College ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Beloit 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 also made our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #24. It costs about $10,769 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Physics students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Beloit College.

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 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 more about Physics at Beloit

#11

Indiana University - Bloomington

Bloomington, Indiana

Indiana University - Bloomington ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Bloomington, Indiana, this large public school awarded 20 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 $48-$75k 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 $12,060 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend IU Bloomington.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.3%, 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 91%.

Read full report on Physics at Indiana University - Bloomington

#12

University of Wisconsin - River Falls

River Falls, Wisconsin
#13 in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - River Falls ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. University of Wisconsin - River Falls is a public institution located in River Falls, Wisconsin. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 20 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UW - River Falls not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #13 on our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - River Falls is $13,474 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Physics students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%.

Full UW - River Falls Physics Report

#13

University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point

Stevens Point, Wisconsin
#18 in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point 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 $48-$75k ranking. University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point is a medium-sized school located in Stevens Point, Wisconsin that handed out 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 $14,165 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Physics students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Physics at UW - Stevens Point

#14

University of Wisconsin - Whitewater

Whitewater, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - Whitewater 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 $48-$75k 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.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $48-$75k list, UW - Whitewater has also earned the #16 rank in our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $14,941 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Physics students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UW - Whitewater.

Read more about Physics at University of Wisconsin - Whitewater

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. SIUE 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 $13,705 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Physics at SIUE

#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 $48-$75k list. UW - Eau Claire is a fairly large school located in Eau Claire, Wisconsin that handed out 18 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.

UW - Eau Claire did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire is $14,887 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on Physics at UW - Eau Claire

#17

Saginaw Valley State University

University Center, Michigan

With a ranking of #17, Saginaw Valley State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k 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 $14,230 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Physics students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Saginaw Valley State University.

Full Saginaw Valley State University Physics Report

University of Illinois at Chicago did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #18. UIC is a large public school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 8 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $13,683 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of Illinois at Chicago.

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%.

Full University of Illinois at Chicago Physics Report

University of Wisconsin - Parkside ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. 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.

The estimated yearly cost for UW - Parkside is $12,166 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full University of Wisconsin - Parkside Physics Report

Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #20. Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis 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 $12,314 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Physics students whose families make $48-$75k.

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

University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #21. Oshkosh, 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.

It costs about $15,236 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Physics students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh.

Full University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh Physics Report

With a ranking of #22, Southern Illinois University Carbondale did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. This fairly large school is located in Carbondale, Illinois, and it awarded 7 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Southern Illinois University Carbondale is $14,985 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Physics at Southern Illinois University Carbondale

#23

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, Illinois

With a ranking of #23, Northern Illinois University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. This fairly large school is located in Dekalb, Illinois, and it awarded 5 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Northern Illinois University is $18,346 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Physics students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Physics at NIU

#24

Grand Valley State University

Allendale, Michigan

Grand Valley State University 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 $48-$75k ranking. Allendale, Michigan 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.

It costs about $15,775 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Grand Valley State University.

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%.

Full Grand Valley State University Physics Report

#25

Oakland University

Rochester Hills, Michigan

Oakland University came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Oakland is a fairly large school located in Rochester Hills, Michigan that handed out 6 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $10,387 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Physics students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Oakland University.

Read full report on Physics at Oakland

Switch to a Different Ranking Method

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.

Credits

Featured Physical Sciences Schools

Find Schools Near You