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2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k

13 Ranked Colleges
339 Degrees Awarded
$38,100 Avg Salary
Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor's in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k

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 Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking - to help you make that decision.

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 Illinois, there were 492 physics graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,100 and $21,278 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 339 physics graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,319 and $24,183 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking analyzed 13 colleges that offered 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. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

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 Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k”.

One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to you. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.

Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k

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

Top 13 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Physics (Income $48-$75k) in Illinois

#1

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois
#2 in overall quality

Out of the 13 schools in the Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, Northwestern University landed the #1 spot on the list. Northwestern University is a large school located in Evanston, Illinois that handed out 11 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.

Northwestern also took the #2 spot in our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Northwestern University is $6,452 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Physics students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low student loan default rate of 0.8% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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.

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 Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k list. UChicago is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 63 bachelors’s physics degrees to qualified students.

UChicago also took the #1 spot in our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $7,934 for illinois bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UChicago.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 100%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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 13 schools in the Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the #3 spot on the list. UIUC is a public institution located in Champaign, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 68 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UIUC also took the #3 spot in our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is $13,351 for illinois bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low student loan default rate of 2.4% 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 University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

#8 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k list. SIUE is a fairly large public school situated in Edwardsville, Illinois. It awarded 4 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.

SIUE did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $13,705 for illinois bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend SIUE.

Full SIUE Physics Report

#9 in overall quality

Out of the 13 schools in the Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Chicago landed the #5 spot on the list. UIC is a large public school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 8 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $48-$75k list, UIC has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Illinois at Chicago is $13,683 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Physics students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Illinois at Chicago Physics Report

#10 in overall quality

Southern Illinois University Carbondale landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Carbondale, Illinois, and it awarded 7 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $48-$75k list, SIUC has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Southern Illinois University Carbondale is $14,985 for illinois bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Physics at SIUC

#7

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, Illinois
#11 in overall quality

Northern Illinois University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Dekalb, Illinois, and it awarded 5 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.

NIU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $18,346 for illinois bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend NIU.

Read more about Physics at Northern Illinois University

#8

Illinois State University

Normal, Illinois

Illinois State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #8. Illinois State is a public institution located in Normal, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 29 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Illinois State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Illinois State is $19,080 for illinois bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $48-$75k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Physics at Illinois State University

#5 in overall quality

Illinois Institute of Technology ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school handed out 11 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s physics students in 2019-2020.

Illinois Tech not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Illinois Institute of Technology is $22,542 for illinois bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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.

Read more about Physics at Illinois Tech

#10

Western Illinois University

Macomb, Illinois
#13 in overall quality

Western Illinois University landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in Macomb, Illinois, this medium-sized public school awarded 3 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s physics students in 2019-2020.

WIU also made our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #13. It costs about $15,912 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Physics students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Western Illinois University.

Read full report on Physics at Western Illinois University

#11

DePaul University

Chicago, Illinois
#7 in overall quality

DePaul University ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k list. DePaul University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 6 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

DePaul did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for DePaul is $28,075 for illinois bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $48-$75k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full DePaul Physics Report

#12

Loyola University Chicago

Chicago, Illinois

Loyola University Chicago did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #12. Loyola Chicago is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 17 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Loyola Chicago, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Loyola University Chicago is $32,259 for illinois bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Physics at Loyola University Chicago

#13

Columbia College Chicago

Chicago, Illinois

Columbia College Chicago came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school awarded 3 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s physics students in 2019-2020.

Columbia also took the #12 spot in our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $31,071 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Physics students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Columbia.

Read full report on Physics at Columbia

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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