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2023 Best Value Colleges for Physics (Income $75-$110k)

222 Ranked Colleges
13,674 Degrees Awarded
$16,500 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Physics Schools For Those Making $75-$110k

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. 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 Those Making $75-$110k” ranking.

Physics is the 68th most popular major in the country with 13,674 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. In 2019-2020, physics graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $42,960 and had an average of $22,756 in loans still to pay off.

This year’s “Best Value Physics Schools For Those Making $75-$110k” ranking looked at 222 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s 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.

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. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

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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 Those Making $75-$110k”.

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 Those Making $75-$110k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Physics Schools For Those Making $75-$110k.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Physics (Income $75-$110k)

1
Stanford crest
Stanford University
Stanford, California

Out of the 222 schools in the Best Value Physics Schools For Those Making $75-$110k that were part of this year’s ranking, Stanford University landed the #1 spot on the list. Stanford University is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Stanford, California. It awarded 85 ’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.

Stanford not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Physics Schools” list. It costs about $13,623 for physics students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Stanford.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Physics at Stanford University

2
Northwestern crest
Northwestern University
Evanston, Illinois

Out of the 222 schools in the Best Value Physics Schools For Those Making $75-$110k that were part of this year’s ranking, Northwestern University landed the #2 spot on the list. Northwestern is a private not-for-profit institution located in Evanston, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 47 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Northwestern, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Physics Schools” ranking. It costs about $15,686 for physics students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Northwestern.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The low undergrad 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 freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Physics at Northwestern

3
UChicago crest
University of Chicago
Chicago, Illinois

Out of the 222 schools in the Best Value Physics Schools For Those Making $75-$110k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Chicago landed the #3 spot on the list. This fairly large school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 102 ’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.

UChicago also took the #2 spot in our “Best Physics Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Chicago is $19,895 for Physics students whose families make $75-$110k.

With a freshman retention rate of 100%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.0% 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 Chicago

4

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California Institute of Technology. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Physics Schools For Those Making $75-$110k list. Pasadena, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s physics degrees to 52 students in 2020-2021.

Caltech excels when it comes to physics quality. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. It costs about $20,010 for Physics students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Caltech.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 3 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read more about Physics at Caltech

5
Williams crest
Williams College
Williamstown, Massachusetts

Out of the 222 schools in the Best Value Physics Schools For Those Making $75-$110k that were part of this year’s ranking, Williams College landed the #5 spot on the list. Williams College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Williamstown, Massachusetts. It awarded 19 ’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our physics students whose families make $75-$110k list, Williams has also earned the #20 rank in our “Best Physics Schools” ranking. It costs about $14,702 for Physics students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Williams.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 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 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Williams College Physics Report

6

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Physics Schools For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #6. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is a large school located in Ann Arbor, Michigan that handed out 118 ’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at U-M, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Physics Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend U-M is $17,207 for Physics students whose families make $75-$110k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Physics at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

7
Johns Hopkins crest
Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, Maryland

Johns Hopkins University ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Physics Schools For Those Making $75-$110k list. Johns Hopkins is a large school located in Baltimore, Maryland that handed out 60 ’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.

Johns Hopkins not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Physics Schools” list. It costs about $18,951 for physics students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Johns Hopkins University.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.3% 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%.

Full Johns Hopkins University Physics Report

8
UF crest
University of Florida
Gainesville, Florida

With a ranking of #8, University of Florida did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Physics Schools For Those Making $75-$110k list. University of Florida is located in Gainesville, Florida and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 58 ’s physics degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for University of Florida is $12,874 for physics students whose families make $75-$110k.

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

Full UF Physics Report

9

University of Washington - Seattle Campus did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Physics Schools For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #9. This large school is located in Seattle, Washington, and it awarded 262 ’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.

UW Seattle also made our “Best Physics Schools” list, coming in at #18. It costs about $16,894 for physics students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend University of Washington - Seattle Campus.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Physics at University of Washington - Seattle Campus

10
Florida State crest
Florida State University
Tallahassee, Florida

With a ranking of #10, Florida State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Physics Schools For Those Making $75-$110k list. Florida State University is a large public school situated in Tallahassee, Florida. It awarded 62 ’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.

Florida State excels when it comes to physics quality. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our “Best Physics Schools” list. It costs about $15,203 for physics students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Florida State.

The low undergrad 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%.

Full Florida State Physics Report

11

Brigham Young University - Provo landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Best Value Physics Schools For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Brigham Young University - Provo is a large school located in Provo, Utah that handed out 57 ’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on this list, BYU is in the top on our “Best Physics Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our “Best Physics Schools” list. It costs about $15,777 for Physics students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend BYU.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.3% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%.

Read more about Physics at BYU

12

With a ranking of #12, Iowa State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Physics Schools For Those Making $75-$110k list. Iowa State is a public institution located in Ames, Iowa. The school has a large population, and it awarded 34 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on this list, Iowa State is in the top on our “Best Physics Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our “Best Physics Schools” list. It costs about $17,806 for physics students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Iowa State.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Physics at Iowa State University

13

With a ranking of #13, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Physics Schools For Those Making $75-$110k list. This large school is located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and it awarded 94 ’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UMN Twin Cities, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Physics Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Minnesota - Twin Cities is $18,938 for physics students whose families make $75-$110k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Minnesota - Twin Cities Physics Report

14

University of California - Los Angeles ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Physics Schools For Those Making $75-$110k list. Located in Los Angeles, California, this large public school handed out 123 degrees to qualified ’s physics students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCLA, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best Physics Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Los Angeles is $20,697 for Physics students whose families make $75-$110k.

The school has an impressive undergrad 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 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Physics at University of California - Los Angeles

15

Brigham Young University - Idaho landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Best Value Physics Schools For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Brigham Young University - Idaho is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Rexburg, Idaho. It awarded 15 ’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $9,843 for physics students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Brigham Young University - Idaho.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Brigham Young University - Idaho Physics Report

16
University of Arizona crest
University of Arizona
Tucson, Arizona

With a ranking of #16, University of Arizona did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Physics Schools For Those Making $75-$110k list. University of Arizona is a public institution located in Tucson, Arizona. The school has a large population, and it awarded 162 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our physics students whose families make $75-$110k list, University of Arizona has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Physics Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Arizona is $18,708 for Physics students whose families make $75-$110k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Physics at University of Arizona

17
UW crest
University of Wyoming
Laramie, Wyoming

University of Wyoming ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Physics Schools For Those Making $75-$110k list. UW is a public institution located in Laramie, Wyoming. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 22 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $15,178 for physics students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend University of Wyoming.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.5% 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%.

Full University of Wyoming Physics Report

18

University of California - Davis ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Physics Schools For Those Making $75-$110k list. University of California - Davis is located in Davis, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 90 ’s physics degrees to qualified students.

On top of its placing in this ranking, UC Davis also did well on our “Best Physics Schools” list. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Davis is $18,728 for physics students whose families make $75-$110k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, 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 undergraduate students.

Read more about Physics at UC Davis

19

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physics Schools For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. UNC Chapel Hill is a large school located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina that handed out 57 ’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.

UNC Chapel Hill also claimed a top spot on our “Best Physics Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our “Best Physics Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is $19,088 for Physics students whose families make $75-$110k.

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 undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Physics Report

20
UD crest
University of Delaware
Newark, Delaware

University of Delaware ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Physics Schools For Those Making $75-$110k list. Located in Newark, Delaware, this large public school handed out 31 diplomas to qualified ’s physics students in 2020-2021.

UD also took the #25 spot in our “Best Physics Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UD is $22,093 for Physics students whose families make $75-$110k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.1% 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%.

Full University of Delaware Physics Report

21

California State University - Los Angeles did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Physics Schools For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #21. Located in Los Angeles, California, this large public school awarded 15 diplomas to qualified ’s physics students in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Cal State LA is $10,011 for Physics students whose families make $75-$110k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Physics at Cal State LA

22
Hunter crest
Hunter College
New York, New York

Hunter College landed the #22 spot on the 2023 Best Value Physics Schools For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Located in New York, New York, this large public school handed out 18 degrees to qualified ’s physics students in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Hunter is $9,436 for physics students whose families make $75-$110k.

The low undergrad 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 more about Physics at Hunter College

23

University of California - San Diego landed the #23 spot on the 2023 Best Value Physics Schools For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. University of California - San Diego is located in La Jolla, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 82 ’s physics degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our physics students whose families make $75-$110k list, UCSD has also earned the #17 rank in our “Best Physics Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UCSD is $20,906 for Physics students whose families make $75-$110k.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.0% 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 California - San Diego Physics Report

24

California State University - Long Beach landed the #24 spot on the 2023 Best Value Physics Schools For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. California State University - Long Beach is located in Long Beach, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 48 ’s physics degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for CSULB is $15,101 for physics students whose families make $75-$110k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Physics at CSULB

25

University of South Florida - Main Campus did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Physics Schools For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #25. USF Tampa is a public institution located in Tampa, Florida. The school has a large population, and it awarded 48 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $14,349 for physics students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend USF Tampa.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Physics at USF Tampa

Rest of the Best 34 in Best Value Physics Schools For Those Making $75-$110k

Not only did these schools make the top 34 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

26
27
28
Beloit crest
Beloit College
Beloit, Wisconsin
29
Purdue crest
Purdue University - Main Campus
West Lafayette, Indiana
30
31
32
Cornell crest
Cornell University
Ithaca, New York
33
34

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