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2023 Best Value Colleges for Physics (Income $75-$110k) in the Great Lakes Region

44 Ranked Colleges
1,760 Degrees Awarded
$19,000 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Physics Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. 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 in the Great Lakes Region 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.

Across the Great Lakes region, there were 1,760 physics graduates with average earnings and debt of $48,251 and $23,230 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Physics Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k” ranking analyzed 44 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.

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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Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Physics Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

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. 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 in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k

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

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Physics (Income $75-$110k) in the Great Lakes Region

1
Northwestern crest
Northwestern University
Evanston, Illinois

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 in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k. Northwestern is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Evanston, Illinois. It awarded 47 ’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.

Northwestern not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Physics Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $15,686 for Great Lakes Region Physics students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Northwestern University.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.6%, which is much lower than the national 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. With a undergrad 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
UChicago crest
University of Chicago
Chicago, Illinois

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Chicago. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Physics Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k. UChicago is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 102 ’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.

UChicago not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Physics Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $19,895 for great lakes region physics students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend UChicago.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 100%. 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 undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Physics at UChicago

3

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Physics Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. Ann Arbor, Michigan is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s physics degrees to 118 students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at U-M, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Physics Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for U-M is $17,207 for Great Lakes Region Physics students whose families make $75-$110k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. The undergrad 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 full report on Physics at U-M

4

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Wisconsin - Madison. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Physics Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k. University of Wisconsin - Madison is a large school located in Madison, Wisconsin that handed out 144 ’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.

UW - Madison did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Physics Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison is $22,377 for Great Lakes Region Physics students whose families make $75-$110k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, 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 95%.

Read full report on Physics at University of Wisconsin - Madison

5
Beloit crest
Beloit College
Beloit, Wisconsin

Out of the 44 schools in the Best Value Physics Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k that were part of this year’s ranking, Beloit College landed the #5 spot on the list. Beloit, Wisconsin is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s physics degrees to 4 students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Beloit, the school also landed the #22 spot in our “Best Physics Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $12,822 for great lakes region physics students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Beloit.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.5%, 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 90%.

Full Beloit College Physics Report

6
Purdue crest
Purdue University - Main Campus
West Lafayette, Indiana

Purdue University - Main Campus came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physics Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Purdue University - Main Campus is a large school located in West Lafayette, Indiana that handed out 78 ’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.

Purdue also took the #9 spot in our “Best Physics Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $17,124 for Great Lakes Region Physics students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Purdue University - Main Campus.

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 Purdue University - Main Campus Physics Report

7

With a ranking of #7, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Physics Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a large public school situated in Champaign, Illinois. It awarded 106 ’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.

UIUC also made our “Best Physics Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #6. The estimated yearly cost for University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is $22,400 for great lakes region physics students whose families make $75-$110k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad 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%.

Read more about Physics at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

8

With a ranking of #8, Ohio State University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Physics Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. Ohio State is a large school located in Columbus, Ohio that handed out 114 ’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.

Ohio State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Physics Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Ohio State is $21,575 for great lakes region physics students whose families make $75-$110k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

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

9

Indiana University - Bloomington ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Physics Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. Bloomington, Indiana is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s physics degrees to 40 students in 2020-2021.

IU Bloomington did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best Physics Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $20,234 for Great Lakes Region Physics students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend IU Bloomington.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad 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%.

Read more about Physics at Indiana University - Bloomington

10

University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Physics Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #10. University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire is a public institution located in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 27 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our great lakes region physics students whose families make $75-$110k list, UW - Eau Claire has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Physics Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UW - Eau Claire is $18,816 for Great Lakes Region Physics students whose families make $75-$110k.

Read more about Physics at UW - Eau Claire

11
Notre Dame crest
University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, Indiana

University of Notre Dame landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Best Value Physics Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. University of Notre Dame is located in Notre Dame, Indiana and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 59 ’s physics degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our great lakes region physics students whose families make $75-$110k list, Notre Dame has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Physics Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Notre Dame is $18,969 for Great Lakes Region Physics students whose families make $75-$110k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.7% 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%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 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 more about Physics at University of Notre Dame

12

University of Wisconsin - River Falls ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Physics Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. University of Wisconsin - River Falls is a medium-sized school located in River Falls, Wisconsin that handed out 18 ’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW - River Falls, the school also landed the #21 spot in our “Best Physics Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $16,739 for Great Lakes Region Physics students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend University of Wisconsin - River Falls.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Physics at University of Wisconsin - River Falls

13

University of Wisconsin - La Crosse ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Physics Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. UW - La Crosse is a public institution located in La Crosse, Wisconsin. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 27 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

UW - La Crosse also made our “Best Physics Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #23. The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - La Crosse is $16,472 for Great Lakes Region 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Physics at UW - La Crosse

14

University of Wisconsin - Parkside did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Physics Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #14. This small school is located in Kenosha, Wisconsin, and it awarded 8 ’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Parkside is $15,198 for great lakes region physics students whose families make $75-$110k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Wisconsin - Parkside Physics Report

15

Illinois Institute of Technology came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physics Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Illinois Tech is a medium-sized school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 15 ’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.

Illinois Tech not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Physics Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $24,673 for great lakes region physics students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Illinois Tech.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The low undergrad 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%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read full report on Physics at Illinois Tech

16

With a ranking of #16, University of Illinois at Chicago did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Physics Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. UIC is a large public school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 26 ’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.

UIC also took the #15 spot in our “Best Physics Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Illinois at Chicago is $19,839 for great lakes region physics students whose families make $75-$110k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Physics at UIC

17

University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Best Value Physics Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Located in Stevens Point, Wisconsin, this medium-sized public school awarded 3 diplomas to qualified ’s physics students in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for UW - Stevens Point is $16,503 for great lakes region physics students whose families make $75-$110k.

Read full report on Physics at University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point

18
PFW crest
Purdue University Fort Wayne
Fort Wayne, Indiana

Purdue University Fort Wayne landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Best Value Physics Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and it awarded 10 ’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $16,322 for great lakes region physics students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Purdue University Fort Wayne.

Read full report on Physics at PFW

19
Ball State crest
Ball State University
Muncie, Indiana

Ball State University came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physics Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Ball State is located in Muncie, Indiana and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 11 ’s physics degrees to qualified students.

Ball State also made our “Best Physics Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #24. The yearly cost to attend Ball State University is $19,563 for Great Lakes Region Physics students whose families make $75-$110k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.2% 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 Ball State Physics Report

20

With a ranking of #20, Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Physics Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. IUPUI is a large public school situated in Indianapolis, Indiana. It awarded 7 ’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $17,844 for Great Lakes Region Physics students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend IUPUI.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

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

21
Michigan State crest
Michigan State University
East Lansing, Michigan

Michigan State University came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physics Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Michigan State is a large public school situated in East Lansing, Michigan. It awarded 78 ’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.

Michigan State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Physics Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Michigan State is $25,297 for great lakes region physics students whose families make $75-$110k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.6%, 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 Michigan State

22
Wayne State crest
Wayne State University
Detroit, Michigan

Wayne State University came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physics Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. This large school is located in Detroit, Michigan, and it awarded 24 ’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Wayne State is $17,814 for great lakes region physics students whose families make $75-$110k.

Full Wayne State Physics Report

23

University of Wisconsin - Whitewater did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Physics Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #23. UW - Whitewater is located in Whitewater, Wisconsin and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 3 ’s physics degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Whitewater is $17,253 for great lakes region physics students whose families make $75-$110k.

Read more about Physics at UW - Whitewater

24

University of Cincinnati - Main Campus landed the #24 spot on the 2023 Best Value Physics Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. UC is a large public school situated in Cincinnati, Ohio. It awarded 26 ’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.

UC also took the #14 spot in our “Best Physics Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Cincinnati - Main Campus is $24,534 for Great Lakes Region Physics students whose families make $75-$110k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Physics at University of Cincinnati - Main Campus

25

Wright State University - Main Campus landed the #25 spot on the 2023 Best Value Physics Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Wright State University - Main Campus is located in Dayton, Ohio and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 7 ’s physics degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend Wright State University - Main Campus is $19,004 for great lakes region physics students whose families make $75-$110k.

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

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