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2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid

13 Ranked Colleges
339 Degrees Awarded
$22,100 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor's in Illinois For Those Getting Aid

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid” ranking is part of that endeavor.

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 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 Getting Aid” ranking looked at 13 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in physics. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great physics programs and 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

When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid” list to help you make the college 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. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid.

Top 13 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Physics in Illinois (With Aid)

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. UIUC is a large public school situated in Champaign, Illinois. It awarded 68 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree physics students with aid list, UIUC has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $15,880 for illinois bachelor’s degree physics students with aid per year to attend UIUC.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Physics at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

#9 in overall quality

Out of the 13 schools in the Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Chicago landed the #2 spot on the list. UIC is a large public school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 8 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.

UIC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for UIC is $13,312 for illinois bachelor’s degree physics students with aid.

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 more about Physics at University of Illinois at Chicago

#8 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. Edwardsville, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s physics degrees to 4 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at SIUE, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $14,423 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Physics students with aid per year to attend Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.

Full Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Physics Report

#4

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, Illinois
#11 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Northern Illinois University. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. NIU is a public institution located in Dekalb, Illinois. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 5 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at NIU, the school also landed the #11 spot in our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Northern Illinois University is $18,259 for illinois bachelor’s degree physics students with aid.

Full NIU Physics Report

#5

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 Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Northwestern University landed the #5 spot on the list. This large school is located in Evanston, Illinois, and it awarded 11 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Northwestern, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Northwestern is $24,664 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Physics students with aid.

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 0.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The impressive 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.

Read more about Physics at Northwestern University

#10 in overall quality

Southern Illinois University Carbondale ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. This fairly large school is located in Carbondale, Illinois, and it awarded 7 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.

SIUC also made our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #10. The yearly cost to attend Southern Illinois University Carbondale is $16,945 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Physics students with aid.

Full Southern Illinois University Carbondale Physics Report

#7

Western Illinois University

Macomb, Illinois
#13 in overall quality

Western Illinois University ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. Western Illinois University is located in Macomb, Illinois and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 3 bachelors’s physics degrees to qualified students.

WIU also made our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #13. It costs about $16,210 for illinois bachelor’s degree physics students with aid per year to attend Western Illinois University.

Read full report on Physics at WIU

#8

Illinois State University

Normal, Illinois

With a ranking of #8, Illinois State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. Illinois State University 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 did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Illinois State University is $20,895 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Physics students with aid.

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%.

Full Illinois State Physics Report

#9

University of Chicago

Chicago, Illinois

University of Chicago came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. This fairly large school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 63 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree physics students with aid list, UChicago has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Chicago is $27,315 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Physics students with aid.

The 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 school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 100%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%.

Read full report on Physics at UChicago

#5 in overall quality

Illinois Institute of Technology landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school awarded 11 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s physics students in 2019-2020.

Illinois Tech also took the #5 spot in our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Illinois Tech is $22,831 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Physics students with aid.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national 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.

Read full report on Physics at Illinois Institute of Technology

#11

Columbia College Chicago

Chicago, Illinois

Columbia College Chicago did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #11. Columbia is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 3 bachelors’s physics degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree physics students with aid list, Columbia has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $31,099 for illinois bachelor’s degree physics students with aid per year to attend Columbia College Chicago.

Read full report on Physics at Columbia College Chicago

#12

DePaul University

Chicago, Illinois
#7 in overall quality

DePaul University came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. DePaul is a large school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 6 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.

DePaul not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $30,090 for illinois bachelor’s degree physics students with aid per year to attend DePaul University.

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%.

Read full report on Physics at DePaul

#13

Loyola University Chicago

Chicago, Illinois

Loyola University Chicago came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. Loyola University Chicago is a fairly large school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 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 Chicago is $35,407 for illinois bachelor’s degree physics students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.4%, 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 85%.

Read full report on Physics at Loyola Chicago

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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