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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Physics in the Great Lakes Region

57 Ranked Colleges
1,215 Degrees Awarded
$15,900 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor's in the Great Lakes Region

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

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.

For this year’s “Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region” ranking, we looked at 57 colleges that offer 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.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the physics program at the school. 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” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. 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

The colleges and universities below are the best for great lakes region bachelor’s degree physics students.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Physics in the Great Lakes Region

Out of the 57 schools in the Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Wisconsin - La Crosse landed the #1 spot on the list. Located in La Crosse, Wisconsin, this fairly large public school awarded 34 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s physics students in 2019-2020.

UW - La Crosse did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend UW - La Crosse is $14,580 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Physics students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The low student loan default rate of 1.6% 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 more about Physics at University of Wisconsin - La Crosse

#2

University of Wisconsin - River Falls

River Falls, Wisconsin
#13 in overall quality

Out of the 57 schools in the Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Wisconsin - River Falls landed the #2 spot on the list. Located in River Falls, Wisconsin, this medium-sized public school awarded 20 degrees to qualified bachelors’s physics students in 2019-2020.

UW - River Falls also took the #13 spot in our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $13,748 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree physics students per year to attend University of Wisconsin - River Falls.

The low student loan default rate of 2.7% 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%.

Read more about Physics at University of Wisconsin - River Falls

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region. SIUE is a public institution located in Edwardsville, Illinois. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 4 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend SIUE is $14,423 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree physics students.

Full Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Physics Report

Out of the 57 schools in the Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Wisconsin - Whitewater landed the #4 spot on the list. Located in Whitewater, Wisconsin, this fairly large public school handed out 7 degrees to qualified bachelors’s physics students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree physics students list, UW - Whitewater has also earned the #16 rank in our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UW - Whitewater is $15,249 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree physics students.

Read full report on Physics at University of Wisconsin - Whitewater

#5

University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point

Stevens Point, Wisconsin
#18 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point is located in Stevens Point, Wisconsin and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 8 bachelors’s physics degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree physics students list, UW - Stevens Point has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $14,465 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree physics students per year to attend UW - Stevens Point.

Read full report on Physics at UW - Stevens Point

University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, this fairly large public school awarded 18 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s physics students in 2019-2020.

UW - Eau Claire also took the #17 spot in our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire is $16,020 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Physics students.

Read full report on Physics at University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire

#7

Western Michigan University

Kalamazoo, Michigan
#23 in overall quality

Western Michigan University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #7. Western Michigan University is a fairly large school located in Kalamazoo, Michigan that handed out 9 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.

WMU also took the #23 spot in our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for WMU is $19,433 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Physics students.

Read full report on Physics at WMU

University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh is a fairly large school located in Oshkosh, Wisconsin that handed out 7 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $15,463 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Physics students per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh.

Full UW Oshkosh Physics Report

Southern Illinois University Carbondale did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #9. This fairly large school is located in Carbondale, Illinois, and it awarded 7 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $16,945 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Physics students per year to attend Southern Illinois University Carbondale.

Full Southern Illinois University Carbondale Physics Report

University of Wisconsin - Parkside ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. University of Wisconsin - Parkside is a small public school situated in Kenosha, Wisconsin. It awarded 6 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $11,327 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Physics students per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Parkside.

Full UW - Parkside Physics Report

#11

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, Illinois

Northern Illinois University landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Dekalb, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s physics degrees to 5 students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $18,259 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Physics students per year to attend Northern Illinois University.

Read more about Physics at Northern Illinois University

#12

Grand Valley State University

Allendale, Michigan

Grand Valley State University landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. GVSU is located in Allendale, Michigan and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 5 bachelors’s physics degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $17,646 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree physics students per year to attend GVSU.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Physics at Grand Valley State University

#13

Illinois State University

Normal, Illinois

Illinois State University ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in Normal, Illinois, this large public school handed out 29 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s physics students in 2019-2020.

Illinois State also made our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #22. The estimated yearly cost for Illinois State is $20,895 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Physics students.

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%.

Read full report on Physics at Illinois State University

#14

Western Illinois University

Macomb, Illinois

Western Illinois University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #14. Western Illinois University is a medium-sized public school situated in Macomb, Illinois. It awarded 3 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend WIU is $16,210 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Physics students.

Full Western Illinois University Physics Report

#15

Eastern Michigan University

Ypsilanti, Michigan

Eastern Michigan University landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Eastern Michigan is a fairly large public school situated in Ypsilanti, Michigan. It awarded 4 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Eastern Michigan University is $15,924 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree physics students.

Read more about Physics at Eastern Michigan

#16

Purdue University - Main Campus

West Lafayette, Indiana

Purdue University - Main Campus did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #16. Purdue is located in West Lafayette, Indiana and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 38 bachelors’s physics degrees to qualified students.

Purdue did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Purdue University - Main Campus is $13,986 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree physics students.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, 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 93%.

Read full report on Physics at Purdue

#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 list. Saginaw Valley State University is located in University Center, Michigan and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 6 bachelors’s physics degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for Saginaw Valley State University is $14,248 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree physics students.

Full Saginaw Valley State University Physics Report

#18

Purdue University Fort Wayne

Fort Wayne, Indiana

With a ranking of #18, Purdue University Fort Wayne did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in Fort Wayne, Indiana, this medium-sized public school awarded 7 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s physics students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for PFW is $10,912 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Physics students.

Full PFW Physics Report

#19

Cleveland State University

Cleveland, Ohio

Cleveland State University landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Cleveland, Ohio is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s physics degrees to 11 students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $17,278 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Physics students per year to attend Cleveland State University.

Full Cleveland State University Physics Report

#20

University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

With a ranking of #20, University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. UWM is a large public school situated in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It awarded 15 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend UWM is $17,876 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Physics students.

Read full report on Physics at University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee

#21

University of Southern Indiana

Evansville, Indiana

University of Southern Indiana landed the #21 spot on the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. University of Southern Indiana is a fairly large public school situated in Evansville, Indiana. It awarded 3 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $13,437 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Physics students per year to attend USI.

The student loan default rate at the school is 5.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Physics at USI

Kent State University at Kent came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. This large school is located in Kent, Ohio, and it awarded 4 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Kent State is $18,885 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree physics students.

Read more about Physics at Kent State University at Kent

#23

Northern Michigan University

Marquette, Michigan

Northern Michigan University came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Marquette, Michigan, and it awarded 5 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Northern Michigan University is $15,453 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Physics students.

Full Northern Michigan University Physics Report

University of Cincinnati - Main Campus landed the #24 spot on the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. This large school is located in Cincinnati, Ohio, and it awarded 11 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend UC is $21,843 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Physics students.

With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Physics at University of Cincinnati - Main Campus

#25

Indiana State University

Terre Haute, Indiana

With a ranking of #25, Indiana State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Indiana State is located in Terre Haute, Indiana and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 3 bachelors’s physics degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for Indiana State University is $13,896 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Physics students.

Read more about Physics at Indiana State

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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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