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2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois

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

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. 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” 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” 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. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

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 Illinois” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.

Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois

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

Top 13 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Physics in Illinois

#1

Illinois State University

Normal, Illinois

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Illinois State University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois. Located in Normal, Illinois, this large public school handed out 29 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s physics students in 2019-2020.

Illinois State also took the #6 spot in our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Illinois State University is $20,895 for illinois bachelor’s degree physics students.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Illinois State University Physics Report

#8 in overall quality

Out of the 13 schools in the Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois that were part of this year’s ranking, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville landed the #2 spot on the list. Southern Illinois University Edwardsville 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.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree physics students list, SIUE has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend SIUE is $14,423 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Physics students.

Read more about Physics at SIUE

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois. This large school is located in Champaign, Illinois, and it awarded 68 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.

UIUC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is $15,880 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Physics students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The 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 full report on Physics at UIUC

#9 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Chicago. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois list. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this large public school handed out 8 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s physics students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UIC, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UIC is $13,312 for illinois bachelor’s degree physics students.

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%.

Read full report on Physics at UIC

#10 in overall quality

Out of the 13 schools in the Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois that were part of this year’s ranking, Southern Illinois University Carbondale landed the #5 spot on the list. This fairly large school is located in Carbondale, Illinois, and it awarded 7 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at SIUC, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Southern Illinois University Carbondale is $16,945 for illinois bachelor’s degree physics students.

Read full report on Physics at Southern Illinois University Carbondale

#6

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, Illinois
#11 in overall quality

Northern Illinois University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois ranking, coming in at #6. 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.

NIU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $18,259 for illinois bachelor’s degree physics students per year to attend NIU.

Full Northern Illinois University Physics Report

#7

Western Illinois University

Macomb, Illinois
#13 in overall quality

Western Illinois University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois ranking. 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 did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for WIU is $16,210 for illinois bachelor’s degree physics students.

Full WIU Physics Report

#8

Columbia College Chicago

Chicago, Illinois

Columbia College Chicago landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois ranking. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s physics degrees to 3 students in 2019-2020.

Columbia not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $31,099 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Physics students per year to attend Columbia College Chicago.

Read more about Physics at Columbia College Chicago

#9

DePaul University

Chicago, Illinois
#7 in overall quality

DePaul University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois ranking. DePaul is a large school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 6 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at DePaul, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $30,090 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Physics students per year to attend DePaul University.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Physics at DePaul University

#10

Loyola University Chicago

Chicago, Illinois

With a ranking of #10, Loyola University Chicago did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois list. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 17 degrees to qualified bachelors’s physics students in 2019-2020.

Loyola Chicago also took 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.

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%. 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 Loyola Chicago

#5 in overall quality

Illinois Institute of Technology did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois ranking, coming in at #11. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s physics degrees to 11 students in 2019-2020.

Illinois Tech also took the #5 spot in our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Illinois Institute of Technology is $22,831 for illinois bachelor’s degree physics students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The 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 low student loan default rate of 2.9% 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%.

Read full report on Physics at Illinois Institute of Technology

#12

University of Chicago

Chicago, Illinois

University of Chicago came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois ranking. UChicago is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 63 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

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

The student loan default rate at the school is 0.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. 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. With a freshman retention rate of 100%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full UChicago Physics Report

#12

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois
#2 in overall quality

Northwestern University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois ranking, coming in at #12. Northwestern University is located in Evanston, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 11 bachelors’s physics degrees to qualified students.

Northwestern not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Northwestern University is $24,664 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Physics 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. 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.

Full Northwestern University Physics Report

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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