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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Physics in New York

26 Ranked Colleges
748 Degrees Awarded
$22,600 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor's in New York

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. 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 New York” 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 New York, there were 1,193 physics graduates with average earnings and debt of $43,933 and $23,077 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 748 physics graduates with average earnings and debt of $37,973 and $22,589 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in New York” ranking, we looked at 26 colleges that offer 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.

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. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

More Ways to Rank Physics Schools

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 New York” list to help you make the college decision.

To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. 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 New York

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

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Physics in New York

#1

SUNY Geneseo

Geneseo, New York

Out of the 26 schools in the Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in New York that were part of this year’s ranking, SUNY Geneseo landed the #1 spot on the list. SUNY Geneseo is a small public school situated in Geneseo, New York. It awarded 33 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.

SUNY Geneseo also made our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in New York” list, coming in at #8. The estimated yearly cost for SUNY Geneseo is $18,924 for new york bachelor’s degree physics students.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Physics at SUNY Geneseo

#2

SUNY Plattsburgh

Plattsburgh, New York

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend SUNY Plattsburgh. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in New York. Plattsburgh, New York is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s physics degrees to 6 students in 2019-2020.

SUNY Plattsburgh also took the #14 spot in our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in New York” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for SUNY Plattsburgh is $15,845 for new york bachelor’s degree physics students.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Physics at SUNY Plattsburgh

#3

Stony Brook University

Stony Brook, New York

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Stony Brook University. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in New York list. Located in Stony Brook, New York, this large public school awarded 58 degrees to qualified bachelors’s physics students in 2019-2020.

SUNY Stony Brook also took the #11 spot in our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in New York” ranking. It costs about $15,160 for new york bachelor’s degree physics students per year to attend SUNY Stony Brook.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Physics at SUNY Stony Brook

#4

SUNY Oneonta

Oneonta, New York
#16 in overall quality

Out of the 26 schools in the Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in New York that were part of this year’s ranking, SUNY Oneonta landed the #4 spot on the list. SUNY Oneonta is a medium-sized public school situated in Oneonta, New York. It awarded 8 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.

SUNY Oneonta also made our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in New York” list, coming in at #16. It costs about $17,470 for new york bachelor’s degree physics students per year to attend SUNY Oneonta.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Physics at SUNY Oneonta

#5

University at Albany

Albany, New York

Out of the 26 schools in the Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in New York that were part of this year’s ranking, University at Albany landed the #5 spot on the list. UAlbany is located in Albany, New York and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 9 bachelors’s physics degrees to qualified students.

UAlbany not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #13 on our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in New York” list. The yearly cost to attend University at Albany is $18,577 for new york bachelor’s degree physics students.

Read more about Physics at UAlbany

#6

The City College of New York

New York, New York

The City College of New York did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in New York ranking, coming in at #6. This fairly large school is located in New York, New York, and it awarded 24 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.

CCNY also made our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in New York” list, coming in at #18. The estimated yearly cost for The City College of New York is $2,385 for new york bachelor’s degree physics students.

Full CCNY Physics Report

#7

Binghamton University

Vestal, New York

With a ranking of #7, Binghamton University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in New York list. Vestal, New York is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s physics degrees to 23 students in 2019-2020.

Binghamton University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #15 on our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in New York” list. The estimated yearly cost for Binghamton University is $19,353 for new york bachelor’s degree physics students.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full Binghamton University Physics Report

#8

Hunter College

New York, New York
#23 in overall quality

Hunter College ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in New York list. This large school is located in New York, New York, and it awarded 14 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.

Hunter also made our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in New York” list, coming in at #23. The estimated yearly cost for Hunter is $2,490 for New York Bachelor’s Degree Physics students.

The low student loan default rate of 4.0% 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 more about Physics at Hunter College

#9

University at Buffalo

Buffalo, New York

University at Buffalo came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in New York ranking. Located in Buffalo, New York, this large public school handed out 21 degrees to qualified bachelors’s physics students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our new york bachelor’s degree physics students list, University at Buffalo has also earned the #20 rank in our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in New York” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University at Buffalo is $18,194 for New York Bachelor’s Degree Physics students.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Physics at University at Buffalo

#10

SUNY New Paltz

New Paltz, New York
#21 in overall quality

SUNY New Paltz ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in New York list. SUNY New Paltz is a public institution located in New Paltz, New York. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 8 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

SUNY New Paltz also made our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in New York” list, coming in at #21. It costs about $17,171 for New York Bachelor’s Degree Physics students per year to attend SUNY New Paltz.

The low student loan default rate of 3.2% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%.

Read full report on Physics at SUNY New Paltz

#11

SUNY Oswego

Oswego, New York
#22 in overall quality

SUNY Oswego landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in New York ranking. SUNY Oswego is a medium-sized public school situated in Oswego, New York. It awarded 3 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.

SUNY Oswego not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #22 on our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in New York” list. The estimated yearly cost for SUNY Oswego is $15,665 for New York Bachelor’s Degree Physics students.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Physics at SUNY Oswego

#12

The College at Brockport

Brockport, New York
#24 in overall quality

The College at Brockport did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in New York ranking, coming in at #12. The College at Brockport is located in Brockport, New York and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 1 bachelors’s physics degrees to qualified students.

SUNY Brockport also took the #24 spot in our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in New York” ranking. The yearly cost to attend SUNY Brockport is $15,882 for new york bachelor’s degree physics students.

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 SUNY Brockport

#13

SUNY Potsdam

Potsdam, New York
#25 in overall quality

SUNY Potsdam came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in New York ranking. SUNY Potsdam is a small school located in Potsdam, New York that handed out 9 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at SUNY Potsdam, the school also landed the #25 spot in our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in New York” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for SUNY Potsdam is $13,704 for new york bachelor’s degree physics students.

Read full report on Physics at SUNY Potsdam

#14

Buffalo State

Buffalo, New York

Buffalo State did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in New York ranking, coming in at #14. Buffalo State is located in Buffalo, New York and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 3 bachelors’s physics degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $12,960 for New York Bachelor’s Degree Physics students per year to attend Buffalo State.

Read full report on Physics at Buffalo State

#15

St. John Fisher College

Rochester, New York
#17 in overall quality

St. John Fisher College landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in New York ranking. Fisher is a private not-for-profit institution located in Rochester, New York. The school has a small population, and it awarded 2 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our new york bachelor’s degree physics students list, Fisher has also earned the #17 rank in our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in New York” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Fisher is $27,767 for New York Bachelor’s Degree Physics students.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Physics at Fisher

#16

Rochester Institute of Technology

Rochester, New York

Rochester Institute of Technology landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in New York ranking. Rochester, New York is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s physics degrees to 28 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our new york bachelor’s degree physics students list, RIT has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in New York” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for RIT is $33,167 for new york bachelor’s degree physics students.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Physics at RIT

#17

Ithaca College

Ithaca, New York

With a ranking of #17, Ithaca College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in New York list. Located in Ithaca, New York, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school awarded 14 degrees to qualified bachelors’s physics students in 2019-2020.

Ithaca did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in New York” list. The yearly cost to attend Ithaca is $33,465 for New York Bachelor’s Degree Physics students.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 9 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 Ithaca

#18

Syracuse University

Syracuse, New York
#19 in overall quality

Syracuse University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in New York ranking, coming in at #18. Located in Syracuse, New York, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 13 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s physics students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our new york bachelor’s degree physics students list, Syracuse has also earned the #19 rank in our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in New York” ranking. It costs about $34,482 for new york bachelor’s degree physics students per year to attend Syracuse.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The 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 Syracuse

#1 in overall quality

Columbia University in the City of New York came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in New York ranking. This large school is located in New York, New York, and it awarded 29 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.

Columbia did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in New York” list. It costs about $23,306 for new york bachelor’s degree physics students per year to attend Columbia University in the City of New York.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%.

Read more about Physics at Columbia University in the City of New York

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in New York list. Located in Troy, New York, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school handed out 44 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s physics students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at RPI, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in New York” ranking. The yearly cost to attend RPI is $35,464 for New York Bachelor’s Degree Physics students.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Physics at RPI

#21

Skidmore College

Saratoga Springs, New York
#7 in overall quality

Skidmore College landed the #21 spot on the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in New York ranking. Skidmore is located in Saratoga Springs, New York and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 12 bachelors’s physics degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Skidmore, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in New York” ranking. It costs about $27,197 for new york bachelor’s degree physics students per year to attend Skidmore College.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.6%, 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 88%. The student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Full Skidmore College Physics Report

#22

New York University

New York, New York

New York University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in New York ranking, coming in at #22. New York University is located in New York, New York and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 67 bachelors’s physics degrees to qualified students.

NYU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in New York” list. The estimated yearly cost for NYU is $39,772 for New York Bachelor’s Degree Physics students.

The low 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Full New York University Physics Report

#22

Union College New York

Schenectady, New York
#6 in overall quality

Union College New York came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in New York ranking. Union College New York is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Schenectady, New York. It awarded 6 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Union College, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in New York” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Union College is $34,779 for new york bachelor’s degree physics students.

The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Physics at Union College New York

#10 in overall quality

Hobart and William Smith Colleges came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in New York ranking. Hobart and William Smith Colleges is a private not-for-profit institution located in Geneva, New York. The school has a small population, and it awarded 12 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our new york bachelor’s degree physics students list, The Colleges has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in New York” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Hobart and William Smith Colleges is $32,940 for new york bachelor’s degree physics students.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Full The Colleges Physics Report

#25

Cornell University

Ithaca, New York

Cornell University ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in New York list. Cornell University is a large school located in Ithaca, New York that handed out 52 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Cornell, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in New York” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Cornell University is $40,126 for new york bachelor’s degree physics students.

The student-to-faculty ratio of 9 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 1.1% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Cornell 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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