2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Physics in the Plains States Region
When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region” ranking as one item you can use to help make this 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 the Plains States region, there were 767 physics graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,600 and $24,015 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 565 physics graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,786 and $25,576 respectively.
For this year’s “Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region” ranking, we looked at 25 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.
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. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
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The physics school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region”.
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 when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.
Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region
The colleges and universities below are the best for plains states region bachelor’s degree physics students.
Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Physics in the Plains States Region
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend South Dakota School of Mines and Technology. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region. This small school is located in Rapid City, South Dakota, and it awarded 6 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree physics students list, SD Mines has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $19,815 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Physics students per year to attend SD Mines.
The low student loan default rate of 4.8% 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%.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Truman State University. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region list. Truman State is a small school located in Kirksville, Missouri that handed out 9 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.
Truman State also made our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #9. It costs about $12,462 for plains states region bachelor’s degree physics students per year to attend Truman State.
The student loan default rate at the school is 3.5%, 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 88%.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Minnesota - Morris. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region. University of Minnesota - Morris is a small school located in Morris, Minnesota that handed out 5 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree physics students list, UMN Morris has also earned the #17 rank in our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $11,412 for plains states region bachelor’s degree physics students per year to attend University of Minnesota - Morris.
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%.
Read full report on Physics at University of Minnesota - Morris
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Northern Iowa. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region list. This medium-sized school is located in Cedar Falls, Iowa, and it awarded 14 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.
UNI also made our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #8. It costs about $15,620 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Physics students per year to attend University of Northern Iowa.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low student loan default rate of 3.6% 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%.
Out of the 25 schools in the Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Minnesota - Duluth landed the #5 spot on the list. This fairly large school is located in Duluth, Minnesota, and it awarded 10 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UMN Duluth, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $17,067 for plains states region bachelor’s degree physics students per year to attend University of Minnesota - Duluth.
The low student loan default rate of 3.1% 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%.
With a ranking of #6, Fort Hays State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region list. Located in Hays, Kansas, this fairly large public school awarded 4 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s physics students in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree physics students list, FHSU has also earned the #22 rank in our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $12,053 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Physics students per year to attend Fort Hays State University.
With a ranking of #7, Iowa State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region list. Iowa State is a large school located in Ames, Iowa that handed out 17 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.
Iowa State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Iowa State is $15,496 for plains states region bachelor’s degree physics students.
The low student loan default rate of 3.3% 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 89%.
Northwest Missouri State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #8. Located in Maryville, Missouri, this medium-sized public school awarded 2 degrees to qualified bachelors’s physics students in 2019-2020.
Northwest also made our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #25. The estimated yearly cost for Northwest is $12,354 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Physics students.
Missouri State University - Springfield landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region ranking. Missouri State is located in Springfield, Missouri and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 6 bachelors’s physics degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree physics students list, Missouri State has also earned the #23 rank in our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $16,725 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Physics students per year to attend Missouri State University - Springfield.
Read full report on Physics at Missouri State University - Springfield
With a ranking of #10, Kansas State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region list. K -State is a large public school situated in Manhattan, Kansas. It awarded 21 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.
K -State also took the #6 spot in our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for K -State is $18,285 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Physics students.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%.
Missouri University of Science and Technology landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Rolla, Missouri, and it awarded 16 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.
Missouri University of Science and Technology also took the #2 spot in our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Missouri University of Science and Technology is $14,262 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Physics students.
The student loan default rate at the school is 3.1%, 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 more about Physics at Missouri University of Science and Technology
Wichita State University came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region ranking. Wichita State University is a fairly large school located in Wichita, Kansas that handed out 7 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at WSU, the school also landed the #24 spot in our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Wichita State University is $14,382 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Physics students.
University of Missouri - Columbia landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region ranking. Columbia, Missouri is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s physics degrees to 20 students in 2019-2020.
Mizzou not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $16,001 for plains states region bachelor’s degree physics students per year to attend Mizzou.
The low student loan default rate of 3.6% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%.
University of Kansas ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region list. KU is located in Lawrence, Kansas and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 9 bachelors’s physics degrees to qualified students.
KU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for KU is $18,918 for plains states region bachelor’s degree physics students.
With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
With a ranking of #15, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region list. Located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, this large public school handed out 46 degrees to qualified bachelors’s physics students in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UMN Twin Cities, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Minnesota - Twin Cities is $17,740 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Physics students.
The low student loan default rate of 2.2% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
With a ranking of #16, University of Missouri - Kansas City did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region list. UMKC is a public institution located in Kansas City, Missouri. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 13 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
UMKC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #21 on our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $14,643 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Physics students per year to attend University of Missouri - Kansas City.
Read more about Physics at University of Missouri - Kansas City
University of Missouri - St Louis came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region ranking. UMSL is located in Saint Louis, Missouri and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 8 bachelors’s physics degrees to qualified students.
UMSL also made our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #19. It costs about $9,435 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Physics students per year to attend UMSL.
Read full report on Physics at University of Missouri - St Louis
With a ranking of #18, Bethel University Minnesota did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region list. Saint Paul, Minnesota is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s physics degrees to 18 students in 2019-2020.
Bethel University Minnesota also made our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #4. The yearly cost to attend Bethel University Minnesota is $25,191 for Plains States Region 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 3.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Concordia College at Moorhead did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #19. Moorhead, Minnesota is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s physics degrees to 5 students in 2019-2020.
Concordia College Moorhead also took the #7 spot in our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Concordia College Moorhead is $23,029 for plains states region bachelor’s degree physics students.
The 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 full report on Physics at Concordia College at Moorhead
Augsburg University landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region ranking. Augsburg University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The school has a small population, and it awarded 3 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Augsburg not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #18 on our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $24,653 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Physics students per year to attend Augsburg.
Luther College came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region ranking. This small school is located in Decorah, Iowa, and it awarded 6 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.
Luther did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Luther is $23,620 for plains states 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%.
With a ranking of #22, Hamline University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region list. Hamline University is a small school located in Saint Paul, Minnesota that handed out 2 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Hamline, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Hamline University is $20,866 for Plains States Region 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%.
Creighton University ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region list. Omaha, Nebraska 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.
In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree physics students list, Creighton has also earned the #20 rank in our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Creighton is $31,400 for plains states region bachelor’s degree physics students.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
With a ranking of #24, Gustavus Adolphus College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region list. This small school is located in Saint Peter, Minnesota, and it awarded 10 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.
Gustavus Adolphus did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Gustavus Adolphus is $19,093 for plains states region bachelor’s degree physics students.
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 1.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
St Olaf College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #25. St Olaf College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Northfield, Minnesota. The school has a small population, and it awarded 23 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at St. Olaf, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend St Olaf College is $23,543 for plains states region bachelor’s degree physics students.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, 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 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
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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.
Credits
- Credit for the banner image above goes to A. T. Service.
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