2024 Best Value Colleges for Physics in Pennsylvania
12
Ranked Colleges
638
Degrees Awarded
$22,500
Avg Net Price*
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 in Pennsylvania” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.
In 2020-2021, 13,674 people earned their degree in physics, making the major the 68th most popular in the United States. In 2019-2020, physics graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $42,960 and had an average of $22,756 in loans still to pay off.
Across Pennsylvania, there were 638 physics graduates with average earnings and debt of $50,536 and $26,539 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Physics Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking looked at 12 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in physics. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality physics programs that also have a lower cost than 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 the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Physics Schools in Pennsylvania” list, to help you choose the best school for you.
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. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.
Best Value Physics Schools in Pennsylvania
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Physics Schools in Pennsylvania.
Top 12 Best Value Colleges for Physics in Pennsylvania
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania. It ranked #1 on our 2024 Best Value Physics Schools in Pennsylvania list. Located in Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania, this medium-sized public school awarded 10 degrees to qualified ’s physics students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our pennsylvania physics students list, Bloomsburg has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Physics Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. It costs about $20,639 for pennsylvania physics students per year to attend Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania.
Read more about Physics at Bloomsburg
Out of the 12 schools in the Best Value Physics Schools in Pennsylvania that were part of this year’s ranking, Temple University landed the #2 spot on the list. Located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, this large public school handed out 25 diplomas to qualified ’s physics students in 2020-2021.
Temple not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Physics Schools in Pennsylvania” list. The yearly cost to attend Temple University is $23,888 for Pennsylvania Physics students.
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 undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Physics at Temple
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania. It ranked #3 on our 2024 Best Value Physics Schools in Pennsylvania list. Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s physics degrees to 9 students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at SRU, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Physics Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania is $19,927 for pennsylvania physics students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.6% 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 SRU
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Physics Schools in Pennsylvania. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s physics degrees to 45 students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Pitt, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Physics Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus is $27,058 for Pennsylvania Physics students.
The low undergrad 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Physics at Pitt
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Physics Schools in Pennsylvania. East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania is a medium-sized school located in East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania that handed out 6 ’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.
East Stroudsburg University also took the #6 spot in our “Best Physics Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. It costs about $20,141 for pennsylvania physics students per year to attend East Stroudsburg University.
Read full report on Physics at East Stroudsburg University
Millersville University of Pennsylvania did quite well in the 2024 Best Value Physics Schools in Pennsylvania ranking, coming in at #6. Millersville is a medium-sized public school situated in Millersville, Pennsylvania. It awarded 6 ’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.
Millersville not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Physics Schools in Pennsylvania” list. The yearly cost to attend Millersville University of Pennsylvania is $23,133 for Pennsylvania Physics students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Physics at Millersville University of Pennsylvania
Lock Haven University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physics Schools in Pennsylvania ranking. Located in Lock Haven, Pennsylvania, this small public school handed out 1 degrees to qualified ’s physics students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our pennsylvania physics students list, LHU has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Physics Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Lock Haven University is $21,245 for pennsylvania physics students.
Read full report on Physics at LHU
Indiana University of Pennsylvania - Main Campus ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Physics Schools in Pennsylvania list. Indiana University of Pennsylvania - Main Campus is a medium-sized public school situated in Indiana, Pennsylvania. It awarded 4 ’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.
IUP also made our “Best Physics Schools in Pennsylvania” list, coming in at #8. It costs about $22,828 for Pennsylvania Physics students per year to attend Indiana University of Pennsylvania - Main Campus.
Read full report on Physics at IUP
Clarion University of Pennsylvania came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physics Schools in Pennsylvania ranking. Clarion University of Pennsylvania is located in Clarion, Pennsylvania and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 3 ’s physics degrees to qualified students.
Clarion University also took the #10 spot in our “Best Physics Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. It costs about $19,452 for pennsylvania physics students per year to attend Clarion University of Pennsylvania.
Full Clarion University of Pennsylvania Physics Report
California University of Pennsylvania landed the #10 spot on the 2024 Best Value Physics Schools in Pennsylvania ranking. California University of Pennsylvania is located in California, Pennsylvania and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 1 ’s physics degrees to qualified students.
Cal U did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best Physics Schools in Pennsylvania” list. The yearly cost to attend Cal U is $19,117 for Pennsylvania Physics students.
Read full report on Physics at California University of Pennsylvania
Edinboro University of Pennsylvania landed the #11 spot on the 2024 Best Value Physics Schools in Pennsylvania ranking. Edinboro University of Pennsylvania is a small school located in Edinboro, Pennsylvania that handed out 1 ’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.
Edinboro also took the #11 spot in our “Best Physics Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Edinboro is $16,363 for Pennsylvania Physics students.
Read more about Physics at Edinboro University of Pennsylvania
Drexel University landed the #12 spot on the 2024 Best Value Physics Schools in Pennsylvania ranking. This large school is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 27 ’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our pennsylvania physics students list, Drexel has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Physics Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Drexel is $35,963 for pennsylvania physics students.
With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Full Drexel Physics Report
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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
- *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