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2023 Most Focused Doctor’s Degree Colleges for Physics in the Great Lakes Region

26 Ranked Colleges
282 Degrees Awarded
$79,371 Avg Salary
Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Physics Major 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. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Physics Major in the Great Lakes Region” ranking is part of that endeavor.

Physics is the 68th most popular major in the country with 13,674 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. 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 the Great Lakes region, there were 1,760 physics graduates with average earnings and debt of $48,251 and $23,230 respectively. At the doctor’s degree level specifically, there were 282 physics graduates with average earnings and debt of $74,305 and $0 respectively.

For this year’s “Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Physics Major in the Great Lakes Region” ranking, we looked at 26 colleges that offer a degree in physics. This a ranking of the schools where the largest percentage of students has enrolled in physics.

For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

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Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Physics Major in the Great Lakes Region” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Physics Major in the Great Lakes Region

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

Top 25 Most Focused Doctor’s Degree Colleges for Physics in the Great Lakes Region

1
Notre Dame crest
University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, Indiana

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Notre Dame. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Physics Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Notre Dame is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Notre Dame, Indiana. It awarded 18 doctorate’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Physics at Notre Dame

2

Out of the 26 schools in the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Physics Major in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Illinois Institute of Technology landed the #2 spot on the list. Illinois Tech is a medium-sized school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 7 doctorate’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The undergraduate 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 undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Physics at Illinois Institute of Technology

3

Out of the 26 schools in the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Physics Major in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Case Western Reserve University landed the #3 spot on the list. Case Western is located in Cleveland, Ohio and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 11 doctorate’s physics degrees to qualified students.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Case Western Physics Report

4
UChicago crest
University of Chicago
Chicago, Illinois

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Chicago. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Physics Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out doctorate’s physics degrees to 19 students in 2020-2021.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 100%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full UChicago Physics Report

5

Out of the 26 schools in the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Physics Major in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the #5 spot on the list. This large school is located in Champaign, Illinois, and it awarded 32 doctorate’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Physics at UIUC

6
University of Toledo crest
University of Toledo
Toledo, Ohio

University of Toledo did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Physics Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #6. University of Toledo is a public institution located in Toledo, Ohio. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 10 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Read full report on Physics at University of Toledo

7

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor ranked #7 on this year’s Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Physics Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, this large public school handed out 28 degrees to qualified doctorate’s physics students in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.3% 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%.

Full U-M Physics Report

8
Michigan State crest
Michigan State University
East Lansing, Michigan

Michigan State University ranked #8 on this year’s Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Physics Major in the Great Lakes Region list. East Lansing, Michigan is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out doctorate’s physics degrees to 23 students in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Physics at Michigan State

9

Air Force Institute of Technology - Graduate School of Engineering & Management landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Physics Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. AFIT Graduate School of Engineering & Management is located in Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 1 doctorate’s physics degrees to qualified students.

Read more about Physics at Air Force Institute of Technology - Graduate School of Engineering & Management

10

Michigan Technological University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Physics Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Michigan Tech is a medium-sized school located in Houghton, Michigan that handed out 3 doctorate’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.

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 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%.

Read more about Physics at Michigan Technological University

11

With a ranking of #11, Ohio State University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Physics Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Ohio State University - Main Campus is a large school located in Columbus, Ohio that handed out 27 doctorate’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, 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 94%.

Read full report on Physics at Ohio State

12

University of Wisconsin - Madison came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Physics Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. University of Wisconsin - Madison is a large school located in Madison, Wisconsin that handed out 27 doctorate’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full UW - Madison Physics Report

13

University of Illinois at Chicago ranked #13 on this year’s Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Physics Major in the Great Lakes Region list. UIC is a public institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 13 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Illinois at Chicago Physics Report

14
Purdue crest
Purdue University - Main Campus
West Lafayette, Indiana

Purdue University - Main Campus came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Physics Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Purdue is a large school located in West Lafayette, Indiana that handed out 17 doctorate’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Purdue Physics Report

15

University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Physics Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. UWM is a public institution located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The school has a large population, and it awarded 5 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Read full report on Physics at UWM

16
IU Bloomington crest
Indiana University - Bloomington
Bloomington, Indiana

Indiana University - Bloomington came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Physics Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. This large school is located in Bloomington, Indiana, and it awarded 9 doctorate’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad 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 Indiana University - Bloomington

17
Northwestern crest
Northwestern University
Evanston, Illinois

Northwestern University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Physics Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #17. Northwestern University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Evanston, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 6 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. The undergraduate 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. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Physics at Northwestern University

18
WMU crest
Western Michigan University
Kalamazoo, Michigan

Western Michigan University ranked #18 on this year’s Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Physics Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Western Michigan University is a public institution located in Kalamazoo, Michigan. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 3 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Read more about Physics at WMU

19

Southern Illinois University Carbondale did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Physics Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #19. SIUC is a fairly large school located in Carbondale, Illinois that handed out 2 doctorate’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.

Read full report on Physics at SIUC

20

University of Cincinnati - Main Campus did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Physics Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #20. This large school is located in Cincinnati, Ohio, and it awarded 6 doctorate’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

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

21

Ohio University - Athens Campus ranked #21 on this year’s Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Physics Major in the Great Lakes Region list. OHIO Athens is a large public school situated in Athens, Ohio. It awarded 5 doctorate’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.

Full OHIO Athens Physics Report

22

Northern Illinois University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Physics Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #22. Dekalb, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out doctorate’s physics degrees to 2 students in 2020-2021.

Read more about Physics at Northern Illinois University

23

Kent State University at Kent did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Physics Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #23. Kent State University at Kent is a public institution located in Kent, Ohio. The school has a large population, and it awarded 3 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Full Kent State Physics Report

24
Wayne State crest
Wayne State University
Detroit, Michigan

With a ranking of #24, Wayne State University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Physics Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Detroit, Michigan is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out doctorate’s physics degrees to 3 students in 2020-2021.

Full Wayne State Physics Report

25
Central Michigan crest
Central Michigan University
Mount Pleasant, Michigan

Central Michigan University came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Physics Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Central Michigan is a fairly large school located in Mount Pleasant, Michigan that handed out 1 doctorate’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad 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%.

Full Central Michigan University Physics Report

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