by our College Data Analytics Team
It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Physics Major in the Great Lakes Region” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.
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 master’s degree level specifically, there were 301 physics graduates with average earnings and debt of $58,892 and $0 respectively.
This year’s “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Physics Major in the Great Lakes Region” ranking looked at 38 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in physics. That schools that top this list have a program in physics in which the largest percentage of students at the school are enrolled.
Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Physics Major in the Great Lakes Region” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.
In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.
The colleges and universities below are the best for great lakes region master’s degree physics students.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Western Illinois University. The school came in at #1 for the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Physics Major in the Great Lakes Region. Western Illinois University is a public institution located in Macomb, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 7 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Out of the 38 schools in the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Physics Major in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Notre Dame landed the #2 spot on the list. Notre Dame is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Notre Dame, Indiana. It awarded 12 masters’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, 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 undergraduate 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.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Chicago. The school came in at #3 for the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Physics Major in the Great Lakes Region. UChicago is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 18 masters’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.0% 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%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. With a freshman retention rate of 100%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Out of the 38 schools in the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Physics Major in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Northwestern University landed the #4 spot on the list. Northwestern University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Evanston, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 23 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Physics Major in the Great Lakes Region list. University of Wisconsin - Madison is located in Madison, Wisconsin and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 42 masters’s physics degrees to qualified students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Western Michigan University came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Physics Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. WMU is a fairly large school located in Kalamazoo, Michigan that handed out 10 masters’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.
University of Michigan - Ann Arbor did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Physics Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #7. Located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, this large public school handed out 27 degrees to qualified masters’s physics students in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, 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 96%.
Read full report on Physics at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Miami University - Oxford landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Physics Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. This fairly large school is located in Oxford, Ohio, and it awarded 10 masters’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.0%, 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%.
Air Force Institute of Technology - Graduate School of Engineering & Management did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Physics Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #9. Located in Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, this small public school awarded 1 diplomas to qualified masters’s physics students in 2020-2021.
Read more about Physics at AFIT Graduate School of Engineering & Management
Michigan Technological University ranked #10 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Physics Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Michigan Tech is a medium-sized public school situated in Houghton, Michigan. It awarded 3 masters’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.9% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.
Lewis University ranked #11 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Physics Major in the Great Lakes Region list. This medium-sized school is located in Romeoville, Illinois, and it awarded 3 masters’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.0% 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%.
With a ranking of #12, Wright State University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Physics Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Wright State University - Main Campus is a fairly large public school situated in Dayton, Ohio. It awarded 5 masters’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.
Read full report on Physics at Wright State University - Main Campus
Kent State University at Kent came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Physics Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Kent State is a large public school situated in Kent, Ohio. It awarded 10 masters’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.
Ohio State University - Main Campus did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Physics Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #14. Ohio State University - Main Campus is located in Columbus, Ohio and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 21 masters’s physics degrees to qualified students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, 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 94%.
University of Akron Main Campus came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Physics Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. This fairly large school is located in Akron, Ohio, and it awarded 5 masters’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.
Read full report on Physics at University of Akron Main Campus
Indiana University - Bloomington came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Physics Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in Bloomington, Indiana, this large public school handed out 13 degrees to qualified masters’s physics students in 2020-2021.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.
Bowling Green State University - Main Campus came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Physics Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. BGSU is a public institution located in Bowling Green, Ohio. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 5 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Read more about Physics at Bowling Green State University - Main Campus
Northern Illinois University landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Physics Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Northern Illinois University is a public institution located in Dekalb, Illinois. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 5 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Wayne State University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Physics Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #19. Wayne State University is a public institution located in Detroit, Michigan. The school has a large population, and it awarded 8 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Ball State University ranked #20 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Physics Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in Muncie, Indiana, this large public school awarded 7 degrees to qualified masters’s physics students in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Illinois Institute of Technology ranked #21 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Physics Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Illinois Institute of Technology is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 2 masters’s physics degrees to qualified students.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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 low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.9% 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%.
Michigan State University landed the #22 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Physics Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. This large school is located in East Lansing, Michigan, and it awarded 11 masters’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.
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 undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Case Western Reserve University landed the #23 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Physics Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Cleveland, Ohio is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s physics degrees to 3 students in 2020-2021.
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%. 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 full report on Physics at Case Western Reserve University
With a ranking of #24, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Physics Major in the Great Lakes Region list. UIUC is a large public school situated in Champaign, Illinois. It awarded 11 masters’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Physics at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Purdue University - Main Campus ranked #25 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Physics Major in the Great Lakes Region list. West Lafayette, Indiana is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s physics degrees to 9 students in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about our data sources and methodologies
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