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2023 Most Popular Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Physics in the Great Lakes Region

136 Ranked Colleges
1,152 Degrees Awarded
$45,658 Avg Salary
Most Well Attended Physics Major in the Great Lakes Region for a Bachelor's

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Most Well Attended Physics Major in the Great Lakes Region for a Bachelor’s” ranking.

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 bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,152 physics graduates with average earnings and debt of $40,343 and $26,790 respectively.

This year’s “Most Well Attended Physics Major in the Great Lakes Region for a Bachelor’s” ranking looked at 136 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in physics. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have one of the most popular physics programs in the United States.

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 “Most Well Attended Physics Major in the Great Lakes Region for a Bachelor’s” 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. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.

Most Well Attended Physics Major in the Great Lakes Region for a Bachelor’s

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

1

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Ohio State University - Main Campus. The school came in at #1 for the Most Well Attended Physics Major in the Great Lakes Region for a Bachelor’s. Ohio State is a public institution located in Columbus, Ohio. The school has a large population, and it awarded 66 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad 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%.

Read full report on Physics at Ohio State

2
UChicago crest
University of Chicago
Chicago, Illinois

Out of the 136 schools in the Most Well Attended Physics Major in the Great Lakes Region for a Bachelor’s that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Chicago landed the #2 spot on the list. UChicago is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 65 bachelors’s physics degrees to qualified students.

With a freshman retention rate of 100%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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.

Read full report on Physics at UChicago

3

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Physics Major in the Great Lakes Region for a Bachelor’s list. UIUC is a large public school situated in Champaign, Illinois. It awarded 63 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, 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 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Physics at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

3

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor. The school came in at #3 for the Most Well Attended Physics Major in the Great Lakes Region for a Bachelor’s. Located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, this large public school awarded 63 degrees to qualified bachelors’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%.

Read full report on Physics at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

5

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Physics Major in the Great Lakes Region for a Bachelor’s list. Located in Madison, Wisconsin, this large public school awarded 56 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s physics students in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.9% 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 95%.

Read more about Physics at UW - Madison

6
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Purdue University - Main Campus
West Lafayette, Indiana

With a ranking of #6, Purdue University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Physics Major in the Great Lakes Region for a Bachelor’s list. Purdue University - Main Campus is a public institution located in West Lafayette, Indiana. The school has a large population, and it awarded 52 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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 University - Main Campus Physics Report

7
Michigan State crest
Michigan State University
East Lansing, Michigan

Michigan State University ranked #7 on this year’s Most Well Attended Physics Major in the Great Lakes Region for a Bachelor’s list. Located in East Lansing, Michigan, this large public school awarded 44 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s physics students in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full Michigan State University Physics Report

8
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University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, Indiana

University of Notre Dame landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Physics Major in the Great Lakes Region for a Bachelor’s ranking. University of Notre Dame is a private not-for-profit institution located in Notre Dame, Indiana. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 29 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.7% 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 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read more about Physics at University of Notre Dame

9

University of Wisconsin - La Crosse came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Physics Major in the Great Lakes Region for a Bachelor’s ranking. This fairly large school is located in La Crosse, Wisconsin, and it awarded 27 bachelors’s physics degrees 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 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Physics at UW - La Crosse

10

University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Physics Major in the Great Lakes Region for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #10. University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire is a fairly large public school situated in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. It awarded 25 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.

Read more about Physics at UW - Eau Claire

11

Illinois State University ranked #11 on this year’s Most Well Attended Physics Major in the Great Lakes Region for a Bachelor’s list. Illinois State is a large public school situated in Normal, Illinois. It awarded 22 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad 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%.

Read full report on Physics at Illinois State

12
Loyola Chicago crest
Loyola University Chicago
Chicago, Illinois

Loyola University Chicago landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Physics Major in the Great Lakes Region for a Bachelor’s ranking. Loyola University Chicago is a fairly large school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 21 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Physics at Loyola Chicago

12

Case Western Reserve University landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Physics Major in the Great Lakes Region for a Bachelor’s ranking. Case Western is located in Cleveland, Ohio and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 21 bachelors’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 Reserve University Physics Report

14

University of Wisconsin - River Falls came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Physics Major in the Great Lakes Region for a Bachelor’s ranking. Located in River Falls, Wisconsin, this medium-sized public school handed out 18 degrees to qualified bachelors’s physics students in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Wisconsin - River Falls Physics Report

14

With a ranking of #14, Indiana University - Bloomington did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Physics Major in the Great Lakes Region for a Bachelor’s list. This large school is located in Bloomington, Indiana, and it awarded 18 bachelors’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 low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.4% 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 IU Bloomington Physics Report

14
Northwestern crest
Northwestern University
Evanston, Illinois

Northwestern University came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Physics Major in the Great Lakes Region for a Bachelor’s ranking. Northwestern is a private not-for-profit institution located in Evanston, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 18 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%. 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.

Read full report on Physics at Northwestern University

17
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Oberlin College
Oberlin, Ohio

Oberlin College came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Physics Major in the Great Lakes Region for a Bachelor’s ranking. This small school is located in Oberlin, Ohio, and it awarded 17 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. 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.

Read full report on Physics at Oberlin

17

University of Cincinnati - Main Campus landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Physics Major in the Great Lakes Region for a Bachelor’s ranking. University of Cincinnati - Main Campus is located in Cincinnati, Ohio and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 17 bachelors’s physics degrees to qualified students.

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%.

Full University of Cincinnati - Main Campus Physics Report

19

With a ranking of #19, University of Toledo did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Physics Major in the Great Lakes Region for a Bachelor’s list. This fairly large school is located in Toledo, Ohio, and it awarded 15 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.

Read more about Physics at University of Toledo

19
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Kalamazoo College
Kalamazoo, Michigan

Kalamazoo College landed the #19 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Physics Major in the Great Lakes Region for a Bachelor’s ranking. Kalamazoo College is located in Kalamazoo, Michigan and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 15 bachelors’s physics degrees to qualified students.

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%.

Read full report on Physics at Kalamazoo College

21
Kenyon crest
Kenyon College
Gambier, Ohio

With a ranking of #21, Kenyon College did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Physics Major in the Great Lakes Region for a Bachelor’s list. Kenyon is a private not-for-profit institution located in Gambier, Ohio. The school has a small population, and it awarded 14 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.5% 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 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.

Read full report on Physics at Kenyon

22
Wheaton College Illinois crest
Wheaton College Illinois
Wheaton, Illinois

Wheaton College Illinois did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Physics Major in the Great Lakes Region for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #22. Wheaton College Illinois is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Wheaton, Illinois. It awarded 13 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.5% 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%. 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.

Read full report on Physics at Wheaton College Illinois

22
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Wayne State University
Detroit, Michigan

Wayne State University came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Physics Major in the Great Lakes Region for a Bachelor’s ranking. Located in Detroit, Michigan, this large public school handed out 13 degrees to qualified bachelors’s physics students in 2020-2021.

Read full report on Physics at Wayne State University

22

The College of Wooster came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Physics Major in the Great Lakes Region for a Bachelor’s ranking. The College of Wooster is a private not-for-profit institution located in Wooster, Ohio. The school has a small population, and it awarded 13 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Physics at Wooster College

25

Kent State University at Kent did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Physics Major in the Great Lakes Region for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #25. Kent State University at Kent is a public institution located in Kent, Ohio. The school has a large population, and it awarded 12 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Read more about Physics at Kent State

25

With a ranking of #25, Michigan Technological University did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Physics Major in the Great Lakes Region for a Bachelor’s list. Located in Houghton, Michigan, this medium-sized public school awarded 12 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s physics students 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 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%.

Read full report on Physics at Michigan Technological University

25
Lewis crest
Lewis University
Romeoville, Illinois

Lewis University ranked #25 on this year’s Most Well Attended Physics Major in the Great Lakes Region for a Bachelor’s list. Lewis University is a medium-sized school located in Romeoville, Illinois that handed out 12 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Lewis Physics Report

25
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Albion College
Albion, Michigan

Albion College landed the #25 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Physics Major in the Great Lakes Region for a Bachelor’s ranking. This small school is located in Albion, Michigan, and it awarded 12 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.

Read full report on Physics at Albion

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