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2023 Most Popular Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Physics in the Plains States Region

81 Ranked Colleges
542 Degrees Awarded
$55,327 Avg Salary
Most Well Attended Physics Major in the Plains States Region for a Bachelor's

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Most Well Attended Physics Major in the Plains States Region for a Bachelor’s” 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 Plains States region, there were 711 physics graduates with average earnings and debt of $55,327 and $23,299 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 542 physics graduates with average earnings and debt of $41,046 and $29,021 respectively.

For this year’s “Most Well Attended Physics Major in the Plains States Region for a Bachelor’s” ranking, we looked at 81 colleges that offer a degree in physics. To top this list, a school must have a successful physics program that graduates more students in the field than other colleges that offer the same major.

Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

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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 Plains States Region for a Bachelor’s” 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. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.

Most Well Attended Physics Major in the Plains States Region for a Bachelor’s

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

1

Out of the 81 schools in the Most Well Attended Physics Major in the Plains States Region for a Bachelor’s that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities landed the #1 spot on the list. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities is a public institution located in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The school has a large population, and it awarded 65 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

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 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Physics at UMN Twin Cities

2
Iowa crest
University of Iowa
Iowa City, Iowa

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Iowa. The school came in at #2 for the Most Well Attended Physics Major in the Plains States Region for a Bachelor’s. This large school is located in Iowa City, Iowa, and it awarded 22 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%.

Read full report on Physics at University of Iowa

2

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Iowa State University. The school came in at #2 for the Most Well Attended Physics Major in the Plains States Region for a Bachelor’s. This large school is located in Ames, Iowa, and it awarded 22 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Physics at Iowa State

4
Grinnell crest
Grinnell College
Grinnell, Iowa

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Grinnell College. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Physics Major in the Plains States Region for a Bachelor’s list. Located in Grinnell, Iowa, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 19 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s physics students in 2020-2021.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Physics at Grinnell

4
Carleton crest
Carleton College
Northfield, Minnesota

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Carleton College. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Physics Major in the Plains States Region for a Bachelor’s list. Northfield, Minnesota is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s physics degrees to 19 students 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 0.8% 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%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read more about Physics at Carleton College

6
Coe crest
Coe College
Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Coe College ranked #6 on this year’s Most Well Attended Physics Major in the Plains States Region for a Bachelor’s list. Cedar Rapids, Iowa 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 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.8% 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 Coe Physics Report

6
Bethel University Minnesota crest
Bethel University Minnesota
Saint Paul, Minnesota

Bethel University Minnesota ranked #6 on this year’s Most Well Attended Physics Major in the Plains States Region for a Bachelor’s list. Bethel University Minnesota is a private not-for-profit institution located in Saint Paul, Minnesota. The school has a small population, and it awarded 18 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

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 undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Physics at Bethel University Minnesota

8

University of Missouri - Columbia did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Physics Major in the Plains States Region for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #8. Mizzou is a large public school situated in Columbia, Missouri. It awarded 17 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.5% 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%.

Read full report on Physics at Mizzou

9

University of Nebraska - Lincoln came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Physics Major in the Plains States Region for a Bachelor’s ranking. University of Nebraska - Lincoln is a large school located in Lincoln, Nebraska that handed out 15 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Physics at University of Nebraska - Lincoln

9

Missouri University of Science and Technology landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Physics Major in the Plains States Region for a Bachelor’s ranking. Missouri University of Science and Technology is located in Rolla, Missouri and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 15 bachelors’s physics degrees to qualified students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Physics at Missouri University of Science and Technology

11
St. Olaf crest
St Olaf College
Northfield, Minnesota

With a ranking of #11, St Olaf College did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Physics Major in the Plains States Region for a Bachelor’s list. Located in Northfield, Minnesota, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 14 degrees to qualified bachelors’s physics students in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.8% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Physics at St. Olaf

11
KU crest
University of Kansas
Lawrence, Kansas

University of Kansas did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Physics Major in the Plains States Region for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #11. KU is a large school located in Lawrence, Kansas that handed out 14 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate 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 University of Kansas

13
Creighton crest
Creighton University
Omaha, Nebraska

With a ranking of #13, Creighton University did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Physics Major in the Plains States Region for a Bachelor’s 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 12 students in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.6% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Physics at Creighton University

14

University of St Thomas Minnesota ranked #14 on this year’s Most Well Attended Physics Major in the Plains States Region for a Bachelor’s list. Located in Saint Paul, Minnesota, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school awarded 11 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s physics students in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full UST MN Physics Report

14

University of Nebraska at Omaha ranked #14 on this year’s Most Well Attended Physics Major in the Plains States Region for a Bachelor’s list. University of Nebraska at Omaha is located in Omaha, Nebraska and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 11 bachelors’s physics degrees to qualified students.

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%.

Full University of Nebraska at Omaha Physics Report

14
Macalester crest
Macalester College
Saint Paul, Minnesota

Macalester College ranked #14 on this year’s Most Well Attended Physics Major in the Plains States Region for a Bachelor’s list. Macalester is located in Saint Paul, Minnesota and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 11 bachelors’s physics degrees to qualified students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Macalester College Physics Report

17

Washington University in St Louis landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Physics Major in the Plains States Region for a Bachelor’s ranking. Washington University in St Louis is a fairly large school located in Saint Louis, Missouri that handed out 10 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Physics at Washington University in St Louis

17

Missouri State University - Springfield ranked #17 on this year’s Most Well Attended Physics Major in the Plains States Region for a Bachelor’s list. This large school is located in Springfield, Missouri, and it awarded 10 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Physics at Missouri State

19
K -State crest
Kansas State University
Manhattan, Kansas

Kansas State University ranked #19 on this year’s Most Well Attended Physics Major in the Plains States Region for a Bachelor’s list. Located in Manhattan, Kansas, this large public school awarded 9 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s physics students in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.7% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Physics at K -State

19
UND crest
University of North Dakota
Grand Forks, North Dakota

University of North Dakota landed the #19 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Physics Major in the Plains States Region for a Bachelor’s ranking. UND is a fairly large school located in Grand Forks, North Dakota that handed out 9 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.8% 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%.

Read more about Physics at UND

19
Rockhurst crest
Rockhurst University
Kansas City, Missouri

Rockhurst University ranked #19 on this year’s Most Well Attended Physics Major in the Plains States Region for a Bachelor’s list. Rockhurst University is located in Kansas City, Missouri and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 9 bachelors’s physics degrees to qualified students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.8% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%.

Read full report on Physics at Rockhurst

19
Truman State crest
Truman State University
Kirksville, Missouri

Truman State University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Physics Major in the Plains States Region for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #19. Truman State is located in Kirksville, Missouri and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 9 bachelors’s physics degrees to qualified students.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full Truman State Physics Report

19
Washburn University crest
Washburn University
Topeka, Kansas

Washburn University came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Physics Major in the Plains States Region for a Bachelor’s ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Topeka, Kansas, and it awarded 9 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.

Read full report on Physics at Washburn University

24

University of Missouri - Kansas City came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Physics Major in the Plains States Region for a Bachelor’s ranking. UMKC is located in Kansas City, Missouri and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 8 bachelors’s physics degrees to qualified students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.7% 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%.

Read more about Physics at University of Missouri - Kansas City

24

With a ranking of #24, University of Minnesota - Duluth did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Physics Major in the Plains States Region for a Bachelor’s list. UMN Duluth is a medium-sized public school situated in Duluth, Minnesota. It awarded 8 bachelors’s physics degrees 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%.

Full UMN Duluth Physics Report

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