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2023 Best Physics Doctor’s Degree Colleges for Veterans in the Great Lakes Region

18 Ranked Colleges
282 Degrees Awarded
$79,371 Avg Salary
Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Physics for a Doctorate

With all of the options veterans have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Physics for a Doctorate” ranking.

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 the Great Lakes region, there were 1,760 physics graduates with average earnings and debt of $48,251 and $23,230 respectively.

This year’s “Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Physics for a Doctorate” ranking analyzed 18 colleges that offered a degree in physics. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality physics programs as well as strong veteran support.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the physics program at the school, veteran affordability, and veteran satisfaction. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

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Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Physics for a Doctorate” 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. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.

Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Physics for a Doctorate

The following schools top our list of the Best “Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Physics for a Doctorate”.

Top 18 Best Physics Doctor’s Degree Colleges for Veterans in the Great Lakes Region

1

Out of the 18 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Physics for a Doctorate that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor landed the #1 spot on the list. U-M is a large school located in Ann Arbor, Michigan that handed out 28 doctorate’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our great lakes region doctor’s degree vets studying physics list, U-M has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Physics Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking.According to our most recent data, U-M supports 47,907 students, and 570 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 325 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $27,058. During this same period, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

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2

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Ohio State University - Main Campus. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Physics for a Doctorate list. Located in Columbus, Ohio, this large public school handed out 27 diplomas to qualified doctorate’s physics students in 2020-2021.

Ohio State also made our “Best Physics Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #8.Of the 61,369 students enrolled at Ohio State, 2 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 0 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $0. To help with additional expenses, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Ohio State University - Main Campus Veteran Student Life Report

3

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Wisconsin - Madison. The school came in at #3 for the Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Physics for a Doctorate. UW - Madison is located in Madison, Wisconsin and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 27 doctorate’s physics degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our great lakes region doctor’s degree vets studying physics list, UW - Madison has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Physics Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 4 of the 44,640 students enrolled at UW - Madison were GI Bill® students, of which 0 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $0. During this same period, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. UW - Madison does offer credit for military training for eligible students.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

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4

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The school came in at #4 for the Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Physics for a Doctorate. Champaign, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out doctorate’s physics degrees to 32 students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UIUC, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Physics Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 10 of the 52,679 students enrolled at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign were GI Bill® students, of which 0 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $0. To help with additional expenses, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

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5
Purdue crest
Purdue University - Main Campus
West Lafayette, Indiana

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Purdue University - Main Campus. The school came in at #5 for the Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Physics for a Doctorate. Purdue University - Main Campus is a public institution located in West Lafayette, Indiana. The school has a large population, and it awarded 17 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Purdue not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Physics Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list.Our most recent data shows that 1 of the 46,655 students enrolled at Purdue were GI Bill® students, of which 1 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $7,765. During this same period, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

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 low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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 Purdue Veteran Student Life Report

6
UChicago crest
University of Chicago
Chicago, Illinois

University of Chicago came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Physics for a Doctorate ranking. University of Chicago is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 19 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.

UChicago did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Physics Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list.According to our most recent data, UChicago supports 17,834 students, and 241 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 113 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $18,948. During this same period, 58 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 100%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full UChicago Veteran Student Life Report

7

Indiana University - Bloomington landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Physics for a Doctorate ranking. Indiana University - Bloomington is a large school located in Bloomington, Indiana that handed out 9 doctorate’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at IU Bloomington, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Physics Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking.Of the 43,064 students enrolled at IU Bloomington, 1 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 0 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $0. During this same period, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. IU Bloomington offers credit for military training for eligible students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

[Read full report on veteran student life at Indiana University - Bloomington]](/colleges/indiana-university-bloomington/student-life/veterans/)

8
Notre Dame crest
University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, Indiana

University of Notre Dame ranked #8 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Physics for a Doctorate list. Notre Dame is a fairly large school located in Notre Dame, Indiana that handed out 18 doctorate’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.

Notre Dame did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Physics Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list.Our most recent data shows that 11 of the 12,809 students enrolled at University of Notre Dame were GI Bill® students, of which 20 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $13,670. In addition to receiving other benefits, 7 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

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9

University of Illinois at Chicago landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Physics for a Doctorate ranking. University of Illinois at Chicago is a large public school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 13 doctorate’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.

UIC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best Physics Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list.Among the 33,518 students enrolled at University of Illinois at Chicago, 1 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 1 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $23,878. To help with additional expenses, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

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

Full UIC Veteran Student Life Report

10
WMU crest
Western Michigan University
Kalamazoo, Michigan

With a ranking of #10, Western Michigan University did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Physics for a Doctorate 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.

WMU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #13 on our “Best Physics Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list.According to our most recent data, Western Michigan University supports 19,887 students, and 584 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 327 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $9,981. To help with additional expenses, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Western Michigan University offers credit for military training for eligible students.

Full WMU Veteran Student Life Report

11

University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Physics for a Doctorate ranking. University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee is a public institution located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The school has a large population, and it awarded 5 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our great lakes region doctor’s degree vets studying physics list, UWM has also earned the #17 rank in our “Best Physics Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking.Of the 24,565 students enrolled at UWM, 983 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 494 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $6,519. To help with additional expenses, 3 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. UWM does offer credit for military training for eligible students.

[Read full report on veteran student life at UWM]](/colleges/university-of-wisconsin-milwaukee/student-life/veterans/)

12

With a ranking of #12, University of Cincinnati - Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Physics for a Doctorate list. UC is a large public school situated in Cincinnati, Ohio. It awarded 6 doctorate’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.

UC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #15 on our “Best Physics Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list.According to our most recent data, UC supports 40,826 students, and 909 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 498 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $7,806. To help with additional expenses, 15 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. UC offers credit for military training for eligible students.

With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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%.

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13

Ohio University - Athens Campus landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Physics for a Doctorate ranking. OHIO Athens is a public institution located in Athens, Ohio. The school has a large population, and it awarded 5 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.

OHIO Athens did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best Physics Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list.According to our most recent data, Ohio University - Athens Campus supports 25,714 students, and 726 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 324 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $6,725. To help with additional expenses, 10 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

Full Ohio University - Athens Campus Veteran Student Life Report

14
Wayne State crest
Wayne State University
Detroit, Michigan

Wayne State University ranked #14 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Physics for a Doctorate list. Located in Detroit, Michigan, this large public school awarded 3 diplomas to qualified doctorate’s physics students in 2020-2021.

Wayne State also took the #18 spot in our “Best Physics Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking.According to our most recent data, Wayne State supports 26,241 students, and 470 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 244 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $9,101. During this same period, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Wayne State offers credit for military training for eligible students.

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15

Illinois Institute of Technology ranked #15 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Physics for a Doctorate list. This medium-sized school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 7 doctorate’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Illinois Tech, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Physics Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 83 of the 6,325 students enrolled at Illinois Tech were GI Bill® students, of which 52 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $14,905. To help with additional expenses, 14 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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…

16
Michigan State crest
Michigan State University
East Lansing, Michigan

Michigan State University ranked #16 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Physics for a Doctorate list. Michigan State is a large public school situated in East Lansing, Michigan. It awarded 23 doctorate’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.

Michigan State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best Physics Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list.According to our most recent data, Michigan State supports 49,695 students, and 2 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 1 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $14,686. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Michigan State University Veteran Student Life Report

17

With a ranking of #17, Kent State University at Kent did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Physics for a Doctorate list. Kent State University at Kent is a large school located in Kent, Ohio that handed out 3 doctorate’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Kent State, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best Physics Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 778 of the 26,822 students enrolled at Kent State University at Kent were GI Bill® students, of which 374 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $7,199. To help with additional expenses, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Kent State University at Kent offers credit for military training for eligible students.

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18
Northwestern crest
Northwestern University
Evanston, Illinois

Northwestern University did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Physics for a Doctorate ranking, coming in at #18. Evanston, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out doctorate’s physics degrees to 6 students in 2020-2021.

Northwestern not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Physics Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list.Our most recent data shows that 1 of the 22,603 students enrolled at Northwestern University were GI Bill® students, of which 1 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $399. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program.

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 6 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 [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

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References

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