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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Physical Sciences (Income $0-$30k) in Massachusetts

19 Ranked Colleges
1,174 Degrees Awarded
$12,500 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor's in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

Physical Sciences is the 18th most popular major in the country with 52,879 degrees awarded in 2019-2020. In 2017-2018, physical sciences graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $38,122 and had an average of $22,339 in loans still to pay off.

Across Massachusetts, there were 1,775 physical sciences graduates with average earnings and debt of $45,990 and $23,320 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,174 physical sciences graduates with average earnings and debt of $42,887 and $24,387 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking analyzed 19 colleges that offered a degree in physical sciences. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality physical sciences programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the physical sciences program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

One Size Does Not Fit All

When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k” list to help you make the college decision.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. 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.

Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k.

Top 19 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Physical Sciences (Income $0-$30k) in Massachusetts

#1

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Cambridge, Massachusetts
#1 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k. This fairly large school is located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and it awarded 114 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at MIT, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for MIT is $4,535 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 3 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 98%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full MIT Physical Sciences Report

#2

Harvard University

Cambridge, Massachusetts
#4 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Harvard University. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k list. Harvard University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The school has a large population, and it awarded 112 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Harvard not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” list. The yearly cost to attend Harvard is $2,973 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

The 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 impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at Harvard University

#3

Williams College

Williamstown, Massachusetts
#13 in overall quality

Out of the 19 schools in the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Williams College landed the #3 spot on the list. This small school is located in Williamstown, Massachusetts, and it awarded 74 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our massachusetts bachelor’s degree physical sciences students whose families make $0-$30k list, Williams has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. It costs about $2,498 for massachusetts bachelor’s degree physical sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Williams.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full Williams College Physical Sciences Report

#4

Northeastern University

Boston, Massachusetts
#3 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Northeastern University. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Boston, Massachusetts, and it awarded 72 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Northeastern, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Northeastern University is $10,239 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low 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%.

Read more about Physical Sciences at Northeastern

#5

Wellesley College

Wellesley, Massachusetts
#5 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Wellesley College. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k. This small school is located in Wellesley, Massachusetts, and it awarded 43 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

Wellesley did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” list. It costs about $8,785 for massachusetts bachelor’s degree physical sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Wellesley College.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The low student loan default rate of 1.5% 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 school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Physical Sciences at Wellesley College

#6

College of the Holy Cross

Worcester, Massachusetts
#2 in overall quality

College of the Holy Cross ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k list. College of the Holy Cross is a private not-for-profit institution located in Worcester, Massachusetts. The school has a small population, and it awarded 53 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Holy Cross also made our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” list, coming in at #2. The yearly cost to attend College of the Holy Cross is $15,036 for massachusetts bachelor’s degree physical sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Physical Sciences at College of the Holy Cross

#7

Boston College

Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts
#7 in overall quality

Boston College ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k list. Boston College is a fairly large school located in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts that handed out 32 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

Boston College did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” list. The estimated yearly cost for Boston College is $6,353 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.2%, 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.

Full Boston College Physical Sciences Report

#8

Smith College

Northampton, Massachusetts
#11 in overall quality

Smith College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #8. Smith is a small school located in Northampton, Massachusetts that handed out 52 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

Smith also took the #11 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Smith is $6,075 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 1.1% 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 student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at Smith College

#9

Boston University

Boston, Massachusetts
#6 in overall quality

Boston University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #9. Located in Boston, Massachusetts, this large private not-for-profit school awarded 68 degrees to qualified bachelors’s physical sciences students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our massachusetts bachelor’s degree physical sciences students whose families make $0-$30k list, Boston U has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Boston U is $12,903 for massachusetts bachelor’s degree physical sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at Boston U

#10

University of Massachusetts Amherst

Amherst, Massachusetts
#12 in overall quality

With a ranking of #10, University of Massachusetts Amherst did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Massachusetts Amherst is a public institution located in Amherst, Massachusetts. The school has a large population, and it awarded 117 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UMass Amherst also made our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” list, coming in at #12. The estimated yearly cost for University of Massachusetts Amherst is $13,137 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full University of Massachusetts Amherst Physical Sciences Report

#11

University of Massachusetts - Lowell

Lowell, Massachusetts
#10 in overall quality

University of Massachusetts - Lowell did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #11. Located in Lowell, Massachusetts, this fairly large public school awarded 37 degrees to qualified bachelors’s physical sciences students in 2019-2020.

UMass Lowell also made our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” list, coming in at #10. The yearly cost to attend University of Massachusetts - Lowell is $11,560 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 4.4% 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%.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at University of Massachusetts - Lowell

#12

Brandeis University

Waltham, Massachusetts
#9 in overall quality

With a ranking of #12, Brandeis University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k list. Brandeis University is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Waltham, Massachusetts. It awarded 38 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

Brandeis also took the #9 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. It costs about $13,567 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Brandeis.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The low student loan default rate of 2.3% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%.

Full Brandeis Physical Sciences Report

#13

Bridgewater State University

Bridgewater, Massachusetts
#14 in overall quality

With a ranking of #13, Bridgewater State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k list. Bridgewater State University is a public institution located in Bridgewater, Massachusetts. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 40 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our massachusetts bachelor’s degree physical sciences students whose families make $0-$30k list, Bridgewater State has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Bridgewater State is $13,332 for massachusetts bachelor’s degree physical sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Physical Sciences at Bridgewater State

#14

University of Massachusetts - Boston

Boston, Massachusetts
#16 in overall quality

With a ranking of #14, University of Massachusetts - Boston did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k list. UMass Boston is located in Boston, Massachusetts and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 21 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees to qualified students.

UMass Boston did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Massachusetts - Boston is $13,859 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Physical Sciences at University of Massachusetts - Boston

#15

Salem State University

Salem, Massachusetts
#17 in overall quality

Salem State University landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Salem, Massachusetts is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s physical sciences degrees to 16 students in 2019-2020.

Salem State also took the #17 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Salem State University is $14,593 for massachusetts bachelor’s degree physical sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Salem State Physical Sciences Report

#16

Wheaton College Massachusetts

Norton, Massachusetts
#8 in overall quality

Wheaton College Massachusetts landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Wheaton College Massachusetts is a small school located in Norton, Massachusetts that handed out 24 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

Wheaton College Massachusetts also took the #8 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Wheaton College Massachusetts is $20,511 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

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 student loan default rate at the school is 3.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Physical Sciences at Wheaton College Massachusetts

#17

Framingham State University

Framingham, Massachusetts
#19 in overall quality

With a ranking of #17, Framingham State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k list. Framingham, Massachusetts is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s physical sciences degrees to 8 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Framingham State, the school also landed the #19 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Framingham State is $14,612 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Framingham State University Physical Sciences Report

#18

Emmanuel College Massachusetts

Boston, Massachusetts
#18 in overall quality

With a ranking of #18, Emmanuel College Massachusetts did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k list. Emmanuel Boston is a private not-for-profit institution located in Boston, Massachusetts. The school has a small population, and it awarded 5 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Emmanuel Boston also took the #18 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. It costs about $24,411 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Emmanuel Boston.

The low student loan default rate of 4.6% 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%.

Full Emmanuel Boston Physical Sciences Report

#19

Suffolk University

Boston, Massachusetts
#15 in overall quality

With a ranking of #19, Suffolk University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Massachusetts For Those Making $0-$30k list. This medium-sized school is located in Boston, Massachusetts, and it awarded 6 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

Suffolk also took the #15 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Massachusetts” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Suffolk University is $27,748 for Massachusetts Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Physical Sciences at Suffolk University

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Notes and References

References

  • The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of our data about colleges.
  • Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
  • Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

  • *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
  • Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.

Credits

  • Credit for the banner image above goes to NASA.

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