2022 Best Value Doctor’s Degree Colleges for Physical Sciences (Income $0-$30k)
When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is part of that endeavor.
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.
At the doctor’s degree level specifically, there were 5,989 physical sciences graduates with average earnings and debt of $72,680 and $116,043 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking analyzed 166 colleges that offered a degree in physical sciences. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great physical sciences programs and cost less that 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. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
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More Ways to Rank Physical Sciences Schools
The physical sciences school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $0-$30k”.
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. 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.
Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $0-$30k
The colleges and universities below are the best for doctor’s degree physical sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.
Top 25 Best Value Doctor’s Degree Colleges for Physical Sciences (Income $0-$30k)
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Northwestern University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $0-$30k. Located in Evanston, Illinois, this large private not-for-profit school awarded 53 degrees to qualified doctorate’s physical sciences students in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Northwestern, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Doctor’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Northwestern University are $56,567, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Stanford University. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $0-$30k. Stanford is a fairly large school located in Stanford, California that handed out 111 doctorate’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.
Stanford not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Physical Sciences Doctor’s Degree Schools” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Stanford are $55,011.
Read full report on Physical Sciences at Stanford University
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California Institute of Technology. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $0-$30k. California Institute of Technology is located in Pasadena, California and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 43 doctorate’s physical sciences degrees to qualified students.
Caltech did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best Physical Sciences Doctor’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Caltech are $56,649, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
Out of the 166 schools in the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Pennsylvania landed the #4 spot on the list. University of Pennsylvania is a large school located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania that handed out 46 doctorate’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.
UPenn also took the #8 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Doctor’s Degree Schools” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at University of Pennsylvania are $41,760.
Read full report on Physical Sciences at University of Pennsylvania
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Chicago. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $0-$30k. University of Chicago is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 66 doctorate’s degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UChicago, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Doctor’s Degree Schools” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at University of Chicago are $61,548.
University of Florida ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $0-$30k list. UF is a public institution located in Gainesville, Florida. The school has a large population, and it awarded 61 doctorate’s degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our doctor’s degree physical sciences students whose families make $0-$30k list, UF has also earned the #20 rank in our “Best Physical Sciences Doctor’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at UF are $30,130, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Read full report on Physical Sciences at University of Florida
Harvard University landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Harvard is a private not-for-profit institution located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The school has a large population, and it awarded 71 doctorate’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Harvard not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Physical Sciences Doctor’s Degree Schools” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Harvard University are $50,654.
With a ranking of #8, Massachusetts Institute of Technology did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $0-$30k list. Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It awarded 96 doctorate’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.
MIT did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Physical Sciences Doctor’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Massachusetts Institute of Technology are $56,719, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
Princeton University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #9. Princeton is a medium-sized school located in Princeton, New Jersey that handed out 56 doctorate’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.
Princeton did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best Physical Sciences Doctor’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Princeton are $56,470, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Read full report on Physical Sciences at Princeton University
With a ranking of #10, Johns Hopkins University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $0-$30k list. Johns Hopkins is located in Baltimore, Maryland and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 39 doctorate’s physical sciences degrees to qualified students.
Johns Hopkins not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Physical Sciences Doctor’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Johns Hopkins University are $59,425, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Dartmouth College ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $0-$30k list. This medium-sized school is located in Hanover, New Hampshire, and it awarded 11 doctorate’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Dartmouth, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Doctor’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Dartmouth College are $58,120, but some majors have different tuition rates.
University of Michigan - Ann Arbor landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is a large public school situated in Ann Arbor, Michigan. It awarded 118 doctorate’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at U-M, the school also landed the #17 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Doctor’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor are $49,548, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Brown University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Brown is located in Providence, Rhode Island and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 37 doctorate’s physical sciences degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on this list, Brown is in the top on our “Best Physical Sciences Doctor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our “Best Physical Sciences Doctor’s Degree Schools” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Brown University are $60,363.
Cornell University ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $0-$30k list. Cornell University is located in Ithaca, New York and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 62 doctorate’s physical sciences degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our doctor’s degree physical sciences students whose families make $0-$30k list, Cornell has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Physical Sciences Doctor’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Cornell are $30,042, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
University of Wisconsin - Madison did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #15. This large school is located in Madison, Wisconsin, and it awarded 84 doctorate’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.
UW - Madison did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #22 on our “Best Physical Sciences Doctor’s Degree Schools” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at UW - Madison are $25,523.
With a ranking of #16, Columbia University in the City of New York did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $0-$30k list. Columbia is a large private not-for-profit school situated in New York, New York. It awarded 71 doctorate’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.
Columbia also took the #5 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Doctor’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Columbia University in the City of New York are $51,194, but some majors have different tuition rates.
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a public institution located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. The school has a large population, and it awarded 69 doctorate’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Average graduate tuition and fees at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill are $30,248, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
University of Maryland - College Park did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #18. University of Maryland - College Park is a large public school situated in College Park, Maryland. It awarded 71 doctorate’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.
UMCP did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #25 on our “Best Physical Sciences Doctor’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at UMCP are $30,885, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Read more about Physical Sciences at University of Maryland - College Park
Vanderbilt University landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Nashville, Tennessee is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out doctorate’s physical sciences degrees to 28 students in 2019-2020.
Average graduate tuition and fees at Vanderbilt are $50,624, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Missouri University of Science and Technology came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Rolla, Missouri, and it awarded 25 doctorate’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.
Average graduate tuition and fees at Missouri University of Science and Technology are $30,943, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Read full report on Physical Sciences at Missouri University of Science and Technology
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the #21 spot on the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Champaign, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out doctorate’s physical sciences degrees to 96 students in 2019-2020.
Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign are $30,083, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Read more about Physical Sciences at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
University of California - Berkeley ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Berkeley, California, and it awarded 139 doctorate’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.
UC Berkeley not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #15 on our “Best Physical Sciences Doctor’s Degree Schools” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at UC Berkeley are $29,347.
Read full report on Physical Sciences at University of California - Berkeley
With a ranking of #23, University of California - Los Angeles did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $0-$30k list. UCLA is a public institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 69 doctorate’s degrees in 2019-2020.
UCLA did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best Physical Sciences Doctor’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at UCLA are $28,131, but some majors have different tuition rates.
University of Minnesota - Twin Cities landed the #24 spot on the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities is located in Minneapolis, Minnesota and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 55 doctorate’s physical sciences degrees to qualified students.
On top of its placing in this ranking, UMN Twin Cities also did well on our “Best Physical Sciences Doctor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. Average graduate tuition and fees at UMN Twin Cities are $28,845, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Full University of Minnesota - Twin Cities Physical Sciences Report
Northeastern University came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Boston, Massachusetts, this large private not-for-profit school awarded 20 degrees to qualified doctorate’s physical sciences students in 2019-2020.
Northeastern did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #24 on our “Best Physical Sciences Doctor’s Degree Schools” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Northeastern are $25,558.
Read more about Physical Sciences at Northeastern University
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Best Value Doctor's Degree Colleges for Physical Sciences (Income $0-$30k) in the Southeast Region
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Best Value Doctor's Degree Colleges for Physical Sciences (Income $0-$30k) in the Middle Atlantic Region
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Best Value Doctor's Degree Colleges for Physical Sciences (Income $0-$30k) in the Great Lakes Region
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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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