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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Physical Sciences (Income $30-$48k) in Illinois

13 Ranked Colleges
1,125 Degrees Awarded
$15,200 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor's in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

In 2019-2020, 52,879 people earned their degree in physical sciences, making the major the 18th most popular in the United States. 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 Illinois, there were 1,704 physical sciences graduates with average earnings and debt of $44,790 and $21,894 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,125 physical sciences graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,319 and $24,183 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking, we looked at 13 colleges that offer 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. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

More Ways to Rank Physical Sciences Schools

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.

Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k.

Top 13 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Physical Sciences (Income $30-$48k) in Illinois

#1

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois
#2 in overall quality

Out of the 13 schools in the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Northwestern University landed the #1 spot on the list. Evanston, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s physical sciences degrees to 44 students in 2019-2020.

Northwestern did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $3,995 for illinois bachelor’s degree physical sciences students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Northwestern University.

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

#2

University of Chicago

Chicago, Illinois
#1 in overall quality

Out of the 13 schools in the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Chicago landed the #2 spot on the list. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 145 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s physical sciences students in 2019-2020.

UChicago not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Chicago is $2,800 for illinois bachelor’s degree physical sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 100%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The student loan default rate at the school is 0.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at University of Chicago

#3 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a public institution located in Champaign, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 309 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree physical sciences students whose families make $30-$48k list, UIUC has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is $8,464 for illinois bachelor’s degree physical sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full UIUC Physical Sciences Report

#6 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. Edwardsville, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s physical sciences degrees to 47 students in 2019-2020.

SIUE not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is $9,938 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full SIUE Physical Sciences Report

#9 in overall quality

Out of the 13 schools in the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Chicago landed the #5 spot on the list. University of Illinois at Chicago is a public institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 51 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UIC also made our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #9. The estimated yearly cost for UIC is $11,185 for illinois bachelor’s degree physical sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Physical Sciences at UIC

#6

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, Illinois
#10 in overall quality

Northern Illinois University landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Northern Illinois University is located in Dekalb, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 56 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees to qualified students.

NIU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $15,861 for illinois bachelor’s degree physical sciences students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend NIU.

Read more about Physical Sciences at NIU

#11 in overall quality

Southern Illinois University Carbondale landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Carbondale, Illinois, and it awarded 18 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

SIUC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $14,306 for illinois bachelor’s degree physical sciences students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Southern Illinois University Carbondale.

Read more about Physical Sciences at Southern Illinois University Carbondale

#8

Illinois State University

Normal, Illinois
#7 in overall quality

Illinois State University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Illinois State is a large public school situated in Normal, Illinois. It awarded 57 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

Illinois State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Illinois State University is $14,999 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Physical Sciences at Illinois State University

#9

Western Illinois University

Macomb, Illinois
#12 in overall quality

Western Illinois University ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. Western Illinois University is a public institution located in Macomb, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 29 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

WIU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $14,526 for illinois bachelor’s degree physical sciences students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend WIU.

Read more about Physical Sciences at Western Illinois University

#5 in overall quality

Illinois Institute of Technology ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. Illinois Institute of Technology is a medium-sized school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 20 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

Illinois Tech did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $18,720 for illinois bachelor’s degree physical sciences students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Illinois Institute of Technology.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The impressive 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 student loan default rate of 2.9% 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%.

Full Illinois Tech Physical Sciences Report

#11

Columbia College Chicago

Chicago, Illinois
#13 in overall quality

With a ranking of #11, Columbia College Chicago did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. Columbia is a medium-sized school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 3 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

Columbia did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Columbia College Chicago is $27,397 for illinois bachelor’s degree physical sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Physical Sciences at Columbia College Chicago

#12

Loyola University Chicago

Chicago, Illinois
#4 in overall quality

Loyola University Chicago did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #12. Loyola Chicago is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 35 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees to qualified students.

Loyola Chicago not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $29,788 for illinois bachelor’s degree physical sciences students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Loyola University Chicago.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 3.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at Loyola Chicago

#13

DePaul University

Chicago, Illinois
#8 in overall quality

DePaul University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this large private not-for-profit school awarded 12 degrees to qualified bachelors’s physical sciences students in 2019-2020.

DePaul not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend DePaul is $25,842 for illinois bachelor’s degree physical sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at DePaul 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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