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2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k

13 Ranked Colleges
1,125 Degrees Awarded
$36,300 Avg Salary
Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor's in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking - to help you make that decision.

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 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.

This year’s “Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking analyzed 13 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.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the physical sciences program at the school. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that 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 Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k.

Top 13 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Physical Sciences (Income $48-$75k) 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 $48-$75k 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.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Northwestern, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Northwestern is $6,452 for illinois bachelor’s degree physical sciences students whose families make $48-$75k.

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. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Northwestern University Physical Sciences Report

#2

University of Chicago

Chicago, Illinois
#1 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Chicago. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k list. This fairly large school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 145 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

UChicago did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Chicago is $7,934 for illinois bachelor’s degree physical sciences students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 100%. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Full UChicago Physical Sciences Report

#3 in overall quality

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 #3 for the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a large public school situated in Champaign, Illinois. It awarded 309 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

UIUC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $13,351 for illinois bachelor’s degree physical sciences students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UIUC.

The low student loan default rate of 2.4% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at UIUC

#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 $48-$75k list. SIUE is a fairly large school located in Edwardsville, Illinois that handed out 47 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees 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. It costs about $13,705 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville

#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 $48-$75k 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 large public school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 51 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree physical sciences students whose families make $48-$75k list, UIC has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $13,683 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UIC.

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 more about Physical Sciences at University of Illinois at Chicago

#6

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, Illinois
#10 in overall quality

Northern Illinois University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #6. This fairly large school is located in Dekalb, Illinois, and it awarded 56 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at NIU, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Northern Illinois University is $18,346 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at NIU

#11 in overall quality

With a ranking of #7, Southern Illinois University Carbondale did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k list. Southern Illinois University Carbondale is a fairly large school located in Carbondale, Illinois that handed out 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 $14,985 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Southern Illinois University Carbondale.

Full Southern Illinois University Carbondale Physical Sciences Report

#8

Western Illinois University

Macomb, Illinois
#12 in overall quality

Western Illinois University landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. 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 also made our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #12. The yearly cost to attend WIU is $15,912 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Physical Sciences at Western Illinois University

#9

Illinois State University

Normal, Illinois
#7 in overall quality

Illinois State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #9. Illinois State University is a large school located in Normal, Illinois that handed out 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. It costs about $19,080 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Illinois State.

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 Illinois State University

#5 in overall quality

Illinois Institute of Technology came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 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 $22,542 for illinois bachelor’s degree physical sciences students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Illinois Tech.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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.

Read more about Physical Sciences at Illinois Institute of Technology

#11

DePaul University

Chicago, Illinois
#8 in overall quality

DePaul University came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. DePaul is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 12 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

DePaul also took the #8 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend DePaul University is $28,075 for illinois bachelor’s degree physical sciences students whose families make $48-$75k.

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

#12

Loyola University Chicago

Chicago, Illinois
#4 in overall quality

With a ranking of #12, Loyola University Chicago did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k list. Loyola University 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.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree physical sciences students whose families make $48-$75k list, Loyola Chicago has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $32,259 for illinois bachelor’s degree physical sciences students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Loyola University Chicago.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. 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

Columbia College Chicago

Chicago, Illinois
#13 in overall quality

With a ranking of #13, Columbia College Chicago did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k list. Columbia is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 3 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree physical sciences students whose families make $48-$75k list, Columbia has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Columbia College Chicago is $31,071 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full Columbia College Chicago Physical Sciences Report

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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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