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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Physical Sciences (Income $48-$75k) in the Rocky Mountains Region

22 Ranked Colleges
1,477 Degrees Awarded
$33,091 Avg Salary
Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor's in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $48-$75k

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. 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 the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking - to help you make that 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 the Rocky Mountains region, there were 2,198 physical sciences graduates with average earnings and debt of $35,575 and $22,911 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,477 physical sciences graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,111 and $23,874 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking, we looked at 22 colleges that offer 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.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the physical sciences program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

One Size Does Not Fit All

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 the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $48-$75k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

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 Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $48-$75k

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

Top 22 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Physical Sciences (Income $48-$75k) in the Rocky Mountains Region

#1

University of Wyoming

Laramie, Wyoming
#3 in overall quality

Out of the 22 schools in the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Wyoming landed the #1 spot on the list. University of Wyoming is a fairly large public school situated in Laramie, Wyoming. It awarded 88 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

UW also took the #3 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. It costs about $11,491 for Rocky Mountains Region Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of Wyoming.

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 University of Wyoming

#9 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Brigham Young University - Idaho. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. This large school is located in Rexburg, Idaho, and it awarded 45 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree physical sciences students whose families make $48-$75k list, BYU - I has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Brigham Young University - Idaho is $6,287 for rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree physical sciences students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low student loan default rate of 3.2% 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%.

Full BYU - I Physical Sciences Report

#5 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Brigham Young University - Provo. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. This large school is located in Provo, Utah, and it awarded 75 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at BYU, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. It costs about $12,466 for Rocky Mountains Region Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend BYU.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, 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 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at BYU

#4

University of Utah

Salt Lake City, Utah
#4 in overall quality

Out of the 22 schools in the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Utah landed the #4 spot on the list. U of U is located in Salt Lake City, Utah and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 175 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees to qualified students.

U of U did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list. It costs about $14,501 for rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree physical sciences students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of Utah.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 2.6% 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%.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at U of U

#6 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Colorado State University - Fort Collins. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $48-$75k. Colorado State is a public institution located in Fort Collins, Colorado. The school has a large population, and it awarded 84 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Colorado State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Colorado State is $15,927 for Rocky Mountains Region Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students whose families make $48-$75k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Physical Sciences at Colorado State

#6

University of Idaho

Moscow, Idaho
#7 in overall quality

University of Idaho did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #6. University of Idaho is located in Moscow, Idaho and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 40 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree physical sciences students whose families make $48-$75k list, U of I has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Idaho is $13,528 for rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree physical sciences students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full U of I Physical Sciences Report

#1 in overall quality

University of Colorado Boulder ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. CU - Boulder is located in Boulder, Colorado and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 239 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees to qualified students.

CU - Boulder also made our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list, coming in at #1. It costs about $18,979 for rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree physical sciences students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend CU - Boulder.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 3.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Physical Sciences at CU - Boulder

#12 in overall quality

Weber State University ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. This large school is located in Ogden, Utah, and it awarded 44 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at WSU, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. It costs about $12,819 for Rocky Mountains Region Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend WSU.

Full WSU Physical Sciences Report

#11 in overall quality

University of Northern Colorado did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #9. This fairly large school is located in Greeley, Colorado, and it awarded 66 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

University of Northern Colorado did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list. It costs about $14,403 for rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree physical sciences students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of Northern Colorado.

Full University of Northern Colorado Physical Sciences Report

#10

The University of Montana

Missoula, Montana
#10 in overall quality

With a ranking of #10, The University of Montana did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Missoula, Montana is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s physical sciences degrees to 29 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree physical sciences students whose families make $48-$75k list, UM has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. It costs about $17,049 for rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree physical sciences students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend The University of Montana.

Read more about Physical Sciences at UM

#11

Utah State University

Logan, Utah
#18 in overall quality

Utah State University came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Utah State University is a large school located in Logan, Utah that handed out 42 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree physical sciences students whose families make $48-$75k list, USU has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Utah State University is $13,297 for Rocky Mountains Region Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Physical Sciences at Utah State University

#13 in overall quality

University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Denver, Colorado is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s physical sciences degrees to 22 students in 2019-2020.

CU Anschutz did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus is $15,630 for Rocky Mountains Region Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%.

Full University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus Physical Sciences Report

#20 in overall quality

With a ranking of #13, Utah Valley University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. UVU is a public institution located in Orem, Utah. The school has a large population, and it awarded 34 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree physical sciences students whose families make $48-$75k list, UVU has also earned the #20 rank in our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. It costs about $9,755 for rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree physical sciences students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Utah Valley University.

Full Utah Valley University Physical Sciences Report

#15 in overall quality

Metropolitan State University of Denver landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in Denver, Colorado, this fairly large public school handed out 43 degrees to qualified bachelors’s physical sciences students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree physical sciences students whose families make $48-$75k list, MSU Denver has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Metropolitan State University of Denver is $13,849 for Rocky Mountains Region Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full MSU Denver Physical Sciences Report

#15

Boise State University

Boise, Idaho
#14 in overall quality

Boise State University ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Boise State University is a public institution located in Boise, Idaho. The school has a large population, and it awarded 56 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Boise State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Boise State is $16,073 for Rocky Mountains Region Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at Boise State University

#16

Fort Lewis College

Durango, Colorado
#16 in overall quality

With a ranking of #16, Fort Lewis College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Durango, Colorado, this small public school awarded 32 degrees to qualified bachelors’s physical sciences students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at FLC, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend FLC is $15,040 for Rocky Mountains Region Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full FLC Physical Sciences Report

#17

Western Colorado University

Gunnison, Colorado
#17 in overall quality

Western Colorado University came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Western is a public institution located in Gunnison, Colorado. The school has a small population, and it awarded 19 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Western, the school also landed the #17 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. It costs about $15,866 for Rocky Mountains Region Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Western.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at Western Colorado University

#18

Montana State University

Bozeman, Montana
#8 in overall quality

Montana State University ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Montana State University is a fairly large school located in Bozeman, Montana that handed out 70 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree physical sciences students whose families make $48-$75k list, MSU Bozeman has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. It costs about $19,616 for Rocky Mountains Region Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend MSU Bozeman.

Read more about Physical Sciences at Montana State University

#19

Colorado School of Mines

Golden, Colorado
#2 in overall quality

Colorado School of Mines did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #19. Mines is a medium-sized school located in Golden, Colorado that handed out 10 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree physical sciences students whose families make $48-$75k list, Mines has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Mines is $21,449 for rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree physical sciences students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Mines Physical Sciences Report

#21 in overall quality

Montana Technological University came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Montana Technological University is a small public school situated in Butte, Montana. It awarded 5 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

Montana Tech also took the #21 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Montana Technological University is $14,821 for rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree physical sciences students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at Montana Tech

#21

Idaho State University

Pocatello, Idaho
#19 in overall quality

Idaho State University ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Pocatello, Idaho is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s physical sciences degrees to 33 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree physical sciences students whose families make $48-$75k list, ISU has also earned the #19 rank in our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Idaho State University is $18,001 for rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree physical sciences students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at ISU

#22

Colorado Mesa University

Grand Junction, Colorado
#22 in overall quality

Colorado Mesa University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #22. Colorado Mesa is a medium-sized school located in Grand Junction, Colorado that handed out 24 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

Colorado Mesa not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #22 on our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Colorado Mesa is $15,136 for Rocky Mountains Region Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Physical Sciences at Colorado Mesa 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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