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

224 Ranked Colleges
6,971 Degrees Awarded
$42,600 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees*
Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Master's For Those Making $48-$75k

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this 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.

At the master’s degree level specifically, there were 6,971 physical sciences graduates with average earnings and debt of $56,398 and $43,194 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking looked at 224 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in physical sciences. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent physical sciences programs, but they also 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. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

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 Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k

The colleges and universities below are the best for master’s degree physical sciences students whose families make $48-$75k.

Top 25 Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Physical Sciences (Income $48-$75k)

#1

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Cambridge, Massachusetts
#8 in overall quality

Out of the 224 schools in the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, Massachusetts Institute of Technology landed the #1 spot on the list. MIT is located in Cambridge, Massachusetts and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 14 masters’s physical sciences degrees to qualified students.

MIT also made our “Best Physical Sciences Master’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #8. Average graduate tuition and fees at MIT are $56,719, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full MIT Physical Sciences Report

#2

Harvard University

Cambridge, Massachusetts
#6 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Harvard University. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k. This large school is located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and it awarded 43 masters’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

Harvard not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best Physical Sciences Master’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Harvard are $50,654, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about Physical Sciences at Harvard

#3

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois
#5 in overall quality

Out of the 224 schools in the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, Northwestern University landed the #3 spot on the list. This large school is located in Evanston, Illinois, and it awarded 27 masters’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

Northwestern not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Physical Sciences Master’s Degree Schools” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Northwestern are $56,567.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at Northwestern University

#4

Princeton University

Princeton, New Jersey
#11 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Princeton University. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k. Princeton, New Jersey is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s physical sciences degrees to 82 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our master’s degree physical sciences students whose families make $48-$75k list, Princeton has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best Physical Sciences Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Princeton are $56,470.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at Princeton University

#5

University of Chicago

Chicago, Illinois
#2 in overall quality

Out of the 224 schools in the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Chicago landed the #5 spot on the list. UChicago is a fairly large school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 69 masters’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

UChicago also took the #2 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Chicago are $61,548, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about Physical Sciences at University of Chicago

#3 in overall quality

Columbia University in the City of New York came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Columbia is a large private not-for-profit school situated in New York, New York. It awarded 73 masters’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

Columbia also took the #3 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Columbia are $51,194, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about Physical Sciences at Columbia

#7

Stanford University

Stanford, California
#7 in overall quality

Stanford University landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Stanford, California, and it awarded 63 masters’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our master’s degree physical sciences students whose families make $48-$75k list, Stanford has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best Physical Sciences Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Stanford University are $55,011.

Read more about Physical Sciences at Stanford University

#8

Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, Maryland
#4 in overall quality

With a ranking of #8, Johns Hopkins University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. Johns Hopkins University is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Baltimore, Maryland. It awarded 123 masters’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

Johns Hopkins also took the #4 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Johns Hopkins University are $59,425.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at Johns Hopkins University

#9

California Institute of Technology

Pasadena, California
#12 in overall quality

California Institute of Technology did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #9. California Institute of Technology is a small school located in Pasadena, California that handed out 21 masters’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

Caltech did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best Physical Sciences Master’s Degree Schools” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at California Institute of Technology are $56,649.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at California Institute of Technology

#10

Dartmouth College

Hanover, New Hampshire

Dartmouth College ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. Dartmouth is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Hanover, New Hampshire. It awarded 6 masters’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Dartmouth, the school also landed the #0 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Dartmouth are $58,120, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at Dartmouth College

#11

Cornell University

Ithaca, New York
#9 in overall quality

Cornell University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #11. Cornell is a private not-for-profit institution located in Ithaca, New York. The school has a large population, and it awarded 87 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Cornell also took the #9 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Cornell University are $30,042.

Full Cornell University Physical Sciences Report

#12

University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
#10 in overall quality

With a ranking of #12, University of Pennsylvania did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s physical sciences degrees to 50 students in 2019-2020.

UPenn not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Physical Sciences Master’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at UPenn are $41,760, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full UPenn Physical Sciences Report

#13

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, Michigan
#15 in overall quality

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is a public institution located in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The school has a large population, and it awarded 90 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at U-M, the school also landed the #15 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Master’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.

Read more about Physical Sciences at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

#18 in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - Madison ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. UW - Madison is a public institution located in Madison, Wisconsin. The school has a large population, and it awarded 51 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UW - Madison did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best Physical Sciences Master’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.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at UW - Madison

#15

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California
#14 in overall quality

With a ranking of #15, University of California - Los Angeles did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Los Angeles, California, this large public school awarded 87 diplomas to qualified masters’s physical sciences students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our master’s degree physical sciences students whose families make $48-$75k list, UCLA has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Physical Sciences Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at UCLA are $28,131, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at UCLA

The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley is a large public school situated in Edinburg, Texas. It awarded 20 masters’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley are $15,151, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Physical Sciences Report

#17

Vanderbilt University

Nashville, Tennessee

Vanderbilt University came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Vanderbilt is located in Nashville, Tennessee and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 13 masters’s physical sciences degrees to qualified students.

Average graduate tuition and fees at Vanderbilt are $50,624, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at Vanderbilt University

#18

Brown University

Providence, Rhode Island
#17 in overall quality

Brown University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #18. Brown is a private not-for-profit institution located in Providence, Rhode Island. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 55 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Brown, the school also landed the #17 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Brown are $60,363.

Full Brown Physical Sciences Report

Missouri University of Science and Technology landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in Rolla, Missouri, this medium-sized public school handed out 10 diplomas to qualified masters’s physical sciences students in 2019-2020.

Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Missouri University of Science and Technology are $30,943.

Full Missouri University of Science and Technology Physical Sciences Report

#20

University of Florida

Gainesville, Florida
Top 25% in overall quality

With a ranking of #20, University of Florida did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. UF is located in Gainesville, Florida and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 24 masters’s physical sciences degrees to qualified students.

Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at UF are $30,130.

Read more about Physical Sciences at University of Florida

Top 20% in overall quality

University of Washington - Seattle Campus came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. University of Washington - Seattle Campus is located in Seattle, Washington and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 91 masters’s physical sciences degrees to qualified students.

UW Seattle excels when it comes to physical sciences quality. It’s in the top 20% of all schools in this category. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Washington - Seattle Campus are $30,294, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full UW Seattle Physical Sciences Report

#22

University of California - Berkeley

Berkeley, California
#16 in overall quality

University of California - Berkeley ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. University of California - Berkeley is a large school located in Berkeley, California that handed out 81 masters’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Berkeley, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Master’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at UC Berkeley are $29,347, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about Physical Sciences at University of California - Berkeley

#23

Purdue University - Main Campus

West Lafayette, Indiana

Purdue University - Main Campus came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in West Lafayette, Indiana, this large public school awarded 27 diplomas to qualified masters’s physical sciences students in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at Purdue are $28,794, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about Physical Sciences at Purdue

#24

University of Wyoming

Laramie, Wyoming

University of Wyoming landed the #24 spot on the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. UW is a fairly large school located in Laramie, Wyoming that handed out 25 masters’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Wyoming are $16,615, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full University of Wyoming Physical Sciences Report

#25

William & Mary

Williamsburg, Virginia

William & Mary landed the #25 spot on the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. William & Mary is located in Williamsburg, Virginia and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 12 masters’s physical sciences degrees to qualified students.

Average graduate tuition and fees at William & Mary are $34,800, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about Physical Sciences at William & Mary

Rest of the Best 34 in Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Master’s For Those Making $48-$75k

Not only did these schools make the top 34 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

#27

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, Minnesota
#29

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, North Carolina
#32

University of California - Riverside

Riverside, California
#33

University of Arizona

Tucson, Arizona
#34

The City College of New York

New York, New York

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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