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2022 Best Value Doctor’s Degree Colleges for Physical Sciences (Income $75-$110k)

166 Ranked Colleges
5,989 Degrees Awarded
$42,400 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees*
Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $75-$110k

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. 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 $75-$110k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

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.

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.

For this year’s “Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $75-$110k” ranking, we looked at 166 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.

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. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

More Ways to Rank Physical Sciences Schools

When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $75-$110k” list to help you make the college decision.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.

Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $75-$110k

The colleges and universities below are the best for doctor’s degree physical sciences students whose families make $75-$110k.

Top 25 Best Value Doctor’s Degree Colleges for Physical Sciences (Income $75-$110k)

#1

Stanford University

Stanford, California
#1 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Stanford University. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $75-$110k list. Stanford, California 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 111 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our doctor’s degree physical sciences students whose families make $75-$110k list, Stanford has also earned the #1 rank 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 Stanford are $55,011.

Read more about Physical Sciences at Stanford University

#2

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Cambridge, Massachusetts
#2 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $75-$110k. This fairly large school is located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and it awarded 96 doctorate’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our doctor’s degree physical sciences students whose families make $75-$110k list, MIT has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Physical Sciences Doctor’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Massachusetts Institute of Technology are $56,719, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at Massachusetts Institute of Technology

#3

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois
#4 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Northwestern University. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $75-$110k list. Northwestern University is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Evanston, Illinois. It awarded 53 doctorate’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our doctor’s degree physical sciences students whose families make $75-$110k list, Northwestern has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Physical Sciences Doctor’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Northwestern are $56,567, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about Physical Sciences at Northwestern

#4

Dartmouth College

Hanover, New Hampshire
#9 in overall quality

Out of the 166 schools in the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $75-$110k that were part of this year’s ranking, Dartmouth College landed the #4 spot on the list. Located in Hanover, New Hampshire, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school handed out 11 diplomas to qualified doctorate’s physical sciences students in 2019-2020.

Dartmouth did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Physical Sciences Doctor’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Dartmouth College are $58,120, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about Physical Sciences at Dartmouth College

#5 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Columbia University in the City of New York. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $75-$110k. This large school is located in New York, New York, and it awarded 71 doctorate’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

Columbia did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 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 Columbia are $51,194.

Full Columbia University in the City of New York Physical Sciences Report

#6

University of Florida

Gainesville, Florida
#20 in overall quality

University of Florida did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #6. UF is a large public school situated in Gainesville, Florida. It awarded 61 doctorate’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

UF did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #20 on our “Best Physical Sciences Doctor’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Florida are $30,130, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at University of Florida

With a ranking of #7, Missouri University of Science and Technology did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $75-$110k list. Missouri University of Science and Technology is located in Rolla, Missouri and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 25 doctorate’s physical sciences degrees to qualified students.

Average graduate tuition and fees at Missouri University of Science and Technology are $30,943, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about Physical Sciences at Missouri University of Science and Technology

#8

University of Chicago

Chicago, Illinois
#3 in overall quality

University of Chicago did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #8. University of Chicago is a fairly large school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 66 doctorate’s physical sciences 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. Average graduate tuition and fees at UChicago are $61,548, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at UChicago

#9

Princeton University

Princeton, New Jersey
#14 in overall quality

Princeton University landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Princeton University 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. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Princeton are $56,470.

Full Princeton University Physical Sciences Report

#10

California Institute of Technology

Pasadena, California
#10 in overall quality

With a ranking of #10, California Institute of Technology did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $75-$110k list. Located in Pasadena, California, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 43 diplomas to qualified doctorate’s physical sciences students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our doctor’s degree physical sciences students whose families make $75-$110k list, Caltech has also earned the #10 rank 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 Caltech are $56,649.

Read more about Physical Sciences at Caltech

#11

Harvard University

Cambridge, Massachusetts
#7 in overall quality

Harvard University ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $75-$110k list. Harvard is a large school located in Cambridge, Massachusetts that handed out 71 doctorate’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Harvard, the school also landed the #7 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 Harvard are $50,654.

Full Harvard University Physical Sciences Report

#12

University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
#8 in overall quality

University of Pennsylvania landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, this large private not-for-profit school awarded 46 diplomas to qualified doctorate’s physical sciences students in 2019-2020.

UPenn also made our “Best Physical Sciences Doctor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #8. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Pennsylvania are $41,760, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at UPenn

#13

University of Wyoming

Laramie, Wyoming

University of Wyoming did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #13. Laramie, Wyoming is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out doctorate’s physical sciences degrees to 18 students in 2019-2020.

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

Read full report on Physical Sciences at UW

#14

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, Michigan
#17 in overall quality

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. U-M is a large school located in Ann Arbor, Michigan that handed out 118 doctorate’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

U-M did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 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 U-M are $49,548.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

#18 in overall quality

The University of Texas at Austin did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #15. The University of Texas at Austin is a large school located in Austin, Texas that handed out 83 doctorate’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

UT Austin also took the #18 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Doctor’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at The University of Texas at Austin are $22,886, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about Physical Sciences at UT Austin

#16

Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, Maryland
#11 in overall quality

Johns Hopkins University came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Located in Baltimore, Maryland, this large private not-for-profit school awarded 39 diplomas to qualified doctorate’s physical sciences students in 2019-2020.

Johns Hopkins also made our “Best Physical Sciences Doctor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #11. Average graduate tuition and fees at Johns Hopkins are $59,425, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about Physical Sciences at Johns Hopkins University

#17

Vanderbilt University

Nashville, Tennessee

Vanderbilt University ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $75-$110k list. This fairly large school is located in Nashville, Tennessee, and it awarded 28 doctorate’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

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

Full Vanderbilt University Physical Sciences Report

#18

Cornell University

Ithaca, New York
#12 in overall quality

With a ranking of #18, Cornell University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $75-$110k list. Cornell is a large school located in Ithaca, New York that handed out 62 doctorate’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

Cornell did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best Physical Sciences Doctor’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Cornell are $30,042, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about Physical Sciences at Cornell

#19

University of Notre Dame

Notre Dame, Indiana
#19 in overall quality

University of Notre Dame did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #19. Notre Dame is a private not-for-profit institution located in Notre Dame, Indiana. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 31 doctorate’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Notre Dame, the school also landed the #19 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 Notre Dame are $57,522.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at University of Notre Dame

#20

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California
#13 in overall quality

University of California - Los Angeles came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. UCLA is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 69 doctorate’s physical sciences degrees to qualified students.

UCLA did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 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 University of California - Los Angeles are $28,131.

Full University of California - Los Angeles Physical Sciences Report

#21

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, Minnesota
Top 20% in overall quality

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #21. This large school is located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and it awarded 55 doctorate’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

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 in this category. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at UMN Twin Cities are $28,845.

Read more about Physical Sciences at UMN Twin Cities

#22

Purdue University - Main Campus

West Lafayette, Indiana

Purdue University - Main Campus ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $75-$110k list. Purdue University - Main Campus is a public institution located in West Lafayette, Indiana. The school has a large population, and it awarded 88 doctorate’s degrees in 2019-2020.

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

Read full report on Physical Sciences at Purdue

#23

University of Utah

Salt Lake City, Utah

University of Utah came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Salt Lake City, Utah is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out doctorate’s physical sciences degrees to 53 students in 2019-2020.

Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at University of Utah are $24,695.

Full University of Utah Physical Sciences Report

#24

Florida State University

Tallahassee, Florida

Florida State University came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Located in Tallahassee, Florida, this large public school awarded 68 diplomas to qualified doctorate’s physical sciences students in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at Florida State are $26,707, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at Florida State

#25

University of California - Berkeley

Berkeley, California
#15 in overall quality

University of California - Berkeley came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. University of California - Berkeley is a large public school situated in Berkeley, California. It awarded 139 doctorate’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our doctor’s degree physical sciences students whose families make $75-$110k list, UC Berkeley has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best Physical Sciences Doctor’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 full report on Physical Sciences at University of California - Berkeley

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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