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2023 Best Value Colleges for Physical Sciences (Income $75-$110k) in the Great Lakes Region

43 Ranked Colleges
6,421 Degrees Awarded
$18,900 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

Physical Sciences is the 19th most popular major in the country with 50,306 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. In 2019-2020, physical sciences graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $39,880 and had an average of $22,620 in loans still to pay off.

Across the Great Lakes region, there were 6,421 physical sciences graduates with average earnings and debt of $42,323 and $23,308 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k” ranking analyzed 43 colleges that offered 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. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

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The physical sciences school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k”.

We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. 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 in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k

The colleges and universities below are the best for great lakes region physical sciences students whose families make $75-$110k.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Physical Sciences (Income $75-$110k) in the Great Lakes Region

1
Northwestern crest
Northwestern University
Evanston, Illinois

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Northwestern University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k. Located in Evanston, Illinois, this large private not-for-profit school awarded 146 degrees to qualified ’s physical sciences students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our great lakes region physical sciences students whose families make $75-$110k list, Northwestern has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Physical Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Northwestern University is $15,686 for Great Lakes Region Physical Sciences students whose families make $75-$110k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Full Northwestern Physical Sciences Report

2
UChicago crest
University of Chicago
Chicago, Illinois

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Chicago. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k. This fairly large school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 317 ’s physical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

UChicago not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Physical Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $19,895 for Great Lakes Region Physical Sciences students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend UChicago.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 100%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at University of Chicago

3

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k. U-M is a large school located in Ann Arbor, Michigan that handed out 347 ’s physical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

U-M not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Physical Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $17,207 for Great Lakes Region Physical Sciences students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Physical Sciences at U-M

4
Beloit crest
Beloit College
Beloit, Wisconsin

Out of the 43 schools in the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k that were part of this year’s ranking, Beloit College landed the #4 spot on the list. Beloit College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Beloit, Wisconsin. The school has a small population, and it awarded 26 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Beloit not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #17 on our “Best Physical Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $12,822 for great lakes region physical sciences students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Beloit.

With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at Beloit

5
Purdue crest
Purdue University - Main Campus
West Lafayette, Indiana

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Purdue University - Main Campus. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. Purdue is a large public school situated in West Lafayette, Indiana. It awarded 274 ’s physical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Purdue, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $17,124 for great lakes region physical sciences students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Purdue.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at Purdue University - Main Campus

6

University of Wisconsin - Madison landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Madison, Wisconsin is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s physical sciences degrees to 401 students in 2020-2021.

UW - Madison did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Physical Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UW - Madison is $22,377 for great lakes region physical sciences students whose families make $75-$110k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at University of Wisconsin - Madison

7

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a large school located in Champaign, Illinois that handed out 375 ’s physical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

UIUC also took the #5 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UIUC is $22,400 for great lakes region physical sciences students whose families make $75-$110k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

8

Indiana University - Bloomington landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Indiana University - Bloomington is a large school located in Bloomington, Indiana that handed out 154 ’s physical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at IU Bloomington, the school also landed the #11 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $20,234 for Great Lakes Region Physical Sciences students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Indiana University - Bloomington.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad 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 IU Bloomington

9

Ohio State University - Main Campus came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. This large school is located in Columbus, Ohio, and it awarded 310 ’s physical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Ohio State, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Ohio State University - Main Campus is $21,575 for Great Lakes Region Physical Sciences students whose families make $75-$110k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Physical Sciences at Ohio State University - Main Campus

10
Notre Dame crest
University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, Indiana

University of Notre Dame did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #10. University of Notre Dame is a fairly large school located in Notre Dame, Indiana that handed out 99 ’s physical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our great lakes region physical sciences students whose families make $75-$110k list, Notre Dame has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Physical Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $18,969 for Great Lakes Region Physical Sciences students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend University of Notre Dame.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.7% 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 University of Notre Dame Physical Sciences Report

11
Jackson College crest
Jackson College
Jackson, Michigan

Jackson College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #11. Jackson College is a public institution located in Jackson, Michigan. The school has a small population, and it awarded 25 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Jackson College is $13,404 for great lakes region physical sciences students whose families make $75-$110k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 100%.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at Jackson College

12

University of Wisconsin - La Crosse did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #12. UW - La Crosse is a fairly large school located in La Crosse, Wisconsin that handed out 50 ’s physical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our great lakes region physical sciences students whose families make $75-$110k list, UW - La Crosse has also earned the #24 rank in our “Best Physical Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UW - La Crosse is $16,472 for great lakes region physical sciences students whose families make $75-$110k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.5% 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 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full University of Wisconsin - La Crosse Physical Sciences Report

13

University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire is a public institution located in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 70 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our great lakes region physical sciences students whose families make $75-$110k list, UW - Eau Claire has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Physical Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UW - Eau Claire is $18,816 for great lakes region physical sciences students whose families make $75-$110k.

Read more about Physical Sciences at University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire

14

University of Wisconsin - River Falls did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #14. University of Wisconsin - River Falls is a medium-sized public school situated in River Falls, Wisconsin. It awarded 33 ’s physical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend UW - River Falls is $16,739 for great lakes region physical sciences students whose families make $75-$110k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.0% 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 University of Wisconsin - River Falls Physical Sciences Report

15

Illinois Institute of Technology came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Illinois Tech is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 53 ’s physical sciences degrees to qualified students.

Illinois Tech did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best Physical Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Illinois Institute of Technology is $24,673 for Great Lakes Region Physical Sciences students whose families make $75-$110k.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.9% 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%.

Read more about Physical Sciences at Illinois Institute of Technology

16

With a ranking of #16, Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis is a public institution located in Indianapolis, Indiana. The school has a large population, and it awarded 79 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend IUPUI is $17,844 for great lakes region physical sciences students whose families make $75-$110k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Physical Sciences at IUPUI

17

University of Illinois at Chicago came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. University of Illinois at Chicago is a large public school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 103 ’s physical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

UIC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #15 on our “Best Physical Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UIC is $19,839 for great lakes region physical sciences students whose families make $75-$110k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.5% 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 UIC

18

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. SIUE is a fairly large school located in Edwardsville, Illinois that handed out 42 ’s physical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

SIUE did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #23 on our “Best Physical Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $18,226 for Great Lakes Region Physical Sciences students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville

19
Ball State crest
Ball State University
Muncie, Indiana

With a ranking of #19, Ball State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. Ball State University is a public institution located in Muncie, Indiana. The school has a large population, and it awarded 57 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Ball State University is $19,563 for Great Lakes Region Physical Sciences students whose families make $75-$110k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Physical Sciences at Ball State

20

University of Wisconsin - Whitewater did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #20. Whitewater, Wisconsin is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s physical sciences degrees to 23 students in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for UW - Whitewater is $17,253 for great lakes region physical sciences students whose families make $75-$110k.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at University of Wisconsin - Whitewater

21

With a ranking of #21, Bowling Green State University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. Located in Bowling Green, Ohio, this fairly large public school handed out 66 degrees to qualified ’s physical sciences students in 2020-2021.

It costs about $20,603 for great lakes region physical sciences students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Bowling Green State University - Main Campus.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at BGSU

22
Wayne State crest
Wayne State University
Detroit, Michigan

With a ranking of #22, Wayne State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. Wayne State is a large school located in Detroit, Michigan that handed out 128 ’s physical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Wayne State is $17,814 for Great Lakes Region Physical Sciences students whose families make $75-$110k.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at Wayne State

23
Michigan State crest
Michigan State University
East Lansing, Michigan

Michigan State University landed the #23 spot on the 2023 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Michigan State University is a large public school situated in East Lansing, Michigan. It awarded 233 ’s physical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

Michigan State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best Physical Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Michigan State University is $25,297 for great lakes region physical sciences students whose families make $75-$110k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at Michigan State

24

With a ranking of #24, Western Illinois University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. WIU is a medium-sized school located in Macomb, Illinois that handed out 51 ’s physical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Western Illinois University is $19,476 for great lakes region physical sciences students whose families make $75-$110k.

Read more about Physical Sciences at WIU

25
Eastern Michigan crest
Eastern Michigan University
Ypsilanti, Michigan

Eastern Michigan University came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Eastern Michigan University is a fairly large public school situated in Ypsilanti, Michigan. It awarded 33 ’s physical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $18,563 for great lakes region physical sciences students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Eastern Michigan University.

Read more about Physical Sciences at Eastern Michigan University

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