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2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid

59 Ranked Colleges
4,644 Degrees Awarded
$15,500 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor's in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

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 Great Lakes region, there were 6,853 physical sciences graduates with average earnings and debt of $40,984 and $22,875 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 4,644 physical sciences graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,075 and $25,381 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking looked at 59 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.

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.

One Size Does Not Fit All

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 for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid”.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our 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 Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Physical Sciences in the Great Lakes Region (With Aid)

#3 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Wisconsin - Madison. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid. UW - Madison is located in Madison, Wisconsin and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 238 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW - Madison, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $17,708 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students with aid per year to attend UW - Madison.

With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 0.8% 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 University of Wisconsin - Madison

#6 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wisconsin - La Crosse. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Located in La Crosse, Wisconsin, this fairly large public school handed out 46 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s physical sciences students in 2019-2020.

UW - La Crosse also took the #6 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UW - La Crosse is $14,580 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree physical sciences students with aid.

The low student loan default rate of 1.6% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Physical Sciences at University of Wisconsin - La Crosse

#5 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. UIUC is a public institution located in Champaign, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 309 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UIUC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend UIUC is $15,880 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students with aid.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Physical Sciences Report

#4

Purdue University - Main Campus

West Lafayette, Indiana
#11 in overall quality

Out of the 59 schools in the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Purdue University - Main Campus landed the #4 spot on the list. Located in West Lafayette, Indiana, this large public school handed out 152 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s physical sciences students in 2019-2020.

Purdue did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Purdue is $13,986 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree physical sciences students with aid.

The low student loan default rate of 2.2% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

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

#21 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Wisconsin - Green Bay. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid. University of Wisconsin - Green Bay is a medium-sized school located in Green Bay, Wisconsin that handed out 16 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

UW - Green Bay also made our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #21. The estimated yearly cost for UW - Green Bay is $14,395 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree physical sciences students with aid.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at University of Wisconsin - Green Bay

#4 in overall quality

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. U-M is a large school located in Ann Arbor, Michigan that handed out 140 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at U-M, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is $15,336 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree physical sciences students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full University of Michigan - Ann Arbor Physical Sciences Report

#7

University of Wisconsin - River Falls

River Falls, Wisconsin
#15 in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - River Falls ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. UW - River Falls is a medium-sized school located in River Falls, Wisconsin that handed out 47 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW - River Falls, the school also landed the #15 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $13,748 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree physical sciences students with aid per year to attend University of Wisconsin - River Falls.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full UW - River Falls Physical Sciences Report

#22 in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - Whitewater ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. University of Wisconsin - Whitewater is a fairly large public school situated in Whitewater, Wisconsin. It awarded 29 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree physical sciences students with aid list, UW - Whitewater has also earned the #22 rank in our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Whitewater is $15,249 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree physical sciences students with aid.

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

#9

Indiana University - Bloomington

Bloomington, Indiana
#19 in overall quality

Indiana University - Bloomington did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #9. Located in Bloomington, Indiana, this large public school handed out 83 degrees to qualified bachelors’s physical sciences students in 2019-2020.

IU Bloomington also made our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #19. The estimated yearly cost for Indiana University - Bloomington is $13,253 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Physical Sciences at IU Bloomington

#16 in overall quality

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Edwardsville, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s physical sciences degrees to 47 students in 2019-2020.

SIUE did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for SIUE is $14,423 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students with aid.

Full SIUE Physical Sciences Report

#11

University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point

Stevens Point, Wisconsin
#25 in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Stevens Point, Wisconsin, this medium-sized public school awarded 20 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s physical sciences students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree physical sciences students with aid list, UW - Stevens Point has also earned the #25 rank in our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point is $14,465 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree physical sciences students with aid.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point

University of Illinois at Chicago came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. This large school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 51 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for University of Illinois at Chicago is $13,312 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students with aid.

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 UIC Physical Sciences Report

#13

University of Wisconsin - Platteville

Platteville, Wisconsin
#17 in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - Platteville landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Platteville, Wisconsin 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.

UW - Platteville not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #17 on our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $15,718 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree physical sciences students with aid per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Platteville.

Read more about Physical Sciences at UW - Platteville

With a ranking of #14, Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. IUPUI is a large school located in Indianapolis, Indiana that handed out 82 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $11,285 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students with aid per year to attend IUPUI.

Full IUPUI Physical Sciences Report

#15

University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire

Eau Claire, Wisconsin
#20 in overall quality

With a ranking of #15, University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. UW - Eau Claire is a fairly large school located in Eau Claire, Wisconsin that handed out 74 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

UW - Eau Claire not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #20 on our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $16,020 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree physical sciences students with aid per year to attend UW - Eau Claire.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire

University of Wisconsin - Parkside ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Kenosha, Wisconsin, this small public school handed out 17 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s physical sciences students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $11,327 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students with aid per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Parkside.

Read more about Physical Sciences at University of Wisconsin - Parkside

#17

Michigan State University

East Lansing, Michigan
#13 in overall quality

Michigan State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #17. This large school is located in East Lansing, Michigan, and it awarded 146 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

Michigan State also made our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #13. It costs about $19,173 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students with aid per year to attend Michigan State.

The low student loan default rate of 3.6% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at Michigan State University

University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh is a fairly large public school situated in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. It awarded 33 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for UW Oshkosh is $15,463 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students with aid.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at UW Oshkosh

#19

Ball State University

Muncie, Indiana

Ball State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #19. Ball State University is located in Muncie, Indiana and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 69 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $15,147 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students with aid per year to attend Ball State University.

Full Ball State Physical Sciences Report

#20

Saginaw Valley State University

University Center, Michigan

Saginaw Valley State University ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. University Center, Michigan is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s physical sciences degrees to 16 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Saginaw Valley State University is $14,248 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students with aid.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at Saginaw Valley State University

#10 in overall quality

Ohio State University - Main Campus did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #21. Ohio State is a public institution located in Columbus, Ohio. The school has a large population, and it awarded 189 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Ohio State also took the #10 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Ohio State is $17,616 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students with aid.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. 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 Ohio State

#22

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, Illinois

Northern Illinois University ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. This fairly large school is located in Dekalb, Illinois, and it awarded 56 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Northern Illinois University is $18,259 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree physical sciences students with aid.

Full NIU Physical Sciences Report

#23

Indiana State University

Terre Haute, Indiana

Indiana State University came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Terre Haute, Indiana, this fairly large public school handed out 33 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s physical sciences students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Indiana State University is $13,896 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree physical sciences students with aid.

Read more about Physical Sciences at Indiana State

#24

Grand Valley State University

Allendale, Michigan

Grand Valley State University landed the #24 spot on the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. GVSU is a public institution located in Allendale, Michigan. The school has a large population, and it awarded 54 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for GVSU is $17,646 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Grand Valley State University Physical Sciences Report

#25

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois
#2 in overall quality

Northwestern University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #25. Northwestern University is located in Evanston, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 44 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees to qualified students.

Northwestern did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Northwestern is $24,664 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree physical sciences students with aid.

With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 0.8% 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 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

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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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