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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Physical Sciences in Illinois (With Aid)

13 Ranked Colleges
1,125 Degrees Awarded
$22,100 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor's in Illinois For Those Getting Aid

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. 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 Illinois For Those Getting Aid” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

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.

Across Illinois, there were 1,704 physical sciences graduates with average earnings and debt of $44,790 and $21,894 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,125 physical sciences graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,319 and $24,183 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid” ranking, we looked at 13 colleges that offer a degree 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. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

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 Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid” 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. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.

Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid

The colleges and universities below are the best for illinois bachelor’s degree physical sciences students with aid.

Top 13 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Physical Sciences in Illinois (With Aid)

#3 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign 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 also took the #3 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is $15,880 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students with aid.

The low student loan default rate of 2.4% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Physical Sciences Report

#6 in overall quality

Out of the 13 schools in the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville landed the #2 spot on the list. 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 also made our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #6. The estimated yearly cost for SIUE is $14,423 for illinois bachelor’s degree physical sciences students with aid.

Read more about Physical Sciences at SIUE

#9 in overall quality

Out of the 13 schools in the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Chicago landed the #3 spot on the list. UIC is a public institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 51 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UIC also took the #9 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UIC is $13,312 for illinois bachelor’s degree physical sciences students with aid.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at University of Illinois at Chicago

#4

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, Illinois
#10 in overall quality

Out of the 13 schools in the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Northern Illinois University landed the #4 spot on the list. This fairly large school is located in Dekalb, Illinois, and it awarded 56 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

NIU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $18,259 for illinois bachelor’s degree physical sciences students with aid per year to attend Northern Illinois University.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at NIU

#5

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois
#2 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Northwestern University. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid. Northwestern is a large school located in Evanston, Illinois that handed out 44 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

Northwestern also took the #2 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Northwestern University is $24,664 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students with aid.

The student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. 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 freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at Northwestern

#11 in overall quality

Southern Illinois University Carbondale landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. Carbondale, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s physical sciences degrees to 18 students in 2019-2020.

SIUC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $16,945 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students with aid per year to attend Southern Illinois University Carbondale.

Read more about Physical Sciences at SIUC

#7

Western Illinois University

Macomb, Illinois
#12 in overall quality

With a ranking of #7, Western Illinois University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Macomb, Illinois, this medium-sized public school awarded 29 degrees to qualified bachelors’s physical sciences students in 2019-2020.

WIU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $16,210 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students with aid per year to attend WIU.

Read more about Physical Sciences at WIU

#8

Illinois State University

Normal, Illinois
#7 in overall quality

Illinois State University landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. Illinois State is a large school located in Normal, Illinois that handed out 57 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree physical sciences students with aid list, Illinois State has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Illinois State is $20,895 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students with aid.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at Illinois State

#9

University of Chicago

Chicago, Illinois
#1 in overall quality

University of Chicago came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. This fairly large school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 145 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

UChicago also made our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #1. It costs about $27,315 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students with aid per year to attend UChicago.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. With a freshman retention rate of 100%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Physical Sciences at UChicago

#5 in overall quality

Illinois Institute of Technology came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. Illinois Tech is a medium-sized school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 20 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Illinois Tech, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $22,831 for illinois bachelor’s degree physical sciences students with aid per year to attend Illinois Institute of Technology.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low student loan default rate of 2.9% 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%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Full Illinois Institute of Technology Physical Sciences Report

#11

Columbia College Chicago

Chicago, Illinois
#13 in overall quality

Columbia College Chicago did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #11. Columbia is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 3 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Columbia, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Columbia is $31,099 for illinois bachelor’s degree physical sciences students with aid.

Full Columbia Physical Sciences Report

#12

DePaul University

Chicago, Illinois
#8 in overall quality

DePaul University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #12. This large school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 12 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

DePaul also made our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #8. The estimated yearly cost for DePaul University is $30,090 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students with aid.

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 more about Physical Sciences at DePaul University

#13

Loyola University Chicago

Chicago, Illinois
#4 in overall quality

Loyola University Chicago landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. Loyola Chicago is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 35 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees to qualified students.

Loyola Chicago also took the #4 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $35,407 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students with aid per year to attend Loyola Chicago.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.

Full Loyola Chicago 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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