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2023 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid

43 Ranked Colleges
6,421 Degrees Awarded
$15,900 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid

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 Getting Aid” 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 Getting Aid” ranking analyzed 43 colleges that offered a degree in physical sciences. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality physical sciences programs that also have a lower cost than 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.

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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 in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid” list to help you make the college decision.

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. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid

The colleges and universities below are the best for great lakes region physical sciences students with aid.

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

1

Out of the 43 schools in the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the #1 spot on the list. UIUC 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. It costs about $14,321 for Great Lakes Region Physical Sciences students with aid per year to attend UIUC.

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

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

2
Purdue crest
Purdue University - Main Campus
West Lafayette, Indiana

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Purdue University - Main Campus. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid. Located in West Lafayette, Indiana, this large public school awarded 274 diplomas to qualified ’s physical sciences students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our great lakes region physical sciences students with aid list, Purdue has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Physical Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Purdue is $13,377 for Great Lakes Region Physical Sciences students with aid.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% 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%.

Read more about Physical Sciences at Purdue University - Main Campus

3

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Wisconsin - Madison. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid. Located in Madison, Wisconsin, this large public school awarded 401 diplomas to qualified ’s physical sciences students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our great lakes region physical sciences students with aid list, UW - Madison has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Physical Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UW - Madison is $17,234 for great lakes region physical sciences students with aid.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. 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%.

Full University of Wisconsin - Madison Physical Sciences Report

4

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is a large school located in Ann Arbor, Michigan that handed out 347 ’s physical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at U-M, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $14,878 for Great Lakes Region Physical Sciences students with aid per year to attend U-M.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.3% 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 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full University of Michigan - Ann Arbor Physical Sciences Report

5

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Indiana University - Bloomington. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Bloomington, Indiana is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s physical sciences degrees to 154 students in 2020-2021.

IU Bloomington also took the #11 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend IU Bloomington is $14,619 for great lakes region physical sciences students with aid.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.4% 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%.

Full IU Bloomington Physical Sciences Report

6

With a ranking of #6, Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Indianapolis, Indiana, this large public school handed out 79 degrees to qualified ’s physical sciences students in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis is $12,416 for Great Lakes Region Physical Sciences students with aid.

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 full report on Physical Sciences at Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis

7

With a ranking of #7, University of Illinois at Chicago did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. University of Illinois at Chicago is a public institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 103 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

UIC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best Physical Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Illinois at Chicago is $13,214 for Great Lakes Region Physical Sciences students with aid.

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%.

Full UIC Physical Sciences Report

8
Jackson College crest
Jackson College
Jackson, Michigan

With a ranking of #8, Jackson College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Jackson College is a small public school situated in Jackson, Michigan. It awarded 25 ’s physical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Jackson College is $10,729 for Great Lakes Region Physical Sciences students with aid.

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

9
Michigan State crest
Michigan State University
East Lansing, Michigan

With a ranking of #9, Michigan State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. East Lansing, Michigan is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s physical sciences degrees to 233 students 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. It costs about $19,058 for Great Lakes Region Physical Sciences students with aid per year to attend Michigan State.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.6% 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%.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at Michigan State

10

Ohio State University - Main Campus did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #10. Ohio State is a large public school situated in Columbus, Ohio. It awarded 310 ’s physical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

Ohio State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Physical Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Ohio State University - Main Campus is $16,845 for great lakes region physical sciences students with aid.

The low undergrad 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 94%.

Read more about Physical Sciences at Ohio State

11

University of Wisconsin - La Crosse came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. University of Wisconsin - La Crosse is located in La Crosse, Wisconsin and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 50 ’s physical sciences degrees to qualified students.

UW - La Crosse also made our “Best Physical Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #24. The yearly cost to attend UW - La Crosse is $14,654 for Great Lakes Region Physical Sciences students with aid.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at University of Wisconsin - La Crosse

12

University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #12. University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire is located in Eau Claire, Wisconsin and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 70 ’s physical sciences degrees to qualified students.

UW - Eau Claire not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best Physical Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UW - Eau Claire is $16,051 for great lakes region physical sciences students with aid.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at UW - Eau Claire

13
Northwestern crest
Northwestern University
Evanston, Illinois

Northwestern University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Evanston, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s physical sciences degrees to 146 students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Northwestern, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Northwestern University is $23,279 for great lakes region physical sciences students with aid.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at Northwestern

14
Ball State crest
Ball State University
Muncie, Indiana

Ball State University ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Ball State University is a large public school situated in Muncie, Indiana. It awarded 57 ’s physical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Ball State is $14,765 for Great Lakes Region Physical Sciences students with aid.

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%.

Full Ball State Physical Sciences Report

15

University of Wisconsin - River Falls ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. 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 $13,844 for Great Lakes Region Physical Sciences students with aid.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at UW - River Falls

16

With a ranking of #16, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is a fairly large school located in Edwardsville, Illinois that handed out 42 ’s physical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

SIUE not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #23 on our “Best Physical Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $14,462 for Great Lakes Region Physical Sciences students with aid per year to attend SIUE.

Full Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Physical Sciences Report

17

University of Wisconsin - Whitewater came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. UW - Whitewater is a public institution located in Whitewater, Wisconsin. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 23 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $14,417 for great lakes region physical sciences students with aid per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Whitewater.

Full University of Wisconsin - Whitewater Physical Sciences Report

18
WMU crest
Western Michigan University
Kalamazoo, Michigan

Western Michigan University ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. This fairly large school is located in Kalamazoo, Michigan, and it awarded 79 ’s physical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

WMU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #18 on our “Best Physical Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Western Michigan University is $20,371 for Great Lakes Region Physical Sciences students with aid.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at Western Michigan University

19

Western Illinois University landed the #19 spot on the 2023 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. WIU is a public institution located in Macomb, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 51 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend WIU is $15,305 for Great Lakes Region Physical Sciences students with aid.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at Western Illinois University

20

University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Milwaukee, Wisconsin is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s physical sciences degrees to 68 students in 2020-2021.

It costs about $17,486 for Great Lakes Region Physical Sciences students with aid per year to attend UWM.

Full University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee Physical Sciences Report

21

University of Cincinnati - Main Campus came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. University of Cincinnati - Main Campus is a large public school situated in Cincinnati, Ohio. It awarded 114 ’s physical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Cincinnati - Main Campus is $22,415 for great lakes region physical sciences students with aid.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at UC

22

Bowling Green State University - Main Campus did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #22. This fairly large school is located in Bowling Green, Ohio, and it awarded 66 ’s physical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for BGSU is $18,558 for Great Lakes Region Physical Sciences students with aid.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at BGSU

23
Indiana State crest
Indiana State University
Terre Haute, Indiana

Indiana State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #23. This medium-sized school is located in Terre Haute, Indiana, and it awarded 20 ’s physical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Indiana State is $14,270 for Great Lakes Region Physical Sciences students with aid.

Read more about Physical Sciences at Indiana State University

24
Wayne State crest
Wayne State University
Detroit, Michigan

Wayne State University landed the #24 spot on the 2023 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Wayne State is located in Detroit, Michigan and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 128 ’s physical sciences degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend Wayne State University is $13,962 for Great Lakes Region Physical Sciences students with aid.

Read more about Physical Sciences at Wayne State

25

With a ranking of #25, Wright State University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Wright State University - Main Campus is located in Dayton, Ohio and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 64 ’s physical sciences degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend Wright State University - Main Campus is $15,962 for great lakes region physical sciences students with aid.

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

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