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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Physical Sciences in Pennsylvania

25 Ranked Colleges
1,642 Degrees Awarded
$22,400 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor's in Pennsylvania

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 Pennsylvania” 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 Pennsylvania, there were 2,094 physical sciences graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,911 and $25,396 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,642 physical sciences graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania” ranking looked at 25 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s 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. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

More Ways to Rank Physical Sciences Schools

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Physical Sciences in Pennsylvania

#1

Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania

Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania
#5 in overall quality

Out of the 25 schools in the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania that were part of this year’s ranking, Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania landed the #1 spot on the list. This medium-sized school is located in Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 42 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

SRU also took the #5 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania is $19,926 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students.

Read more about Physical Sciences at SRU

#2

Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania

Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania
#11 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania. Located in Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania, this medium-sized public school handed out 66 degrees to qualified bachelors’s physical sciences students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our pennsylvania bachelor’s degree physical sciences students list, Bloomsburg has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. It costs about $20,230 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree physical sciences students per year to attend Bloomsburg.

Full Bloomsburg Physical Sciences Report

#3

East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania

East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania
#10 in overall quality

Out of the 25 schools in the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania that were part of this year’s ranking, East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania landed the #3 spot on the list. Located in East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, this medium-sized public school awarded 19 degrees to qualified bachelors’s physical sciences students in 2019-2020.

East Stroudsburg University also made our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list, coming in at #10. The estimated yearly cost for East Stroudsburg University is $19,855 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree physical sciences students.

Read more about Physical Sciences at East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania

#4

West Chester University of Pennsylvania

West Chester, Pennsylvania
#8 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend West Chester University of Pennsylvania. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania. West Chester University of Pennsylvania is a fairly large public school situated in West Chester, Pennsylvania. It awarded 61 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

WCUPA also made our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list, coming in at #8. The estimated yearly cost for West Chester University of Pennsylvania is $22,495 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at WCUPA

#5

Lock Haven University

Lock Haven, Pennsylvania
#15 in overall quality

Out of the 25 schools in the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania that were part of this year’s ranking, Lock Haven University landed the #5 spot on the list. Located in Lock Haven, Pennsylvania, this small public school awarded 20 degrees to qualified bachelors’s physical sciences students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our pennsylvania bachelor’s degree physical sciences students list, LHU has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. It costs about $20,506 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students per year to attend LHU.

Full Lock Haven University Physical Sciences Report

#6

Millersville University of Pennsylvania

Millersville, Pennsylvania
#6 in overall quality

Millersville University of Pennsylvania did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania ranking, coming in at #6. Millersville, Pennsylvania is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s physical sciences degrees to 69 students in 2019-2020.

Millersville also made our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list, coming in at #6. It costs about $23,350 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students per year to attend Millersville University of Pennsylvania.

Full Millersville Physical Sciences Report

#7

Kutztown University of Pennsylvania

Kutztown, Pennsylvania
#16 in overall quality

Kutztown University of Pennsylvania came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania ranking. Kutztown University is a public institution located in Kutztown, Pennsylvania. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 25 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Kutztown University also took the #16 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Kutztown University is $22,422 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students.

Read more about Physical Sciences at Kutztown University

#8

Edinboro University of Pennsylvania

Edinboro, Pennsylvania
#18 in overall quality

Edinboro University of Pennsylvania came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania ranking. Edinboro is a small school located in Edinboro, Pennsylvania that handed out 20 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

Edinboro not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #18 on our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list. It costs about $16,833 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students per year to attend Edinboro.

Read more about Physical Sciences at Edinboro University of Pennsylvania

#3 in overall quality

University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania list. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s physical sciences degrees to 172 students in 2019-2020.

Pitt also took the #3 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus is $27,938 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full Pitt Physical Sciences Report

#10

California University of Pennsylvania

California, Pennsylvania
#23 in overall quality

California University of Pennsylvania came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania ranking. Located in California, Pennsylvania, this medium-sized public school handed out 16 degrees to qualified bachelors’s physical sciences students in 2019-2020.

Cal U also took the #23 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. It costs about $18,154 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree physical sciences students per year to attend Cal U.

Full California University of Pennsylvania Physical Sciences Report

#11

University of Pittsburgh - Johnstown

Johnstown, Pennsylvania
#17 in overall quality

University of Pittsburgh - Johnstown ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania list. University of Pittsburgh - Johnstown is located in Johnstown, Pennsylvania and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 13 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees to qualified students.

Pitt Johnstown did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Pittsburgh - Johnstown is $19,712 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree physical sciences students.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at Pitt Johnstown

#12

Clarion University of Pennsylvania

Clarion, Pennsylvania
#19 in overall quality

Clarion University of Pennsylvania came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania ranking. Clarion University is a small school located in Clarion, Pennsylvania that handed out 13 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

Clarion University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #19 on our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list. The estimated yearly cost for Clarion University is $20,011 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at Clarion University

#13

University of Pittsburgh - Bradford

Bradford, Pennsylvania
#21 in overall quality

University of Pittsburgh - Bradford landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania ranking. Pitt Bradford is a small school located in Bradford, Pennsylvania that handed out 14 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

Pitt Bradford also took the #21 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Pittsburgh - Bradford is $18,906 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree physical sciences students.

The low student loan default rate of 3.5% 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 Pitt Bradford Physical Sciences Report

#14

University of Pittsburgh - Greensburg

Greensburg, Pennsylvania
#22 in overall quality

University of Pittsburgh - Greensburg came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania ranking. Greensburg, Pennsylvania is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s physical sciences degrees to 4 students in 2019-2020.

Pitt Greensburg also made our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list, coming in at #22. The yearly cost to attend Pitt Greensburg is $17,823 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at University of Pittsburgh - Greensburg

#15

Temple University

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
#9 in overall quality

Temple University landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania ranking. Temple is a large school located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania that handed out 101 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

Temple not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list. The yearly cost to attend Temple is $23,521 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Physical Sciences at Temple University

#20 in overall quality

Indiana University of Pennsylvania - Main Campus ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania list. Indiana University of Pennsylvania - Main Campus is a public institution located in Indiana, Pennsylvania. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 25 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

IUP not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #20 on our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list. It costs about $22,448 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students per year to attend IUP.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at IUP

#17

York College of Pennsylvania

York, Pennsylvania
#12 in overall quality

York College of Pennsylvania ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania list. Located in York, Pennsylvania, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 7 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s physical sciences students in 2019-2020.

YCP also took the #12 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for YCP is $20,652 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree physical sciences students.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Physical Sciences at YCP

#18

La Roche University

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
#14 in overall quality

La Roche University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania ranking, coming in at #18. This small school is located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 21 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

La Roche also took the #14 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. It costs about $20,199 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students per year to attend La Roche.

Read more about Physical Sciences at La Roche

#25 in overall quality

With a ranking of #19, Harrisburg University of Science and Technology did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania list. Harrisburg University of Science and Technology is a small school located in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania that handed out 1 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

Harrisburg University of Science and Technology also made our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list, coming in at #25. The yearly cost to attend Harrisburg University of Science and Technology is $14,848 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree physical sciences students.

Full Harrisburg University of Science and Technology Physical Sciences Report

#20

Wilkes University

Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania
#24 in overall quality

Wilkes University came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania ranking. Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s physical sciences degrees to 19 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Wilkes, the school also landed the #24 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Wilkes University is $26,641 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at Wilkes University

#21

Lebanon Valley College

Annville, Pennsylvania
#7 in overall quality

With a ranking of #21, Lebanon Valley College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania list. Lebanon Valley College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Annville, Pennsylvania. The school has a small population, and it awarded 9 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

LVC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list. The yearly cost to attend Lebanon Valley College is $27,464 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students.

The low student loan default rate of 3.9% 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 full report on Physical Sciences at LVC

#22

Allegheny College

Meadville, Pennsylvania
#13 in overall quality

Allegheny College ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania list. Located in Meadville, Pennsylvania, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 29 degrees to qualified bachelors’s physical sciences students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Allegheny, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. It costs about $21,682 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree physical sciences students per year to attend Allegheny College.

The student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Allegheny College Physical Sciences Report

#23

Drexel University

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
#4 in overall quality

Drexel University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania ranking, coming in at #23. Drexel is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It awarded 39 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

Drexel also took the #4 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. It costs about $34,914 for Pennsylvania Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students per year to attend Drexel.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%.

Read more about Physical Sciences at Drexel

#24

Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
#1 in overall quality

Carnegie Mellon University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania ranking, coming in at #24. Carnegie Mellon University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 102 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Carnegie Mellon did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list. The estimated yearly cost for Carnegie Mellon University is $34,508 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree physical sciences students.

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 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Physical Sciences at Carnegie Mellon

#25

University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
#2 in overall quality

University of Pennsylvania came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Pennsylvania ranking. Located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 96 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s physical sciences students in 2019-2020.

UPenn not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Pennsylvania” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Pennsylvania is $25,802 for pennsylvania bachelor’s degree physical sciences students.

The impressive 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. 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 school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Physical Sciences at UPenn

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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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