2026 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in Oregon

[Physical Sciences](/majors/physical-sciences/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 19 schools to find the best return on investment for physical sciences students.
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2026 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in Oregon
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the physical sciences degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Physical Sciences Schools
Portland State University tops our 2026 list of the best value physical sciences schools in Oregon. Set in the city of Portland, Portland State University is a very large public institution. Students from in state pay about $11,118 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $29,136. Typical student debt for physical sciences graduates is $26,033. Early-career physical sciences graduates make about $43,613. Set against $26,033 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 91% of applicants are accepted.
Students looking for strong value in physical sciences will find it at Oregon State University, which ranked #2. Located in the city of Corvallis, Oregon State University is a very large public university. In-state tuition and fees average $14,400, compared with $38,190 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for physical sciences graduates is $23,289. Early-career physical sciences graduates make about $42,462. That is a strong return on a $23,289 median debt. The acceptance rate is 77%.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at University Of Oregon earned it the #3 place for physical sciences. Set in the city of Eugene, University Of Oregon is a very large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $15,320, compared with $42,516 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for physical sciences graduates is $22,699. Physical Sciences graduates of University Of Oregon earn a median of $70,315 early in their careers. Set against $22,699 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 88%.
Students looking for strong value in physical sciences will find it at Willamette University, which ranked #4. Willamette University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Salem. In-state tuition and fees average $51,156. Typical student debt for physical sciences graduates is $21,520. Physical Sciences graduates of Willamette University earn a median of $41,892 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 77% of applicants are accepted.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at University Of Portland earned it the #5 place for physical sciences. University Of Portland is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Portland. In-state tuition and fees average $58,100. Students borrow a median of $22,900 to complete the physical sciences program here. Early-career physical sciences graduates make about $54,739. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 89%.
Reed College came in at #6 for value in physical sciences this year. Located in the city of Portland, Reed College is a small private not-for-profit university. Students from in state pay about $69,350 in tuition and fees. Physical Sciences graduates carry a median of $21,137 in student loans. Physical Sciences graduates of Reed College earn a median of $30,588 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 25% of applicants are accepted.
Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 19 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 5 ranked schools only.
- 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).
More about our data sources and methodologies.