2023 Best Value Colleges for Physical Sciences in the Great Lakes Region
43
Ranked Colleges
6,421
Degrees Awarded
$16,500
Avg Net Price*
When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking - to help you make that decision.
In 2020-2021, 50,306 people earned their degree in physical sciences, making the major the 19th most popular in the United States. 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” 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.
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
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 in the Great Lakes Region” list, to help you choose the best school for you.
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. 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 in the Great Lakes Region
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region.
Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Physical Sciences in the Great Lakes Region
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in Edwardsville, Illinois, this fairly large public school handed out 42 diplomas to qualified ’s physical sciences students in 2020-2021.
SIUE also took the #23 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is $14,462 for Great Lakes Region Physical Sciences students.
Full Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Physical Sciences Report
Out of the 43 schools in the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire landed the #2 spot on the list. This fairly large school is located in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, and it awarded 70 ’s physical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
UW - Eau Claire also made our “Best Physical Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #14. It costs about $16,051 for Great Lakes Region Physical Sciences students per year to attend UW - Eau Claire.
Read full report on Physical Sciences at University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire
Out of the 43 schools in the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Wisconsin - River Falls landed the #3 spot on the list. This medium-sized school is located in River Falls, Wisconsin, and it awarded 33 ’s physical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - River Falls is $13,844 for Great Lakes Region Physical Sciences students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Physical Sciences at UW - River Falls
Out of the 43 schools in the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Wisconsin - La Crosse landed the #4 spot on the list. UW - La Crosse is a fairly large school located in La Crosse, Wisconsin that handed out 50 ’s physical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
UW - La Crosse also made our “Best Physical Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #24. It costs about $14,654 for great lakes region physical sciences students per year to attend UW - La Crosse.
With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.
Read full report on Physical Sciences at UW - La Crosse
Out of the 43 schools in the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Jackson College landed the #5 spot on the list. Located in Jackson, Michigan, this small public school handed out 25 degrees to qualified ’s physical sciences students in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend Jackson College is $10,729 for Great Lakes Region Physical Sciences students.
With a freshman retention rate of 100%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Physical Sciences at Jackson College
University of Akron Main Campus came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. University of Akron Main Campus is a fairly large public school situated in Akron, Ohio. It awarded 111 ’s physical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for University of Akron Main Campus is $17,945 for Great Lakes Region Physical Sciences students.
Read more about Physical Sciences at University of Akron Main Campus
Western Illinois University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #7. Western Illinois University is a medium-sized school located in Macomb, Illinois that handed out 51 ’s physical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for WIU is $15,305 for Great Lakes Region Physical Sciences students.
Full WIU Physical Sciences Report
Ohio University - Athens Campus came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Ohio University - Athens Campus is a large public school situated in Athens, Ohio. It awarded 155 ’s physical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
OHIO Athens did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best Physical Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $23,831 for Great Lakes Region Physical Sciences students per year to attend OHIO Athens.
Read full report on Physical Sciences at Ohio University - Athens Campus
Purdue University - Main Campus came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Purdue is a large public school situated in West Lafayette, Indiana. It awarded 274 ’s physical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Purdue, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Purdue is $13,377 for great lakes region physical sciences students.
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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full Purdue University - Main Campus Physical Sciences Report
Western Michigan University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #10. WMU is a public institution located in Kalamazoo, Michigan. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 79 ’s 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. It costs about $20,371 for great lakes region physical sciences students per year to attend WMU.
Full Western Michigan University Physical Sciences Report
With a ranking of #11, Illinois State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. This large school is located in Normal, Illinois, and it awarded 70 ’s physical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Illinois State, the school also landed the #22 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $20,830 for great lakes region physical sciences students per year to attend Illinois State.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Physical Sciences at Illinois State University
Northern Illinois University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #12. Located in Dekalb, Illinois, this fairly large public school awarded 71 degrees to qualified ’s physical sciences students in 2020-2021.
It costs about $13,956 for Great Lakes Region Physical Sciences students per year to attend NIU.
Read full report on Physical Sciences at NIU
With a ranking of #13, University of Wisconsin - Whitewater did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. 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.
The estimated yearly cost for UW - Whitewater is $14,417 for great lakes region physical sciences students.
Full UW - Whitewater Physical Sciences Report
Bowling Green State University - Main Campus landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in Bowling Green, Ohio, this fairly large public school awarded 66 diplomas to qualified ’s physical sciences students in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend BGSU is $18,558 for Great Lakes Region Physical Sciences students.
Full BGSU Physical Sciences Report
Kent State University at Kent did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #15. Kent State University at Kent is a large public school situated in Kent, Ohio. It awarded 100 ’s physical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
Kent State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #25 on our “Best Physical Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Kent State University at Kent is $19,117 for Great Lakes Region Physical Sciences students.
Read full report on Physical Sciences at Kent State University at Kent
With a ranking of #16, University of Wisconsin - Madison did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. UW - Madison is a large public school situated in Madison, Wisconsin. It awarded 401 ’s physical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
UW - Madison also made our “Best Physical Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #4. The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Madison is $17,234 for Great Lakes Region Physical Sciences students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.9% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%.
Full UW - Madison Physical Sciences Report
Grand Valley State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #17. Located in Allendale, Michigan, this large public school awarded 23 degrees to qualified ’s physical sciences students in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend GVSU is $17,356 for Great Lakes Region Physical Sciences students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.7% 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 full report on Physical Sciences at GVSU
With a ranking of #18, Cleveland State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Cleveland, Ohio is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s physical sciences degrees to 33 students in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for Cleveland State University is $16,943 for great lakes region physical sciences students.
Read more about Physical Sciences at Cleveland State University
With a ranking of #19, University of Cincinnati - Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. University of Cincinnati - Main Campus is a large public school situated in Cincinnati, Ohio. It awarded 114 ’s physical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our great lakes region physical sciences students list, UC has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best Physical Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UC is $22,415 for great lakes region physical sciences students.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.7% 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%.
Full UC Physical Sciences Report
With a ranking of #20, Eastern Michigan University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in Ypsilanti, Michigan, this fairly large public school handed out 33 degrees to qualified ’s physical sciences students in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend Eastern Michigan University is $15,127 for great lakes region physical sciences students.
Full Eastern Michigan Physical Sciences Report
With a ranking of #21, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a public institution located in Champaign, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 375 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our great lakes region physical sciences students list, UIUC has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Physical Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UIUC is $14,321 for great lakes region physical sciences students.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Physical Sciences at UIUC
University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee landed the #22 spot on the 2023 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee is a large school located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin that handed out 68 ’s physical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee is $17,486 for great lakes region physical sciences students.
Full University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee Physical Sciences Report
With a ranking of #23, Wright State University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Wright State University - Main Campus is a fairly large public school situated in Dayton, Ohio. It awarded 64 ’s physical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $15,962 for great lakes region physical sciences students per year to attend Wright State University - Main Campus.
Full Wright State University - Main Campus Physical Sciences Report
Ball State University landed the #24 spot on the 2023 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in Muncie, Indiana, this large public school awarded 57 degrees to qualified ’s physical sciences students in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend Ball State University is $14,765 for Great Lakes Region Physical Sciences students.
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 University Physical Sciences Report
University of Illinois at Chicago came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this large public school handed out 103 degrees to qualified ’s physical sciences students in 2020-2021.
UIC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #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.
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%.
Read full report on Physical Sciences at UIC
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