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2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region

33 Ranked Colleges
1,019 Degrees Awarded
$24,400 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees*
Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Master's in the Great Lakes Region

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

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 the Great Lakes region, there were 6,853 physical sciences graduates with average earnings and debt of $40,984 and $22,875 respectively. At the master’s degree level specifically, there were 1,019 physical sciences graduates with average earnings and debt of $57,039 and $42,488 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region” ranking looked at 33 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in physical sciences. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality physical sciences programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the physical sciences program at the school. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

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 Master’s in the Great Lakes Region” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

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 for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region.

Top 25 Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Physical Sciences in the Great Lakes Region

#13 in overall quality

Out of the 33 schools in the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville landed the #1 spot on the list. SIUE is a fairly large public school situated in Edwardsville, Illinois. It awarded 18 masters’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

SIUE also made our “Best Physical Sciences Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #13. Average graduate tuition and fees at SIUE are $9,300, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Physical Sciences Report

#2

Illinois State University

Normal, Illinois
#16 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Illinois State University. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Illinois State is located in Normal, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 18 masters’s physical sciences degrees to qualified students.

Illinois State also made our “Best Physical Sciences Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #16. Average graduate tuition and fees at Illinois State are $11,069, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at Illinois State University

#3

Western Illinois University

Macomb, Illinois
#21 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Western Illinois University. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region list. WIU is located in Macomb, Illinois and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 23 masters’s physical sciences degrees to qualified students.

WIU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #21 on our “Best Physical Sciences Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at WIU are $11,996, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about Physical Sciences at WIU

#4 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Wisconsin - Madison. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region. UW - Madison is a large public school situated in Madison, Wisconsin. It awarded 51 masters’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

UW - Madison also took the #4 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at UW - Madison are $25,523, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full UW - Madison Physical Sciences Report

#5

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, Illinois

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Northern Illinois University. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region. This fairly large school is located in Dekalb, Illinois, and it awarded 22 masters’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at NIU are $11,086, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about Physical Sciences at Northern Illinois University

#25 in overall quality

University of Akron Main Campus landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. University of Akron Main Campus is a fairly large school located in Akron, Ohio that handed out 39 masters’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

University of Akron Main Campus did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #25 on our “Best Physical Sciences Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Akron Main Campus are $15,217, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about Physical Sciences at University of Akron Main Campus

#19 in overall quality

Ohio University - Athens Campus came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Ohio University - Athens Campus is a large public school situated in Athens, Ohio. It awarded 47 masters’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

OHIO Athens did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #19 on our “Best Physical Sciences Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at OHIO Athens are $17,712, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about Physical Sciences at OHIO Athens

#8

DePaul University

Chicago, Illinois
#15 in overall quality

With a ranking of #8, DePaul University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s physical sciences degrees to 9 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region master’s degree physical sciences students list, DePaul has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best Physical Sciences Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at DePaul are $19,760, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about Physical Sciences at DePaul University

#7 in overall quality

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a public institution located in Champaign, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 45 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UIUC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Physical Sciences Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at UIUC are $30,083, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Physical Sciences Report

#10

Central Michigan University

Mount Pleasant, Michigan

With a ranking of #10, Central Michigan University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region list. This fairly large school is located in Mount Pleasant, Michigan, and it awarded 14 masters’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at Central Michigan University are $19,359, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about Physical Sciences at Central Michigan University

#11

Purdue University - Main Campus

West Lafayette, Indiana
#12 in overall quality

Purdue University - Main Campus ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in West Lafayette, Indiana, this large public school awarded 27 diplomas to qualified masters’s physical sciences students in 2019-2020.

Purdue did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best Physical Sciences Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Purdue are $28,794, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at Purdue University - Main Campus

#24 in overall quality

Kent State University at Kent landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in Kent, Ohio, this large public school awarded 26 diplomas to qualified masters’s physical sciences students in 2019-2020.

Kent State also made our “Best Physical Sciences Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #24. Average graduate tuition and fees at Kent State are $21,952, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about Physical Sciences at Kent State University at Kent

#13

Ball State University

Muncie, Indiana
#22 in overall quality

Ball State University landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Ball State is located in Muncie, Indiana and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 14 masters’s physical sciences degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our great lakes region master’s degree physical sciences students list, Ball State has also earned the #22 rank in our “Best Physical Sciences Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Ball State are $26,204, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full Ball State Physical Sciences Report

#18 in overall quality

University of Illinois at Chicago did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #14. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this large public school handed out 12 diplomas to qualified masters’s physical sciences students in 2019-2020.

UIC also took the #18 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at UIC are $27,036, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

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

#6 in overall quality

Illinois Institute of Technology ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region list. This medium-sized school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 23 masters’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

Illinois Tech also made our “Best Physical Sciences Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #6. Average graduate tuition and fees at Illinois Institute of Technology are $30,695, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at Illinois Institute of Technology

#20 in overall quality

University of Cincinnati - Main Campus did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #16. This large school is located in Cincinnati, Ohio, and it awarded 12 masters’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region master’s degree physical sciences students list, UC has also earned the #20 rank in our “Best Physical Sciences Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at University of Cincinnati - Main Campus are $26,644.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at UC

#17

Indiana University - Bloomington

Bloomington, Indiana
#9 in overall quality

With a ranking of #17, Indiana University - Bloomington did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Indiana University - Bloomington is a large public school situated in Bloomington, Indiana. It awarded 30 masters’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

IU Bloomington not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best Physical Sciences Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Indiana University - Bloomington are $33,338, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at IU Bloomington

#18

Oakland University

Rochester Hills, Michigan

Oakland University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #18. Located in Rochester Hills, Michigan, this fairly large public school awarded 10 degrees to qualified masters’s physical sciences students in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at Oakland University are $24,648, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about Physical Sciences at Oakland

Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #19. This large school is located in Indianapolis, Indiana, and it awarded 9 masters’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis are $26,013, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about Physical Sciences at IUPUI

#20

Western Michigan University

Kalamazoo, Michigan
#17 in overall quality

Western Michigan University came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Western Michigan University is a public institution located in Kalamazoo, Michigan. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 22 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at WMU, the school also landed the #17 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Western Michigan University are $31,355, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full WMU Physical Sciences Report

#21

Eastern Michigan University

Ypsilanti, Michigan

With a ranking of #21, Eastern Michigan University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Eastern Michigan University is a public institution located in Ypsilanti, Michigan. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 17 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Eastern Michigan are $26,552.

Read more about Physical Sciences at Eastern Michigan University

#22

University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. UWM is a public institution located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The school has a large population, and it awarded 11 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee are $25,295, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full UWM Physical Sciences Report

#14 in overall quality

Miami University - Oxford came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Miami University - Oxford is a public institution located in Oxford, Ohio. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 16 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Miami University - Oxford not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best Physical Sciences Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Miami University - Oxford are $31,697, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about Physical Sciences at Miami University - Oxford

#24

Michigan State University

East Lansing, Michigan
#11 in overall quality

With a ranking of #24, Michigan State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region list. East Lansing, Michigan is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s physical sciences degrees to 29 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region master’s degree physical sciences students list, Michigan State has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best Physical Sciences Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Michigan State University are $37,056.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at Michigan State

#8 in overall quality

Ohio State University - Main Campus did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Master’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #25. Columbus, Ohio is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s physical sciences degrees to 57 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Ohio State, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Ohio State University - Main Campus are $37,141.

Read more about Physical Sciences at Ohio State

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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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