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2023 Most Popular Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Physical Sciences in Illinois

48 Ranked Colleges
1,098 Degrees Awarded
$39,669 Avg Salary
Most Well Attended Physical Sciences Major in Illinois for a Bachelor's

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Most Well Attended Physical Sciences Major in Illinois for a Bachelor’s” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

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 Illinois, there were 1,688 physical sciences graduates with average earnings and debt of $48,248 and $22,291 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,098 physical sciences graduates with average earnings and debt of $40,117 and $25,584 respectively.

This year’s “Most Well Attended Physical Sciences Major in Illinois for a Bachelor’s” ranking looked at 48 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in physical sciences. This ranking identifies schools that graduate the most students in physical sciences.

For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

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

In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.

Most Well Attended Physical Sciences Major in Illinois for a Bachelor’s

The following schools top our list of the Best “Most Well Attended Physical Sciences Major in Illinois for a Bachelor’s”.

1

Out of the 48 schools in the Most Well Attended Physical Sciences Major in Illinois for a Bachelor’s that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the #1 spot on the list. This large school is located in Champaign, Illinois, and it awarded 252 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Physical Sciences Report

2
UChicago crest
University of Chicago
Chicago, Illinois

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Chicago. The school came in at #2 for the Most Well Attended Physical Sciences Major in Illinois for a Bachelor’s. UChicago is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 163 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 100%.

Full UChicago Physical Sciences Report

3

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Illinois at Chicago. The school came in at #3 for the Most Well Attended Physical Sciences Major in Illinois for a Bachelor’s. UIC is a large public school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 55 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

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 University of Illinois at Chicago Physical Sciences Report

4

Out of the 48 schools in the Most Well Attended Physical Sciences Major in Illinois for a Bachelor’s that were part of this year’s ranking, Northern Illinois University landed the #4 spot on the list. NIU is located in Dekalb, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 53 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees to qualified students.

Read more about Physical Sciences at Northern Illinois University

5
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Northwestern University
Evanston, Illinois

Out of the 48 schools in the Most Well Attended Physical Sciences Major in Illinois for a Bachelor’s that were part of this year’s ranking, Northwestern University landed the #5 spot on the list. Northwestern University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Evanston, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 46 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at Northwestern University

6

Illinois State University landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Physical Sciences Major in Illinois for a Bachelor’s ranking. This large school is located in Normal, Illinois, and it awarded 44 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

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%.

Full Illinois State University Physical Sciences Report

7
Loyola Chicago crest
Loyola University Chicago
Chicago, Illinois

With a ranking of #7, Loyola University Chicago did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Physical Sciences Major in Illinois for a Bachelor’s list. Loyola Chicago is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 38 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

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 school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Physical Sciences at Loyola University Chicago

8

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville ranked #8 on this year’s Most Well Attended Physical Sciences Major in Illinois for a Bachelor’s list. Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is a fairly large school located in Edwardsville, Illinois that handed out 32 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

Full Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Physical Sciences Report

8

Western Illinois University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Physical Sciences Major in Illinois for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #8. WIU is a medium-sized school located in Macomb, Illinois that handed out 32 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at Western Illinois University

10
Wheaton College Illinois crest
Wheaton College Illinois
Wheaton, Illinois

Wheaton College Illinois ranked #10 on this year’s Most Well Attended Physical Sciences Major in Illinois for a Bachelor’s list. Wheaton College Illinois is a small school located in Wheaton, Illinois that handed out 28 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Physical Sciences at Wheaton College Illinois

11
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Lewis University
Romeoville, Illinois

With a ranking of #11, Lewis University did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Physical Sciences Major in Illinois for a Bachelor’s list. Romeoville, Illinois is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s physical sciences degrees to 25 students in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.0% 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 Lewis University

11

With a ranking of #11, Southern Illinois University Carbondale did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Physical Sciences Major in Illinois for a Bachelor’s list. This fairly large school is located in Carbondale, Illinois, and it awarded 25 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at SIUC

13

With a ranking of #13, Northeastern Illinois University did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Physical Sciences Major in Illinois for a Bachelor’s list. Northeastern Illinois University is a public institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 22 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Full Northeastern Illinois University Physical Sciences Report

14
Bradley crest
Bradley University
Peoria, Illinois

With a ranking of #14, Bradley University did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Physical Sciences Major in Illinois for a Bachelor’s list. Peoria, Illinois is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s physical sciences degrees to 20 students in 2020-2021.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Physical Sciences at Bradley

15
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Monmouth College
Monmouth, Illinois

Monmouth College ranked #15 on this year’s Most Well Attended Physical Sciences Major in Illinois for a Bachelor’s list. Monmouth is a small school located in Monmouth, Illinois that handed out 19 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

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%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at Monmouth

15

Illinois Institute of Technology landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Physical Sciences Major in Illinois for a Bachelor’s ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 19 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.9% 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 more about Physical Sciences at Illinois Institute of Technology

17
DePaul crest
DePaul University
Chicago, Illinois

With a ranking of #17, DePaul University did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Physical Sciences Major in Illinois for a Bachelor’s list. This large school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 17 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.7% 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 DePaul University

17
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Olivet Nazarene University
Bourbonnais, Illinois

Olivet Nazarene University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Physical Sciences Major in Illinois for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #17. Olivet Nazarene is a small school located in Bourbonnais, Illinois that handed out 17 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Physical Sciences at Olivet Nazarene

19
Knox crest
Knox College
Galesburg, Illinois

Knox College did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Physical Sciences Major in Illinois for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #19. Knox College is located in Galesburg, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 16 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees to qualified students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.3% 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%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read more about Physical Sciences at Knox

19
Augustana crest
Augustana College
Rock Island, Illinois

Augustana College ranked #19 on this year’s Most Well Attended Physical Sciences Major in Illinois for a Bachelor’s list. Augustana College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Rock Island, Illinois. It awarded 16 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at Augustana College

21
Elmhurst crest
Elmhurst University
Elmhurst, Illinois

Elmhurst University ranked #21 on this year’s Most Well Attended Physical Sciences Major in Illinois for a Bachelor’s list. Elmhurst University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Elmhurst, Illinois. It awarded 14 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.2% 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 Elmhurst Physical Sciences Report

21
North Central crest
North Central College
Naperville, Illinois

With a ranking of #21, North Central College did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Physical Sciences Major in Illinois for a Bachelor’s list. North Central is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Naperville, Illinois. It awarded 14 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

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%.

Full North Central Physical Sciences Report

21
EIU crest
Eastern Illinois University
Charleston, Illinois

Eastern Illinois University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Physical Sciences Major in Illinois for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #21. Eastern Illinois University is located in Charleston, Illinois and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 14 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees to qualified students.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at Eastern Illinois University

24
Greenville crest
Greenville University
Greenville, Illinois

Greenville University came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Physical Sciences Major in Illinois for a Bachelor’s ranking. Located in Greenville, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 12 degrees to qualified bachelors’s physical sciences students in 2020-2021.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Greenville University Physical Sciences Report

24
SXU crest
Saint Xavier University
Chicago, Illinois

Saint Xavier University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Physical Sciences Major in Illinois for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #24. SXU is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 12 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees to qualified students.

Full Saint Xavier University Physical Sciences Report

24
Lake Forest crest
Lake Forest College
Lake Forest, Illinois

Lake Forest College ranked #24 on this year’s Most Well Attended Physical Sciences Major in Illinois for a Bachelor’s list. Lake Forest is a private not-for-profit institution located in Lake Forest, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 12 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

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%.

Read more about Physical Sciences at Lake Forest

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References

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