2023 Most Popular Master’s Degree Colleges for Physical Sciences in Illinois
18
Ranked Colleges
288
Degrees Awarded
$78,333
Avg Salary
Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. 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 Master’s” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.
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 Illinois, there were 1,688 physical sciences graduates with average earnings and debt of $48,248 and $22,291 respectively. At the master’s degree level specifically, there were 288 physical sciences graduates with average earnings and debt of $59,317 and $0 respectively.
For this year’s “Most Well Attended Physical Sciences Major in Illinois for a Master’s” ranking, we looked at 18 colleges that offer a degree in physical sciences. This ranking identifies schools that graduate the most students in physical sciences.
Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
One Size Does Not Fit All
The physical sciences school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Most Well Attended Physical Sciences Major in Illinois for a Master’s”.
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.
Most Well Attended Physical Sciences Major in Illinois for a Master’s
The following schools top our list of the Best “Most Well Attended Physical Sciences Major in Illinois for a Master’s”.
Top 18 Most Popular Master’s Degree Colleges for Physical Sciences in Illinois
Out of the 18 schools in the Most Well Attended Physical Sciences Major in Illinois for a Master’s that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Chicago landed the #1 spot on the list. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 87 diplomas to qualified masters’s physical sciences students in 2020-2021.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 100%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. 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%.
Read more about Physical Sciences at UChicago
Out of the 18 schools in the Most Well Attended Physical Sciences Major in Illinois for a Master’s that were part of this year’s ranking, Northwestern University landed the #2 spot on the list. Northwestern is a large school located in Evanston, Illinois that handed out 41 masters’s physical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.6% 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 Northwestern Physical Sciences Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Physical Sciences Major in Illinois for a Master’s list. Located in Champaign, Illinois, this large public school awarded 29 diplomas to qualified masters’s physical sciences students in 2020-2021.
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 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%.
Read full report on Physical Sciences at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Illinois Institute of Technology. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Physical Sciences Major in Illinois for a Master’s list. This medium-sized school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 22 masters’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 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%. 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.
Read more about Physical Sciences at Illinois Institute of Technology
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Western Illinois University. The school came in at #5 for the Most Well Attended Physical Sciences Major in Illinois for a Master’s. Located in Macomb, Illinois, this medium-sized public school awarded 19 degrees to qualified masters’s physical sciences students in 2020-2021.
Full Western Illinois University Physical Sciences Report
Lewis University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Physical Sciences Major in Illinois for a Master’s ranking, coming in at #6. Located in Romeoville, Illinois, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school awarded 18 degrees to qualified masters’s physical sciences 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
With a ranking of #6, Illinois State University did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Physical Sciences Major in Illinois for a Master’s list. Illinois State is a large school located in Normal, Illinois that handed out 18 masters’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 Physical Sciences Report
Northern Illinois University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Physical Sciences Major in Illinois for a Master’s ranking, coming in at #8. NIU is a fairly large public school situated in Dekalb, Illinois. It awarded 13 masters’s physical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
Full NIU Physical Sciences Report
With a ranking of #9, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Physical Sciences Major in Illinois for a Master’s list. This fairly large school is located in Edwardsville, Illinois, and it awarded 10 masters’s physical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
Read more about Physical Sciences at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
University of Illinois at Chicago ranked #10 on this year’s Most Well Attended Physical Sciences Major in Illinois for a Master’s list. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s physical sciences degrees to 8 students in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full UIC Physical Sciences Report
With a ranking of #11, Northeastern Illinois University did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Physical Sciences Major in Illinois for a Master’s list. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this medium-sized public school handed out 6 diplomas to qualified masters’s physical sciences students in 2020-2021.
Read more about Physical Sciences at Northeastern Illinois University
Governors State University ranked #12 on this year’s Most Well Attended Physical Sciences Major in Illinois for a Master’s list. GSU is a small school located in University Park, Illinois that handed out 5 masters’s physical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
Read more about Physical Sciences at Governors State University
Southern Illinois University Carbondale ranked #13 on this year’s Most Well Attended Physical Sciences Major in Illinois for a Master’s list. Located in Carbondale, Illinois, this fairly large public school awarded 4 diplomas to qualified masters’s physical sciences students in 2020-2021.
Read more about Physical Sciences at Southern Illinois University Carbondale
Eastern Illinois University ranked #14 on this year’s Most Well Attended Physical Sciences Major in Illinois for a Master’s list. Eastern Illinois University is located in Charleston, Illinois and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 3 masters’s physical sciences degrees to qualified students.
Read more about Physical Sciences at Eastern Illinois University
With a ranking of #14, DePaul University did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Physical Sciences Major in Illinois for a Master’s list. DePaul University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 3 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Physical Sciences at DePaul
With a ranking of #16, Loyola University Chicago did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Physical Sciences Major in Illinois for a Master’s list. Loyola Chicago is a fairly large school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 1 masters’s physical sciences 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 undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Physical Sciences at Loyola University Chicago
Bradley University landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Physical Sciences Major in Illinois for a Master’s ranking. Peoria, Illinois is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s physical sciences degrees to 1 students in 2020-2021.
With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate 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 Bradley University
North Central College came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Physical Sciences Major in Illinois for a Master’s ranking. Located in Naperville, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 14 degrees to qualified masters’s physical sciences students 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 College Physical Sciences Report
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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
- *Avg Salary and Avg 4-Year Grad Rate 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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