2023 Best Value Applied Physics Schools For Those Making $0-$30k
49
Ranked Colleges
994
Degrees Awarded
$7,900
Avg Net Price*
With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value Applied Physics Schools For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is part of that endeavor.
In 2020-2021, 994 people earned their degree in engineering and applied physics, making the major the 448th most popular in the United States.
This year’s “Best Value Applied Physics Schools For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking analyzed 49 colleges that offered a degree in engineering and applied physics. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality engineering and applied physics 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 engineering and applied physics program at the school. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.
More Ways to Rank Engineering & Applied Physics Schools
Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Applied Physics Schools For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.
One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to you. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.
Best Value Applied Physics Schools For Those Making $0-$30k
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Applied Physics Schools For Those Making $0-$30k.
Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Engineering & Applied Physics (Income $0-$30k)
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Northwestern University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Applied Physics Schools For Those Making $0-$30k. Northwestern University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Evanston, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 7 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Northwestern, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Engineering & Applied Physics Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Northwestern University is $245 for Applied Physics students whose families make $0-$30k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. 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%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Full Northwestern Engineering & Applied Physics Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Harvard University. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Applied Physics Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Harvard is located in Cambridge, Massachusetts and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 17 ’s applied physics degrees to qualified students.
Harvard also made our “Best Engineering & Applied Physics Schools” list, coming in at #1. The estimated yearly cost for Harvard is $2,564 for Applied Physics students whose families make $0-$30k.
With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Engineering & Applied Physics at Harvard University
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Rice University. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Applied Physics Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Rice is a medium-sized school located in Houston, Texas that handed out 10 ’s applied physics degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our applied physics students whose families make $0-$30k list, Rice has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Engineering & Applied Physics Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Rice is $4,443 for Applied Physics students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.2%, 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 97%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.
Read full report on Engineering & Applied Physics at Rice University
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Brown University. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Applied Physics Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Providence, Rhode Island, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 2 degrees to qualified ’s applied physics students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our applied physics students whose families make $0-$30k list, Brown has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Engineering & Applied Physics Schools” ranking. It costs about $1,468 for applied physics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Brown.
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. With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Engineering & Applied Physics at Brown University
Out of the 49 schools in the Best Value Applied Physics Schools For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Cornell University landed the #5 spot on the list. Ithaca, New York is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s applied physics degrees to 62 students in 2020-2021.
Cornell did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Engineering & Applied Physics Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Cornell is $5,244 for Applied Physics students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 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 96%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Engineering & Applied Physics at Cornell
With a ranking of #6, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Applied Physics Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, this large public school handed out 21 diplomas to qualified ’s applied physics students in 2020-2021.
U-M also took the #10 spot in our “Best Engineering & Applied Physics Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is $2,670 for applied physics students whose families make $0-$30k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. 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%.
Full University of Michigan - Ann Arbor Engineering & Applied Physics Report
Columbia University in the City of New York came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Applied Physics Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Columbia is a large private not-for-profit school situated in New York, New York. It awarded 41 ’s applied physics degrees in 2020-2021.
Columbia also took the #3 spot in our “Best Engineering & Applied Physics Schools” ranking. It costs about $9,873 for Applied Physics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Columbia University in the City of New York.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full Columbia University in the City of New York Engineering & Applied Physics Report
Tufts University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Applied Physics Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Medford, Massachusetts is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s applied physics degrees to 7 students in 2020-2021.
Tufts not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Engineering & Applied Physics Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Tufts is $8,122 for Applied Physics students whose families make $0-$30k.
With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.1% 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 Engineering & Applied Physics at Tufts
University of California - Berkeley ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Applied Physics Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. UC Berkeley is a large public school situated in Berkeley, California. It awarded 18 ’s applied physics degrees in 2020-2021.
UC Berkeley not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best Engineering & Applied Physics Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend UC Berkeley is $8,450 for Applied Physics students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full UC Berkeley Engineering & Applied Physics Report
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Best Value Applied Physics Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UIUC is a public institution located in Champaign, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 74 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UIUC, the school also landed the #19 spot in our “Best Engineering & Applied Physics Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UIUC is $4,858 for Applied Physics students whose families make $0-$30k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. 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%.
Read more about Engineering & Applied Physics at UIUC
University of California - San Diego did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Applied Physics Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #11. UCSD is a public institution located in La Jolla, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 17 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
UCSD not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best Engineering & Applied Physics Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - San Diego is $9,823 for applied physics students whose families make $0-$30k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.0% 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%.
Full University of California - San Diego Engineering & Applied Physics Report
University of Virginia - Main Campus landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Best Value Applied Physics Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of Virginia is a large public school situated in Charlottesville, Virginia. It awarded 1 ’s applied physics degrees in 2020-2021.
University of Virginia also made our “Best Engineering & Applied Physics Schools” list, coming in at #14. The estimated yearly cost for University of Virginia is $12,476 for applied physics students whose families make $0-$30k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Engineering & Applied Physics at University of Virginia - Main Campus
Ohio State University - Main Campus did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Applied Physics Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #13. Ohio State University - Main Campus is a public institution located in Columbus, Ohio. The school has a large population, and it awarded 23 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Ohio State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best Engineering & Applied Physics Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Ohio State University - Main Campus is $7,068 for Applied Physics students whose families make $0-$30k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full Ohio State Engineering & Applied Physics Report
With a ranking of #14, University of Wisconsin - Madison did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Applied Physics Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. UW - Madison is a large public school situated in Madison, Wisconsin. It awarded 1 ’s applied physics degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $3,981 for Applied Physics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full University of Wisconsin - Madison Engineering & Applied Physics Report
Dartmouth College landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Best Value Applied Physics Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Dartmouth College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Hanover, New Hampshire. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 1 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Dartmouth also made our “Best Engineering & Applied Physics Schools” list, coming in at #7. It costs about $6,034 for applied physics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Dartmouth College.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on Engineering & Applied Physics at Dartmouth College
With a ranking of #16, Arizona State University - Tempe did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Applied Physics Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Arizona State University - Tempe is located in Tempe, Arizona and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 3 ’s applied physics degrees to qualified students.
The yearly cost to attend Arizona State University - Tempe is $8,969 for applied physics students whose families make $0-$30k.
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 4.5% 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 more about Engineering & Applied Physics at Arizona State University - Tempe
University of Wisconsin - Platteville did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Applied Physics Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #17. University of Wisconsin - Platteville is a public institution located in Platteville, Wisconsin. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 22 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW - Platteville, the school also landed the #18 spot in our “Best Engineering & Applied Physics Schools” ranking. It costs about $8,887 for applied physics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Platteville.
Full University of Wisconsin - Platteville Engineering & Applied Physics Report
With a ranking of #18, Murray State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Applied Physics Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Murray, Kentucky is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s applied physics degrees to 29 students in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for Murray State University is $9,339 for applied physics students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read more about Engineering & Applied Physics at Murray State
Oakland University ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Applied Physics Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Rochester Hills, Michigan, this fairly large public school awarded 1 degrees to qualified ’s applied physics students in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend Oakland University is $8,949 for applied physics students whose families make $0-$30k.
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 full report on Engineering & Applied Physics at Oakland
Colorado School of Mines ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Applied Physics Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Mines is a public institution located in Golden, Colorado. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 59 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Mines, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Engineering & Applied Physics Schools” ranking. It costs about $16,977 for applied physics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Colorado School of Mines.
With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full Colorado School of Mines Engineering & Applied Physics Report
University of Colorado Boulder came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Applied Physics Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. CU - Boulder is located in Boulder, Colorado and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 27 ’s applied physics degrees to qualified students.
The estimated yearly cost for CU - Boulder is $13,141 for Applied Physics students whose families make $0-$30k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Engineering & Applied Physics at University of Colorado Boulder
University of Minnesota - Duluth came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Applied Physics Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Duluth, Minnesota, and it awarded 1 ’s applied physics degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend University of Minnesota - Duluth is $7,843 for applied physics students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Engineering & Applied Physics at University of Minnesota - Duluth
With a ranking of #23, New Mexico State University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Applied Physics Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. NMSU Main Campus is located in Las Cruces, New Mexico and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 6 ’s applied physics degrees to qualified students.
The yearly cost to attend New Mexico State University - Main Campus is $8,466 for applied physics students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read full report on Engineering & Applied Physics at NMSU Main Campus
University of Tulsa came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Applied Physics Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of Tulsa is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Tulsa, Oklahoma. It awarded 4 ’s applied physics degrees in 2020-2021.
University of Tulsa also took the #24 spot in our “Best Engineering & Applied Physics Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Tulsa is $19,529 for Applied Physics students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.5% 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%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Full University of Tulsa Engineering & Applied Physics Report
University of Arizona did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Applied Physics Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #25. Tucson, Arizona is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s applied physics degrees to 4 students in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend University of Arizona is $8,987 for applied physics students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full University of Arizona Engineering & Applied Physics Report
