College Factual  by our College Data Analytics Team
       Unbiased Factual Guarantee

2023 Best Value Applied Physics Schools For Those Making $30-$48k

49 Ranked Colleges
994 Degrees Awarded
$8,400 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Applied Physics Schools For Those Making $30-$48k

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 “Best Value Applied Physics Schools For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

Engineering & Applied Physics is the 448th most popular major in the country with 994 degrees awarded in 2020-2021.

This year’s “Best Value Applied Physics Schools For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking looked at 49 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s 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.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the engineering and applied physics program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

More Ways to Rank Engineering & Applied Physics Schools

Rankings by Degree Other Award Levels
Rankings by Location Check Out Other Locales
More Applied Physics Rankings Other Ranking Categories

When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Best Value Applied Physics Schools For Those Making $30-$48k” list to help you make the college decision.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.

Best Value Applied Physics Schools For Those Making $30-$48k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Applied Physics Schools For Those Making $30-$48k.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Engineering & Applied Physics (Income $30-$48k)

1
Harvard crest
Harvard University
Cambridge, Massachusetts

Out of the 49 schools in the Best Value Applied Physics Schools For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Harvard University landed the #1 spot on the list. Cambridge, Massachusetts is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s applied physics degrees to 17 students in 2020-2021.

Harvard not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Engineering & Applied Physics Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Harvard is $1,396 for applied physics students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Full Harvard Engineering & Applied Physics Report

2
Northwestern crest
Northwestern University
Evanston, Illinois

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Northwestern University. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Applied Physics Schools For Those Making $30-$48k. Northwestern 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.

Northwestern did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Engineering & Applied Physics Schools” list. It costs about $917 for applied physics students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Northwestern.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. 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.

Full Northwestern University Engineering & Applied Physics Report

3

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Columbia University in the City of New York. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Applied Physics Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in New York, New York, this large private not-for-profit school awarded 41 degrees to qualified ’s applied physics students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Columbia, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Engineering & Applied Physics Schools” ranking. It costs about $4,699 for Applied Physics students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Columbia University in the City of New York.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. 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 Columbia University in the City of New York

4
Cornell crest
Cornell University
Ithaca, New York

Out of the 49 schools in the Best Value Applied Physics Schools For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Cornell University landed the #4 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 also took the #2 spot in our “Best Engineering & Applied Physics Schools” ranking. It costs about $5,133 for Applied Physics students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Cornell.

With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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. 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 more about Engineering & Applied Physics at Cornell

5
Dartmouth crest
Dartmouth College
Hanover, New Hampshire

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Dartmouth College. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Applied Physics Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. This medium-sized school is located in Hanover, New Hampshire, and it awarded 1 ’s applied physics degrees in 2020-2021.

Dartmouth did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best Engineering & Applied Physics Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Dartmouth is $8,718 for Applied Physics students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 7 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 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Dartmouth College Engineering & Applied Physics Report

6
Rice crest
Rice University
Houston, Texas

With a ranking of #6, Rice University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Applied Physics Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Rice is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Houston, Texas. It awarded 10 ’s applied physics degrees in 2020-2021.

Rice also took the #5 spot in our “Best Engineering & Applied Physics Schools” ranking. It costs about $1,340 for applied physics students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Rice University.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. 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. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Engineering & Applied Physics at Rice

7

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Best Value Applied Physics Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Ann Arbor, Michigan is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s applied physics degrees to 21 students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at U-M, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best Engineering & Applied Physics Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend U-M is $5,670 for applied physics students whose families make $30-$48k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, 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.

Read full report on Engineering & Applied Physics at U-M

8
Brown crest
Brown University
Providence, Rhode Island

Brown University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Applied Physics Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Brown is located in Providence, Rhode Island and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 2 ’s applied physics degrees to qualified students.

Brown also made our “Best Engineering & Applied Physics Schools” list, coming in at #8. It costs about $2,842 for applied physics students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Brown.

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%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Engineering & Applied Physics at Brown

9
Tufts crest
Tufts University
Medford, Massachusetts

With a ranking of #9, Tufts University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Applied Physics Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. This fairly large school is located in Medford, Massachusetts, and it awarded 7 ’s applied physics degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our applied physics students whose families make $30-$48k list, Tufts has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best Engineering & Applied Physics Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Tufts University is $7,987 for applied physics students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 1.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 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 Tufts Engineering & Applied Physics Report

10

University of California - Berkeley landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Best Value Applied Physics Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. UC Berkeley is located in Berkeley, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 18 ’s applied physics degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our applied physics students whose families make $30-$48k list, UC Berkeley has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Engineering & Applied Physics Schools” ranking. It costs about $9,999 for Applied Physics students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UC Berkeley.

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 1.8% 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 - Berkeley Engineering & Applied Physics Report

11

With a ranking of #11, University of California - San Diego did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Applied Physics Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. La Jolla, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s applied physics degrees to 17 students in 2020-2021.

UCSD did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Engineering & Applied Physics Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend University of California - San Diego is $11,176 for Applied Physics students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 UCSD Engineering & Applied Physics Report

12

With a ranking of #12, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Applied Physics Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is located in Champaign, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 74 ’s applied physics degrees to qualified students.

UIUC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #19 on our “Best Engineering & Applied Physics Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is $8,036 for applied physics students whose families make $30-$48k.

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

Full UIUC Engineering & Applied Physics Report

13

With a ranking of #13, Ohio State University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Applied Physics Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Ohio State 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 also took the #16 spot in our “Best Engineering & Applied Physics Schools” ranking. It costs about $8,581 for applied physics students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Ohio State.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. 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 Engineering & Applied Physics at Ohio State

14

University of Wisconsin - Madison did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Applied Physics Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #14. This large school is located in Madison, Wisconsin, and it awarded 1 ’s applied physics degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $4,788 for applied physics students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison.

With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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 more about Engineering & Applied Physics at University of Wisconsin - Madison

15
University of Virginia crest
University of Virginia - Main Campus
Charlottesville, Virginia

University of Virginia - Main Campus landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Best Value Applied Physics Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This large school is located in Charlottesville, Virginia, and it awarded 1 ’s applied physics degrees in 2020-2021.

University of Virginia not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best Engineering & Applied Physics Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Virginia is $10,063 for applied physics students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. 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%.

Read full report on Engineering & Applied Physics at University of Virginia - Main Campus

16

Arizona State University - Tempe landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Best Value Applied Physics Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. ASU - Tempe is a large school located in Tempe, Arizona that handed out 3 ’s applied physics degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for ASU - Tempe is $10,628 for Applied Physics students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Engineering & Applied Physics at ASU - Tempe

17

With a ranking of #17, University of Wisconsin - Platteville did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Applied Physics Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. 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. The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Platteville is $10,334 for applied physics students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full UW - Platteville Engineering & Applied Physics Report

18
Murray State crest
Murray State University
Murray, Kentucky

Murray State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Applied Physics Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #18. Located in Murray, Kentucky, this medium-sized public school awarded 29 degrees to qualified ’s applied physics students in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Murray State is $9,520 for Applied Physics students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Engineering & Applied Physics at Murray State

19
Oakland crest
Oakland University
Rochester Hills, Michigan

Oakland University ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Applied Physics Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Oakland University is a public institution located in Rochester Hills, Michigan. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 1 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Oakland University is $8,839 for applied physics students whose families make $30-$48k.

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

20

New Mexico State University - Main Campus came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Applied Physics Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. New Mexico State University - 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.

It costs about $9,183 for applied physics students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend New Mexico State University - Main Campus.

Read more about Engineering & Applied Physics at New Mexico State University - Main Campus

21

With a ranking of #21, University of Minnesota - Duluth did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Applied Physics Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of Minnesota - Duluth is a medium-sized school located in Duluth, Minnesota that handed out 1 ’s applied physics degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend UMN Duluth is $8,697 for Applied Physics students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 more about Engineering & Applied Physics at UMN Duluth

22
Mines crest
Colorado School of Mines
Golden, Colorado

Colorado School of Mines came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Applied Physics Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Mines is a medium-sized public school situated in Golden, Colorado. It awarded 59 ’s applied physics degrees in 2020-2021.

Mines also made our “Best Engineering & Applied Physics Schools” list, coming in at #12. The yearly cost to attend Colorado School of Mines is $13,690 for applied physics students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Engineering & Applied Physics at Colorado School of Mines

23

University of Colorado Boulder landed the #23 spot on the 2023 Best Value Applied Physics Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. University of Colorado Boulder is a large public school situated in Boulder, Colorado. It awarded 27 ’s applied physics degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for University of Colorado Boulder is $13,901 for applied physics students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Engineering & Applied Physics at CU - Boulder

24
University of Arizona crest
University of Arizona
Tucson, Arizona

University of Arizona landed the #24 spot on the 2023 Best Value Applied Physics Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. University of Arizona is located in Tucson, Arizona and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 4 ’s applied physics degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for University of Arizona is $10,160 for applied physics students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.

Read full report on Engineering & Applied Physics at University of Arizona

25
SCU crest
Santa Clara University
Santa Clara, California

Santa Clara University landed the #25 spot on the 2023 Best Value Applied Physics Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Santa Clara University is a medium-sized school located in Santa Clara, California that handed out 6 ’s applied physics degrees in 2020-2021.

SCU also took the #13 spot in our “Best Engineering & Applied Physics Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Santa Clara University is $23,508 for applied physics students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full SCU Engineering & Applied Physics Report

Notes and References

References

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

Credits

Popular Reports

College Rankings
Best by Location
Degree Guides by Major
Graduate Programs

Compare Your School Options