2022 Best Value Applied Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k
With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Applied Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.
In 2019-2020, 941 people earned their degree in engineering and applied physics, making the major the 440th most popular in the United States.
At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 652 engineering and applied physics graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,303 and $24,501 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Applied Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking looked at 50 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.
Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the engineering and applied physics program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
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Best Value Applied Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Applied Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k.
Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Engineering & Applied Physics (Income $48-$75k)
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Cornell University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Applied Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k. Ithaca, New York is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s applied physics degrees to 26 students in 2019-2020.
Cornell did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Engineering & Applied Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $11,869 for Bachelor’s Degree Applied Physics students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Cornell University.
The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.1%, 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.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Dartmouth College. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Applied Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. Dartmouth College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Hanover, New Hampshire. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 2 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Dartmouth also took the #2 spot in our “Best Engineering & Applied Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Dartmouth is $9,044 for Bachelor’s Degree Applied Physics students whose families make $48-$75k.
With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low 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%. The student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.
Read full report on Engineering & Applied Physics at Dartmouth College
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Columbia University in the City of New York. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Applied Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k. New York, New York is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s applied physics degrees to 9 students in 2019-2020.
Columbia did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Engineering & Applied Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Columbia University in the City of New York is $5,887 for bachelor’s degree applied physics students whose families make $48-$75k.
With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Engineering & Applied Physics at Columbia University in the City of New York
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California Institute of Technology. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Applied Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. Caltech is located in Pasadena, California and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 3 bachelors’s applied physics degrees to qualified students.
Caltech also took the #3 spot in our “Best Engineering & Applied Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Caltech is $8,042 for bachelor’s degree applied physics students whose families make $48-$75k.
Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 3 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
Full California Institute of Technology Engineering & Applied Physics Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Brown University. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Applied Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k. Brown University is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Providence, Rhode Island. It awarded 1 bachelors’s applied physics degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Brown, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Engineering & Applied Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Brown University is $11,689 for bachelor’s degree applied physics students whose families make $48-$75k.
The student loan default rate at the school is 2.1%, 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. The impressive 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.
University of Michigan - Ann Arbor came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Applied Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Ann Arbor, Michigan is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s applied physics degrees to 16 students in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree applied physics students whose families make $48-$75k list, U-M has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Engineering & Applied Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is $10,028 for bachelor’s degree applied physics students whose families make $48-$75k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Applied Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. UIUC is a large public school situated in Champaign, Illinois. It awarded 77 bachelors’s applied physics degrees in 2019-2020.
UIUC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Engineering & Applied Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for UIUC is $13,351 for bachelor’s degree applied physics students whose families make $48-$75k.
The student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, 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 94%.
With a ranking of #8, University of California - Berkeley did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Applied Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. Berkeley, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s applied physics degrees to 11 students in 2019-2020.
UC Berkeley also took the #6 spot in our “Best Engineering & Applied Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $13,081 for Bachelor’s Degree Applied Physics students whose families make $48-$75k 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 student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Engineering & Applied Physics at University of California - Berkeley
University of Wisconsin - Madison did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Applied Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #9. Madison, Wisconsin is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s applied physics degrees to 3 students in 2019-2020.
UW - Madison did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best Engineering & Applied Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for UW - Madison is $13,227 for Bachelor’s Degree Applied Physics students whose families make $48-$75k.
The low student loan default rate of 0.8% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%.
Ohio State University - Main Campus ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Applied Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. Ohio State University - Main Campus is located in Columbus, Ohio and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 22 bachelors’s applied physics degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Ohio State, the school also landed the #18 spot in our “Best Engineering & Applied Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Ohio State University - Main Campus is $13,982 for Bachelor’s Degree Applied Physics students whose families make $48-$75k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Engineering & Applied Physics at Ohio State University - Main Campus
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Applied Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. UT Rio Grande Valley is located in Edinburg, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 2 bachelors’s applied physics degrees to qualified students.
The estimated yearly cost for UT Rio Grande Valley is $6,405 for bachelor’s degree applied physics students whose families make $48-$75k.
The student loan default rate at the school is 4.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Engineering & Applied Physics at UT Rio Grande Valley
With a ranking of #12, University of Wisconsin - Platteville did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Applied Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. UW - Platteville is a public institution located in Platteville, Wisconsin. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 30 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
UW - Platteville not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #19 on our “Best Engineering & Applied Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Platteville is $15,152 for Bachelor’s Degree Applied Physics students whose families make $48-$75k.
Read more about Engineering & Applied Physics at UW - Platteville
Murray State University ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Applied Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. Murray, Kentucky is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s applied physics degrees to 21 students in 2019-2020.
It costs about $11,959 for bachelor’s degree applied physics students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Murray State University.
Full Murray State University Engineering & Applied Physics Report
University of California - San Diego landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Applied Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This large school is located in La Jolla, California, and it awarded 2 bachelors’s applied physics degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend University of California - San Diego is $14,071 for Bachelor’s Degree Applied Physics students whose families make $48-$75k.
With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low 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%.
With a ranking of #15, Oakland University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Applied Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. Oakland is a public institution located in Rochester Hills, Michigan. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 2 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend Oakland is $10,387 for Bachelor’s Degree Applied Physics students whose families make $48-$75k.
With a ranking of #16, University of Minnesota - Duluth did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Applied Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. UMN Duluth is a fairly large public school situated in Duluth, Minnesota. It awarded 2 bachelors’s applied physics degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $12,438 for bachelor’s degree applied physics students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UMN Duluth.
The student loan default rate at the school is 3.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Tufts University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Applied Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #17. Tufts is located in Medford, Massachusetts and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 2 bachelors’s applied physics degrees to qualified students.
Tufts also made our “Best Engineering & Applied Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #11. It costs about $13,525 for bachelor’s degree applied physics students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Tufts University.
The impressive 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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Lehigh University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Applied Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #18. Located in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school awarded 1 degrees to qualified bachelors’s applied physics students in 2019-2020.
Lehigh did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best Engineering & Applied Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Lehigh University is $19,924 for bachelor’s degree applied physics students whose families make $48-$75k.
The 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 school has an impressive 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 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
Read full report on Engineering & Applied Physics at Lehigh University
University of Illinois at Chicago did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Applied Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #19. University of Illinois at Chicago is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 3 bachelors’s applied physics degrees to qualified students.
It costs about $13,683 for Bachelor’s Degree Applied Physics students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UIC.
The student loan default rate at the school is 3.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full University of Illinois at Chicago Engineering & Applied Physics Report
With a ranking of #20, Case Western Reserve University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Applied Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. Case Western Reserve University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Cleveland, Ohio. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 8 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Case Western also made our “Best Engineering & Applied Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #14. The estimated yearly cost for Case Western Reserve University is $22,236 for bachelor’s degree applied physics students whose families make $48-$75k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full Case Western Reserve University Engineering & Applied Physics Report
New Mexico State University - Main Campus ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Applied Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. NMSU Main Campus is a fairly large school located in Las Cruces, New Mexico that handed out 6 bachelors’s applied physics degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $10,235 for bachelor’s degree applied physics students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend NMSU Main Campus.
Loras College came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Applied Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Loras College is a small school located in Dubuque, Iowa that handed out 10 bachelors’s applied physics degrees in 2019-2020.
Loras not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #22 on our “Best Engineering & Applied Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Loras College is $18,438 for Bachelor’s Degree Applied Physics students whose families make $48-$75k.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Engineering & Applied Physics at Loras College
University of Connecticut landed the #23 spot on the 2022 Best Value Applied Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in Storrs, Connecticut, this large public school handed out 15 degrees to qualified bachelors’s applied physics students in 2019-2020.
UCONN also made our “Best Engineering & Applied Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #16. The yearly cost to attend University of Connecticut is $19,243 for bachelor’s degree applied physics students whose families make $48-$75k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive 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 University of Connecticut
University of Colorado Boulder did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Applied Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #24. Boulder, Colorado is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s applied physics degrees to 27 students in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for University of Colorado Boulder is $18,979 for bachelor’s degree applied physics students whose families make $48-$75k.
The low student loan default rate of 3.0% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
Read full report on Engineering & Applied Physics at University of Colorado Boulder
University of Maine landed the #25 spot on the 2022 Best Value Applied Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. University of Maine is a fairly large public school situated in Orono, Maine. It awarded 4 bachelors’s applied physics degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $17,218 for Bachelor’s Degree Applied Physics students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UMaine.
The low student loan default rate of 4.8% 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 Maine Engineering & Applied Physics 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
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.
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