2023 Best Value Colleges for Engineering & Applied Physics (Income $75-$110k) in the Great Lakes Region
14
Ranked Colleges
342
Degrees Awarded
$24,200
Avg Net Price*
Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. 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 in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k” ranking is part of that endeavor.
Engineering & Applied Physics is the 448th most popular major in the country with 994 degrees awarded in 2020-2021.
Across the Great Lakes region, there were 342 engineering and applied physics graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Applied Physics Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k” ranking analyzed 14 colleges that offered a degree in engineering and applied physics. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great engineering and applied physics programs and cost less that 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.
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 in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.
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. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.
Best Value Applied Physics Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Applied Physics Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k.
Top 14 Best Value Colleges for Engineering & Applied Physics (Income $75-$110k) in the Great Lakes Region
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Northwestern University. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value Applied Physics Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. 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 #1 on our “Best Engineering & Applied Physics Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Northwestern University is $15,686 for Great Lakes Region Applied Physics students whose families make $75-$110k.
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. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Engineering & Applied Physics at Northwestern
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Applied Physics Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is located in Ann Arbor, Michigan and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 21 ’s applied physics degrees to qualified students.
U-M also took the #2 spot in our “Best Engineering & Applied Physics Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend U-M is $17,207 for great lakes region applied physics students whose families make $75-$110k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%.
Read more about Engineering & Applied Physics at U-M
Out of the 14 schools in the Best Value Applied Physics Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Wisconsin - Platteville landed the #3 spot on the list. University of Wisconsin - Platteville is a medium-sized public school situated in Platteville, Wisconsin. It awarded 22 ’s applied physics degrees in 2020-2021.
UW - Platteville not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Engineering & Applied Physics Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Platteville is $17,029 for great lakes region applied physics students whose families make $75-$110k.
Read more about Engineering & Applied Physics at UW - Platteville
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Ohio State University - Main Campus. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Applied Physics Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. 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.
In addition to being on our great lakes region applied physics students whose families make $75-$110k list, Ohio State has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Engineering & Applied Physics Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Ohio State is $21,575 for great lakes region applied physics students whose families make $75-$110k.
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 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 Ohio State Engineering & Applied Physics Report
Out of the 14 schools in the Best Value Applied Physics Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k that were part of this year’s ranking, Oakland University landed the #5 spot on the list. Oakland University is a fairly large school located in Rochester Hills, Michigan that handed out 1 ’s applied physics degrees in 2020-2021.
Oakland did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best Engineering & Applied Physics Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Oakland University is $16,142 for Great Lakes Region Applied Physics students whose families make $75-$110k.
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%.
Full Oakland University Engineering & Applied Physics Report
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Applied Physics Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Champaign, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s applied physics degrees to 74 students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our great lakes region applied physics students whose families make $75-$110k list, UIUC has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Engineering & Applied Physics Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $22,400 for great lakes region applied physics students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on Engineering & Applied Physics at UIUC
University of Wisconsin - Madison ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Applied Physics Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. Madison, Wisconsin is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s applied physics degrees to 1 students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW - Madison, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Engineering & Applied Physics Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UW - Madison is $22,377 for Great Lakes Region Applied Physics students whose families make $75-$110k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. 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%.
Full UW - Madison Engineering & Applied Physics Report
University of Illinois at Chicago landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Best Value Applied Physics Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Chicago, Illinois 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.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UIC, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best Engineering & Applied Physics Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UIC is $19,839 for great lakes region applied physics students whose families make $75-$110k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Engineering & Applied Physics at UIC
Illinois Institute of Technology did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Applied Physics Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #9. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s applied physics degrees to 4 students in 2020-2021.
Illinois Tech not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best Engineering & Applied Physics Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Illinois Institute of Technology is $24,673 for Great Lakes Region Applied Physics students whose families make $75-$110k.
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 1.9% 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 school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Engineering & Applied Physics at Illinois Tech
Case Western Reserve University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Applied Physics Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Located in Cleveland, Ohio, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 5 diplomas to qualified ’s applied physics students in 2020-2021.
Case Western did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best Engineering & Applied Physics Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Case Western is $29,971 for great lakes region applied physics students whose families make $75-$110k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. 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%.
Read full report on Engineering & Applied Physics at Case Western
Miami University - Oxford did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Applied Physics Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #11. Miami University - Oxford is a public institution located in Oxford, Ohio. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 5 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Miami University - Oxford also made our “Best Engineering & Applied Physics Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #12. It costs about $26,704 for great lakes region applied physics students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Miami University - Oxford.
With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.0% 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 more about Engineering & Applied Physics at Miami University - Oxford
Marquette University landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Best Value Applied Physics Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 1 diplomas to qualified ’s applied physics students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our great lakes region applied physics students whose families make $75-$110k list, Marquette has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best Engineering & Applied Physics Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Marquette is $31,499 for great lakes region applied physics students whose families make $75-$110k.
With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Engineering & Applied Physics at Marquette University
Rose - Hulman Institute of Technology did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Applied Physics Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #13. Rose - Hulman Institute of Technology is a small school located in Terre Haute, Indiana that handed out 3 ’s applied physics degrees in 2020-2021.
Rose - Hulman Institute of Technology not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best Engineering & Applied Physics Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $39,401 for great lakes region applied physics students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Rose - Hulman Institute of Technology.
With a freshman retention rate of 90%, 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 1.0% 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 Engineering & Applied Physics at Rose - Hulman Institute of Technology
Kettering University came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Applied Physics Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Kettering University is a small school located in Flint, Michigan that handed out 8 ’s applied physics degrees in 2020-2021.
Kettering did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best Engineering & Applied Physics Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Kettering University is $34,702 for Great Lakes Region Applied Physics students whose families make $75-$110k.
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 undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Engineering & Applied Physics at Kettering University
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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
- *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.
Credits
- Credit for the banner image above goes to NASA.
