2026 Best Value General Physical Sciences Schools in Pennsylvania
[General Physical Sciences](/majors/physical-sciences/general-physical-sciences/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 12 schools to find the best return on investment for general physical sciences students.
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2026 Best Value General Physical Sciences Schools in Pennsylvania
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in general physical sciences, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value General Physical Sciences Schools
For return on investment in general physical sciences, no school beat Reading Area Community College this year. Located in the city of Reading, Reading Area Community College is a moderately-sized public university. Students from in state pay about $6,480 in tuition and fees, compared with $12,510 for out-of-state students. General Physical Sciences graduates carry a median of $13,979 in student loans. General Physical Sciences graduates of Reading Area Community College earn a median of $49,248 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
A rank of #2 makes University Of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh Campus one of the best values for general physical sciences. Set in the city of Pittsburgh, University Of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh Campus is a very large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $21,926, while out-of-state students pay about $41,430. General Physical Sciences graduates carry a median of $24,958 in student loans. General Physical Sciences graduates of University Of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh Campus earn a median of $56,926 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $24,958 median debt. Roughly 58% of applicants are accepted.
A rank of #3 makes Villanova University one of the best values for general physical sciences. Villanova University is a large private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Villanova. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $67,776. General Physical Sciences graduates carry a median of $25,000 in student loans. Early-career general physical sciences graduates make about $72,601. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 27%.
Notes and References
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 12 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 1 ranked schools only.
- 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).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
