2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Physics (Income $0-$30k) in the Southeast Region
Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking - to help you make that decision.
In 2019-2020, 14,123 people earned their degree in physics, making the major the 67th most popular in the United States. In 2017-2018, physics graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $42,475 and had an average of $22,421 in loans still to pay off.
Across the Southeast region, there were 2,160 physics graduates with average earnings and debt of $34,400 and $23,843 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,510 physics graduates with average earnings and debt of $36,277 and $25,415 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking analyzed 71 colleges that offered a degree in physics. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent physics programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.
Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the 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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Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.
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Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k
The colleges and universities below are the best for southeast region bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $0-$30k.
Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Physics (Income $0-$30k) in the Southeast Region
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Florida. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Gainesville, Florida, and it awarded 41 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.
UF not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Florida is $1,994 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Physics students whose families make $0-$30k.
The student loan default rate at the school is 2.0%, 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%.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k. UNC Chapel Hill is located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 49 bachelors’s physics degrees to qualified students.
UNC Chapel Hill did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is $4,026 for southeast region bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $0-$30k.
The student loan default rate at the school is 1.9%, 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 students.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Vanderbilt University. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Nashville, Tennessee is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s physics degrees to 9 students in 2019-2020.
Vanderbilt not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #15 on our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Vanderbilt is $3,156 for southeast region bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $0-$30k.
The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. 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 school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Out of the 71 schools in the Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, William & Mary landed the #4 spot on the list. William & Mary is a medium-sized public school situated in Williamsburg, Virginia. It awarded 29 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.
William & Mary did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It costs about $4,711 for southeast region bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend William & Mary.
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 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of South Florida - Main Campus. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of South Florida - Main Campus is a large public school situated in Tampa, Florida. It awarded 41 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our southeast region bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $0-$30k list, USF Tampa has also earned the #19 rank in our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for USF Tampa is $3,950 for southeast region bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $0-$30k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full University of South Florida - Main Campus Physics Report
Florida State University came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Florida State University is a large public school situated in Tallahassee, Florida. It awarded 35 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.
Florida State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Florida State University is $5,360 for southeast region bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low student loan default rate of 3.5% 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%.
University of Central Florida landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UCF is a public institution located in Orlando, Florida. The school has a large population, and it awarded 32 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend University of Central Florida is $6,211 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Physics students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low student loan default rate of 4.2% 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 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
North Carolina State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #8. Raleigh, North Carolina is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s physics degrees to 41 students in 2019-2020.
NC State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for NC State is $7,285 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Physics students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national 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.
Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Atlanta, Georgia is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s physics degrees to 52 students in 2019-2020.
Georgia Tech also took the #5 spot in our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Georgia Tech is $9,162 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Physics students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%.
Read full report on Physics at Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus
Florida International University landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in Miami, Florida, and it awarded 34 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $5,002 for southeast region bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Florida International University.
With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
University of Georgia did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #11. UGA is a public institution located in Athens, Georgia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 9 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
UGA did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It costs about $7,541 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Physics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UGA.
With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 2.5% 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%.
Northern Kentucky University came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Highland Heights, Kentucky is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s physics degrees to 8 students in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for NKU is $4,156 for southeast region bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $0-$30k.
Wake Forest University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #13. Wake Forest University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 9 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Wake Forest University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It costs about $5,250 for southeast region bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Wake Forest University.
With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 1.6% 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%.
With a ranking of #14, University of North Florida did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. UNF is a fairly large public school situated in Jacksonville, Florida. It awarded 12 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $5,097 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Physics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of North Florida.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
With a ranking of #15, University of Virginia - Main Campus did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Charlottesville, Virginia is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s physics degrees to 32 students in 2019-2020.
University of Virginia did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It costs about $8,882 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Physics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Virginia - Main Campus.
The low student loan default rate of 1.6% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
Read more about Physics at University of Virginia - Main Campus
The University of West Florida ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. UWF is a public institution located in Pensacola, Florida. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 8 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend UWF is $4,140 for southeast region bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $0-$30k.
With a ranking of #17, Emory University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Atlanta, Georgia, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 20 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s physics students in 2019-2020.
Emory not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #13 on our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Emory University is $11,468 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Physics students whose families make $0-$30k.
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 low student loan default rate of 1.4% 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 student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Citadel Military College of South Carolina landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Charleston, South Carolina, this small public school awarded 6 degrees to qualified bachelors’s physics students in 2019-2020.
The Citadel not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #24 on our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The yearly cost to attend The Citadel is $7,296 for southeast region bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $0-$30k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Appalachian State University landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Appalachian State is a large school located in Boone, North Carolina that handed out 27 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for Appalachian State is $7,169 for southeast region bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low student loan default rate of 3.9% 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 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Virginia Tech landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Virginia Tech is a public institution located in Blacksburg, Virginia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 75 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Virginia Tech did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Virginia Tech is $11,138 for southeast region bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $0-$30k.
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 low student loan default rate of 1.6% 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%.
With a ranking of #21, University of North Georgia did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This fairly large school is located in Dahlonega, Georgia, and it awarded 25 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $7,650 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Physics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of North Georgia.
With a ranking of #22, Florida Atlantic University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Boca Raton, Florida, and it awarded 9 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for FAU is $6,085 for southeast region bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $0-$30k.
Virginia Military Institute did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #23. Located in Lexington, Virginia, this small public school handed out 12 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s physics students in 2019-2020.
VMI also made our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #12. The estimated yearly cost for Virginia Military Institute is $8,789 for southeast region bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Louisiana State University is a large school located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana that handed out 22 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.
Louisiana State University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College is $8,433 for southeast region bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on Physics at Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College
Marshall University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #25. Huntington, West Virginia is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s physics degrees to 6 students in 2019-2020.
It costs about $5,770 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Physics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Marshall 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
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.
Credits
- Credit for the banner image above goes to A. T. Service.
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