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2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Master’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k

9 Ranked Colleges
73 Degrees Awarded
$31,300 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees*
Best Value Physics Schools for a Master's in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. 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 Physics Schools for a Master’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

Physics is the 67th most popular major in the country with 14,123 degrees awarded in 2019-2020. 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 Illinois, there were 492 physics graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,100 and $21,278 respectively. At the master’s degree level specifically, there were 73 physics graduates with average earnings and debt of $57,267 and $46,814 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Physics Schools for a Master’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking analyzed 9 colleges that offered a degree in physics. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great physics programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.

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

More Ways to Rank Physics Schools

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 Master’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. 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 Physics Schools for a Master’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Physics Schools for a Master’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k.

Top 9 Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Physics (Income $0-$30k) in Illinois

#1

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois
#2 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Northwestern University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Physics Schools for a Master’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k. Northwestern University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Evanston, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 10 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Northwestern, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Physics Master’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Northwestern University are $56,567, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read full report on Physics at Northwestern University

#2

University of Chicago

Chicago, Illinois
#1 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Chicago. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Physics Schools for a Master’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k. This fairly large school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 17 masters’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.

UChicago did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Physics Master’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at University of Chicago are $61,548.

Read more about Physics at UChicago

#3 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Master’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. UIUC is located in Champaign, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 14 masters’s physics degrees to qualified students.

UIUC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Physics Master’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign are $30,083, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Physics Report

#5 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Illinois at Chicago. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Physics Schools for a Master’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k. This large school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 4 masters’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.

UIC also took the #5 spot in our “Best Physics Master’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at UIC are $27,036, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full University of Illinois at Chicago Physics Report

#6 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Southern Illinois University Carbondale. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Physics Schools for a Master’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k. Southern Illinois University Carbondale is a fairly large school located in Carbondale, Illinois that handed out 4 masters’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois master’s degree physics students whose families make $0-$30k list, SIUC has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Physics Master’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Southern Illinois University Carbondale are $32,928, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read full report on Physics at Southern Illinois University Carbondale

#6

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, Illinois
#8 in overall quality

Northern Illinois University came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physics Schools for a Master’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Northern Illinois University is a fairly large school located in Dekalb, Illinois that handed out 9 masters’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.

NIU also took the #8 spot in our “Best Physics Master’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at NIU are $11,086, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full Northern Illinois University Physics Report

#7

Western Illinois University

Macomb, Illinois
#7 in overall quality

Western Illinois University landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Master’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Macomb, Illinois is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s physics degrees to 7 students in 2019-2020.

WIU also made our “Best Physics Master’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #7. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Western Illinois University are $11,996.

Full WIU Physics Report

#4 in overall quality

Illinois Institute of Technology did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Master’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #8. Illinois Institute of Technology is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 4 masters’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.

Illinois Tech also took the #4 spot in our “Best Physics Master’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Illinois Tech are $30,695, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read full report on Physics at Illinois Institute of Technology

#9

DePaul University

Chicago, Illinois

DePaul University landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Master’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. DePaul is a large school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 3 masters’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at DePaul, the school also landed the #0 spot in our “Best Physics Master’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at DePaul University are $19,760, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read full report on Physics at DePaul University

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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