2023 Best Value Colleges for Physics (Income $0-$30k) in the Plains States Region
14
Ranked Colleges
711
Degrees Awarded
$12,200
Avg Net Price*
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 in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking - to help you make that decision.
In 2020-2021, 13,674 people earned their degree in physics, making the major the 68th most popular in the United States. In 2019-2020, physics graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $42,960 and had an average of $22,756 in loans still to pay off.
Across the Plains States region, there were 711 physics graduates with average earnings and debt of $55,327 and $23,299 respectively.
For this year’s “Best Value Physics Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, we looked at 14 colleges that offer 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.
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.
One Size Does Not Fit All
Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Physics Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.
One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important 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 Physics Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k
The colleges and universities below are the best for plains states region physics students whose families make $0-$30k.
Top 14 Best Value Colleges for Physics (Income $0-$30k) in the Plains States Region
Out of the 14 schools in the Best Value Physics Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities landed the #1 spot on the list. Located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, this large public school awarded 94 degrees to qualified ’s physics students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UMN Twin Cities, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Physics Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $7,698 for plains states region physics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Minnesota - Twin Cities.
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 undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% 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 Minnesota - Twin Cities Physics Report
Out of the 14 schools in the Best Value Physics Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Iowa State University landed the #2 spot on the list. Iowa State is located in Ames, Iowa and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 34 ’s physics degrees to qualified students.
Iowa State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Physics Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $9,766 for Plains States Region Physics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Iowa State.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, 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 89%.
Read full report on Physics at Iowa State
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Minnesota - Duluth. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Physics Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k. University of Minnesota - Duluth is a medium-sized school located in Duluth, Minnesota that handed out 13 ’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.
UMN Duluth also took the #7 spot in our “Best Physics Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $7,843 for plains states region physics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Minnesota - Duluth.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full University of Minnesota - Duluth Physics Report
Out of the 14 schools in the Best Value Physics Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Carleton College landed the #4 spot on the list. This small school is located in Northfield, Minnesota, and it awarded 19 ’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Carleton, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best Physics Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Carleton is $6,208 for plains states region physics students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low undergrad 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%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. 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 Physics at Carleton College
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend St Olaf College. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Physics Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k. Located in Northfield, Minnesota, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 14 diplomas to qualified ’s physics students in 2020-2021.
St. Olaf did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Physics Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for St Olaf College is $11,112 for Plains States Region Physics students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.8%, 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 undergraduate students.
Read more about Physics at St. Olaf
University of Missouri - Columbia came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physics Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of Missouri - Columbia is a large school located in Columbia, Missouri that handed out 27 ’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Mizzou, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Physics Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Mizzou is $11,005 for plains states region physics students whose families make $0-$30k.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%.
Read full report on Physics at University of Missouri - Columbia
University of Iowa ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Physics Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Iowa City, Iowa is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s physics degrees to 37 students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our plains states region physics students whose families make $0-$30k list, Iowa has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Physics Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Iowa is $13,554 for Plains States Region Physics students whose families make $0-$30k.
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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Physics at University of Iowa
Wichita State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Physics Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #8. WSU is a fairly large school located in Wichita, Kansas that handed out 8 ’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our plains states region physics students whose families make $0-$30k list, WSU has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best Physics Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend WSU is $11,687 for Plains States Region Physics students whose families make $0-$30k.
Full WSU Physics Report
Missouri State University - Springfield landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Best Value Physics Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Springfield, Missouri, this large public school handed out 10 diplomas to qualified ’s physics students in 2020-2021.
Missouri State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Physics Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $12,381 for Plains States Region Physics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Missouri State University - Springfield.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full Missouri State University - Springfield Physics Report
Gustavus Adolphus College landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Best Value Physics Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Gustavus Adolphus is a private not-for-profit institution located in Saint Peter, Minnesota. The school has a small population, and it awarded 7 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Gustavus Adolphus, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Physics Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Gustavus Adolphus is $15,735 for plains states region physics students whose families make $0-$30k.
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 1.2% 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%.
Full Gustavus Adolphus Physics Report
University of Missouri - Kansas City landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Best Value Physics Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UMKC is a fairly large school located in Kansas City, Missouri that handed out 11 ’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.
UMKC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #13 on our “Best Physics Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend UMKC is $12,724 for Plains States Region Physics students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.7% 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 UMKC Physics Report
With a ranking of #12, University of Kansas did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Physics Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. KU is located in Lawrence, Kansas and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 25 ’s physics degrees to qualified students.
KU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Physics Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Kansas is $15,666 for plains states region physics students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, 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 86%.
Read full report on Physics at University of Kansas
Winona State University landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Best Value Physics Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Winona, Minnesota is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s physics degrees to 7 students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Winona State, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best Physics Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $11,721 for plains states region physics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Winona State University.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full Winona State Physics Report
Creighton University came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physics Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Omaha, Nebraska is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s physics degrees to 14 students in 2020-2021.
Creighton did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Physics Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Creighton is $23,398 for plains states region physics students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, 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 92%.
Full Creighton University 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
- *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
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