2023 Best Value Physics Schools For Those Making $30-$48k
222
Ranked Colleges
13,674
Degrees Awarded
$6,600
Avg Net Price*
With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Physics Schools For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.
Physics is the 68th most popular major in the country with 13,674 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. 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.
For this year’s “Best Value Physics Schools For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking, we looked at 222 colleges that offer a degree in physics. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality physics programs that also have a lower cost than 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. 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 For Those Making $30-$48k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.
You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.
Best Value Physics Schools For Those Making $30-$48k
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Physics Schools For Those Making $30-$48k.
Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Physics (Income $30-$48k)
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Stanford University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Physics Schools For Those Making $30-$48k. This fairly large school is located in Stanford, California, and it awarded 85 ’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our physics students whose families make $30-$48k list, Stanford has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Physics Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Stanford is $1,581 for Physics students whose families make $30-$48k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.5% 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%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. 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 more about Physics at Stanford University
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 Those Making $30-$48k. UChicago is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 102 ’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.
UChicago not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Physics Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for UChicago is $4,777 for physics students whose families make $30-$48k.
With a freshman retention rate of 100%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Read more about Physics at University of Chicago
Out of the 222 schools in the Best Value Physics Schools For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Northwestern University landed the #3 spot on the list. Northwestern is located in Evanston, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 47 ’s physics degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our physics students whose families make $30-$48k list, Northwestern has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Physics Schools” ranking. It costs about $917 for physics students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Northwestern.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.6% 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 undergraduate students. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.
Read full report on Physics at Northwestern
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Williams College. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Physics Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Williamstown, Massachusetts is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s physics degrees to 19 students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our physics students whose families make $30-$48k list, Williams has also earned the #20 rank in our “Best Physics Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Williams is $5,480 for Physics students whose families make $30-$48k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%. 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.
Read more about Physics at Williams
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Physics Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is a large school located in Ann Arbor, Michigan that handed out 118 ’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our physics students whose families make $30-$48k list, U-M has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Physics Schools” ranking. It costs about $5,670 for physics students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor.
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 low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.3% 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 Physics at U-M
California Institute of Technology landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Best Value Physics Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Caltech is a private not-for-profit institution located in Pasadena, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 52 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
On top of its placing in this ranking, Caltech also did well on our “Best Physics Schools” list. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. It costs about $12,190 for physics students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Caltech.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 3 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Full California Institute of Technology Physics Report
University of Wisconsin - Madison did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Physics Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #7. University of Wisconsin - Madison is a large public school situated in Madison, Wisconsin. It awarded 144 ’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW - Madison, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Physics Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UW - Madison is $4,788 for Physics students whose families make $30-$48k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full University of Wisconsin - Madison Physics Report
Johns Hopkins University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Physics Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #8. Baltimore, Maryland is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s physics degrees to 60 students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our physics students whose families make $30-$48k list, Johns Hopkins has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Physics Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Johns Hopkins University is $4,859 for Physics students whose families make $30-$48k.
The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. 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 full report on Physics at Johns Hopkins
Cornell University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Physics Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #9. Ithaca, New York is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s physics degrees to 96 students in 2020-2021.
Cornell not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best Physics Schools” list. It costs about $5,133 for physics students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Cornell University.
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 impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. 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 Cornell Physics Report
Wake Forest University landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Best Value Physics Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Winston-Salem, North Carolina is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s physics degrees to 17 students in 2020-2021.
Wake Forest University also claimed a top spot on our “Best Physics Schools” list. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. It costs about $5,612 for physics students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Wake Forest University.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on Physics at Wake Forest University
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Best Value Physics Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Chapel Hill, North Carolina is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s physics degrees to 57 students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, UNC Chapel Hill is also in the top of our “Best Physics Schools” ranking. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The yearly cost to attend UNC Chapel Hill is $5,729 for physics students whose families make $30-$48k.
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 school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Physics at UNC Chapel Hill
University of Minnesota - Twin Cities landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Best Value Physics Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities is a large school located in Minneapolis, Minnesota that handed out 94 ’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.
UMN Twin Cities also made our “Best Physics Schools” list, coming in at #9. It costs about $8,609 for Physics students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Minnesota - Twin Cities.
With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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
University of Washington - Seattle Campus came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physics Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. UW Seattle is a public institution located in Seattle, Washington. The school has a large population, and it awarded 262 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
UW Seattle not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #18 on our “Best Physics Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Washington - Seattle Campus is $6,399 for Physics students whose families make $30-$48k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.1% 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 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Physics at University of Washington - Seattle Campus
University of Florida did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Physics Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #14. This large school is located in Gainesville, Florida, and it awarded 58 ’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend UF is $2,857 for physics students whose families make $30-$48k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full UF Physics Report
Purdue University - Main Campus came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physics Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This large school is located in West Lafayette, Indiana, and it awarded 78 ’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Purdue is also in the top of our “Best Physics Schools” ranking. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our “Best Physics Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Purdue University - Main Campus is $5,853 for Physics students whose families make $30-$48k.
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 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Physics at Purdue
University of California - Berkeley came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physics Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. UC Berkeley is a large school located in Berkeley, California that handed out 197 ’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.
UC Berkeley also took the #11 spot in our “Best Physics Schools” ranking. It costs about $9,999 for physics students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of California - Berkeley.
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 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Physics at University of California - Berkeley
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Physics Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #17. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a large public school situated in Champaign, Illinois. It awarded 106 ’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.
UIUC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best Physics Schools” list. It costs about $8,036 for physics students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, 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 94%.
Read full report on Physics at UIUC
William & Mary came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physics Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. William & Mary is a medium-sized public school situated in Williamsburg, Virginia. It awarded 38 ’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $7,507 for Physics students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend William & Mary.
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 0.7% 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 William & Mary Physics Report
University of California - Los Angeles landed the #19 spot on the 2023 Best Value Physics Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 123 ’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCLA, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best Physics Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UCLA is $9,891 for physics students whose families make $30-$48k.
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 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Physics at UCLA
Indiana University - Bloomington did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Physics Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #20. Indiana University - Bloomington is a large public school situated in Bloomington, Indiana. It awarded 40 ’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend Indiana University - Bloomington is $7,061 for physics students whose families make $30-$48k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full IU Bloomington Physics Report
Florida State University landed the #21 spot on the 2023 Best Value Physics Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This large school is located in Tallahassee, Florida, and it awarded 62 ’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Florida State is also in the top of our “Best Physics Schools” ranking. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our “Best Physics Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Florida State University is $7,349 for physics students whose families make $30-$48k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.8% 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%.
Full Florida State University Physics Report
University of California - San Diego came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physics Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. UCSD is a public institution located in La Jolla, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 82 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
UCSD did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best Physics Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for UCSD is $11,176 for physics students whose families make $30-$48k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, 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 Physics at University of California - San Diego
University of Arizona came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physics Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. University of Arizona is located in Tucson, Arizona and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 162 ’s physics degrees to qualified students.
University of Arizona not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Physics Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Arizona is $10,160 for physics students whose families make $30-$48k.
With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full University of Arizona Physics Report
Ohio State University - Main Campus landed the #24 spot on the 2023 Best Value Physics Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Columbus, Ohio, this large public school awarded 114 diplomas to qualified ’s physics students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Ohio State, the school also landed the #21 spot in our “Best Physics Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Ohio State University - Main Campus is $8,581 for Physics students whose families make $30-$48k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, 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 94%.
Read full report on Physics at Ohio State University - Main Campus
With a ranking of #25, University of South Florida - Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Physics Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. USF Tampa is located in Tampa, Florida and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 48 ’s physics degrees to qualified students.
The estimated yearly cost for USF Tampa is $5,632 for physics students whose families make $30-$48k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Physics at USF Tampa
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