2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $30-$48k
When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value Physics Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking.
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.
At the doctor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,801 physics graduates with average earnings and debt of $72,680 and $116,043 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Physics Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking analyzed 141 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.
To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the physics program at the school. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
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When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Best Value Physics Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $30-$48k” list to help you make the college decision.
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Best Value Physics Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $30-$48k
The colleges and universities below are the best for doctor’s degree physics students whose families make $30-$48k.
Top 25 Best Value Doctor’s Degree Colleges for Physics (Income $30-$48k)
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Massachusetts Institute of Technology. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $30-$48k list. MIT is a fairly large school located in Cambridge, Massachusetts that handed out 31 doctorate’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.
MIT did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Physics Doctor’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Massachusetts Institute of Technology are $56,719, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Out of the 141 schools in the Best Value Physics Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Stanford University landed the #2 spot on the list. Stanford University is located in Stanford, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 57 doctorate’s physics degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Stanford, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Physics Doctor’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Stanford University are $55,011, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Northwestern University. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $30-$48k list. Northwestern is a private not-for-profit institution located in Evanston, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 5 doctorate’s degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our doctor’s degree physics students whose families make $30-$48k list, Northwestern has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Physics Doctor’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Northwestern University are $56,567, but some majors have different tuition rates.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Harvard University. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Physics Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $30-$48k. Cambridge, Massachusetts is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out doctorate’s physics degrees to 37 students in 2019-2020.
Harvard did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Physics Doctor’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Harvard University are $50,654, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Pennsylvania. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Physics Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $30-$48k. This large school is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 17 doctorate’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.
UPenn did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best Physics Doctor’s Degree Schools” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at UPenn are $41,760.
University of Chicago did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #6. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out doctorate’s physics degrees to 23 students in 2019-2020.
UChicago also took the #3 spot in our “Best Physics Doctor’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Chicago are $61,548, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Columbia University in the City of New York came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physics Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Columbia University in the City of New York is a private not-for-profit institution located in New York, New York. The school has a large population, and it awarded 14 doctorate’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Columbia also made our “Best Physics Doctor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #4. Average graduate tuition and fees at Columbia are $51,194, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Princeton University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physics Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Princeton is located in Princeton, New Jersey and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 15 doctorate’s physics degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Princeton, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best Physics Doctor’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Princeton are $56,470, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
Cornell University ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Physics Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $30-$48k list. Cornell is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Ithaca, New York. It awarded 25 doctorate’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our doctor’s degree physics students whose families make $30-$48k list, Cornell has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Physics Doctor’s Degree Schools” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Cornell University are $30,042.
With a ranking of #10, Dartmouth College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $30-$48k list. Dartmouth College is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Hanover, New Hampshire. It awarded 5 doctorate’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.
Dartmouth not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Physics Doctor’s Degree Schools” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Dartmouth are $58,120.
With a ranking of #11, Johns Hopkins University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $30-$48k list. Johns Hopkins is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Baltimore, Maryland. It awarded 15 doctorate’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.
Johns Hopkins did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best Physics Doctor’s Degree Schools” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Johns Hopkins University are $59,425.
University of Florida ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Physics Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $30-$48k list. UF is a large public school situated in Gainesville, Florida. It awarded 16 doctorate’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.
Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Florida are $30,130, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
Brown University ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Physics Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Providence, Rhode Island, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school handed out 11 diplomas to qualified doctorate’s physics students in 2019-2020.
Average graduate tuition and fees at Brown are $60,363, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Northeastern University ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Physics Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $30-$48k list. Northeastern is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Boston, Massachusetts. It awarded 10 doctorate’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.
Northeastern did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #19 on our “Best Physics Doctor’s Degree Schools” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Northeastern University are $25,558.
University of Michigan - Ann Arbor landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This large school is located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and it awarded 39 doctorate’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.
U-M did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best Physics Doctor’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at U-M are $49,548, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
University of Wisconsin - Madison landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Madison, Wisconsin, this large public school awarded 21 diplomas to qualified doctorate’s physics students in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW - Madison, the school also landed the #24 spot in our “Best Physics Doctor’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Wisconsin - Madison are $25,523, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
Read more about Physics at University of Wisconsin - Madison
Vanderbilt University ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Physics Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Nashville, Tennessee, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 8 degrees to qualified doctorate’s physics students in 2019-2020.
Average graduate tuition and fees at Vanderbilt University are $50,624, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
With a ranking of #18, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $30-$48k list. UNC Chapel Hill is located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 17 doctorate’s physics degrees to qualified students.
Average graduate tuition and fees at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill are $30,248, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
Read full report on Physics at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Wake Forest University ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Physics Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $30-$48k list. 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 1 doctorate’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Wake Forest University are $39,216.
California Institute of Technology did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #20. This small school is located in Pasadena, California, and it awarded 11 doctorate’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.
Caltech also made our “Best Physics Doctor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #11. Average graduate tuition and fees at California Institute of Technology are $56,649, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
Read full report on Physics at California Institute of Technology
With a ranking of #21, Boston College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $30-$48k list. Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out doctorate’s physics degrees to 10 students in 2019-2020.
Average graduate tuition and fees at Boston College are $31,930, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
With a ranking of #22, University of Notre Dame did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $30-$48k list. Notre Dame is a fairly large school located in Notre Dame, Indiana that handed out 17 doctorate’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our doctor’s degree physics students whose families make $30-$48k list, Notre Dame has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best Physics Doctor’s Degree Schools” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Notre Dame are $57,522.
University of Virginia - Main Campus came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physics Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. University of Virginia is a large public school situated in Charlottesville, Virginia. It awarded 9 doctorate’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.
University of Virginia did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #25 on our “Best Physics Doctor’s Degree Schools” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at University of Virginia - Main Campus are $32,394.
Carnegie Mellon University ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Physics Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $30-$48k list. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out doctorate’s physics degrees to 15 students in 2019-2020.
Carnegie Mellon also made our “Best Physics Doctor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #5. Average graduate tuition and fees at Carnegie Mellon University are $47,326, but some majors have different tuition rates.
University of Minnesota - Twin Cities ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Physics Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $30-$48k list. Minneapolis, Minnesota is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out doctorate’s physics degrees to 19 students in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, UMN Twin Cities is also in the top of our “Best Physics Doctor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at University of Minnesota - Twin Cities are $28,845.
Read more about Physics at University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
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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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