College Factual  by our College Data Analytics Team
       Unbiased Factual Guarantee

2023 Best Value Physics Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k

14 Ranked Colleges
711 Degrees Awarded
$13,500 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Physics Schools in the Plains States Region 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 in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking.

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.

Across the Plains States region, there were 711 physics graduates with average earnings and debt of $55,327 and $23,299 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Physics Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking looked at 14 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s 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.

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.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Rankings by Degree Other Award Levels
Rankings by Location Check Out Other Locales
More Physics Rankings Other Ranking Categories

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 $30-$48k” 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. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Best Value Physics Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Physics Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k.

Top 14 Best Value Colleges for Physics (Income $30-$48k) in the Plains States Region

1

Out of the 14 schools in the Best Value Physics Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities landed the #1 spot on the list. UMN Twin Cities is a large school located in Minneapolis, Minnesota that handed out 94 ’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.

UMN Twin Cities also took the #1 spot in our “Best Physics Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UMN Twin Cities is $8,609 for plains states region physics students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%.

Read full report on Physics at University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

2

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Iowa State University. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Physics Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k 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.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Iowa State, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Physics Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Iowa State is $11,427 for Plains States Region Physics students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. 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%.

Full Iowa State University Physics Report

3
Carleton crest
Carleton College
Northfield, Minnesota

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Carleton College. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Physics Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k. Northfield, Minnesota 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.

Carleton also made our “Best Physics Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #6. It costs about $13,410 for Plains States Region Physics students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Carleton College.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, 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 0.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Carleton Physics Report

4

Out of the 14 schools in the Best Value Physics Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Minnesota - Duluth landed the #4 spot on the list. University of Minnesota - Duluth is a medium-sized public school situated in Duluth, Minnesota. It awarded 13 ’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UMN Duluth, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Physics Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UMN Duluth is $8,697 for plains states region physics students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%.

Read more about Physics at UMN Duluth

5
St. Olaf crest
St Olaf College
Northfield, Minnesota

Out of the 14 schools in the Best Value Physics Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, St Olaf College landed the #5 spot on the list. St Olaf College is located in Northfield, Minnesota and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 14 ’s physics degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at St. Olaf, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Physics Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend St Olaf College is $11,138 for plains states region physics students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full St. Olaf Physics Report

6

University of Missouri - Columbia ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Physics Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Columbia, Missouri, this large public school handed out 27 degrees to qualified ’s physics students in 2020-2021.

Mizzou not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Physics Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $11,386 for plains states region physics students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Missouri - Columbia.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Mizzou Physics Report

7
Iowa crest
University of Iowa
Iowa City, Iowa

With a ranking of #7, University of Iowa did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Physics Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of Iowa is a public institution located in Iowa City, Iowa. The school has a large population, and it awarded 37 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Iowa not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Physics Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Iowa is $15,508 for Plains States Region Physics students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.2% 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 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full Iowa Physics Report

8
Gustavus Adolphus crest
Gustavus Adolphus College
Saint Peter, Minnesota

Gustavus Adolphus College came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physics Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Gustavus Adolphus is located in Saint Peter, Minnesota and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 7 ’s physics degrees to qualified students.

Gustavus Adolphus also took the #12 spot in our “Best Physics Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $16,445 for Plains States Region Physics students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Gustavus Adolphus College.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%. 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%.

Read full report on Physics at Gustavus Adolphus College

9
WSU crest
Wichita State University
Wichita, Kansas

With a ranking of #9, Wichita State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Physics Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Wichita, Kansas is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s physics degrees to 8 students in 2020-2021.

WSU also made our “Best Physics Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #11. It costs about $12,272 for Plains States Region Physics students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Wichita State University.

Read full report on Physics at Wichita State University

10

With a ranking of #10, Missouri State University - Springfield did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Physics Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Springfield, Missouri is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s physics degrees to 10 students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our plains states region physics students whose families make $30-$48k list, Missouri State has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Physics Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $13,144 for Plains States Region Physics students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Missouri State.

The low undergrad 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%.

Read more about Physics at Missouri State

11

University of Missouri - Kansas City ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Physics Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. UMKC is located in Kansas City, Missouri and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 11 ’s physics degrees to qualified students.

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 $13,751 for plains states region physics students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%.

Read more about Physics at UMKC

12
KU crest
University of Kansas
Lawrence, Kansas

University of Kansas landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Best Value Physics Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. KU is a large public school situated in Lawrence, Kansas. It awarded 25 ’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.

KU also took the #8 spot in our “Best Physics Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Kansas is $16,288 for plains states region physics students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.3% 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 KU

13
Winona State crest
Winona State University
Winona, Minnesota

Winona State University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physics Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Winona State is located in Winona, Minnesota and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 7 ’s physics degrees to qualified students.

Winona State also made our “Best Physics Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #14. It costs about $12,963 for plains states region physics students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Winona State.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Winona State University Physics Report

14
Creighton crest
Creighton University
Omaha, Nebraska

Creighton University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Physics Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #14. Creighton is a private not-for-profit institution located in Omaha, Nebraska. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 14 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Creighton not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best Physics Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Creighton is $24,655 for plains states region physics students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Creighton University Physics Report

Notes and References

References

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

Credits

Popular Reports

College Rankings
Best by Location
Degree Guides by Major
Graduate Programs

Compare Your School Options