2023 Best Value Colleges for Physics (Income $48-$75k)
222
Ranked Colleges
13,674
Degrees Awarded
It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value Physics Schools For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking is part of that endeavor.
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.
This year’s “Best Value Physics Schools For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking looked at 222 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. 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 $48-$75k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.
In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique 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 $48-$75k
The colleges and universities below are the best for physics students whose families make $48-$75k.
Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Physics (Income $48-$75k)
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 $48-$75k. Located in Stanford, California, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 85 diplomas to qualified ’s physics students in 2020-2021.
Stanford also took the #1 spot in our “Best Physics Schools” ranking. It costs about $7,081 for Physics students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Stanford University.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.5%, 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 86%. 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.
Read full report on Physics at Stanford University
Out of the 222 schools in the Best Value Physics Schools For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, Northwestern University landed the #2 spot on the list. Northwestern University is located in Evanston, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 47 ’s physics degrees to qualified students.
Northwestern also took the #3 spot in our “Best Physics Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Northwestern University is $5,849 for physics students whose families make $48-$75k.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. 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 University
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Chicago. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Physics Schools For Those Making $48-$75k. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 102 diplomas to qualified ’s physics students in 2020-2021.
UChicago not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Physics Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Chicago is $8,375 for physics students whose families make $48-$75k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 100%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.0% 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%. 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 full report on Physics at UChicago
Out of the 222 schools in the Best Value Physics Schools For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, Johns Hopkins University landed the #4 spot on the list. Located in Baltimore, Maryland, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 60 degrees to qualified ’s physics students in 2020-2021.
Johns Hopkins did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Physics Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Johns Hopkins is $8,457 for physics students whose families make $48-$75k.
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%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%.
Read full report on Physics at Johns Hopkins
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Williams College. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Physics Schools For Those Making $48-$75k. Located in Williamstown, Massachusetts, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 19 degrees to qualified ’s physics students in 2020-2021.
Williams also made our “Best Physics Schools” list, coming in at #20. It costs about $5,576 for Physics students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Williams College.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%. 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.
Full Williams Physics Report
With a ranking of #6, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Physics Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is a public institution located in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The school has a large population, and it awarded 118 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
U-M not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Physics Schools” list. It costs about $10,481 for physics students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend U-M.
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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full University of Michigan - Ann Arbor Physics Report
With a ranking of #7, University of Washington - Seattle Campus did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Physics Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. Seattle, Washington is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s physics degrees to 262 students in 2020-2021.
UW Seattle did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best Physics Schools” list. It costs about $8,393 for Physics students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of Washington - Seattle Campus.
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 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%.
Read full report on Physics at UW Seattle
With a ranking of #8, Cornell University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Physics Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. Cornell University is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Ithaca, New York. It awarded 96 ’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.
Cornell not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best Physics Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Cornell University is $9,785 for physics students whose families make $48-$75k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.9% 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%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%.
Read full report on Physics at Cornell University
With a ranking of #9, California Institute of Technology did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Physics Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. Caltech is located in Pasadena, California and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 52 ’s physics degrees to qualified students.
Caltech 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. The yearly cost to attend Caltech is $9,755 for Physics students whose families make $48-$75k.
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. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full California Institute of Technology Physics Report
With a ranking of #10, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Physics Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. UMN Twin Cities is a public institution located in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The school has a large population, and it awarded 94 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UMN Twin Cities, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Physics Schools” ranking. It costs about $12,911 for Physics students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UMN Twin Cities.
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%. 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 full report on Physics at University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Purdue University - Main Campus ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Physics Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. Purdue University - Main Campus is a large public school situated in West Lafayette, Indiana. It awarded 78 ’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.
Purdue 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 $8,450 for Physics students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Purdue.
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 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%.
Read more about Physics at Purdue University - Main Campus
University of Wisconsin - Madison did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Physics Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #12. Madison, Wisconsin is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s physics degrees to 144 students 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 estimated yearly cost for UW - Madison is $10,364 for physics students whose families make $48-$75k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.9% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Physics at UW - Madison
With a ranking of #13, University of California - Berkeley did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Physics Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. University of California - Berkeley is a large public school situated in Berkeley, California. It awarded 197 ’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Berkeley, the school also landed the #11 spot in our “Best Physics Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Berkeley is $13,423 for physics students whose families make $48-$75k.
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 North Carolina at Chapel Hill did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Physics Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #14. 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.
UNC Chapel Hill also claimed a top spot on our “Best Physics Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our “Best Physics Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is $11,619 for physics students whose families make $48-$75k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, 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 95%.
Full UNC Chapel Hill Physics Report
University of Florida landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Best Value Physics Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Gainesville, Florida is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s physics degrees to 58 students in 2020-2021.
It costs about $8,394 for physics students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UF.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, 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%.
Read more about Physics at University of Florida
With a ranking of #16, University of California - Los Angeles did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Physics Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. University of California - Los Angeles is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 123 ’s physics degrees to qualified students.
UCLA not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best Physics Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for UCLA is $12,644 for Physics students whose families make $48-$75k.
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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Physics at University of California - Los Angeles
Wake Forest University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Physics Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #17. 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 17 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on this list, Wake Forest University is in the top on our “Best Physics Schools” list. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. The estimated yearly cost for Wake Forest University is $10,228 for Physics students whose families make $48-$75k.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%.
Read more about Physics at Wake Forest University
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physics Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. 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 also made our “Best Physics Schools” list, coming in at #16. It costs about $11,505 for Physics students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.3%, 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 94%.
Full University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Physics Report
Florida State University came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physics Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This large school is located in Tallahassee, Florida, and it awarded 62 ’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on this list, Florida State is in the top on our “Best Physics Schools” list. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. The estimated yearly cost for Florida State is $11,506 for Physics students whose families make $48-$75k.
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%.
Read full report on Physics at Florida State University
University of California - San Diego did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Physics Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #20. University of California - San Diego is a large public school situated in La Jolla, California. It awarded 82 ’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.
UCSD also took the #17 spot in our “Best Physics Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of California - San Diego is $14,310 for physics students whose families make $48-$75k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full UCSD Physics Report
University of Arizona came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physics Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. University of Arizona is a large school located in Tucson, Arizona that handed out 162 ’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.
University of Arizona also took the #10 spot in our “Best Physics Schools” ranking. It costs about $13,644 for physics students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of Arizona.
With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Physics at University of Arizona
University of California - Irvine came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physics Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Irvine, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s physics degrees to 122 students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our physics students whose families make $48-$75k list, UC Irvine has also earned the #23 rank in our “Best Physics Schools” ranking. It costs about $13,275 for Physics students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of California - Irvine.
With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Physics at University of California - Irvine
Ohio State University - Main Campus came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physics Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in Columbus, Ohio, this large public school awarded 114 diplomas to qualified ’s physics students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our physics students whose families make $48-$75k list, Ohio State has also earned the #21 rank in our “Best Physics Schools” ranking. It costs about $13,273 for Physics students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Ohio State.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, 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 more about Physics at Ohio State University - Main Campus
With a ranking of #24, University of California - Santa Barbara did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Physics Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. UCSB is a public institution located in Santa Barbara, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 199 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
UCSB did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best Physics Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Santa Barbara is $14,583 for physics students whose families make $48-$75k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Physics at University of California - Santa Barbara
Brigham Young University - Idaho ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Physics Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. BYU - I is a large school located in Rexburg, Idaho that handed out 15 ’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for Brigham Young University - Idaho is $5,422 for Physics students whose families make $48-$75k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full Brigham Young University - Idaho Physics Report
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