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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Physics (Income $48-$75k) in the Southeast Region

71 Ranked Colleges
1,510 Degrees Awarded
$34,400 Avg Salary
Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor's in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. 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 Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k” 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.

Across the Southeast region, there were 2,160 physics graduates with average earnings and debt of $34,400 and $23,843 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,510 physics graduates with average earnings and debt of $36,277 and $25,415 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking, we looked at 71 colleges that offer 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.

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. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

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. 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 a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Physics (Income $48-$75k) in the Southeast Region

#1

Wake Forest University

Winston-Salem, North Carolina
#4 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Wake Forest University. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Wake Forest University is located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 9 bachelors’s physics degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our southeast region bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $48-$75k list, Wake Forest University has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Wake Forest University is $12,004 for southeast region bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 1.6% 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%.

Read full report on Physics at Wake Forest University

#2

Vanderbilt University

Nashville, Tennessee
#15 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Vanderbilt University. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. This fairly large school is located in Nashville, Tennessee, and it awarded 9 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Vanderbilt, the school also landed the #15 spot in our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Vanderbilt University is $8,086 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Physics students whose families make $48-$75k.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full Vanderbilt Physics Report

#3

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, North Carolina

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 49 bachelors’s physics degrees to qualified students.

UNC Chapel Hill also made our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #2. The estimated yearly cost for University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is $11,060 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Physics students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low student loan default rate of 1.9% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%.

Read more about Physics at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

#4

University of Florida

Gainesville, Florida

Out of the 71 schools in the Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Florida landed the #4 spot on the list. UF is a large public school situated in Gainesville, Florida. It awarded 41 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UF, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $8,528 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Physics students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of Florida.

The low student loan default rate of 2.0% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Physics at UF

#5

William & Mary

Williamsburg, Virginia

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend William & Mary. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k. Williamsburg, Virginia is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s physics degrees to 29 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at William & Mary, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend William & Mary is $11,721 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Physics students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low 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%. 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 William & Mary

University of South Florida - Main Campus did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #6. This large school is located in Tampa, Florida, and it awarded 41 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at USF Tampa, the school also landed the #19 spot in our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for USF Tampa is $9,809 for southeast region bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Physics at University of South Florida - Main Campus

#7

University of Virginia - Main Campus

Charlottesville, Virginia

University of Virginia - Main Campus landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. University of Virginia - Main Campus is a public institution located in Charlottesville, Virginia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 32 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

University of Virginia did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Virginia is $14,671 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Physics students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive 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 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Physics at University of Virginia - Main Campus

University of Central Florida came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. University of Central Florida is a large school located in Orlando, Florida that handed out 32 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend University of Central Florida is $11,161 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Physics students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Physics at University of Central Florida

Florida International University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #9. This large school is located in Miami, Florida, and it awarded 34 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $10,298 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Physics students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend FIU.

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

Read more about Physics at Florida International University

#10

The University of West Florida

Pensacola, Florida

The University of West Florida landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. The University of West Florida is located in Pensacola, Florida and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 8 bachelors’s physics degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $7,511 for southeast region bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend The University of West Florida.

Full The University of West Florida Physics Report

#11

Florida State University

Tallahassee, Florida

With a ranking of #11, Florida State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. This large school is located in Tallahassee, Florida, and it awarded 35 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.

Florida State also took the #18 spot in our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $10,583 for southeast region bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Florida State.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.5%, which is much lower than the national 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 Florida State University

Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #12. Georgia Tech is a public institution located in Atlanta, Georgia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 52 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Georgia Tech not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It costs about $15,213 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Physics students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Georgia Tech.

With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus Physics Report

#13

Virginia Military Institute

Lexington, Virginia

Virginia Military Institute did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #13. This small school is located in Lexington, Virginia, and it awarded 12 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.

VMI not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The yearly cost to attend VMI is $10,362 for southeast region bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low 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 VMI Physics Report

#14

University of North Georgia

Dahlonega, Georgia

University of North Georgia ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. This fairly large school is located in Dahlonega, Georgia, and it awarded 25 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend UNG is $11,169 for southeast region bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full University of North Georgia Physics Report

#15

Northern Kentucky University

Highland Heights, Kentucky

Northern Kentucky University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in Highland Heights, Kentucky, this fairly large public school awarded 8 degrees to qualified bachelors’s physics students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $10,039 for southeast region bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend NKU.

Full NKU Physics Report

#16

North Carolina State University

Raleigh, North Carolina

North Carolina State University landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This large school is located in Raleigh, North Carolina, and it awarded 41 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southeast region bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $48-$75k list, NC State has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend North Carolina State University is $15,084 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Physics students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full NC State Physics Report

#17

University of Georgia

Athens, Georgia
#8 in overall quality

University of Georgia landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Athens, Georgia is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s physics degrees to 9 students in 2019-2020.

UGA also took the #8 spot in our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UGA is $14,748 for southeast region bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $48-$75k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.5%, 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 UGA

#18

University of North Florida

Jacksonville, Florida

University of North Florida came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in Jacksonville, Florida, this fairly large public school awarded 12 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s physics students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for University of North Florida is $10,006 for southeast region bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full University of North Florida Physics Report

#19

Citadel Military College of South Carolina

Charleston, South Carolina

Citadel Military College of South Carolina landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. The Citadel is located in Charleston, South Carolina and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 6 bachelors’s physics degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at The Citadel, the school also landed the #24 spot in our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $15,483 for southeast region bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Citadel Military College of South Carolina.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Physics at Citadel Military College of South Carolina

#20

Virginia Tech

Blacksburg, Virginia

Virginia Tech came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Blacksburg, Virginia is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s physics degrees to 75 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Virginia Tech, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Virginia Tech is $19,067 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Physics students whose families make $48-$75k.

The 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 93%.

Full Virginia Tech Physics Report

#21

Augusta University

Augusta, Georgia

With a ranking of #21, Augusta University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. This medium-sized school is located in Augusta, Georgia, and it awarded 3 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Augusta University is $12,274 for southeast region bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full Augusta University Physics Report

#22

West Virginia University

Morgantown, West Virginia

West Virginia University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #22. West Virginia University is a large school located in Morgantown, West Virginia that handed out 12 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $13,220 for southeast region bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend West Virginia University.

Full West Virginia University Physics Report

#23

Marshall University

Huntington, West Virginia

Marshall University landed the #23 spot on the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Marshall University is located in Huntington, West Virginia and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 6 bachelors’s physics degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend Marshall University is $8,488 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Physics students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Physics at Marshall University

#24

Appalachian State University

Boone, North Carolina

Appalachian State University ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Appalachian State is a public institution located in Boone, North Carolina. The school has a large population, and it awarded 27 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Appalachian State University is $13,827 for southeast region bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $48-$75k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The low 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 Appalachian State University

#25

Florida Atlantic University

Boca Raton, Florida

Florida Atlantic University ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. FAU is located in Boca Raton, Florida and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 9 bachelors’s physics degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $11,786 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Physics students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Florida Atlantic University.

Read full report on Physics at FAU

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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.

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