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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Physics (Income $75-$110k) in the Great Lakes Region

57 Ranked Colleges
1,215 Degrees Awarded
$18,200 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor's in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

Physics is the 67th most popular major in the country with 14,123 degrees awarded in 2019-2020. 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 Great Lakes region, there were 1,820 physics graduates with average earnings and debt of $41,980 and $21,326 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,215 physics graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,075 and $25,381 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k” ranking analyzed 57 colleges that offered a degree in physics. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great physics programs and 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 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 Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k” 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 Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k

The colleges and universities below are the best for great lakes region bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $75-$110k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Physics (Income $75-$110k) in the Great Lakes Region

#1

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois
#2 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Northwestern University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k. This large school is located in Evanston, Illinois, and it awarded 11 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.

Northwestern did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Northwestern University is $16,784 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Physics students whose families make $75-$110k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 0.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The 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. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Physics at Northwestern

#2

University of Chicago

Chicago, Illinois

Out of the 57 schools in the Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Chicago landed the #2 spot on the list. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 63 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s physics students in 2019-2020.

UChicago also took the #1 spot in our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Chicago is $17,929 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $75-$110k.

With a freshman retention rate of 100%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The low 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%.

Read full report on Physics at UChicago

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. Located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, this large public school awarded 51 degrees to qualified bachelors’s physics students in 2019-2020.

U-M did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $18,039 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Physics students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend U-M.

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 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 University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wisconsin - La Crosse. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. University of Wisconsin - La Crosse is a public institution located in La Crosse, Wisconsin. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 34 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $75-$110k list, UW - La Crosse has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - La Crosse is $16,573 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $75-$110k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%.

Read more about Physics at UW - La Crosse

#5

Beloit College

Beloit, Wisconsin
#24 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Beloit College. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k. Beloit is a private not-for-profit institution located in Beloit, Wisconsin. The school has a small population, and it awarded 9 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Beloit, the school also landed the #24 spot in our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $12,123 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Beloit College.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. 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 90%.

Read more about Physics at Beloit

#6

University of Notre Dame

Notre Dame, Indiana
#6 in overall quality

University of Notre Dame did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #6. Located in Notre Dame, Indiana, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 31 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s physics students in 2019-2020.

Notre Dame not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Notre Dame is $24,392 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Physics students whose families make $75-$110k.

The low 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%. 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 impressive 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.

Read full report on Physics at Notre Dame

#7

University of Wisconsin - River Falls

River Falls, Wisconsin
#13 in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - River Falls did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #7. This medium-sized school is located in River Falls, Wisconsin, and it awarded 20 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.

UW - River Falls also took the #13 spot in our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - River Falls is $16,138 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Physics students whose families make $75-$110k.

The low student loan default rate of 2.7% 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 Wisconsin - River Falls

#8

Purdue University - Main Campus

West Lafayette, Indiana

Purdue University - Main Campus did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #8. West Lafayette, Indiana is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s physics degrees to 38 students in 2019-2020.

Purdue also made our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #14. The yearly cost to attend Purdue University - Main Campus is $18,565 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Physics students whose families make $75-$110k.

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 student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Purdue Physics Report

#9

University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point

Stevens Point, Wisconsin
#18 in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #9. Located in Stevens Point, Wisconsin, this medium-sized public school awarded 8 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s physics students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $75-$110k list, UW - Stevens Point has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UW - Stevens Point is $16,425 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $75-$110k.

Full University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point Physics Report

#10

University of Wisconsin - Whitewater

Whitewater, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - Whitewater did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #10. UW - Whitewater is located in Whitewater, Wisconsin and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 7 bachelors’s physics degrees to qualified students.

UW - Whitewater also took the #16 spot in our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Whitewater is $17,364 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $75-$110k.

Read full report on Physics at University of Wisconsin - Whitewater

With a ranking of #11, University of Wisconsin - Madison did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. UW - Madison is a large public school situated in Madison, Wisconsin. It awarded 61 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.

UW - Madison not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $21,860 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison.

The student loan default rate at the school is 0.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full UW - Madison Physics Report

#12

Saginaw Valley State University

University Center, Michigan

Saginaw Valley State University ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. Saginaw Valley State University is located in University Center, Michigan and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 6 bachelors’s physics degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for Saginaw Valley State University is $16,241 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $75-$110k.

Read more about Physics at Saginaw Valley State University

#13

University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire

Eau Claire, Wisconsin

With a ranking of #13, University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. Located in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, this fairly large public school handed out 18 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s physics students in 2019-2020.

UW - Eau Claire also took the #17 spot in our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $18,196 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire.

Read more about Physics at University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire

University of Wisconsin - Parkside did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #14. Located in Kenosha, Wisconsin, this small public school handed out 6 degrees to qualified bachelors’s physics students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for UW - Parkside is $14,993 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $75-$110k.

Read more about Physics at UW - Parkside

With a ranking of #15, Ohio State University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. Ohio State University - Main Campus is a large school located in Columbus, Ohio that handed out 65 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.

Ohio State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Ohio State University - Main Campus is $21,364 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $75-$110k.

The low student loan default rate of 4.4% 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 94%.

Read full report on Physics at Ohio State

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. UIUC is located in Champaign, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 68 bachelors’s physics degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $75-$110k list, UIUC has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is $21,998 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Physics students whose families make $75-$110k.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Physics at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. SIUE is a public institution located in Edwardsville, Illinois. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 4 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for SIUE is $18,928 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Physics students whose families make $75-$110k.

Read full report on Physics at SIUE

University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, and it awarded 7 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $17,210 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend UW Oshkosh.

Read more about Physics at UW Oshkosh

#19

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, Illinois

Northern Illinois University landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Northern Illinois University is a public institution located in Dekalb, Illinois. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 5 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend NIU is $21,425 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $75-$110k.

Full NIU Physics Report

#20

Indiana University - Bloomington

Bloomington, Indiana

Indiana University - Bloomington came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Indiana University - Bloomington is a large school located in Bloomington, Indiana that handed out 20 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.

IU Bloomington also made our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #20. The yearly cost to attend IU Bloomington is $18,951 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $75-$110k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Physics at Indiana University - Bloomington

#21

Purdue University Fort Wayne

Fort Wayne, Indiana

Purdue University Fort Wayne landed the #21 spot on the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Purdue University Fort Wayne is located in Fort Wayne, Indiana and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 7 bachelors’s physics degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend PFW is $15,968 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Physics students whose families make $75-$110k.

Full Purdue University Fort Wayne Physics Report

Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. Indianapolis, Indiana is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s physics degrees to 5 students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $17,952 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Physics students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis.

Read more about Physics at IUPUI

University of Illinois at Chicago ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. University of Illinois at Chicago is a large public school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 8 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for UIC is $20,270 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $75-$110k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Physics at UIC

#24

Oakland University

Rochester Hills, Michigan

With a ranking of #24, Oakland University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. Rochester Hills, Michigan is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s physics degrees to 6 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Oakland University is $15,424 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Physics students whose families make $75-$110k.

Full Oakland University Physics Report

Southern Illinois University Carbondale landed the #25 spot on the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Southern Illinois University Carbondale is a fairly large school located in Carbondale, Illinois that handed out 7 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Southern Illinois University Carbondale is $20,698 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $75-$110k.

Full SIUC Physics Report

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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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