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

25 Ranked Colleges
565 Degrees Awarded
$19,600 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor's in the Plains States 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. 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 a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

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 Plains States region, there were 767 physics graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,600 and $24,015 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 565 physics graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,786 and $25,576 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k” ranking, we looked at 25 colleges that offer a degree in physics. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality physics programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the physics program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

One Size Does Not Fit All

The physics school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k”.

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 Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k.

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

Out of the 25 schools in the Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k that were part of this year’s ranking, Missouri University of Science and Technology landed the #1 spot on the list. Rolla, Missouri is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s physics degrees to 16 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Missouri University of Science and Technology, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $16,060 for plains states region bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Missouri University of Science and Technology.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 3.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Physics at Missouri University of Science and Technology

#2

Truman State University

Kirksville, Missouri
#9 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Truman State University. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. This small school is located in Kirksville, Missouri, and it awarded 9 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.

Truman State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Truman State University is $13,624 for plains states region bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $75-$110k.

The low student loan default rate of 3.5% 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 88%.

Full Truman State Physics Report

#3

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, Minnesota

Out of the 25 schools in the Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities landed the #3 spot on the list. UMN Twin Cities is a large public school situated in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It awarded 46 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.

UMN Twin Cities not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend UMN Twin Cities is $19,942 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Physics students whose families make $75-$110k.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low 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%.

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

#4

St Olaf College

Northfield, Minnesota

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend St Olaf College. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. St. Olaf is a small school located in Northfield, Minnesota that handed out 23 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $75-$110k list, St. Olaf has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend St Olaf College is $22,977 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Physics students whose families make $75-$110k.

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

Full St Olaf College Physics Report

#17 in overall quality

Out of the 25 schools in the Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Minnesota - Morris landed the #5 spot on the list. This small school is located in Morris, Minnesota, and it awarded 5 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.

UMN Morris also took the #17 spot in our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Minnesota - Morris is $13,194 for plains states region bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $75-$110k.

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%.

Read full report on Physics at University of Minnesota - Morris

#6

University of Northern Iowa

Cedar Falls, Iowa
#8 in overall quality

University of Northern Iowa landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Cedar Falls, Iowa is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s physics degrees to 14 students in 2019-2020.

UNI did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $17,467 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Physics students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend UNI.

The 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 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Physics at UNI

#12 in overall quality

Iowa State University landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. This large school is located in Ames, Iowa, and it awarded 17 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $75-$110k list, Iowa State has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Iowa State is $17,228 for plains states region bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $75-$110k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Physics at Iowa State University

#8

Kansas State University

Manhattan, Kansas
#6 in overall quality

Kansas State University ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. Kansas State University is located in Manhattan, Kansas and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 21 bachelors’s physics degrees to qualified students.

K -State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend K -State is $19,892 for plains states region bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $75-$110k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Physics at Kansas State University

University of Missouri - Columbia came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. This large school is located in Columbia, Missouri, and it awarded 20 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.

Mizzou also took the #11 spot in our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Missouri - Columbia is $19,595 for plains states region bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $75-$110k.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 3.6% 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%.

Full Mizzou Physics Report

#16 in overall quality

University of Minnesota - Duluth ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. University of Minnesota - Duluth is a fairly large school located in Duluth, Minnesota that handed out 10 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.

UMN Duluth also made our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #16. The yearly cost to attend UMN Duluth is $19,042 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Physics students whose families make $75-$110k.

The low student loan default rate of 3.1% 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 University of Minnesota - Duluth

#25 in overall quality

Northwest Missouri State University landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Northwest Missouri State University is a medium-sized public school situated in Maryville, Missouri. It awarded 2 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.

Northwest also took the #25 spot in our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Northwest is $14,385 for plains states region bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $75-$110k.

Read more about Physics at Northwest

Fort Hays State University ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. Located in Hays, Kansas, this fairly large public school awarded 4 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s physics students in 2019-2020.

FHSU also took the #22 spot in our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $14,807 for plains states region bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend FHSU.

Read full report on Physics at Fort Hays State University

#13

University of Missouri - St Louis

Saint Louis, Missouri
#19 in overall quality

University of Missouri - St Louis landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. University of Missouri - St Louis is a fairly large school located in Saint Louis, Missouri that handed out 8 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.

UMSL also took the #19 spot in our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $14,557 for plains states region bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend University of Missouri - St Louis.

Full University of Missouri - St Louis Physics Report

#10 in overall quality

South Dakota School of Mines and Technology ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. SD Mines is a small public school situated in Rapid City, South Dakota. It awarded 6 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $75-$110k list, SD Mines has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend South Dakota School of Mines and Technology is $21,246 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Physics students whose families make $75-$110k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Physics at SD Mines

#15

Concordia College at Moorhead

Moorhead, Minnesota
#7 in overall quality

Concordia College at Moorhead landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. This small school is located in Moorhead, Minnesota, and it awarded 5 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $75-$110k list, Concordia College Moorhead has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Concordia College at Moorhead is $23,902 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Physics students whose families make $75-$110k.

The low student loan default rate of 2.5% 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 Concordia College Moorhead

#16

Wichita State University

Wichita, Kansas
#24 in overall quality

Wichita State University came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. WSU is a fairly large school located in Wichita, Kansas that handed out 7 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.

WSU also took the #24 spot in our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend WSU is $16,620 for plains states region bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $75-$110k.

Full Wichita State University Physics Report

#23 in overall quality

Missouri State University - Springfield ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. Missouri State is a large public school situated in Springfield, Missouri. It awarded 6 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Missouri State, the school also landed the #23 spot in our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Missouri State is $18,298 for plains states region bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $75-$110k.

Read more about Physics at Missouri State

#18

University of Missouri - Kansas City

Kansas City, Missouri
#21 in overall quality

With a ranking of #18, University of Missouri - Kansas City did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. Located in Kansas City, Missouri, this fairly large public school awarded 13 degrees to qualified bachelors’s physics students in 2019-2020.

UMKC also took the #21 spot in our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Missouri - Kansas City is $17,241 for plains states region bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $75-$110k.

Read full report on Physics at UMKC

#19

Hamline University

Saint Paul, Minnesota
#13 in overall quality

Hamline University ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. This small school is located in Saint Paul, Minnesota, and it awarded 2 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.

Hamline not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #13 on our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Hamline is $22,880 for plains states region bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $75-$110k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Physics at Hamline

#20

University of Kansas

Lawrence, Kansas
#15 in overall quality

University of Kansas landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. University of Kansas is a public institution located in Lawrence, Kansas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 9 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

KU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $20,981 for plains states region bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend KU.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full University of Kansas Physics Report

#21

Bethel University Minnesota

Saint Paul, Minnesota

Bethel University Minnesota did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #21. Saint Paul, Minnesota is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s physics degrees to 18 students in 2019-2020.

Bethel University Minnesota also made our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #4. The estimated yearly cost for Bethel University Minnesota is $24,638 for plains states region bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $75-$110k.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 3.0% 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%.

Full Bethel University Minnesota Physics Report

#22

Luther College

Decorah, Iowa
#5 in overall quality

Luther College landed the #22 spot on the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. This small school is located in Decorah, Iowa, and it awarded 6 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $75-$110k list, Luther has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Luther College is $24,393 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Physics students whose families make $75-$110k.

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%.

Read full report on Physics at Luther College

#23

Gustavus Adolphus College

Saint Peter, Minnesota

Gustavus Adolphus College landed the #23 spot on the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Gustavus Adolphus College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Saint Peter, Minnesota. The school has a small population, and it awarded 10 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Gustavus Adolphus, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Gustavus Adolphus College is $20,755 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Physics students whose families make $75-$110k.

With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Physics at Gustavus Adolphus

#24

Augsburg University

Minneapolis, Minnesota

Augsburg University ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. Augsburg University is a small school located in Minneapolis, Minnesota that handed out 3 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $75-$110k list, Augsburg has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $25,370 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Physics students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Augsburg University.

Read full report on Physics at Augsburg

#25

Creighton University

Omaha, Nebraska
#20 in overall quality

Creighton University came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Omaha, Nebraska is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s physics degrees to 3 students in 2019-2020.

Creighton also took the #20 spot in our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Creighton University is $30,636 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Physics students whose families make $75-$110k.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Creighton 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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