2023 Best Value Colleges for Physics (Income $75-$110k) in the Plains States Region
14
Ranked Colleges
711
Degrees Awarded
$20,900
Avg Net Price*
With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Physics Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k” ranking - to help you make that decision.
Physics is the 68th most popular major in the country with 13,674 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. In 2019-2020, physics graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $42,960 and had an average of $22,756 in loans still to pay off.
Across the Plains States region, there were 711 physics graduates with average earnings and debt of $55,327 and $23,299 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Physics Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k” ranking looked at 14 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in physics. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality physics programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.
When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the physics program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.
One Size Does Not Fit All
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 in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k”.
We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most 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 in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k
The colleges and universities below are the best for plains states region physics students whose families make $75-$110k.
Top 14 Best Value Colleges for Physics (Income $75-$110k) in the Plains States Region
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Iowa State University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Physics Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k. Iowa State University is a large public school situated in Ames, Iowa. It awarded 34 ’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.
Iowa State also took the #2 spot in our “Best Physics Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Iowa State is $17,806 for plains states region physics students whose families make $75-$110k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full Iowa State Physics Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Minnesota - Twin Cities. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Physics Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. Located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, this large public school handed out 94 diplomas to qualified ’s physics students in 2020-2021.
UMN Twin Cities not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Physics Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $18,938 for Plains States Region Physics students whose families make $75-$110k 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%.
Full University of Minnesota - Twin Cities Physics Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Iowa. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Physics Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. University of Iowa is a large school located in Iowa City, Iowa that handed out 37 ’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.
Iowa also took the #4 spot in our “Best Physics Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Iowa is $20,719 for plains states region physics students whose families make $75-$110k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.2% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Read more about Physics at University of Iowa
Out of the 14 schools in the Best Value Physics Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Missouri - Columbia landed the #4 spot on the list. Mizzou is located in Columbia, Missouri and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 27 ’s physics degrees to qualified students.
Mizzou also took the #5 spot in our “Best Physics Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Mizzou is $19,956 for plains states region physics students whose families make $75-$110k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Physics at Mizzou
Out of the 14 schools in the Best Value Physics Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k that were part of this year’s ranking, Wichita State University landed the #5 spot on the list. This fairly large school is located in Wichita, Kansas, and it awarded 8 ’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our plains states region physics students whose families make $75-$110k list, WSU has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best Physics Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $17,903 for Plains States Region Physics students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Wichita State University.
Read more about Physics at Wichita State University
St Olaf College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Physics Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #6. Northfield, Minnesota is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s physics degrees to 14 students in 2020-2021.
St. Olaf also made our “Best Physics Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #3. It costs about $21,334 for Plains States Region Physics students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend St. Olaf.
With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Physics at St. Olaf
University of Minnesota - Duluth landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Best Value Physics Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. UMN Duluth is a medium-sized school located in Duluth, Minnesota that handed out 13 ’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.
UMN Duluth not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Physics Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UMN Duluth is $19,107 for plains states region physics students whose families make $75-$110k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full UMN Duluth Physics Report
With a ranking of #8, Missouri State University - Springfield did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Physics Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. Missouri State University - Springfield is located in Springfield, Missouri and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 10 ’s physics degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our plains states region physics students whose families make $75-$110k list, Missouri State has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Physics Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Missouri State is $17,994 for plains states region physics students whose families make $75-$110k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.9% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Full Missouri State Physics Report
University of Missouri - Kansas City landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Best Value Physics Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. University of Missouri - Kansas City is a fairly large school located in Kansas City, Missouri that handed out 11 ’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our plains states region physics students whose families make $75-$110k list, UMKC has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best Physics Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UMKC is $18,700 for Plains States Region Physics students whose families make $75-$110k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Read more about Physics at University of Missouri - Kansas City
Carleton College came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physics Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Carleton College is located in Northfield, Minnesota and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 19 ’s physics degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Carleton, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best Physics Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Carleton College is $22,868 for Plains States Region Physics students whose families make $75-$110k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.8% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.
Read more about Physics at Carleton
University of Kansas came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physics Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. University of Kansas is a large public school situated in Lawrence, Kansas. It awarded 25 ’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.
KU also made our “Best Physics Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #8. It costs about $22,804 for Plains States Region Physics students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend University of Kansas.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The undergrad 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 University of Kansas
Gustavus Adolphus College landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Best Value Physics Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Gustavus Adolphus is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Saint Peter, Minnesota. It awarded 7 ’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.
Gustavus Adolphus did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best Physics Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Gustavus Adolphus is $25,710 for Plains States Region Physics students whose families make $75-$110k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Physics at Gustavus Adolphus
Winona State University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physics Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Winona, Minnesota is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s physics degrees to 7 students in 2020-2021.
Winona State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best Physics Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Winona State is $18,902 for plains states region physics students whose families make $75-$110k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full Winona State Physics Report
Creighton University ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Physics Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. Creighton University is located in Omaha, Nebraska and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 14 ’s physics degrees to qualified students.
Creighton also made our “Best Physics Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #9. The estimated yearly cost for Creighton is $29,805 for plains states region physics students whose families make $75-$110k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, 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 1.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
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
- *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.
Credits
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