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2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Physics Major in the Great Lakes Region

26 Ranked Colleges
300 Degrees Awarded
$79,371 Avg Salary
Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Physics Major in the Great Lakes Region

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 “Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Physics Major in the Great Lakes Region” ranking is part of that endeavor.

Physics is the 68th most popular major in the country with 13,447 degrees awarded in 2021-2022. In , physics graduates who were awarded their degree in , earned an average of $42,912 and had an average of $22,477 in loans still to pay off.

Across the Great Lakes region, there were 1,684 physics graduates with average earnings and debt of $48,251 and $21,847 respectively. At the doctor’s degree level specifically, there were 300 physics graduates with average earnings and debt of $74,470 and $126,402 respectively.

This year’s “Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Physics Major in the Great Lakes Region” ranking looked at 26 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in physics. The colleges and universities that top this list are recognized because their physics program is one of the largest majors offered at the school.

For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

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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 “Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Physics Major in the Great Lakes Region”.

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. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.

Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Physics Major in the Great Lakes Region

The following schools top our list of the Best “Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Physics Major in the Great Lakes Region”.

Top 25 Most Focused Doctor’s Degree Colleges for Physics in the Great Lakes Region

1
Notre Dame crest
University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, Indiana

Out of the 26 schools in the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Physics Major in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Notre Dame landed the #1 spot on the list. Notre Dame is a private not-for-profit institution located in Notre Dame, Indiana. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 16 doctorate’s degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 98%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Physics at University of Notre Dame

2

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Illinois Institute of Technology. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Physics Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out doctorate’s physics degrees to 6 students in 2021-2022.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. 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 Illinois Institute of Technology

3

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Case Western Reserve University. The school came in at #3 for the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Physics Major in the Great Lakes Region. Case Western is located in Cleveland, Ohio and, has a fairly large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 4 doctorate’s physics degrees to qualified students.

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 0.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read full report on Physics at Case Western Reserve University

4
UChicago crest
University of Chicago
Chicago, Illinois

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Chicago. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Physics Major in the Great Lakes Region list. This fairly large school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 25 doctorate’s physics degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 99%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read full report on Physics at University of Chicago

5

Out of the 26 schools in the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Physics Major in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the #5 spot on the list. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a public institution located in Champaign, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 34 doctorate’s degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%.

Read more about Physics at UIUC

6

University of Toledo landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Physics Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in Toledo, Ohio, this fairly large public school handed out 8 diplomas to qualified doctorate’s physics students in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Toledo Physics Report

7

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor ranked #7 on this year’s Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Physics Major in the Great Lakes Region list. U-M is a public institution located in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The school has a large population, and it awarded 42 doctorate’s degrees in 2021-2022.

With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.2% 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%.

Full U-M Physics Report

8
Michigan State crest
Michigan State University
East Lansing, Michigan

Michigan State University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Physics Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #8. Michigan State is a large public school situated in East Lansing, Michigan. It awarded 23 doctorate’s physics degrees in 2021-2022.

With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.

Full Michigan State Physics Report

9

Air Force Institute of Technology - Graduate School of Engineering & Management ranked #9 on this year’s Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Physics Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Air Force Institute of Technology - Graduate School of Engineering & Management is a small public school situated in Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio. It awarded 2 doctorate’s physics degrees in 2021-2022.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 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 Air Force Institute of Technology - Graduate School of Engineering & Management

10

Michigan Technological University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Physics Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #10. Michigan Tech is located in Houghton, Michigan and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 1 doctorate’s physics degrees to qualified students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Physics at Michigan Tech

11

Ohio State University - Main Campus ranked #11 on this year’s Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Physics Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Ohio State University - Main Campus is a large public school situated in Columbus, Ohio. It awarded 38 doctorate’s physics degrees in 2021-2022.

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 1.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Physics at Ohio State

12

University of Wisconsin - Madison ranked #12 on this year’s Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Physics Major in the Great Lakes Region list. UW - Madison is located in Madison, Wisconsin and, has a large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 16 doctorate’s physics degrees to qualified students.

With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Physics at UW - Madison

13

University of Illinois at Chicago ranked #13 on this year’s Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Physics Major in the Great Lakes Region list. University of Illinois at Chicago is a public institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 11 doctorate’s degrees in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Physics at University of Illinois at Chicago

14
Purdue crest
Purdue University - Main Campus
West Lafayette, Indiana

Purdue University - Main Campus ranked #14 on this year’s Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Physics Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Purdue University - Main Campus is a public institution located in West Lafayette, Indiana. The school has a large population, and it awarded 17 doctorate’s degrees in 2021-2022.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. 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%.

Full Purdue University - Main Campus Physics Report

15

University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Physics Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #15. UWM is a large public school situated in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It awarded 5 doctorate’s physics degrees in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.8% 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 more about Physics at University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee

16

With a ranking of #16, Indiana University - Bloomington did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Physics Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Indiana University - Bloomington is a public institution located in Bloomington, Indiana. The school has a large population, and it awarded 8 doctorate’s degrees in 2021-2022.

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 90%.

Read full report on Physics at IU Bloomington

17
Northwestern crest
Northwestern University
Evanston, Illinois

Northwestern University came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Physics Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Northwestern is a private not-for-profit institution located in Evanston, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 4 doctorate’s degrees in 2021-2022.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 99%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Northwestern University Physics Report

18
WMU crest
Western Michigan University
Kalamazoo, Michigan

Western Michigan University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Physics Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #18. WMU is a fairly large public school situated in Kalamazoo, Michigan. It awarded 9 doctorate’s physics degrees in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad 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%.

Full Western Michigan University Physics Report

19

Southern Illinois University Carbondale came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Physics Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Carbondale, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out doctorate’s physics degrees to 3 students in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.4% 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%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Full SIUC Physics Report

20

With a ranking of #20, University of Cincinnati - Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Physics Major in the Great Lakes Region list. UC is located in Cincinnati, Ohio and, has a large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 6 doctorate’s physics degrees to qualified students.

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 87%.

Read full report on Physics at UC

21

Ohio University - Athens Campus came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Physics Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. This large school is located in Athens, Ohio, and it awarded 7 doctorate’s physics degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Physics at OHIO Athens

22

With a ranking of #22, Northern Illinois University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Physics Major in the Great Lakes Region list. NIU is a public institution located in Dekalb, Illinois. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 6 doctorate’s degrees in 2021-2022.

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%.

Full NIU Physics Report

23

With a ranking of #23, Kent State University at Kent did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Physics Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Kent State is a large public school situated in Kent, Ohio. It awarded 9 doctorate’s physics degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Kent State Physics Report

24
Wayne State crest
Wayne State University
Detroit, Michigan

Wayne State University came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Physics Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Wayne State University is located in Detroit, Michigan and, has a large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 7 doctorate’s physics degrees to qualified students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.5% 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%.

Full Wayne State Physics Report

25
Central Michigan crest
Central Michigan University
Mount Pleasant, Michigan

Central Michigan University ranked #25 on this year’s Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Physics Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Central Michigan University is a public institution located in Mount Pleasant, Michigan. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 1 doctorate’s degrees in 2021-2022.

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%.

Full Central Michigan University Physics Report

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