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2023 Schools Highly Focused on Physics Major in Illinois

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Schools Highly Focused on Physics Major in Illinois

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Schools Highly Focused on Physics Major in Illinois” 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 Illinois, there were 469 physics graduates with average earnings and debt of $48,413 and $21,875 respectively.

For this year’s “Schools Highly Focused on Physics Major in Illinois” ranking, we looked at 32 colleges that offer a degree in physics. That schools that top this list have a program in physics in which the largest percentage of students at the school are enrolled.

Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

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Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Schools Highly Focused on Physics Major in Illinois” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.

Schools Highly Focused on Physics Major in Illinois

The following schools top our list of the Best “Schools Highly Focused on Physics Major in Illinois”.

Top 25 Most Focused Colleges for Physics in Illinois

1
Knox crest
Knox College
Galesburg, Illinois

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Knox College. The school came in at #1 for the Schools Highly Focused on Physics Major in Illinois. Knox is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Galesburg, Illinois. It awarded 6 ’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%.

Read more about Physics at Knox College

2
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Monmouth College
Monmouth, Illinois

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Monmouth College. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Physics Major in Illinois list. This small school is located in Monmouth, Illinois, and it awarded 3 ’s physics degrees in 2021-2022.

The impressive undergraduate 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. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.5% 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 Monmouth Physics Report

3
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Greenville University
Greenville, Illinois

Out of the 32 schools in the Schools Highly Focused on Physics Major in Illinois that were part of this year’s ranking, Greenville University landed the #3 spot on the list. Greenville is located in Greenville, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 2 ’s physics degrees to qualified students.

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 Greenville University Physics Report

4
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Illinois Wesleyan University
Bloomington, Illinois

Out of the 32 schools in the Schools Highly Focused on Physics Major in Illinois that were part of this year’s ranking, Illinois Wesleyan University landed the #4 spot on the list. Illinois Wesleyan University is a small school located in Bloomington, Illinois that handed out 15 ’s physics degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Physics at Illinois Wesleyan University

5
Wheaton College Illinois crest
Wheaton College Illinois
Wheaton, Illinois

Out of the 32 schools in the Schools Highly Focused on Physics Major in Illinois that were part of this year’s ranking, Wheaton College Illinois landed the #5 spot on the list. This small school is located in Wheaton, Illinois, and it awarded 9 ’s physics degrees in 2021-2022.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%.

Read full report on Physics at Wheaton College Illinois

6
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University of Chicago
Chicago, Illinois

University of Chicago ranked #6 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Physics Major in Illinois list. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 124 diplomas to qualified ’s physics students in 2021-2022.

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 impressive undergraduate 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 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%.

Read more about Physics at University of Chicago

7
Illinois College crest
Illinois College
Jacksonville, Illinois

Illinois College landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Physics Major in Illinois ranking. Illinois College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Jacksonville, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 3 ’s degrees in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Illinois College Physics Report

8
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Lake Forest College
Lake Forest, Illinois

Lake Forest College came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Physics Major in Illinois ranking. Located in Lake Forest, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 9 diplomas to qualified ’s physics students in 2021-2022.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The low undergrad 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%.

Read full report on Physics at Lake Forest College

9
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Lewis University
Romeoville, Illinois

Lewis University ranked #9 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Physics Major in Illinois list. Lewis is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Romeoville, Illinois. It awarded 16 ’s physics 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%.

Read full report on Physics at Lewis University

10
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Elmhurst University
Elmhurst, Illinois

Elmhurst University did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Physics Major in Illinois ranking, coming in at #10. Elmhurst is a private not-for-profit institution located in Elmhurst, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 5 ’s degrees in 2021-2022.

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 Elmhurst University

11

Illinois Institute of Technology came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Physics Major in Illinois ranking. Illinois Institute of Technology is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 18 ’s physics degrees in 2021-2022.

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

12

With a ranking of #12, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Physics Major in Illinois list. Champaign, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s physics degrees to 93 students in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.6%, 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%.

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

13
CSU crest
Chicago State University
Chicago, Illinois

Chicago State University did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Physics Major in Illinois ranking, coming in at #13. This small school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 3 ’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%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Full Chicago State University Physics Report

14
North Central crest
North Central College
Naperville, Illinois

North Central College did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Physics Major in Illinois ranking, coming in at #14. North Central College is located in Naperville, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 7 ’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%.

Read more about Physics at North Central

15

Western Illinois University ranked #15 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Physics Major in Illinois list. Western Illinois University is a medium-sized school located in Macomb, Illinois that handed out 7 ’s physics degrees in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.2% 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 Western Illinois University

16
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Northwestern University
Evanston, Illinois

Northwestern University did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Physics Major in Illinois ranking, coming in at #16. Evanston, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s physics degrees to 24 students in 2021-2022.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 99%.

Full Northwestern University Physics Report

17
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Columbia College Chicago
Chicago, Illinois

Columbia College Chicago landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Physics Major in Illinois ranking. Columbia College Chicago is a medium-sized school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 13 ’s physics degrees in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Physics at Columbia

18
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Millikin University
Decatur, Illinois

Millikin University ranked #18 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Physics Major in Illinois list. This small school is located in Decatur, Illinois, and it awarded 0 ’s physics degrees in 2021-2022.

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. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.3% 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 Millikin University Physics Report

19
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Loyola University Chicago
Chicago, Illinois

Loyola University Chicago ranked #19 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Physics Major in Illinois list. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s physics degrees to 10 students in 2021-2022.

With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad 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%.

Full Loyola University Chicago Physics Report

20

Illinois State University landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Physics Major in Illinois ranking. Illinois State is a large school located in Normal, Illinois that handed out 17 ’s physics degrees in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Physics at Illinois State University

21
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Augustana College
Rock Island, Illinois

Augustana College ranked #21 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Physics Major in Illinois list. Located in Rock Island, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 3 diplomas to qualified ’s physics students in 2021-2022.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Augustana Physics Report

22
EIU crest
Eastern Illinois University
Charleston, Illinois

With a ranking of #22, Eastern Illinois University did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Physics Major in Illinois list. This medium-sized school is located in Charleston, Illinois, and it awarded 2 ’s physics degrees 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%.

Full Eastern Illinois University Physics Report

23

With a ranking of #23, University of Illinois at Chicago did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Physics Major in Illinois list. University of Illinois at Chicago is a public institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 28 ’s degrees in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad 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%.

Full University of Illinois at Chicago Physics Report

24
North Park crest
North Park University
Chicago, Illinois

North Park University came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Physics Major in Illinois ranking. North Park is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 0 ’s physics degrees to qualified students.

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%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read more about Physics at North Park University

25

With a ranking of #25, Southern Illinois University Carbondale did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Physics Major in Illinois list. Located in Carbondale, Illinois, this fairly large public school handed out 11 diplomas to qualified ’s physics students in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 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.

Read more about Physics at SIUC

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