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2023 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools For Those Getting Aid

256 Ranked Colleges
50,306 Degrees Awarded
$11,800 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Physical Sciences Schools For Those Getting Aid

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Physical Sciences Schools For Those Getting Aid” ranking - to help you make that decision.

In 2020-2021, 50,306 people earned their degree in physical sciences, making the major the 19th most popular in the United States. In 2019-2020, physical sciences graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $39,880 and had an average of $22,620 in loans still to pay off.

This year’s “Best Value Physical Sciences Schools For Those Getting Aid” ranking looked at 256 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in physical sciences. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great physical sciences programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the physical sciences program at the school. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

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Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Physical Sciences Schools For Those Getting Aid” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

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. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

Best Value Physical Sciences Schools For Those Getting Aid

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Physical Sciences Schools For Those Getting Aid.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Physical Sciences (With Aid)

1
Stanford crest
Stanford University
Stanford, California

Out of the 256 schools in the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Stanford University landed the #1 spot on the list. Located in Stanford, California, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 243 diplomas to qualified ’s physical sciences students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our physical sciences students with aid list, Stanford has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Physical Sciences Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Stanford University is $12,894 for Physical Sciences students with aid.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. 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%.

Read more about Physical Sciences at Stanford University

2

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools For Those Getting Aid. Located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, this large public school awarded 314 degrees to qualified ’s physical sciences students in 2020-2021.

UNC Chapel Hill did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #23 on our “Best Physical Sciences Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is $12,469 for physical sciences students with aid.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.4% 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%.

Read more about Physical Sciences at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

3

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Washington - Seattle Campus. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools For Those Getting Aid. This large school is located in Seattle, Washington, and it awarded 612 ’s physical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

UW Seattle did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #22 on our “Best Physical Sciences Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Washington - Seattle Campus is $12,017 for physical sciences students with aid.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.1%, 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 93%.

Read more about Physical Sciences at UW Seattle

4
Middlesex County College crest
Middlesex County College
Edison, New Jersey

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Middlesex County College. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools For Those Getting Aid list. Edison, New Jersey is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s physical sciences degrees to 207 students in 2020-2021.

It costs about $9,950 for Physical Sciences students with aid per year to attend Middlesex County College.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at Middlesex County College

5
Hunter crest
Hunter College
New York, New York

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Hunter College. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools For Those Getting Aid list. Located in New York, New York, this large public school awarded 150 diplomas to qualified ’s physical sciences students in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Hunter is $2,158 for physical sciences students with aid.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Physical Sciences at Hunter

6
UF crest
University of Florida
Gainesville, Florida

University of Florida came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. This large school is located in Gainesville, Florida, and it awarded 295 ’s physical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

On top of its placing in this ranking, UF also did well on our “Best Physical Sciences Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our “Best Physical Sciences Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend UF is $5,135 for physical sciences students with aid.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full UF Physical Sciences Report

7

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Physical Sciences Schools For Those Getting Aid list. This large school is located in Champaign, Illinois, and it awarded 375 ’s physical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UIUC, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UIUC is $14,321 for physical sciences students with aid.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.3% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full UIUC Physical Sciences Report

8

University of California - San Diego ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Physical Sciences Schools For Those Getting Aid list. UCSD is located in La Jolla, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 598 ’s physical sciences degrees to qualified students.

UCSD did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best Physical Sciences Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for UCSD is $15,240 for physical sciences students with aid.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Physical Sciences at University of California - San Diego

9

The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #9. Edinburg, Texas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s physical sciences degrees to 86 students in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley is $3,743 for Physical Sciences students with aid.

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 Physical Sciences at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley

10
Purdue crest
Purdue University - Main Campus
West Lafayette, Indiana

Purdue University - Main Campus came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. West Lafayette, Indiana is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s physical sciences degrees to 274 students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Purdue is also in the top of our “Best Physical Sciences Schools” ranking. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. The yearly cost to attend Purdue is $13,377 for Physical Sciences students with aid.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Purdue Physical Sciences Report

11

With a ranking of #11, California State University - Los Angeles did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools For Those Getting Aid list. This large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 63 ’s physical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend California State University - Los Angeles is $3,302 for Physical Sciences students with aid.

The low undergrad 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%.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at Cal State LA

12

University of Wisconsin - Madison ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Physical Sciences Schools For Those Getting Aid list. University of Wisconsin - Madison is located in Madison, Wisconsin and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 401 ’s physical sciences degrees to qualified students.

UW - Madison did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Physical Sciences Schools” list. It costs about $17,234 for Physical Sciences students with aid per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.9% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at University of Wisconsin - Madison

13

University of California - Los Angeles came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s physical sciences degrees to 371 students in 2020-2021.

UCLA not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best Physical Sciences Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for UCLA is $15,023 for physical sciences students with aid.

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 undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at University of California - Los Angeles

14

University of California - Santa Barbara came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. This large school is located in Santa Barbara, California, and it awarded 400 ’s physical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

UCSB did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Physical Sciences Schools” list. It costs about $16,252 for physical sciences students with aid per year to attend University of California - Santa Barbara.

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 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at University of California - Santa Barbara

15

With a ranking of #15, The University of Texas at Austin did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools For Those Getting Aid list. The University of Texas at Austin is a large public school situated in Austin, Texas. It awarded 351 ’s physical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

UT Austin did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #21 on our “Best Physical Sciences Schools” list. It costs about $18,350 for Physical Sciences students with aid per year to attend UT Austin.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 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.

Read more about Physical Sciences at UT Austin

16

With a ranking of #16, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, this large public school awarded 347 diplomas to qualified ’s physical sciences students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our physical sciences students with aid list, U-M has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best Physical Sciences Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend U-M is $14,878 for Physical Sciences students with aid.

With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.3% 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 University of Michigan - Ann Arbor Physical Sciences Report

17
CCNY crest
The City College of New York
New York, New York

The City College of New York came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. This fairly large school is located in New York, New York, and it awarded 55 ’s physical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for The City College of New York is $2,805 for physical sciences students with aid.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at The City College of New York

18

University of California - Berkeley came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Berkeley, California, this large public school awarded 560 degrees to qualified ’s physical sciences students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Berkeley, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Schools” ranking. It costs about $16,032 for physical sciences students with aid per year to attend UC Berkeley.

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 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 full report on Physical Sciences at UC Berkeley

19

University of California - Irvine ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Physical Sciences Schools For Those Getting Aid list. This large school is located in Irvine, California, and it awarded 367 ’s physical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

On top of its placing in this ranking, UC Irvine also did well on our “Best Physical Sciences Schools” list. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. It costs about $12,209 for Physical Sciences students with aid per year to attend UC Irvine.

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 94%.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at UC Irvine

20
UW crest
University of Wyoming
Laramie, Wyoming

University of Wyoming landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Laramie, Wyoming, this fairly large public school handed out 97 diplomas to qualified ’s physical sciences students in 2020-2021.

UW excels when it comes to physical sciences quality. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The estimated yearly cost for UW is $11,085 for physical sciences students with aid.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Physical Sciences at University of Wyoming

21

California State University - Long Beach did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #21. California State University - Long Beach is a public institution located in Long Beach, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 120 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend CSULB is $10,054 for Physical Sciences students with aid.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at California State University - Long Beach

22
IU Bloomington crest
Indiana University - Bloomington
Bloomington, Indiana

Indiana University - Bloomington did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #22. IU Bloomington is a large public school situated in Bloomington, Indiana. It awarded 154 ’s physical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

IU Bloomington also claimed a top spot on our “Best Physical Sciences Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our “Best Physical Sciences Schools” list. It costs about $14,619 for physical sciences students with aid per year to attend IU Bloomington.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.4% 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 IU Bloomington Physical Sciences Report

23

University of South Florida - Main Campus did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #23. Located in Tampa, Florida, this large public school awarded 170 degrees to qualified ’s physical sciences students in 2020-2021.

It costs about $8,346 for Physical Sciences students with aid per year to attend University of South Florida - Main Campus.

With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full University of South Florida - Main Campus Physical Sciences Report

24

Iowa State University came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. This large school is located in Ames, Iowa, and it awarded 129 ’s physical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

Iowa State excels when it comes to physical sciences quality. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The estimated yearly cost for Iowa State is $16,002 for Physical Sciences students with aid.

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

Read more about Physical Sciences at Iowa State

25

With a ranking of #25, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, this large public school awarded 343 diplomas to qualified ’s physical sciences students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our physical sciences students with aid list, UMN Twin Cities has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best Physical Sciences Schools” ranking. It costs about $17,878 for Physical Sciences students with aid per year to attend University of Minnesota - Twin Cities.

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

Read more about Physical Sciences at UMN Twin Cities

Rest of the Best 39 in Best Value Physical Sciences Schools For Those Getting Aid

Not only did these schools make the top 39 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

26
LaGuardia crest
LaGuardia Community College
Long Island City, New York
27
Florida State crest
Florida State University
Tallahassee, Florida
28
29
30
31
UMSL crest
University of Missouri - St Louis
Saint Louis, Missouri
32
33
Lehman crest
Lehman College
Bronx, New York
34
FAU crest
Florida Atlantic University
Boca Raton, Florida
35
UH crest
University of Houston
Houston, Texas
35
Williams crest
Williams College
Williamstown, Massachusetts
37
University of Arizona crest
University of Arizona
Tucson, Arizona
38
University of Virginia crest
University of Virginia - Main Campus
Charlottesville, Virginia
39

Notes and References

References

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