2023 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools For Those Making $0-$30k
256
Ranked Colleges
50,306
Degrees Awarded
$4,800
Avg Net Price*
Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Physical Sciences Schools For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.
Physical Sciences is the 19th most popular major in the country with 50,306 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. 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 Making $0-$30k” ranking analyzed 256 colleges that offered a degree in physical sciences. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent physical sciences programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.
Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the physical sciences 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
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 Making $0-$30k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.
You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.
Best Value Physical Sciences Schools For Those Making $0-$30k
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Physical Sciences Schools For Those Making $0-$30k.
Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Physical Sciences (Income $0-$30k)
Out of the 256 schools in the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Stanford University landed the #1 spot on the list. Stanford is a fairly large school located in Stanford, California that handed out 243 ’s physical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our physical sciences students whose families make $0-$30k list, Stanford has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Physical Sciences Schools” ranking. It costs about $1,233 for Physical Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Stanford University.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Full Stanford University Physical Sciences Report
Out of the 256 schools in the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Northwestern University landed the #2 spot on the list. Northwestern is located in Evanston, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 146 ’s physical sciences degrees to qualified students.
Northwestern not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Physical Sciences Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Northwestern University is $245 for Physical Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.
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%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. 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 Northwestern Physical Sciences Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Chicago. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools For Those Making $0-$30k. University of Chicago is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 317 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
UChicago also took the #2 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Schools” ranking. It costs about $2,500 for physical sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UChicago.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 100%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Full UChicago Physical Sciences Report
Out of the 256 schools in the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Johns Hopkins University landed the #4 spot on the list. Johns Hopkins University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Baltimore, Maryland. The school has a large population, and it awarded 244 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Johns Hopkins also took the #4 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Johns Hopkins is $2,084 for Physical Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.
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. 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 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%.
Read full report on Physical Sciences at Johns Hopkins University
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is a large school located in Ann Arbor, Michigan that handed out 347 ’s physical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
U-M did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best Physical Sciences Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is $2,670 for physical sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on Physical Sciences at U-M
Williams College ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Physical Sciences Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Williams College is located in Williamstown, Massachusetts and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 63 ’s physical sciences degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Williams, the school also landed the #20 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Williams is $1,451 for physical sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%. 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.
Read full report on Physical Sciences at Williams
With a ranking of #7, University of Wisconsin - Madison did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. UW - Madison is a large school located in Madison, Wisconsin that handed out 401 ’s physical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
UW - Madison also took the #8 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Schools” ranking. It costs about $3,981 for Physical Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UW - Madison.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 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 more about Physical Sciences at University of Wisconsin - Madison
University of Florida did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #8. University of Florida is located in Gainesville, Florida and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 295 ’s physical sciences degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on this list, UF is in the top on our “Best Physical Sciences Schools” list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The estimated yearly cost for UF is $65 for physical sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%.
Read full report on Physical Sciences at University of Florida
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #9. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a large public school situated in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. It awarded 314 ’s physical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our physical sciences students whose families make $0-$30k list, UNC Chapel Hill has also earned the #23 rank in our “Best Physical Sciences Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UNC Chapel Hill is $3,753 for Physical Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. 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 full report on Physical Sciences at UNC Chapel Hill
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UIUC is a large public school situated in Champaign, Illinois. It awarded 375 ’s physical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
UIUC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Physical Sciences Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is $4,858 for Physical Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.
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 University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Physical Sciences Report
Cornell University came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Cornell is a large school located in Ithaca, New York that handed out 258 ’s physical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
Cornell not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Physical Sciences Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Cornell is $5,244 for physical sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.
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. 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 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%.
Read more about Physical Sciences at Cornell University
Wake Forest University landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Wake Forest University is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. It awarded 49 ’s physical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our physical sciences students whose families make $0-$30k list, Wake Forest University has also earned the #25 rank in our “Best Physical Sciences Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Wake Forest University is $10,401 for physical sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.
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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full Wake Forest University Physical Sciences Report
University of California - Berkeley came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Berkeley, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s physical sciences degrees to 560 students in 2020-2021.
UC Berkeley also made our “Best Physical Sciences Schools” list, coming in at #6. The estimated yearly cost for UC Berkeley is $8,450 for Physical Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.
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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full University of California - Berkeley Physical Sciences Report
University of Minnesota - Twin Cities did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #14. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities is a public institution located in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The school has a large population, and it awarded 343 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
UMN Twin Cities not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #13 on our “Best Physical Sciences Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Minnesota - Twin Cities is $7,698 for physical sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%.
Read full report on Physical Sciences at University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
California Institute of Technology ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Physical Sciences Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Pasadena, California, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 143 degrees to qualified ’s physical sciences students in 2020-2021.
Caltech also claimed a top spot on our “Best Physical Sciences Schools” list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The yearly cost to attend California Institute of Technology is $-539 for physical sciences students whose families make $0-$30k. The negative number means the student will receive more financial aid on average than it costs to attend the school.
The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 3 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 excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Physical Sciences at California Institute of Technology
Purdue University - Main Campus did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #16. 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.
On top of its placing in this ranking, Purdue also did well on our “Best Physical Sciences Schools” list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. It costs about $5,995 for physical sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Purdue University - Main Campus.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Physical Sciences at Purdue University - Main Campus
University of Maryland - College Park ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Physical Sciences Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. College Park, Maryland is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s physical sciences degrees to 267 students in 2020-2021.
UMCP not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #15 on our “Best Physical Sciences Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend UMCP is $6,067 for Physical Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full UMCP Physical Sciences Report
Hunter College landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in New York, New York, and it awarded 150 ’s physical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $396 for physical sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Hunter College.
The undergrad 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 Physical Sciences at Hunter
Indiana University - Bloomington did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #19. 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 in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. It costs about $5,752 for Physical Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend IU Bloomington.
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 3.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Physical Sciences at Indiana University - Bloomington
University of Washington - Seattle Campus did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #20. UW Seattle is located in Seattle, Washington and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 612 ’s physical sciences degrees to qualified students.
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 UW Seattle is $5,194 for physical sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%.
Read full report on Physical Sciences at University of Washington - Seattle Campus
University of California - Los Angeles did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #21. This large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 371 ’s physical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
UCLA did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best Physical Sciences Schools” list. It costs about $9,037 for physical sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UCLA.
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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on Physical Sciences at UCLA
William & Mary did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #22. William & Mary is a medium-sized public school situated in Williamsburg, Virginia. It awarded 120 ’s physical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for William & Mary is $5,972 for Physical Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.
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 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%.
Read full report on Physical Sciences at William & Mary
University of California - San Diego did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #23. La Jolla, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s physical sciences degrees to 598 students in 2020-2021.
UCSD also made our “Best Physical Sciences Schools” list, coming in at #12. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - San Diego is $9,823 for physical sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.
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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on Physical Sciences at University of California - San Diego
University of Virginia - Main Campus ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Physical Sciences Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Virginia is located in Charlottesville, Virginia and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 241 ’s physical sciences degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at University of Virginia, the school also landed the #17 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Virginia - Main Campus is $12,476 for physical sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.
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 0.7% 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 University of Virginia
Florida State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #25. Florida State is located in Tallahassee, Florida and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 216 ’s physical sciences degrees to qualified students.
It costs about $4,950 for Physical Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Florida State.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.8%, 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 95%.
Read full report on Physical Sciences at Florida State
