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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Physical Sciences (Income $0-$30k) in the Great Lakes Region

59 Ranked Colleges
4,644 Degrees Awarded
$7,900 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor's in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k

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 “Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

In 2019-2020, 52,879 people earned their degree in physical sciences, making the major the 18th most popular in the United States. In 2017-2018, physical sciences graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $38,122 and had an average of $22,339 in loans still to pay off.

Across the Great Lakes region, there were 6,853 physical sciences graduates with average earnings and debt of $40,984 and $22,875 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 4,644 physical sciences graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,075 and $25,381 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, we looked at 59 colleges that offer a degree in physical sciences. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality physical sciences 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 physical sciences program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

More Ways to Rank Physical Sciences Schools

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. 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.

Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Physical Sciences (Income $0-$30k) in the Great Lakes Region

#1

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois
#2 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Northwestern University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k. Northwestern is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Evanston, Illinois. It awarded 44 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

Northwestern not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Northwestern is $1,866 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The impressive 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.

Full Northwestern Physical Sciences Report

#2

University of Chicago

Chicago, Illinois
#1 in overall quality

Out of the 59 schools in the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Chicago landed the #2 spot on the list. UChicago is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 145 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree physical sciences students whose families make $0-$30k list, UChicago has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UChicago is $2,712 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree physical sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 100%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The student loan default rate at the school is 0.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at University of Chicago

#4 in overall quality

Out of the 59 schools in the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor landed the #3 spot on the list. This large school is located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and it awarded 140 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at U-M, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $3,166 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend U-M.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Physical Sciences at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

#3 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Wisconsin - Madison is located in Madison, Wisconsin and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 238 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees to qualified students.

UW - Madison also took the #3 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Madison is $4,367 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 0.8%, 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 more about Physical Sciences at University of Wisconsin - Madison

#5 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a large public school situated in Champaign, Illinois. It awarded 309 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

UIUC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is $5,477 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low 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 UIUC Physical Sciences Report

#6

Purdue University - Main Campus

West Lafayette, Indiana
#11 in overall quality

With a ranking of #6, Purdue University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Purdue University - Main Campus is a public institution located in West Lafayette, Indiana. The school has a large population, and it awarded 152 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Purdue did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Purdue University - Main Campus is $5,483 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree 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 student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at Purdue

#6 in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - La Crosse did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #7. La Crosse, Wisconsin is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s physical sciences degrees to 46 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree physical sciences students whose families make $0-$30k list, UW - La Crosse has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UW - La Crosse is $7,939 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree 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 86%. The 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 UW - La Crosse

#10 in overall quality

Ohio State University - Main Campus came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in Columbus, Ohio, and it awarded 189 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

Ohio State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $8,194 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree physical sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Ohio State University - Main Campus.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Physical Sciences at Ohio State University - Main Campus

#9

Indiana University - Bloomington

Bloomington, Indiana
#19 in overall quality

Indiana University - Bloomington did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #9. This large school is located in Bloomington, Indiana, and it awarded 83 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at IU Bloomington, the school also landed the #19 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Indiana University - Bloomington is $4,969 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 4.3% 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 more about Physical Sciences at Indiana University - Bloomington

#10

Michigan State University

East Lansing, Michigan
#13 in overall quality

Michigan State University ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Michigan State is a large school located in East Lansing, Michigan that handed out 146 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

Michigan State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Michigan State is $6,686 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree 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 91%. The low 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 more about Physical Sciences at Michigan State University

#11

Oberlin College

Oberlin, Ohio
#8 in overall quality

With a ranking of #11, Oberlin College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Oberlin, Ohio, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 33 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s physical sciences students in 2019-2020.

Oberlin not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Oberlin is $9,037 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

The 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 impressive 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.

Full Oberlin College Physical Sciences Report

#12

University of Notre Dame

Notre Dame, Indiana
#7 in overall quality

University of Notre Dame came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Notre Dame, Indiana, and it awarded 44 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

Notre Dame not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $12,498 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree physical sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Notre Dame.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, which is much lower than the national 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.

Full University of Notre Dame Physical Sciences Report

#16 in overall quality

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. SIUE is located in Edwardsville, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 47 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees to qualified students.

SIUE also took the #16 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $8,055 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend SIUE.

Full Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Physical Sciences Report

#14

University of Wisconsin - River Falls

River Falls, Wisconsin
#15 in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - River Falls did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #14. UW - River Falls is a medium-sized school located in River Falls, Wisconsin that handed out 47 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

UW - River Falls did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - River Falls is $8,366 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 2.7% 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 University of Wisconsin - River Falls

#15

University of Wisconsin - Platteville

Platteville, Wisconsin
#17 in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - Platteville came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of Wisconsin - Platteville is a medium-sized school located in Platteville, Wisconsin that handed out 29 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

UW - Platteville also made our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #17. It costs about $12,117 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Platteville.

Full UW - Platteville Physical Sciences Report

#16

University of Wisconsin - Green Bay

Green Bay, Wisconsin
#21 in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - Green Bay came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of Wisconsin - Green Bay is located in Green Bay, Wisconsin and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 16 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees to qualified students.

UW - Green Bay not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #21 on our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $11,337 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UW - Green Bay.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at UW - Green Bay

#17

University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point

Stevens Point, Wisconsin
#25 in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #17. Stevens Point, Wisconsin is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s physical sciences degrees to 20 students in 2019-2020.

UW - Stevens Point also took the #25 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UW - Stevens Point is $11,446 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at UW - Stevens Point

#18

University of Wisconsin - Whitewater

Whitewater, Wisconsin
#22 in overall quality

With a ranking of #18, University of Wisconsin - Whitewater did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Whitewater, Wisconsin, this fairly large public school awarded 29 degrees to qualified bachelors’s physical sciences students in 2019-2020.

UW - Whitewater also took the #22 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Whitewater is $11,868 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree physical sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full UW - Whitewater Physical Sciences Report

Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #19. Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis is a large public school situated in Indianapolis, Indiana. It awarded 82 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $5,052 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend IUPUI.

Read more about Physical Sciences at Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis

#20

Beloit College

Beloit, Wisconsin

Beloit College ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Beloit, Wisconsin, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 41 degrees to qualified bachelors’s physical sciences students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Beloit is $8,574 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree physical sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 10 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 90%. The low student loan default rate of 1.9% 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 Beloit College

#21

University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire

Eau Claire, Wisconsin
#20 in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. UW - Eau Claire is a fairly large public school situated in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. It awarded 74 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree physical sciences students whose families make $0-$30k list, UW - Eau Claire has also earned the #20 rank in our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $11,528 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UW - Eau Claire.

Read more about Physical Sciences at University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire

#22

Ball State University

Muncie, Indiana

Ball State University landed the #22 spot on the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Muncie, Indiana is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s physical sciences degrees to 69 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Ball State is $8,403 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Physical Sciences at Ball State

University of Wisconsin - Parkside landed the #23 spot on the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UW - Parkside is a small public school situated in Kenosha, Wisconsin. It awarded 17 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for UW - Parkside is $6,652 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at UW - Parkside

#24

Grand Valley State University

Allendale, Michigan

Grand Valley State University came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Grand Valley State University is a public institution located in Allendale, Michigan. The school has a large population, and it awarded 54 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend GVSU is $11,578 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low 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 full report on Physical Sciences at Grand Valley State University

University of Illinois at Chicago came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UIC is a large public school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 51 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend UIC is $10,648 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low 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%.

Read more about Physical Sciences at University of Illinois at Chicago

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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

Footnotes

  • *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

  • Credit for the banner image above goes to NASA.

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