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

85 Ranked Colleges
7,124 Degrees Awarded
$6,100 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor's in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking.

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 Southeast region, there were 9,786 physical sciences graduates with average earnings and debt of $32,824 and $22,572 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 7,124 physical sciences graduates with average earnings and debt of $36,277 and $25,415 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking analyzed 85 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.

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. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

One Size Does Not Fit All

The physical sciences school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k”.

We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.

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

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

#1

University of Florida

Gainesville, Florida
#14 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Florida. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Gainesville, Florida, this large public school handed out 236 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s physical sciences students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southeast region bachelor’s degree physical sciences students whose families make $0-$30k list, UF has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $1,994 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UF.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full UF Physical Sciences Report

#2

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, North Carolina
#5 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a large school located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina that handed out 219 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

UNC Chapel Hill also took the #5 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $4,026 for southeast region bachelor’s degree physical sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UNC Chapel Hill.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%.

Full University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Physical Sciences Report

#3

Vanderbilt University

Nashville, Tennessee
#15 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Vanderbilt University. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Vanderbilt is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Nashville, Tennessee. It awarded 38 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

Vanderbilt did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It costs about $3,156 for southeast region bachelor’s degree physical sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Vanderbilt.

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 school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Full Vanderbilt Physical Sciences Report

#4

William & Mary

Williamsburg, Virginia
#4 in overall quality

Out of the 85 schools in the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, William & Mary landed the #4 spot on the list. William & Mary is a medium-sized public school situated in Williamsburg, Virginia. It awarded 107 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

William & Mary also took the #4 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for William & Mary is $4,711 for southeast region bachelor’s degree physical sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full William & Mary Physical Sciences Report

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of South Florida - Main Campus. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k. USF Tampa is a large public school situated in Tampa, Florida. It awarded 153 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend University of South Florida - Main Campus is $3,950 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at University of South Florida - Main Campus

#6

North Carolina State University

Raleigh, North Carolina
#10 in overall quality

North Carolina State University ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Raleigh, North Carolina, this large public school awarded 126 degrees to qualified bachelors’s physical sciences students in 2019-2020.

NC State also took the #10 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for NC State is $7,285 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full North Carolina State University Physical Sciences Report

#7

Florida State University

Tallahassee, Florida

With a ranking of #7, Florida State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Florida State University is a large public school situated in Tallahassee, Florida. It awarded 100 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $5,360 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Florida State University.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full Florida State University Physical Sciences Report

Florida International University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Miami, Florida, this large public school handed out 156 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s physical sciences students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for FIU is $5,002 for Southeast 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.

Full Florida International University Physical Sciences Report

#9

University of Georgia

Athens, Georgia
#7 in overall quality

With a ranking of #9, University of Georgia did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Georgia is a public institution located in Athens, Georgia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 86 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UGA, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $7,541 for southeast region bachelor’s degree physical sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UGA.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Physical Sciences at University of Georgia

#10

University of North Florida

Jacksonville, Florida

With a ranking of #10, University of North Florida did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Jacksonville, Florida is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s physical sciences degrees to 35 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend University of North Florida is $5,097 for southeast region bachelor’s degree physical sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Physical Sciences at UNF

#11

University of Central Florida

Orlando, Florida

University of Central Florida landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of Central Florida is a large public school situated in Orlando, Florida. It awarded 72 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for UCF is $6,211 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.2%, 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 92%.

Read more about Physical Sciences at UCF

#12

Emory University

Atlanta, Georgia
#8 in overall quality

Emory University ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Emory University is located in Atlanta, Georgia and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 126 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees to qualified students.

Emory did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Emory is $11,468 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

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. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The 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 more about Physical Sciences at Emory University

#13

Wake Forest University

Winston-Salem, North Carolina
#2 in overall quality

Wake Forest University landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region 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 36 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southeast region bachelor’s degree physical sciences students whose families make $0-$30k list, Wake Forest University has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Wake Forest University is $5,250 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 1.6% 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 Wake Forest University Physical Sciences Report

#9 in overall quality

Georgia Institute of Technology - Main Campus did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #14. Located in Atlanta, Georgia, this large public school awarded 84 degrees to qualified bachelors’s physical sciences students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Georgia Tech, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $9,162 for southeast region bachelor’s degree physical sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Georgia Tech.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, 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 Georgia Tech Physical Sciences Report

#15

Northern Kentucky University

Highland Heights, Kentucky

Northern Kentucky University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #15. NKU is a public institution located in Highland Heights, Kentucky. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 29 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend NKU is $4,156 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Northern Kentucky University Physical Sciences Report

#16

Dalton State College

Dalton, Georgia

Dalton State College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #16. This small school is located in Dalton, Georgia, and it awarded 11 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Dalton State College is $5,150 for southeast region bachelor’s degree physical sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at DSC

#17

The University of West Florida

Pensacola, Florida

The University of West Florida ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Pensacola, Florida, this fairly large public school handed out 23 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s physical sciences students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend The University of West Florida is $4,140 for southeast region bachelor’s degree physical sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at UWF

West Virginia University Institute of Technology landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. West Virginia University Tech is a small school located in Beckley, West Virginia that handed out 1 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for West Virginia University Tech is $8,142 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at West Virginia University Tech

#19

Appalachian State University

Boone, North Carolina

Appalachian State University landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Appalachian State University is a large school located in Boone, North Carolina that handed out 103 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Appalachian State is $7,169 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full Appalachian State University Physical Sciences Report

#20

Citadel Military College of South Carolina

Charleston, South Carolina

With a ranking of #20, Citadel Military College of South Carolina did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Citadel Military College of South Carolina is located in Charleston, South Carolina and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 11 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend Citadel Military College of South Carolina is $7,296 for southeast region bachelor’s degree physical sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 4.7% 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 The Citadel

#21

Florida Atlantic University

Boca Raton, Florida

With a ranking of #21, Florida Atlantic University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Boca Raton, Florida is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s physical sciences degrees to 55 students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $6,085 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Florida Atlantic University.

Read more about Physical Sciences at Florida Atlantic University

#22

University of Virginia - Main Campus

Charlottesville, Virginia
#3 in overall quality

University of Virginia - Main Campus came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in Charlottesville, Virginia, and it awarded 125 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

University of Virginia not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Virginia is $8,882 for southeast 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 97%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at University of Virginia

#23

Marshall University

Huntington, West Virginia

Marshall University ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Marshall University is located in Huntington, West Virginia and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 44 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend Marshall University is $5,770 for southeast region bachelor’s degree physical sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Marshall University Physical Sciences Report

#24

Augusta University

Augusta, Georgia
#18 in overall quality

Augusta University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #24. Augusta University is a medium-sized public school situated in Augusta, Georgia. It awarded 29 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

Augusta University also made our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #18. The estimated yearly cost for Augusta University is $8,352 for southeast region bachelor’s degree physical sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Augusta University Physical Sciences Report

#25

University of North Georgia

Dahlonega, Georgia

University of North Georgia came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UNG is a public institution located in Dahlonega, Georgia. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 42 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend University of North Georgia is $7,650 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Physical Sciences at University of North Georgia

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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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