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

12 Ranked Colleges
1,054 Degrees Awarded
$12,800 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor's in Virginia For Those Making $0-$30k

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. 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 Virginia For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking.

Physical Sciences is the 18th most popular major in the country with 52,879 degrees awarded in 2019-2020. 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 Virginia, there were 1,484 physical sciences graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,054 physical sciences graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, we looked at 12 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.

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.

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 Virginia For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.

Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $0-$30k

The colleges and universities below are the best for virginia bachelor’s degree physical sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

Top 12 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Physical Sciences (Income $0-$30k) in Virginia

#1

William & Mary

Williamsburg, Virginia
#2 in overall quality

Out of the 12 schools in the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, William & Mary landed the #1 spot on the list. Williamsburg, Virginia is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s physical sciences degrees to 107 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at William & Mary, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for William & Mary is $4,711 for Virginia Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, 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.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at William & Mary

#2

University of Virginia - Main Campus

Charlottesville, Virginia
#1 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Virginia - Main Campus. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Charlottesville, Virginia, and it awarded 125 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

University of Virginia also took the #1 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Virginia is $8,882 for virginia bachelor’s degree physical sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

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

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

#3

Virginia Tech

Blacksburg, Virginia
#3 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Virginia Tech. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $0-$30k list. Virginia Tech is a public institution located in Blacksburg, Virginia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 179 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Virginia Tech also made our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list, coming in at #3. It costs about $11,138 for virginia bachelor’s degree physical sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Virginia Tech.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, 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 Virginia Tech Physical Sciences Report

#4

Virginia Military Institute

Lexington, Virginia
#6 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Virginia Military Institute. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $0-$30k list. VMI is a small school located in Lexington, Virginia that handed out 19 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

VMI also took the #6 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. The yearly cost to attend VMI is $8,789 for Virginia 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%.

Read more about Physical Sciences at Virginia Military Institute

#5

James Madison University

Harrisonburg, Virginia
#4 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend James Madison University. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $0-$30k. James Madison University is a large school located in Harrisonburg, Virginia that handed out 69 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

JMU also took the #4 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. It costs about $14,196 for Virginia Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend JMU.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, which is much lower than the national 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.

Full James Madison University Physical Sciences Report

#6

Radford University

Radford, Virginia
#11 in overall quality

With a ranking of #6, Radford University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $0-$30k list. Radford, Virginia is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s physical sciences degrees to 41 students in 2019-2020.

Radford also made our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list, coming in at #11. It costs about $12,071 for virginia bachelor’s degree physical sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Radford University.

Full Radford University Physical Sciences Report

#7

University of Mary Washington

Fredericksburg, Virginia
#7 in overall quality

University of Mary Washington ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Mary Washington is a small public school situated in Fredericksburg, Virginia. It awarded 58 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

UMW also made our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list, coming in at #7. The estimated yearly cost for University of Mary Washington is $12,988 for virginia bachelor’s degree physical sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 3.0% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about Physical Sciences at UMW

#8

Christopher Newport University

Newport News, Virginia
#5 in overall quality

Christopher Newport University ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $0-$30k list. CNU is located in Newport News, Virginia and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 24 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our virginia bachelor’s degree physical sciences students whose families make $0-$30k list, CNU has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Christopher Newport University is $16,529 for Virginia Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

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

Read more about Physical Sciences at Christopher Newport University

#8 in overall quality

With a ranking of #9, Virginia Commonwealth University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $0-$30k list. Richmond, Virginia is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s physical sciences degrees to 133 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our virginia bachelor’s degree physical sciences students whose families make $0-$30k list, VCU has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Virginia Commonwealth University is $16,768 for Virginia Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 4.5% 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 VCU

#10

George Mason University

Fairfax, Virginia
#9 in overall quality

George Mason University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. George Mason University is a large school located in Fairfax, Virginia that handed out 70 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

GMU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” list. The estimated yearly cost for George Mason University is $16,204 for virginia bachelor’s degree physical sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low student loan default rate of 2.6% 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 GMU

#11

Bridgewater College

Bridgewater, Virginia
#12 in overall quality

Bridgewater College came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Bridgewater College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Bridgewater, Virginia. The school has a small population, and it awarded 12 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Bridgewater also took the #12 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Bridgewater College is $14,220 for virginia bachelor’s degree physical sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at Bridgewater

#12

Roanoke College

Salem, Virginia
#10 in overall quality

Roanoke College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Virginia For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #12. Located in Salem, Virginia, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 15 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s physical sciences students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Roanoke, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Virginia” ranking. It costs about $17,473 for virginia bachelor’s degree physical sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Roanoke College.

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

Read full report on Physical Sciences at Roanoke

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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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