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

27 Ranked Colleges
2,290 Degrees Awarded
$12,000 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor's in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

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 Plains States region, there were 3,094 physical sciences graduates with average earnings and debt of $35,917 and $23,900 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 2,290 physical sciences graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,786 and $25,576 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, we looked at 27 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. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

More Ways to Rank Physical Sciences Schools

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 Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k”.

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 Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k

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

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

#2 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Missouri University of Science and Technology. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Missouri University of Science and Technology is a medium-sized public school situated in Rolla, Missouri. It awarded 68 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Missouri University of Science and Technology, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Missouri University of Science and Technology is $10,755 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, 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 3.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at Missouri University of Science and Technology

#2

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, Minnesota
#3 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Minnesota - Twin Cities. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k. UMN Twin Cities is a large school located in Minneapolis, Minnesota that handed out 206 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UMN Twin Cities, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Minnesota - Twin Cities is $7,266 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 2.2% 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 93%.

Read more about Physical Sciences at University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

#20 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Minnesota - Morris. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k. Morris, Minnesota is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s physical sciences degrees to 15 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UMN Morris, the school also landed the #20 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $4,230 for plains states region bachelor’s degree physical sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UMN Morris.

The low student loan default rate of 2.9% 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%.

Full UMN Morris Physical Sciences Report

#4

St Olaf College

Northfield, Minnesota
#1 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend St Olaf College. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This small school is located in Northfield, Minnesota, and it awarded 57 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

St. Olaf also made our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #1. The yearly cost to attend St. Olaf is $12,459 for plains states region 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.

Read more about Physical Sciences at St Olaf College

#5

Truman State University

Kirksville, Missouri
#12 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Truman State University. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Truman State is a public institution located in Kirksville, Missouri. The school has a small population, and it awarded 23 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Truman State also took the #12 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $7,564 for plains states region bachelor’s degree physical sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Truman State.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%.

Full Truman State Physical Sciences Report

#14 in overall quality

University of Minnesota - Duluth landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Duluth, Minnesota, and it awarded 58 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

UMN Duluth also took the #14 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UMN Duluth is $7,443 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

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

Full University of Minnesota - Duluth Physical Sciences Report

#15 in overall quality

Iowa State University landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Iowa State University is a large school located in Ames, Iowa that handed out 85 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

Iowa State also made our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #15. It costs about $10,054 for plains states region bachelor’s degree physical sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Iowa State University.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 3.3% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full Iowa State University Physical Sciences Report

#7 in overall quality

University of Missouri - Columbia landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Columbia, Missouri, this large public school handed out 78 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s physical sciences students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Mizzou, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Mizzou is $10,940 for plains states 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 89%. The student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at University of Missouri - Columbia

#9

University of Northern Iowa

Cedar Falls, Iowa
#11 in overall quality

With a ranking of #9, University of Northern Iowa did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. UNI is a medium-sized public school situated in Cedar Falls, Iowa. It awarded 29 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

UNI also took the #11 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Northern Iowa is $10,757 for Plains States Region 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 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%.

Full University of Northern Iowa Physical Sciences Report

#22 in overall quality

Northwest Missouri State University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Northwest is a medium-sized public school situated in Maryville, Missouri. It awarded 44 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree physical sciences students whose families make $0-$30k list, Northwest has also earned the #22 rank in our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $9,990 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Northwest Missouri State University.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at Northwest

#11

Lindenwood University

Saint Charles, Missouri
#10 in overall quality

Lindenwood University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #11. Lindenwood University is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Saint Charles, Missouri. It awarded 18 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Lindenwood University, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Lindenwood University is $14,388 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Lindenwood University Physical Sciences Report

#12

University of Missouri - St Louis

Saint Louis, Missouri
#23 in overall quality

University of Missouri - St Louis did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #12. Located in Saint Louis, Missouri, this fairly large public school handed out 22 degrees to qualified bachelors’s physical sciences students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UMSL, the school also landed the #23 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Missouri - St Louis is $7,401 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at UMSL

#13

Kansas State University

Manhattan, Kansas
#8 in overall quality

Kansas State University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Manhattan, Kansas, this large public school awarded 63 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s physical sciences students in 2019-2020.

K -State also made our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #8. It costs about $14,232 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Kansas State University.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Physical Sciences at K -State

Fort Hays State University landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Fort Hays State University is a fairly large school located in Hays, Kansas that handed out 27 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Fort Hays State University is $9,464 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full FHSU Physical Sciences Report

#15

University of Missouri - Kansas City

Kansas City, Missouri
#18 in overall quality

With a ranking of #15, University of Missouri - Kansas City did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Kansas City, Missouri is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s physical sciences degrees to 105 students in 2019-2020.

UMKC also made our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #18. The yearly cost to attend UMKC is $12,065 for plains states region bachelor’s degree physical sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at University of Missouri - Kansas City

#24 in overall quality

Missouri State University - Springfield ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Missouri State University - Springfield is a large school located in Springfield, Missouri that handed out 43 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

Missouri State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #24 on our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Missouri State is $12,527 for plains states region bachelor’s degree physical sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at Missouri State University - Springfield

#17

University of Kansas

Lawrence, Kansas
#16 in overall quality

University of Kansas did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #17. University of Kansas is a public institution located in Lawrence, Kansas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 76 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

KU also took the #16 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $14,387 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Kansas.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full KU Physical Sciences Report

#18

Wichita State University

Wichita, Kansas

Wichita State University ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Wichita, Kansas is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s physical sciences degrees to 28 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Wichita State University is $11,642 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at Wichita State University

#9 in overall quality

South Dakota School of Mines and Technology came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This small school is located in Rapid City, South Dakota, and it awarded 27 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

SD Mines did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $15,464 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend SD Mines.

The low student loan default rate of 4.8% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at SD Mines

#20

Gustavus Adolphus College

Saint Peter, Minnesota
#17 in overall quality

Gustavus Adolphus College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #20. Gustavus Adolphus is a private not-for-profit institution located in Saint Peter, Minnesota. The school has a small population, and it awarded 24 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Gustavus Adolphus also made our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #17. It costs about $12,150 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Gustavus Adolphus.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full Gustavus Adolphus Physical Sciences Report

#21

Hamline University

Saint Paul, Minnesota
#13 in overall quality

Hamline University came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Hamline is a private not-for-profit institution located in Saint Paul, Minnesota. The school has a small population, and it awarded 12 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Hamline also made our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #13. The yearly cost to attend Hamline University is $17,038 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Physical Sciences at Hamline

#22

Concordia College at Moorhead

Moorhead, Minnesota
#5 in overall quality

With a ranking of #22, Concordia College at Moorhead did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Concordia College Moorhead is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Moorhead, Minnesota. It awarded 21 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

Concordia College Moorhead also made our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #5. It costs about $17,881 for plains states region bachelor’s degree physical sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Concordia College Moorhead.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at Concordia College Moorhead

#23

Metropolitan State University

Saint Paul, Minnesota
#25 in overall quality

With a ranking of #23, Metropolitan State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Metro State is a medium-sized school located in Saint Paul, Minnesota that handed out 16 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Metro State, the school also landed the #25 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Metropolitan State University is $14,388 for plains states region bachelor’s degree physical sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at Metropolitan State University

#24

Bethel University Minnesota

Saint Paul, Minnesota
#4 in overall quality

Bethel University Minnesota landed the #24 spot on the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Saint Paul, Minnesota, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 25 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s physical sciences students in 2019-2020.

Bethel University Minnesota also took the #4 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Bethel University Minnesota is $18,396 for plains states region bachelor’s degree physical sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Physical Sciences at Bethel University Minnesota

#25

Luther College

Decorah, Iowa
#6 in overall quality

Luther College landed the #25 spot on the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Luther College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Decorah, Iowa. The school has a small population, and it awarded 13 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Luther, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Luther is $16,636 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

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 more about Physical Sciences at Luther

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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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