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2022 Best Value Colleges for Physical Sciences (Income $0-$30k) in Illinois

13 Ranked Colleges
1,704 Degrees Awarded
$14,300 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. 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 in Illinois 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 Illinois, there were 1,704 physical sciences graduates with average earnings and debt of $44,790 and $21,894 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking analyzed 13 colleges that offered a degree in physical sciences. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great physical sciences programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the physical sciences program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

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 in Illinois 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. 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 in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k

The colleges and universities below are the best for illinois physical sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

Top 13 Best Value Colleges for Physical Sciences (Income $0-$30k) in Illinois

#1

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois

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 in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k. Located in Evanston, Illinois, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 124 diplomas to qualified ’s physical sciences students in 2019-2020.

Northwestern also took the #2 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Northwestern is $1,866 for Illinois Physical Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. 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. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Physical Sciences at Northwestern

#2

University of Chicago

Chicago, Illinois

Out of the 13 schools in the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Chicago landed the #2 spot on the list. University of Chicago is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 280 ’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois physical sciences students whose families make $0-$30k list, UChicago has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Physical Sciences Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UChicago is $2,712 for illinois physical sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 5 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 100%.

Full UChicago Physical Sciences Report

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Champaign, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s physical sciences degrees to 450 students in 2019-2020.

UIUC also made our “Best Physical Sciences Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #3. The yearly cost to attend UIUC is $5,477 for Illinois Physical Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

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 2.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at UIUC

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is located in Edwardsville, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 65 ’s physical sciences degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our illinois physical sciences students whose families make $0-$30k list, SIUE has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Physical Sciences Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is $8,055 for Illinois Physical Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Chicago. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s physical sciences degrees to 80 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UIC, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $10,648 for Illinois Physical Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UIC.

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 UIC

#6

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, Illinois

Northern Illinois University came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Dekalb, Illinois, and it awarded 87 ’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

NIU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best Physical Sciences Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Northern Illinois University is $15,281 for illinois physical sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full NIU Physical Sciences Report

#7

Illinois State University

Normal, Illinois

Illinois State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #7. This large school is located in Normal, Illinois, and it awarded 77 ’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

Illinois State also took the #7 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Illinois State University is $14,470 for illinois physical sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

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 full report on Physical Sciences at Illinois State University

Southern Illinois University Carbondale ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Carbondale, Illinois, this fairly large public school handed out 40 degrees to qualified ’s physical sciences students in 2019-2020.

SIUC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best Physical Sciences Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $13,658 for Illinois Physical Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Southern Illinois University Carbondale.

Read more about Physical Sciences at Southern Illinois University Carbondale

#9

Western Illinois University

Macomb, Illinois

Western Illinois University ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Western Illinois University is a medium-sized school located in Macomb, Illinois that handed out 52 ’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at WIU, the school also landed the #11 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for WIU is $13,942 for Illinois Physical Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at WIU

Illinois Institute of Technology did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #10. Illinois Tech is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 53 ’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

Illinois Tech also took the #4 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Illinois Tech is $17,222 for illinois 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 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. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at Illinois Institute of Technology

#11

Columbia College Chicago

Chicago, Illinois

Columbia College Chicago came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s physical sciences degrees to 3 students in 2019-2020.

Columbia not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #13 on our “Best Physical Sciences Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Columbia is $27,120 for Illinois Physical Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at Columbia

#12

DePaul University

Chicago, Illinois

DePaul University came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s physical sciences degrees to 21 students in 2019-2020.

DePaul did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Physical Sciences Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for DePaul is $26,173 for illinois 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%.

Read more about Physical Sciences at DePaul

#13

Loyola University Chicago

Chicago, Illinois

Loyola University Chicago did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #13. This fairly large school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 43 ’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

Loyola Chicago also took the #5 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Loyola University Chicago is $29,440 for Illinois 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Physical Sciences at Loyola Chicago

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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