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2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k

59 Ranked Colleges
4,644 Degrees Awarded
$9,400 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor's in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

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.

This year’s “Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking analyzed 59 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

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 Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k”.

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 for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k

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 $30-$48k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Physical Sciences (Income $30-$48k) in the Great Lakes Region

#1

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois
#2 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Northwestern University. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Evanston, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s physical sciences degrees to 44 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Northwestern, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Northwestern is $3,995 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree physical sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Physical Sciences at Northwestern University

#2

University of Chicago

Chicago, Illinois
#1 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Chicago. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s physical sciences degrees to 145 students in 2019-2020.

UChicago did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend UChicago is $2,800 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%. The student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 100%.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at UChicago

#3 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 $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Wisconsin - Madison landed the #3 spot on the list. This large school is located in Madison, Wisconsin, and it awarded 238 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

UW - Madison not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Madison is $6,860 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at University of Wisconsin - Madison

#4 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is a public institution located in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The school has a large population, and it awarded 140 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

U-M did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is $5,887 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree physical sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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%.

Full University of Michigan - Ann Arbor Physical Sciences Report

#5

Purdue University - Main Campus

West Lafayette, Indiana
#11 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Purdue University - Main Campus. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in West Lafayette, Indiana, this large public school handed out 152 degrees to qualified bachelors’s physical sciences students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Purdue, the school also landed the #11 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Purdue University - Main Campus is $5,879 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at Purdue University - Main Campus

#5 in overall quality

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #6. This large school is located in Champaign, Illinois, and it awarded 309 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UIUC, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is $8,464 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree physical sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full UIUC Physical Sciences Report

#7

University of Notre Dame

Notre Dame, Indiana
#7 in overall quality

With a ranking of #7, University of Notre Dame did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Notre Dame is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Notre Dame, Indiana. It awarded 44 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

Notre Dame did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $15,609 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Notre Dame.

The low student loan default rate of 0.7% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. 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.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at University of Notre Dame

#8

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 $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #8. 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. It costs about $6,192 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Indiana University - Bloomington.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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 IU Bloomington

#10 in overall quality

Ohio State University - Main Campus did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #9. Ohio State is located in Columbus, Ohio and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 189 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees to qualified students.

Ohio State also made our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #10. It costs about $10,037 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Ohio State.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full Ohio State Physical Sciences Report

#10

University of Wisconsin - La Crosse

La Crosse, Wisconsin
#6 in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - La Crosse ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of Wisconsin - La Crosse is located in La Crosse, Wisconsin and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 46 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW - La Crosse, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UW - La Crosse is $9,795 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree physical sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.

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

Read more about Physical Sciences at University of Wisconsin - La Crosse

#16 in overall quality

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. SIUE is a fairly large school located in Edwardsville, Illinois that handed out 47 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 $30-$48k list, SIUE has also earned the #16 rank in our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is $9,938 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree physical sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at SIUE

#12

University of Wisconsin - River Falls

River Falls, Wisconsin
#15 in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - River Falls landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in River Falls, Wisconsin, this medium-sized public school awarded 47 degrees to qualified bachelors’s physical sciences students in 2019-2020.

UW - River Falls not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #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 $10,124 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at University of Wisconsin - River Falls

#13

University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point

Stevens Point, Wisconsin
#25 in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. 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.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree physical sciences students whose families make $30-$48k list, UW - Stevens Point has also earned the #25 rank in our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $11,433 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree physical sciences students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point.

Full University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point Physical Sciences Report

#13

University of Wisconsin - Green Bay

Green Bay, Wisconsin
#21 in overall quality

With a ranking of #13, University of Wisconsin - Green Bay did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of Wisconsin - Green Bay is a medium-sized school located in Green Bay, Wisconsin that handed out 16 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

UW - Green Bay also took the #21 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $11,641 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UW - Green Bay.

Read more about Physical Sciences at University of Wisconsin - Green Bay

With a ranking of #15, Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis is a large school located in Indianapolis, Indiana that handed out 82 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for IUPUI is $6,315 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at IUPUI

#16

Beloit College

Beloit, Wisconsin

Beloit College 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 $30-$48k ranking. Located in Beloit, Wisconsin, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 41 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s physical sciences students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Beloit is $7,628 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree physical sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. 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 full report on Physical Sciences at Beloit College

#17

University of Wisconsin - Platteville

Platteville, Wisconsin
#17 in overall quality

With a ranking of #17, University of Wisconsin - Platteville did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. UW - Platteville is located in Platteville, Wisconsin and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 29 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees to qualified students.

UW - Platteville also took the #17 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $12,930 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree physical sciences students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Platteville.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at University of Wisconsin - Platteville

#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 $30-$48k list. University of Wisconsin - Whitewater is a public institution located in Whitewater, Wisconsin. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 29 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UW - Whitewater did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #22 on our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $12,156 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree physical sciences students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UW - Whitewater.

Full University of Wisconsin - Whitewater Physical Sciences Report

#19

University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire

Eau Claire, Wisconsin
#20 in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #19. University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire is a fairly large school located in Eau Claire, Wisconsin that handed out 74 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

UW - Eau Claire also took the #20 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire is $11,828 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree physical sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at UW - Eau Claire

#20

Oberlin College

Oberlin, Ohio
#8 in overall quality

Oberlin College ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Oberlin College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Oberlin, Ohio. The school has a small population, and it awarded 33 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Oberlin did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Oberlin is $11,560 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree physical sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 Physical Sciences Report

University of Wisconsin - Parkside landed the #21 spot on the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. University of Wisconsin - Parkside is a public institution located in Kenosha, Wisconsin. The school has a small population, and it awarded 17 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $9,018 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UW - Parkside.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at University of Wisconsin - Parkside

#22

Grand Valley State University

Allendale, Michigan

With a ranking of #22, Grand Valley State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Allendale, Michigan is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s physical sciences degrees to 54 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Grand Valley State University is $12,459 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree physical sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at GVSU

University of Illinois at Chicago landed the #23 spot on the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. UIC is a public institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 51 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $11,185 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Illinois at Chicago.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Illinois at Chicago Physical Sciences Report

#24

Saginaw Valley State University

University Center, Michigan

Saginaw Valley State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #24. Saginaw Valley State University is a medium-sized public school situated in University Center, Michigan. It awarded 16 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $11,734 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Saginaw Valley State University.

Full Saginaw Valley State University Physical Sciences Report

#25

Ball State University

Muncie, Indiana

Ball State University ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Ball State University is a public institution located in Muncie, Indiana. The school has a large population, and it awarded 69 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Ball State University is $10,487 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree physical sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Physical Sciences at Ball State University

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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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