Find Schools

Study Area & Zipcode

Physical Sciences

Find Schools Near

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

31 Ranked Colleges
2,830 Degrees Awarded
$10,700 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor's in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k

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 for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k” 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 the Southwest region, there were 5,739 physical sciences graduates with average earnings and debt of $41,953 and $20,144 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 2,830 physical sciences graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,896 and $23,899 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking looked at 31 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s 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.

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. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.

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

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

#12 in overall quality

Out of the 31 schools in the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley landed the #1 spot on the list. UT Rio Grande Valley is a large school located in Edinburg, Texas that handed out 52 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

UT Rio Grande Valley did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The yearly cost to attend The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley is $3,473 for southwest region bachelor’s degree physical sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%.

Full The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Physical Sciences Report

#11 in overall quality

Out of the 31 schools in the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of North Texas landed the #2 spot on the list. UNT is located in Denton, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 57 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees to qualified students.

UNT also took the #11 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UNT is $9,082 for southwest region bachelor’s degree physical sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Physical Sciences at University of North Texas

#1 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Texas A&M University - College Station. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k. Texas A&M College Station is a public institution located in College Station, Texas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 195 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Texas A&M College Station did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. It costs about $13,270 for southwest region bachelor’s degree physical sciences students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Texas A&M University - College Station.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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 more about Physical Sciences at Texas A&M University - College Station

#4

University of Arizona

Tucson, Arizona
#4 in overall quality

Out of the 31 schools in the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Arizona landed the #4 spot on the list. University of Arizona is a large school located in Tucson, Arizona that handed out 218 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southwest region bachelor’s degree physical sciences students whose families make $30-$48k list, University of Arizona has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Arizona is $11,466 for southwest region bachelor’s degree physical sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 full report on Physical Sciences at University of Arizona

#8 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend The University of Texas of the Permian Basin. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k. UT Permian Basin is a medium-sized public school situated in Odessa, Texas. It awarded 29 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southwest region bachelor’s degree physical sciences students whose families make $30-$48k list, UT Permian Basin has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UT Permian Basin is $10,221 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Physical Sciences at The University of Texas of the Permian Basin

#18 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend The University of Texas at San Antonio. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k. This large school is located in San Antonio, Texas, and it awarded 78 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UTSA, the school also landed the #18 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UTSA is $11,109 for southwest region bachelor’s degree physical sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at UTSA

#7

University of Houston

Houston, Texas
#5 in overall quality

University of Houston did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #7. UH is a large public school situated in Houston, Texas. It awarded 111 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

UH also made our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #5. The yearly cost to attend University of Houston is $9,925 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.

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

Read more about Physical Sciences at UH

#8

Texas Tech University

Lubbock, Texas
#6 in overall quality

Texas Tech University landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This large school is located in Lubbock, Texas, and it awarded 107 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

Texas Tech also took the #6 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $13,326 for southwest region bachelor’s degree physical sciences students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Texas Tech.

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

Full Texas Tech University Physical Sciences Report

#15 in overall quality

Oklahoma State University - Main Campus landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Stillwater, Oklahoma, this large public school awarded 35 degrees to qualified bachelors’s physical sciences students in 2019-2020.

OSU also made our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #15. It costs about $9,962 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Oklahoma State University - Main Campus.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full OSU Physical Sciences Report

#2 in overall quality

The University of Texas at Austin did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #10. The University of Texas at Austin is a large school located in Austin, Texas that handed out 296 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UT Austin, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UT Austin is $13,575 for southwest region bachelor’s degree physical sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.7%, 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 97%.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at The University of Texas at Austin

#9 in overall quality

Arizona State University - Tempe ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Arizona State University - Tempe is located in Tempe, Arizona and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 189 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees to qualified students.

ASU - Tempe also took the #9 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend ASU - Tempe is $8,921 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.

Full ASU - Tempe Physical Sciences Report

#12

MSU Texas

Wichita Falls, Texas
#22 in overall quality

MSU Texas ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Wichita Falls, Texas, this medium-sized public school awarded 26 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s physical sciences students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southwest region bachelor’s degree physical sciences students whose families make $30-$48k list, MSU Texas has also earned the #22 rank in our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend MSU Texas is $8,554 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full MSU Texas Physical Sciences Report

#13

Texas State University

San Marcos, Texas
#14 in overall quality

Texas State University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Texas State is a large public school situated in San Marcos, Texas. It awarded 33 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

Texas State also made our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #14. It costs about $12,292 for southwest region bachelor’s degree physical sciences students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Texas State University.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at Texas State

#10 in overall quality

The University of Texas at Dallas did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #14. UT Dallas is a public institution located in Richardson, Texas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 71 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southwest region bachelor’s degree physical sciences students whose families make $30-$48k list, UT Dallas has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend The University of Texas at Dallas is $11,745 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 4.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at The University of Texas at Dallas

The University of Texas at El Paso came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. El Paso, Texas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s physical sciences degrees to 43 students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $7,427 for southwest region bachelor’s degree physical sciences students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UTEP.

Full UTEP Physical Sciences Report

New Mexico State University - Main Campus came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. NMSU Main Campus is a fairly large school located in Las Cruces, New Mexico that handed out 26 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend NMSU Main Campus is $7,006 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full New Mexico State University - Main Campus Physical Sciences Report

Southeastern Oklahoma State University landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Durant, Oklahoma is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s physical sciences degrees to 12 students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $6,704 for southwest region bachelor’s degree physical sciences students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Southeastern Oklahoma State University.

Full Southeastern Oklahoma State University Physical Sciences Report

#23 in overall quality

University of Houston - Downtown ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of Houston - Downtown is a fairly large school located in Houston, Texas that handed out 40 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

UH Downtown also made our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #23. The yearly cost to attend University of Houston - Downtown is $6,131 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at University of Houston - Downtown

#19

Northern Arizona University

Flagstaff, Arizona
#25 in overall quality

Northern Arizona University came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. NAU is a large school located in Flagstaff, Arizona that handed out 144 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

NAU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #25 on our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. It costs about $9,799 for southwest region bachelor’s degree physical sciences students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Northern Arizona University.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at NAU

#20

Sam Houston State University

Huntsville, Texas
#24 in overall quality

Sam Houston State University ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Sam Houston State University is located in Huntsville, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 48 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees to qualified students.

SHSU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #24 on our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Sam Houston State University is $11,634 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Physical Sciences at Sam Houston State University

#19 in overall quality

With a ranking of #21, The University of Texas at Arlington did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. The University of Texas at Arlington is a large school located in Arlington, Texas that handed out 79 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southwest region bachelor’s degree physical sciences students whose families make $30-$48k list, UT Arlington has also earned the #19 rank in our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend The University of Texas at Arlington is $12,974 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full UT Arlington Physical Sciences Report

#13 in overall quality

University of Central Oklahoma ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of Central Oklahoma is a fairly large school located in Edmond, Oklahoma that handed out 45 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

UCO also took the #13 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $13,381 for southwest region bachelor’s degree physical sciences students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UCO.

Read more about Physical Sciences at University of Central Oklahoma

Stephen F Austin State University came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Stephen F Austin State University is a fairly large public school situated in Nacogdoches, Texas. It awarded 33 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Stephen F Austin State University is $10,816 for southwest region bachelor’s degree physical sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full Stephen F Austin State University Physical Sciences Report

#16 in overall quality

University of Oklahoma Norman Campus landed the #24 spot on the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. University of Oklahoma is a large school located in Norman, Oklahoma that handed out 125 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southwest region bachelor’s degree physical sciences students whose families make $30-$48k list, University of Oklahoma has also earned the #16 rank in our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $17,285 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Oklahoma Norman Campus.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 4.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Physical Sciences at University of Oklahoma

#25

Tarleton State University

Stephenville, Texas
#17 in overall quality

Tarleton State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #25. Tarleton is a fairly large public school situated in Stephenville, Texas. It awarded 24 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

Tarleton not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #17 on our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Tarleton State University is $17,132 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Physical Sciences at Tarleton

Switch to a Different Ranking Method

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.

Featured Physical Sciences Schools

Find Schools Near You