2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $30-$48k
When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking is part of that endeavor.
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.
At the doctor’s degree level specifically, there were 5,989 physical sciences graduates with average earnings and debt of $72,680 and $116,043 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking looked at 166 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. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
Featured schools near , edit
One Size Does Not Fit All
Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.
We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.
Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $30-$48k
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $30-$48k.
Top 25 Best Value Doctor’s Degree Colleges for Physical Sciences (Income $30-$48k)
Out of the 166 schools in the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Massachusetts Institute of Technology landed the #1 spot on the list. Located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 96 diplomas to qualified doctorate’s physical sciences students in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our doctor’s degree physical sciences students whose families make $30-$48k list, MIT has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Physical Sciences Doctor’s Degree Schools” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Massachusetts Institute of Technology are $56,719.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Northwestern University. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $30-$48k list. This large school is located in Evanston, Illinois, and it awarded 53 doctorate’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.
Northwestern also took the #4 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Doctor’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Northwestern University are $56,567, but some majors have different tuition rates.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Stanford University. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $30-$48k. This fairly large school is located in Stanford, California, and it awarded 111 doctorate’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.
Stanford did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Physical Sciences Doctor’s Degree Schools” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Stanford are $55,011.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Pennsylvania. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $30-$48k. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out doctorate’s physical sciences degrees to 46 students in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our doctor’s degree physical sciences students whose families make $30-$48k list, UPenn has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Physical Sciences Doctor’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at UPenn are $41,760, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
Read more about Physical Sciences at University of Pennsylvania
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Harvard University. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $30-$48k list. Harvard is a large school located in Cambridge, Massachusetts that handed out 71 doctorate’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Harvard, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Doctor’s Degree Schools” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Harvard are $50,654.
University of Chicago landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. UChicago is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 66 doctorate’s degrees in 2019-2020.
UChicago did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Physical Sciences Doctor’s Degree Schools” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at University of Chicago are $61,548.
With a ranking of #7, Columbia University in the City of New York did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $30-$48k list. Columbia is a large school located in New York, New York that handed out 71 doctorate’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.
Columbia also took the #5 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Doctor’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Columbia are $51,194, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
Full Columbia University in the City of New York Physical Sciences Report
Princeton University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #8. Princeton University is a medium-sized school located in Princeton, New Jersey that handed out 56 doctorate’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our doctor’s degree physical sciences students whose families make $30-$48k list, Princeton has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Physical Sciences Doctor’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Princeton are $56,470, but some majors have different tuition rates.
University of Florida ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $30-$48k list. Gainesville, Florida is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out doctorate’s physical sciences degrees to 61 students in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our doctor’s degree physical sciences students whose families make $30-$48k list, UF has also earned the #20 rank in our “Best Physical Sciences Doctor’s Degree Schools” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at UF are $30,130.
Read full report on Physical Sciences at University of Florida
With a ranking of #10, Cornell University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $30-$48k list. Cornell University is a large school located in Ithaca, New York that handed out 62 doctorate’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.
Cornell not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best Physical Sciences Doctor’s Degree Schools” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Cornell University are $30,042.
Dartmouth College ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $30-$48k list. Dartmouth College is a medium-sized school located in Hanover, New Hampshire that handed out 11 doctorate’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.
Dartmouth did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Physical Sciences Doctor’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Dartmouth are $58,120, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
With a ranking of #12, Johns Hopkins University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $30-$48k list. Johns Hopkins is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Baltimore, Maryland. It awarded 39 doctorate’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.
Johns Hopkins not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Physical Sciences Doctor’s Degree Schools” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Johns Hopkins University are $59,425, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Brown University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #13. Brown University is a medium-sized school located in Providence, Rhode Island that handed out 37 doctorate’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on this list, Brown is in the top on our “Best Physical Sciences Doctor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. Average graduate tuition and fees at Brown University are $60,363, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
Northeastern University landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Northeastern University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Boston, Massachusetts. The school has a large population, and it awarded 20 doctorate’s degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our doctor’s degree physical sciences students whose families make $30-$48k list, Northeastern has also earned the #24 rank in our “Best Physical Sciences Doctor’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Northeastern are $25,558, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
Read full report on Physical Sciences at Northeastern University
With a ranking of #15, University of Wisconsin - Madison did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $30-$48k list. This large school is located in Madison, Wisconsin, and it awarded 84 doctorate’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our doctor’s degree physical sciences students whose families make $30-$48k list, UW - Madison has also earned the #22 rank in our “Best Physical Sciences Doctor’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at UW - Madison are $25,523, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
University of Michigan - Ann Arbor ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $30-$48k list. U-M is located in Ann Arbor, Michigan and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 118 doctorate’s physical sciences degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our doctor’s degree physical sciences students whose families make $30-$48k list, U-M has also earned the #17 rank in our “Best Physical Sciences Doctor’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor are $49,548, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
Read full report on Physical Sciences at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Wake Forest University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #17. Located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school handed out 4 degrees to qualified doctorate’s physical sciences students in 2019-2020.
Average graduate tuition and fees at Wake Forest University are $39,216, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
Vanderbilt University ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $30-$48k list. This fairly large school is located in Nashville, Tennessee, and it awarded 28 doctorate’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.
Average graduate tuition and fees at Vanderbilt are $50,624, but some majors have different tuition rates.
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #19. UNC Chapel Hill is a large public school situated in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. It awarded 69 doctorate’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.
Average graduate tuition and fees at UNC Chapel Hill are $30,248, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.
Read more about Physical Sciences at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Purdue University - Main Campus ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $30-$48k list. West Lafayette, Indiana is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out doctorate’s physical sciences degrees to 88 students in 2019-2020.
Average graduate tuition and fees at Purdue University - Main Campus are $28,794, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Read more about Physical Sciences at Purdue University - Main Campus
With a ranking of #21, California Institute of Technology did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $30-$48k list. Caltech is a small school located in Pasadena, California that handed out 43 doctorate’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our doctor’s degree physical sciences students whose families make $30-$48k list, Caltech has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Physical Sciences Doctor’s Degree Schools” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Caltech are $56,649, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Read more about Physical Sciences at California Institute of Technology
With a ranking of #22, Boston College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 24 diplomas to qualified doctorate’s physical sciences students in 2019-2020.
Average graduate tuition and fees at Boston College are $31,930, but some majors have different tuition rates.
University of California - Berkeley landed the #23 spot on the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. University of California - Berkeley is a public institution located in Berkeley, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 139 doctorate’s degrees in 2019-2020.
UC Berkeley also took the #15 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Doctor’s Degree Schools” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at University of California - Berkeley are $29,347.
University of California - Los Angeles came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. University of California - Los Angeles is a large school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 69 doctorate’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.
UCLA also took the #13 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Doctor’s Degree Schools” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at UCLA are $28,131.
Read more about Physical Sciences at University of California - Los Angeles
With a ranking of #25, University of Wyoming did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Doctorate For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of Wyoming is located in Laramie, Wyoming and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 18 doctorate’s physical sciences degrees to qualified students.
Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Wyoming are $16,615, but some majors have different tuition rates.
Read full report on Physical Sciences at University of Wyoming
Narrow Results by Region
Southeast
Best Value Doctor's Degree Colleges for Physical Sciences (Income $30-$48k) in the Southeast Region
Rocky Mountains
Best Value Doctor's Degree Colleges for Physical Sciences (Income $30-$48k) in the Rocky Mountains Region
Middle Atlantic
Best Value Doctor's Degree Colleges for Physical Sciences (Income $30-$48k) in the Middle Atlantic Region
Southwest
Best Value Doctor's Degree Colleges for Physical Sciences (Income $30-$48k) in the Southwest Region
New England
Best Value Doctor's Degree Colleges for Physical Sciences (Income $30-$48k) in the New England Region
Plains States
Best Value Doctor's Degree Colleges for Physical Sciences (Income $30-$48k) in the Plains States Region
Far Western US
Best Value Doctor's Degree Colleges for Physical Sciences (Income $30-$48k) in the Far Western US Region
Great Lakes
Best Value Doctor's Degree Colleges for Physical Sciences (Income $30-$48k) in the Great Lakes Region
Switch to a Similar Major
Agriculture & Agriculture Operations
Best Value Doctor's Degree Colleges for Agriculture & Agriculture Operations (Income $30-$48k)
Architecture & Related Services
Best Value Doctor's Degree Colleges for Architecture & Related Services (Income $30-$48k)
Engineering
Best Value Doctor's Degree Colleges for Engineering (Income $30-$48k)
Biological & Biomedical Sciences
Best Value Doctor's Degree Colleges for Biological & Biomedical Sciences (Income $30-$48k)
Natural Resources & Conservation
Best Value Doctor's Degree Colleges for Natural Resources & Conservation (Income $30-$48k)
Computer & Information Sciences
Best Value Doctor's Degree Colleges for Computer & Information Sciences (Income $30-$48k)
Engineering Technologies
Best Value Doctor's Degree Colleges for Engineering Technologies (Income $30-$48k)
Mathematics & Statistics
Best Value Doctor's Degree Colleges for Mathematics & Statistics (Income $30-$48k)
Switch to a More Focused Major
General Physical Sciences
Best Value Doctor's Degree Colleges for General Physical Sciences (Income $30-$48k)
Atmospheric Sciences & Meteorology
Best Value Doctor's Degree Colleges for Atmospheric Sciences & Meteorology (Income $30-$48k)
Geological & Earth Sciences
Best Value Doctor's Degree Colleges for Geological & Earth Sciences (Income $30-$48k)
Materials Sciences
Best Value Doctor's Degree Colleges for Materials Sciences (Income $30-$48k)
Other Physical Science
Best Value Doctor's Degree Colleges for Other Physical Science (Income $30-$48k)
Astronomy & Astrophysics
Best Value Doctor's Degree Colleges for Astronomy & Astrophysics (Income $30-$48k)
Chemistry
Best Value Doctor's Degree Colleges for Chemistry (Income $30-$48k)
Physics
Best Value Doctor's Degree Colleges for Physics (Income $30-$48k)
Physics and Astronomy
Best Value Doctor's Degree Colleges for Physics and Astronomy (Income $30-$48k)
Switch to a Different Ranking Method
Best Physical Sciences Doctor's Degree Schools
Physical Sciences students
Most Focused Doctor's Degree Colleges for Physical Sciences
Physical Sciences students
Most Popular Doctor's Degree Online Physical Sciences Schools
Physical Sciences students
Best Value Doctor's Degree Colleges for Physical Sciences (Income $0-$30k)
Physical Sciences students with family income less than $30k
Best Value Doctor's Degree Colleges for Physical Sciences (Income $48-$75k)
Physical Sciences students with family income $48-$75k
Best Value Doctor's Degree Colleges for Physical Sciences (Income Over $110k)
Physical Sciences students with family income exceeding $110k
Highest Paid Doctor's Degree Physical Sciences Graduates
Physical Sciences students
Most Popular Doctor's Degree Colleges for Physical Sciences
Physical Sciences students
Best Value Doctor's Degree Colleges for Physical Sciences (With Aid)
Physical Sciences students getting aid
Best Value Doctor's Degree Colleges for Physical Sciences (Income $30-$48k)
Physical Sciences students with family income $30-$48k
Best Value Doctor's Degree Colleges for Physical Sciences (Income $75-$110k)
Physical Sciences students with family income $75-$110k
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
Request Info |
Southern New Hampshire University
You have goals. Southern New Hampshire University can help you get there. Whether you need a bachelor's degree to get into a career or want a master's degree to move up in your current career, SNHU has an online program for you. Find your degree from over 200 online programs ... Learn More > |