2023 Best Value Colleges for Physical Sciences (Income $48-$75k)
256
Ranked Colleges
50,306
Degrees Awarded
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 Those Making $48-$75k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.
In 2020-2021, 50,306 people earned their degree in physical sciences, making the major the 19th most popular in the United States. In 2019-2020, physical sciences graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $39,880 and had an average of $22,620 in loans still to pay off.
This year’s “Best Value Physical Sciences Schools For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking looked at 256 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.
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. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
More Ways to Rank Physical Sciences Schools
When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Best Value Physical Sciences Schools For Those Making $48-$75k” list to help you make the college decision.
One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to 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 Those Making $48-$75k
The colleges and universities below are the best for physical sciences students whose families make $48-$75k.
Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Physical Sciences (Income $48-$75k)
Out of the 256 schools in the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, Stanford University landed the #1 spot on the list. Located in Stanford, California, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 243 diplomas to qualified ’s physical sciences students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Stanford, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Stanford University is $7,081 for Physical Sciences students whose families make $48-$75k.
With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. 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 undergrad student loan default rate of 0.5% 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 Stanford Physical Sciences Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Northwestern University. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools For Those Making $48-$75k. Northwestern University is located in Evanston, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 146 ’s physical sciences degrees to qualified students.
Northwestern not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Physical Sciences Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Northwestern is $5,849 for Physical Sciences students whose families make $48-$75k.
The impressive undergraduate 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 undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.6%, 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 97%.
Full Northwestern University Physical Sciences Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Chicago. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools For Those Making $48-$75k. This fairly large school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 317 ’s physical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UChicago, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UChicago is $8,375 for physical sciences students whose families make $48-$75k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 100%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergraduate 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.
Full UChicago Physical Sciences Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Johns Hopkins University. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. This large school is located in Baltimore, Maryland, and it awarded 244 ’s physical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Johns Hopkins, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Schools” ranking. It costs about $8,457 for Physical Sciences students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Johns Hopkins University.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full Johns Hopkins Physical Sciences Report
Out of the 256 schools in the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, Williams College landed the #5 spot on the list. This small school is located in Williamstown, Massachusetts, and it awarded 63 ’s physical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
Williams not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #20 on our “Best Physical Sciences Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Williams College is $5,576 for physical sciences students whose families make $48-$75k.
With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
Full Williams Physical Sciences Report
University of Michigan - Ann Arbor ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Physical Sciences Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is a large school located in Ann Arbor, Michigan that handed out 347 ’s physical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
U-M also made our “Best Physical Sciences Schools” list, coming in at #7. The yearly cost to attend U-M is $10,481 for physical sciences students whose families make $48-$75k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.3% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on Physical Sciences at U-M
California Institute of Technology landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Caltech is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Pasadena, California. It awarded 143 ’s physical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
Caltech excels when it comes to physical sciences quality. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our “Best Physical Sciences Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Caltech is $9,755 for Physical Sciences students whose families make $48-$75k.
The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 3 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 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Physical Sciences at California Institute of Technology
With a ranking of #8, Cornell University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. This large school is located in Ithaca, New York, and it awarded 258 ’s physical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
Cornell also made our “Best Physical Sciences Schools” list, coming in at #5. The estimated yearly cost for Cornell is $9,785 for physical sciences students whose families make $48-$75k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate 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. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on Physical Sciences at Cornell University
University of Washington - Seattle Campus came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This large school is located in Seattle, Washington, and it awarded 612 ’s physical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our physical sciences students whose families make $48-$75k list, UW Seattle has also earned the #22 rank in our “Best Physical Sciences Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UW Seattle is $8,393 for Physical Sciences students whose families make $48-$75k.
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 undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Physical Sciences at University of Washington - Seattle Campus
University of Florida came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This large school is located in Gainesville, Florida, and it awarded 295 ’s physical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
UF also claimed a top spot on our “Best Physical Sciences Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our “Best Physical Sciences Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for UF is $8,394 for physical sciences students whose families make $48-$75k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, 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 97%.
Full University of Florida Physical Sciences Report
University of California - Berkeley ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Physical Sciences Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. University of California - Berkeley is located in Berkeley, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 560 ’s physical sciences degrees to qualified students.
UC Berkeley not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best Physical Sciences Schools” list. It costs about $13,423 for physical sciences students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UC Berkeley.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Physical Sciences at UC Berkeley
Purdue University - Main Campus ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Physical Sciences Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. West Lafayette, Indiana is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s physical sciences degrees to 274 students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on this list, Purdue is in the top on our “Best Physical Sciences Schools” list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. It costs about $8,450 for Physical Sciences students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Purdue.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full Purdue Physical Sciences Report
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #13. Chapel Hill, North Carolina is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s physical sciences degrees to 314 students in 2020-2021.
UNC Chapel Hill also made our “Best Physical Sciences Schools” list, coming in at #23. The yearly cost to attend University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is $11,619 for Physical Sciences students whose families make $48-$75k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Physical Sciences at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
With a ranking of #14, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. UMN Twin Cities is a large school located in Minneapolis, Minnesota that handed out 343 ’s physical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
UMN Twin Cities also took the #13 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Minnesota - Twin Cities is $12,911 for Physical Sciences students whose families make $48-$75k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% 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%.
Full University of Minnesota - Twin Cities Physical Sciences Report
University of Wisconsin - Madison landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Madison, Wisconsin is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s physical sciences degrees to 401 students in 2020-2021.
UW - Madison not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Physical Sciences Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Madison is $10,364 for physical sciences students whose families make $48-$75k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.9% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Physical Sciences at UW - Madison
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a public institution located in Champaign, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 375 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
UIUC also made our “Best Physical Sciences Schools” list, coming in at #10. It costs about $11,505 for Physical Sciences students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
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 undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Physical Sciences at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Wake Forest University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #17. Wake Forest University is located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 49 ’s physical sciences degrees to qualified students.
Wake Forest University also took the #25 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Wake Forest University is $10,228 for Physical Sciences students whose families make $48-$75k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.6% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Physical Sciences at Wake Forest University
With a ranking of #18, University of California - Los Angeles did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. UCLA is a public institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 371 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
UCLA not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best Physical Sciences Schools” list. It costs about $12,644 for physical sciences students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UCLA.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full UCLA Physical Sciences Report
University of California - San Diego did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #19. University of California - San Diego is located in La Jolla, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 598 ’s physical sciences degrees to qualified students.
UCSD did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best Physical Sciences Schools” list. It costs about $14,310 for physical sciences students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UCSD.
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 low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.0% 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 California - San Diego Physical Sciences Report
Middlesex County College came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Edison, New Jersey, and it awarded 207 ’s physical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend Middlesex County College is $11,457 for physical sciences students whose families make $48-$75k.
Full Middlesex County College Physical Sciences Report
Hunter College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #21. Hunter College is a public institution located in New York, New York. The school has a large population, and it awarded 150 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $6,908 for physical sciences students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Hunter.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full Hunter College Physical Sciences Report
With a ranking of #22, Florida State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. Tallahassee, Florida is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s physical sciences degrees to 216 students in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend Florida State University is $11,506 for Physical Sciences students whose families make $48-$75k.
With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.8% 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 Florida State Physical Sciences Report
University of California - Irvine came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. University of California - Irvine is located in Irvine, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 367 ’s physical sciences degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, UC Irvine is also in the top of our “Best Physical Sciences Schools” ranking. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Irvine is $13,275 for physical sciences students whose families make $48-$75k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national 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 University of California - Irvine Physical Sciences Report
University of Wyoming did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #24. UW is a public institution located in Laramie, Wyoming. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 97 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
On top of its placing in this ranking, UW also did well on our “Best Physical Sciences Schools” list. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. The estimated yearly cost for UW is $9,394 for Physical Sciences students whose families make $48-$75k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Physical Sciences at UW
With a ranking of #25, University of California - Davis did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. Davis, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s physical sciences degrees to 270 students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, UC Davis is also in the top of our “Best Physical Sciences Schools” ranking. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our “Best Physical Sciences Schools” list. It costs about $14,193 for physical sciences students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UC Davis.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, 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 93%.
Full University of California - Davis Physical Sciences Report
