2022 Best Value Colleges for Physical Sciences (Income $48-$75k) in Iowa

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in Iowa For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking - to help you make that decision.

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 Iowa, there were 490 physical sciences graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $25,510 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in Iowa For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking analyzed 3 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. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

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 in Iowa For Those Making $48-$75k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

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 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 in Iowa For Those Making $48-$75k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in Iowa For Those Making $48-$75k.

Top 3 Best Value Colleges for Physical Sciences (Income $48-$75k) in Iowa

#1

Iowa State University

Ames, Iowa

#3 in overall quality

$14,161 Average Net Price

$46,410 Average Early-Career Earnings

Out of the 3 schools in the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in Iowa For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, Iowa State University landed the #1 spot on the list. Iowa State University is located in Ames, Iowa and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 149 ’s physical sciences degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Iowa State, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Schools in Iowa” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Iowa State is $14,161 for iowa physical sciences students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 3.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Physical Sciences at Iowa State University

#2

University of Northern Iowa

Cedar Falls, Iowa

#2 in overall quality

$15,729 Average Net Price

$39,900 Average Early-Career Earnings

Out of the 3 schools in the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in Iowa For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Northern Iowa landed the #2 spot on the list. University of Northern Iowa is located in Cedar Falls, Iowa and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 29 ’s physical sciences degrees to qualified students.

UNI also made our “Best Physical Sciences Schools in Iowa” list, coming in at #2. The yearly cost to attend UNI is $15,729 for iowa physical sciences students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at University of Northern Iowa

#3

Luther College

Decorah, Iowa

#1 in overall quality

$19,852 Average Net Price

$34,644 Average Early-Career Earnings

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Luther College. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in Iowa For Those Making $48-$75k. Luther College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Decorah, Iowa. The school has a small population, and it awarded 13 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Luther also made our “Best Physical Sciences Schools in Iowa” list, coming in at #1. The estimated yearly cost for Luther College is $19,852 for Iowa Physical Sciences students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low student loan default rate of 2.2% 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 Luther Physical Sciences Report

• Best Value Colleges for Physical Sciences (Income $48-$75k) in the Plains States Region
• Best Value Colleges for Physical Sciences (Income $48-$75k)

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

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