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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Physical Sciences in the Southwest Region (With Aid)

31 Ranked Colleges
2,830 Degrees Awarded
$13,300 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor's in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid

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 for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid” 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 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.

For this year’s “Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking, we looked at 31 colleges that offer a degree 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.

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 Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid” 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. 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 Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Physical Sciences in the Southwest Region (With Aid)

#12 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Edinburg, Texas, this large public school handed out 52 degrees to qualified bachelors’s physical sciences students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southwest region bachelor’s degree physical sciences students with aid list, UT Rio Grande Valley has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UT Rio Grande Valley is $4,514 for southwest region bachelor’s degree physical sciences students with aid.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Physical Sciences at UT Rio Grande Valley

#8 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 Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, The University of Texas of the Permian Basin landed the #2 spot on the list. The University of Texas of the Permian Basin is located in Odessa, Texas and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 29 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees to qualified students.

UT Permian Basin not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. It costs about $10,092 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students with aid per year to attend UT Permian Basin.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at UT Permian Basin

#2 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend The University of Texas at Austin. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Austin, Texas, this large public school awarded 296 degrees to qualified bachelors’s physical sciences students in 2019-2020.

UT Austin also took the #2 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UT Austin is $18,023 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students with aid.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. The low student loan default rate of 2.7% 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%.

Read more about Physical Sciences at The University of Texas at Austin

#10 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend The University of Texas at Dallas. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid. The University of Texas at 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.

UT Dallas also took the #10 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $15,232 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students with aid per year to attend The University of Texas at Dallas.

With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 4.9% 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 The University of Texas at Dallas

#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 Getting Aid. UTSA is a large school located in San Antonio, Texas that handed out 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 yearly cost to attend UTSA is $13,853 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students with aid.

Full UTSA Physical Sciences Report

#6

MSU Texas

Wichita Falls, Texas
#22 in overall quality

MSU Texas ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid list. Wichita Falls, Texas is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s physical sciences degrees to 26 students in 2019-2020.

MSU Texas did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #22 on our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for MSU Texas is $10,045 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students with aid.

Read more about Physical Sciences at MSU Texas

#7

University of Houston

Houston, Texas
#5 in overall quality

University of Houston landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. UH is a public institution located in Houston, Texas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 111 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UH also took the #5 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UH is $12,838 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students with aid.

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

Read more about Physical Sciences at University of Houston

#8

University of Arizona

Tucson, Arizona
#4 in overall quality

University of Arizona did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #8. University of Arizona is located in Tucson, Arizona and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 218 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees to qualified students.

University of Arizona also made our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #4. The yearly cost to attend University of Arizona is $15,016 for southwest region bachelor’s degree physical sciences students with aid.

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

Read full report on Physical Sciences at University of Arizona

The University of Texas at El Paso landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. The University of Texas at El Paso is a large public school situated in El Paso, Texas. It awarded 43 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $8,920 for southwest region bachelor’s degree physical sciences students with aid per year to attend UTEP.

Full UTEP Physical Sciences Report

#10

Texas A&M University - College Station

College Station, Texas
#1 in overall quality

Texas A&M University - College Station ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid list. Texas A&M College Station is a large public school situated in College Station, Texas. It awarded 195 bachelors’s physical sciences 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. The yearly cost to attend Texas A&M University - College Station is $19,057 for southwest region bachelor’s degree physical sciences students with aid.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.

Full Texas A&M College Station Physical Sciences Report

#11

Texas Tech University

Lubbock, Texas
#6 in overall quality

With a ranking of #11, Texas Tech University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid list. Lubbock, Texas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s physical sciences degrees to 107 students in 2019-2020.

Texas Tech did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. It costs about $17,571 for southwest region bachelor’s degree physical sciences students with aid per year to attend Texas Tech University.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at Texas Tech University

#12

University of North Texas

Denton, Texas
#11 in overall quality

With a ranking of #12, University of North Texas did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid list. Denton, Texas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s physical sciences degrees to 57 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southwest region bachelor’s degree physical sciences students with aid list, UNT has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $15,086 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students with aid per year to attend UNT.

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

Full University of North Texas Physical Sciences Report

#9 in overall quality

With a ranking of #12, Arizona State University - Tempe did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid list. ASU - 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 made our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #9. The estimated yearly cost for ASU - Tempe is $11,706 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students with aid.

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

Read full report on Physical Sciences at ASU - Tempe

#14

Texas State University

San Marcos, Texas
#14 in overall quality

Texas State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #14. Texas State is a public institution located in San Marcos, Texas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 33 bachelors’s 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. The estimated yearly cost for Texas State is $15,230 for southwest region bachelor’s degree physical sciences students with aid.

Read more about Physical Sciences at Texas State University

#23 in overall quality

University of Houston - Downtown 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 Getting Aid ranking. UH Downtown is a fairly large school located in Houston, Texas that handed out 40 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

UH Downtown not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #23 on our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UH Downtown is $6,848 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students with aid.

Full University of Houston - Downtown Physical Sciences Report

Southeastern Oklahoma State University ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid list. This medium-sized school is located in Durant, Oklahoma, and it awarded 12 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Southeastern Oklahoma State University is $8,237 for southwest region bachelor’s degree physical sciences students with aid.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at Southeastern Oklahoma State University

New Mexico State University - Main Campus landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. New Mexico State University - Main Campus is a fairly large public school situated in Las Cruces, New Mexico. It awarded 26 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend NMSU Main Campus is $8,659 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students with aid.

Read more about Physical Sciences at New Mexico State University - Main Campus

#15 in overall quality

Oklahoma State University - Main Campus landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. This large school is located in Stillwater, Oklahoma, and it awarded 35 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

OSU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for OSU is $14,648 for southwest region bachelor’s degree physical sciences students with aid.

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

Read full report on Physical Sciences at OSU

#19

Tarleton State University

Stephenville, Texas
#17 in overall quality

Tarleton State University ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Stephenville, Texas, this fairly large public school handed out 24 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s physical sciences students in 2019-2020.

Tarleton also took the #17 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Tarleton is $18,979 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students with aid.

Full Tarleton State University Physical Sciences Report

#20

Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi

Corpus Christi, Texas
#20 in overall quality

Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi is a fairly large school located in Corpus Christi, Texas that handed out 30 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

Texas A&M Corpus Christi also made our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #20. The yearly cost to attend Texas A&M Corpus Christi is $16,332 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students with aid.

Full Texas A&M Corpus Christi Physical Sciences Report

#19 in overall quality

The University of Texas at Arlington did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #21. The University of Texas at Arlington is located in Arlington, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 79 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees to qualified students.

UT Arlington also made our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #19. The yearly cost to attend The University of Texas at Arlington is $14,246 for southwest region bachelor’s degree physical sciences students with aid.

Full The University of Texas at Arlington Physical Sciences Report

#22

Sam Houston State University

Huntsville, Texas
#24 in overall quality

With a ranking of #22, Sam Houston State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid list. Huntsville, Texas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s physical sciences degrees to 48 students in 2019-2020.

SHSU also took the #24 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for SHSU is $14,617 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students with aid.

Read more about Physical Sciences at Sam Houston State University

#13 in overall quality

University of Central Oklahoma ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid list. Edmond, Oklahoma is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s physical sciences degrees to 45 students in 2019-2020.

UCO not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #13 on our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The yearly cost to attend UCO is $16,562 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students with aid.

Read more about Physical Sciences at UCO

#24

Northern Arizona University

Flagstaff, Arizona
#25 in overall quality

Northern Arizona University ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid list. NAU is a large public school situated in Flagstaff, Arizona. It awarded 144 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at NAU, the school also landed the #25 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Northern Arizona University is $12,915 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students with aid.

Read more about Physical Sciences at NAU

#25

University of New Mexico - Main Campus

Albuquerque, New Mexico

University of New Mexico - Main Campus ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Albuquerque, New Mexico, this large public school handed out 57 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s physical sciences students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $14,446 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students with aid per year to attend UNM.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at UNM

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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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