2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Physical Sciences
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 a Bachelor’s” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.
In 2019-2020, 52,879 people earned their degree in physical sciences, making the major the 18th most popular in the United States. 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 bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 32,457 physical sciences graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,303 and $24,501 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s” ranking analyzed 375 colleges that offered a degree in physical sciences. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality physical sciences programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.
When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the physical sciences program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.
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More Ways to Rank Physical Sciences Schools
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” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.
To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools 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
The colleges and universities below are the best for bachelor’s degree physical sciences students.
Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Physical Sciences
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Brigham Young University - Idaho. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s. BYU - I is located in Rexburg, Idaho and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 45 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees to qualified students.
The estimated yearly cost for BYU - I is $7,167 for bachelor’s degree physical sciences students.
The low student loan default rate of 3.2% 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 Brigham Young University - Idaho Physical Sciences Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Brigham Young University - Provo. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s. BYU is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Provo, Utah. It awarded 75 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend Brigham Young University - Provo is $13,322 for Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students.
The 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 92%.
Out of the 375 schools in the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Wisconsin - La Crosse landed the #3 spot on the list. UW - La Crosse is located in La Crosse, Wisconsin and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 46 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on this list, UW - La Crosse is in the top on our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools in this category. It costs about $14,580 for Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students per year to attend UW - La Crosse.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, 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 86%.
Read full report on Physical Sciences at University of Wisconsin - La Crosse
Out of the 375 schools in the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s that were part of this year’s ranking, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville landed the #4 spot on the list. This fairly large school is located in Edwardsville, Illinois, and it awarded 47 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for SIUE is $14,423 for Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students.
Read more about Physical Sciences at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
Out of the 375 schools in the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Wisconsin - River Falls landed the #5 spot on the list. University of Wisconsin - River Falls is a medium-sized school located in River Falls, Wisconsin that handed out 47 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - River Falls is $13,748 for Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students.
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 full report on Physical Sciences at University of Wisconsin - River Falls
The University of Texas of the Permian Basin landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking. 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.
The estimated yearly cost for UT Permian Basin is $10,092 for bachelor’s degree physical sciences students.
Full The University of Texas of the Permian Basin Physical Sciences Report
University of Wisconsin - Platteville came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking. Platteville, Wisconsin is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s physical sciences degrees to 29 students in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend UW - Platteville is $15,718 for bachelor’s degree physical sciences students.
Read full report on Physical Sciences at University of Wisconsin - Platteville
South Dakota School of Mines and Technology came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking. SD Mines is a public institution located in Rapid City, South Dakota. The school has a small population, and it awarded 27 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for South Dakota School of Mines and Technology is $19,815 for bachelor’s degree physical sciences students.
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%.
University of Wisconsin - Green Bay landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking. University of Wisconsin - Green Bay is located in Green Bay, Wisconsin and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 16 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees to qualified students.
It costs about $14,395 for Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Green Bay.
Read more about Physical Sciences at University of Wisconsin - Green Bay
Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s list. Located in Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania, this medium-sized public school handed out 42 degrees to qualified bachelors’s physical sciences students in 2019-2020.
It costs about $19,926 for Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students per year to attend Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania.
Full Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania Physical Sciences Report
University of Wisconsin - Whitewater did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #11. UW - Whitewater is a fairly large school located in Whitewater, Wisconsin that handed out 29 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for UW - Whitewater is $15,249 for Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students.
University of Wyoming landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking. This fairly large school is located in Laramie, Wyoming, and it awarded 88 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $12,159 for Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students per year to attend University of Wyoming.
The low student loan default rate of 4.5% 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%.
With a ranking of #13, Truman State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s list. Located in Kirksville, Missouri, this small public school awarded 23 degrees to qualified bachelors’s physical sciences students in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend Truman State University is $12,462 for bachelor’s degree physical sciences students.
The low student loan default rate of 3.5% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Physical Sciences at Truman State University
University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #14. This medium-sized school is located in Stevens Point, Wisconsin, and it awarded 20 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point is $14,465 for bachelor’s degree physical sciences students.
Full University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point Physical Sciences Report
University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s list. UW - Eau Claire is a fairly large public school situated in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. It awarded 74 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $16,020 for bachelor’s degree physical sciences students per year to attend UW - Eau Claire.
Western Carolina University ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s list. Located in Cullowhee, North Carolina, this fairly large public school handed out 69 degrees to qualified bachelors’s physical sciences students in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for Western Carolina University is $13,722 for Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students.
Read more about Physical Sciences at Western Carolina University
With a ranking of #17, University of Southern Mississippi did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s list. Southern Miss is a fairly large public school situated in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. It awarded 35 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend Southern Miss is $14,923 for bachelor’s degree physical sciences students.
Dalton State College ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s list. Dalton State College is a small public school situated in Dalton, Georgia. It awarded 11 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend Dalton State College is $6,543 for Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students.
With a ranking of #19, Lindenwood University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s list. Lindenwood University is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Saint Charles, Missouri. It awarded 18 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend Lindenwood University is $17,491 for bachelor’s degree physical sciences students.
The student loan default rate at the school is 4.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Western Michigan University ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s list. WMU is a public institution located in Kalamazoo, Michigan. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 32 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend Western Michigan University is $19,433 for Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students.
With a ranking of #21, MSU Texas did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s list. MSU Texas is a medium-sized school located in Wichita Falls, Texas that handed out 26 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend MSU Texas is $10,045 for bachelor’s degree physical sciences students.
University of Minnesota - Duluth ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s list. University of Minnesota - Duluth is located in Duluth, Minnesota and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 58 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees to qualified students.
The estimated yearly cost for UMN Duluth is $17,067 for Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students.
The low student loan default rate of 3.1% 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 University of Minnesota - Duluth
University of North Alabama did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #23. This medium-sized school is located in Florence, Alabama, and it awarded 29 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for UNA is $14,130 for bachelor’s degree physical sciences students.
University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s list. Oshkosh, Wisconsin is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s physical sciences degrees to 33 students in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend UW Oshkosh is $15,463 for bachelor’s degree physical sciences students.
Salisbury University landed the #25 spot on the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking. Salisbury is located in Salisbury, Maryland and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 61 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on this list, Salisbury is in the top on our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. It costs about $19,617 for bachelor’s degree physical sciences students per year to attend Salisbury University.
The student loan default rate at the school is 3.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Physical Sciences at Salisbury University
Rest of the Best 50 in Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s
Not only did these schools make the top 50 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:
Rest of the Top 15% Colleges in Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s
While not in the ‘top 50’, these schools make the top 15% of this year’s ranking:
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 51 | University of West Georgia | Carrollton, GA |
| 52 | California State University - Long Beach | Long Beach, CA |
| 53 | California State University - San Marcos | San Marcos, CA |
| 54 | The University of Texas at San Antonio | San Antonio, TX |
| 55 | Weber State University | Ogden, UT |
| 56 | Appalachian State University | Boone, NC |
| 57 | Bridgewater State University | Bridgewater, MA |
| 57 | University of North Texas | Denton, TX |
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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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