2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Physical Sciences in the Plains States Region
Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. 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 Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region” 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.
Across the Plains States region, there were 3,094 physical sciences graduates with average earnings and debt of $35,917 and $23,900 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 2,290 physical sciences graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,786 and $25,576 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region” ranking analyzed 27 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.
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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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 Plains States Region” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.
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Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region.
Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Physical Sciences in the Plains States Region
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend South Dakota School of Mines and Technology. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region list. SD Mines is a small public school situated in Rapid City, South Dakota. It awarded 27 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at SD Mines, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $19,815 for plains states region bachelor’s degree physical sciences students per year to attend SD Mines.
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%.
Read more about Physical Sciences at South Dakota School of Mines and Technology
Out of the 27 schools in the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Truman State University landed the #2 spot on the list. Kirksville, Missouri is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s physical sciences degrees to 23 students in 2019-2020.
Truman State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Truman State is $12,462 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students.
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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Lindenwood University. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region. 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.
Lindenwood University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $17,491 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students per year to attend Lindenwood University.
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%.
Read full report on Physical Sciences at Lindenwood University
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Minnesota - Duluth. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region. This fairly large school is located in Duluth, Minnesota, and it awarded 58 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.
UMN Duluth also made our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #14. It costs about $17,067 for plains states region bachelor’s degree physical sciences students per year to attend University of Minnesota - Duluth.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Minnesota - Morris. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region. UMN Morris is a small school located in Morris, Minnesota that handed out 15 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.
UMN Morris also made our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #20. The yearly cost to attend UMN Morris is $11,412 for plains states region bachelor’s degree physical sciences students.
The student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Physical Sciences at University of Minnesota - Morris
University of Northern Iowa ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region list. University of Northern Iowa is a medium-sized public school situated in Cedar Falls, Iowa. It awarded 29 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.
UNI also made our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #11. It costs about $15,620 for plains states region bachelor’s degree physical sciences students per year to attend UNI.
The low student loan default rate of 3.6% 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 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Northwest Missouri State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #7. Northwest is a public institution located in Maryville, Missouri. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 44 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Northwest did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #22 on our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Northwest is $12,354 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students.
Full Northwest Missouri State University Physical Sciences Report
Fort Hays State University ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region list. Fort Hays State University is a fairly large school located in Hays, Kansas that handed out 27 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for FHSU is $12,053 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students.
Missouri State University - Springfield came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region ranking. This large school is located in Springfield, Missouri, and it awarded 43 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.
Missouri State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #24 on our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Missouri State is $16,725 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students.
Iowa State University landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region ranking. Iowa State is a public institution located in Ames, Iowa. The school has a large population, and it awarded 85 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Iowa State, the school also landed the #15 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Iowa State University is $15,496 for plains states region bachelor’s degree physical sciences students.
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 low student loan default rate of 3.3% 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%.
Read full report on Physical Sciences at Iowa State University
With a ranking of #11, Metropolitan State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region list. Metropolitan State University is located in Saint Paul, Minnesota and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 16 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees to qualified students.
Metro State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #25 on our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Metro State is $15,225 for plains states region bachelor’s degree physical sciences students.
Read more about Physical Sciences at Metropolitan State University
With a ranking of #12, Missouri University of Science and Technology did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region list. Rolla, Missouri is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s physical sciences degrees to 68 students in 2019-2020.
Missouri University of Science and Technology also made our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #2. The estimated yearly cost for Missouri University of Science and Technology is $14,262 for plains states region bachelor’s degree physical sciences students.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
Full Missouri University of Science and Technology Physical Sciences Report
With a ranking of #13, Kansas State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region list. K -State is a large school located in Manhattan, Kansas that handed out 63 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.
K -State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Kansas State University is $18,285 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students.
With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
University of Kansas landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region ranking. KU is located in Lawrence, Kansas and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 76 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees to qualified students.
KU also took the #16 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend KU is $18,918 for plains states region bachelor’s degree physical sciences students.
With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
University of Missouri - Columbia ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region list. Mizzou is a public institution located in Columbia, Missouri. The school has a large population, and it awarded 78 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Mizzou also took the #7 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $16,001 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students per year to attend University of Missouri - Columbia.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%.
Read full report on Physical Sciences at University of Missouri - Columbia
University of Minnesota - Twin Cities ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region list. This large school is located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and it awarded 206 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.
UMN Twin Cities also took the #3 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Minnesota - Twin Cities is $17,740 for plains states region bachelor’s degree physical sciences students.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
Wichita State University landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region ranking. This fairly large school is located in Wichita, Kansas, and it awarded 28 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for Wichita State University is $14,382 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students.
With a ranking of #18, University of Missouri - Kansas City did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region list. UMKC is a public institution located in Kansas City, Missouri. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 105 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
UMKC also made our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #18. It costs about $14,643 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students per year to attend UMKC.
Read more about Physical Sciences at University of Missouri - Kansas City
University of Missouri - St Louis landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region ranking. This fairly large school is located in Saint Louis, Missouri, and it awarded 22 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.
UMSL also took the #23 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UMSL is $9,435 for plains states region bachelor’s degree physical sciences students.
Bethel University Minnesota did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #20. This small school is located in Saint Paul, Minnesota, and it awarded 25 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree physical sciences students list, Bethel University Minnesota has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Bethel University Minnesota is $25,191 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students.
With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 3.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Concordia College at Moorhead ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region list. Moorhead, Minnesota is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s physical sciences degrees to 21 students in 2019-2020.
Concordia College Moorhead also made our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #5. The estimated yearly cost for Concordia College Moorhead is $23,029 for plains states region bachelor’s degree physical sciences students.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Physical Sciences at Concordia College Moorhead
Augsburg University ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region list. Located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 7 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s physical sciences students in 2019-2020.
Augsburg also made our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #21. The yearly cost to attend Augsburg is $24,653 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students.
Luther College ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region list. Located in Decorah, Iowa, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 13 degrees to qualified bachelors’s physical sciences students in 2019-2020.
Luther also took the #6 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Luther is $23,620 for plains states region bachelor’s degree physical sciences students.
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%.
With a ranking of #24, Hamline University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region list. Located in Saint Paul, Minnesota, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 12 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s physical sciences students in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree physical sciences students list, Hamline has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Hamline is $20,866 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students.
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%.
Creighton University came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region ranking. Creighton University is located in Omaha, Nebraska and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 34 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees to qualified students.
Creighton also made our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #19. It costs about $31,400 for plains states region bachelor’s degree physical sciences students per year to attend Creighton University.
With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its 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%.
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Best Physical Sciences Bachelor's Degree Schools in the Plains States Region
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Physical Sciences students in the Plains States Region
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Physical Sciences students with family income $75-$110k in the Plains States Region
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Physical Sciences in the Plains States Region
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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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