2026 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in West Virginia
[Physical Sciences](/majors/physical-sciences/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong physical sciences education at a price that pays off.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 14 schools to find the best return on investment for physical sciences students.
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2026 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in West Virginia
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in physical sciences, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Physical Sciences Schools
Our analysis ranked Marshall University the best value for a degree in physical sciences in West Virginia. Marshall University is a large public school located in the city of Huntington. Students from in state pay about $9,162 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $20,342. Students borrow a median of $11,953 to complete the physical sciences program here. Early-career physical sciences graduates make about $32,143. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Marshall University admits about 96% of applicants.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at West Virginia University earned it the #2 place for physical sciences. Set in the city of Morgantown, West Virginia University is a very large public institution. Students from in state pay about $10,104 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $28,608. Physical Sciences graduates carry a median of $24,016 in student loans. Early-career physical sciences graduates make about $36,766. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. West Virginia University admits about 89% of applicants.
Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 14 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 2 ranked schools only.
- 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).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
