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2025 Best Physical Sciences Bachelor's Degree Schools in Illinois

5 Colleges in Illinois
1,005 Bachelor's Degrees
$42,116 Avg Early-Career Salary
When it comes to popularity, a bachelor's degree in physical sciences sits in the middle of the road, ranking #18 out of 38 majors in the country. As such, the degree program isn't offered at every college in the United States, but there are schools that do have a program in the field that are top-notch when it comes to quality.

In 2025, College Factual analyzed 5 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Physical Sciences Bachelor's Degree Schools in Illinois ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 1,005 bachelor's degrees in physical sciences to qualified students.

What's on this page: * Our Methodology

Choosing a Great Physical Sciences School for Your Bachelor's Degree

Best Physical Sciences Bachelor's Degree Schools in Illinois Your choice of physical sciences for getting your bachelor's degree school matters. This section explores some of the factors we include in our ranking and how much they vary depending on the school you select. When choosing a school we recommend considering some of the following factors:

Quality Overall Is Important

The overall quality of a bachelor's degree school is important to ensure a quality education, not just how well they do in a particular major. To take this into account we consider a school's overall Best Colleges ranking which itself looks at a host of various factors like degree completion, educational resources, student body caliber and post-graduation earnings for the school as a whole.

Average Earnings

To determine the overall quality of a graduate school, one factor we look at is the average early-career salary of those receiving their bachelor's degree from the school. This is because one of the main reasons people pursue their bachelor's degree is to enable themselves to find better-paying positions.

Other Factors We Consider

The metrics below are just some of the other metrics that we use to determine our rankings.

Our complete ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best schools for physical sciences students working on their bachelor's degree.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Rankings by Location Check Out Other Locales
More Physical Sciences Rankings Other Ranking Categories

When choosing the right school for you, it's important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we've created a number of major-specific rankings, including this Best Physical Sciences Bachelor's Degree Schools in Illinois list to help you make the college decision.

In addition to College Factual's rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don't forget it.

Best Schools for Bachelor’s Students to Study Physical Sciences in Illinois

The following list ranks the best colleges and universities for pursuing a bachelor's degree in physical sciences.

Top Illinois Schools for a Bachelor's in Physical Sciences

1
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
213 Annual Graduates

It's difficult to beat University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign if you want to pursue a bachelor's degree in physical sciences. UIUC is a fairly large public university located in the small city of Champaign.More information about a bachelor’s in physical sciences from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

2
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
51 Annual Graduates

Illinois State University is one of the finest schools in the United States for getting a bachelor's degree in physical sciences. Illinois State is a very large public university located in the midsize suburb of Normal.More information about a bachelor’s in physical sciences from Illinois State University

3
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
51 Annual Graduates

Every student pursuing a degree in a bachelor's degree in physical sciences needs to take a look at University of Illinois at Chicago. Located in the city of Chicago, UIC is a public university with a fairly large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in physical sciences from University of Illinois at Chicago

4
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
24 Annual Graduates

Any student pursuing a degree in a bachelor's degree in physical sciences needs to take a look at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. SIUE is a large public university located in the suburb of Edwardsville.More information about a bachelor’s in physical sciences from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville

5
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
60 Annual Graduates

Located in the small suburb of Dekalb, NIU is a public university with a fairly large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in physical sciences from Northern Illinois University

Best Physical Sciences Colleges in the Great Lakes Region

Explore all the Best Physical Sciences Colleges in the Great Lakes Area or other specific states within that region.

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Michigan 35 817
Ohio 34 1,006
Indiana 33 672
Wisconsin 31 663

View All Rankings >

Physical Sciences Majors to Study

Major Annual Graduates
Chemistry 500
Physics 308
Geological & Earth Sciences 121
Astronomy & Astrophysics 48
Atmospheric Sciences & Meteorology 24
Other Physical Science 4

Related Major Annual Graduates
Engineering 3,934
Biological & Biomedical Sciences 3,729
Mathematics & Statistics 1,369
Agriculture & Agriculture Operations 843
Natural Resources & Conservation 493
Engineering Technologies 477
Architecture & Related Services 261
Military Technologies & Applied Sciences 7

Notes and References

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