2023 Best Physics Schools in Illinois
Finding the Best Physics School for You
Physics is the #66 most popular major in Illinois with 483 degrees and certificates awarded in 2020-2021.
With all the programs available today, it can be tough to choose which one is the best for you. As online education oppotunities continue to grow, you're not restricted to just schools in your local area anymore. Even some of the 'big name' schools are offering online courses. Also, there are a number of trade schools with offerings that you might find attractive.
The Best Physics Schools in Illinois ranking is one of many tools that Course Advisor has developed to help you make your educational decision. This report analyzed 11 schools in Illinois to see which ones offered the best programs for students.
View our full ranking methodology.
2023 Best Physics Schools in Illinois
The following schools top our list of the Best Physics Colleges.
Top 10 Best Physics Schools
Our analysis found Northwestern University to be the best school for physics students who want to pursue a degree in Illinois. Located in the small city of Evanston, Northwestern is a private not-for-profit school with a fairly large student population.
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A rank of #2 on this year’s list means Illinois Institute of Technology is a great place for physics students. Located in the large city of Chicago, Illinois Tech is a private not-for-profit college with a moderately-sized student population.
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Out of the 11 schools in Illinois that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Chicago landed the # 3 spot on the list. UChicago is a large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Chicago.
While working on their degree, physics majors at UChicago accumulate an average of around $19,972 in student debt.
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Out of the 11 schools in Illinois that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the # 4 spot on the list. Located in the small city of Champaign, UIUC is a public college with a fairly large student population.
Physics majors at UIUC take out an average of $19,750 in student loans while working on their egree. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $674.
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Loyola University Chicago. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Physics Schools in Illinois list. Located in the large city of Chicago, Loyola Chicago is a private not-for-profit college with a fairly large student population.
On average, physics graduates from Loyola Chicago take out $24,572 in student loans while working on their degree.
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Columbia College Chicago landed the #6 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best physics programs. Located in the city of Chicago, Columbia is a private not-for-profit college with a moderately-sized student population.
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With a ranking of #7, University of Illinois at Chicago did quite well on this year’s best schools for physics students. UIC is a very large public school located in the city of Chicago.
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Illinois State University landed the #8 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best physics programs. Illinois State is a very large public school located in the midsize suburb of Normal.
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Western Illinois University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for physics students. It came in at #9 on the list. Located in the town of Macomb, WIU is a public college with a moderately-sized student population.
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Southern Illinois University Edwardsville came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Physics Schools in Illinois ranking. SIUE is a fairly large public school located in the large suburb of Edwardsville.
Request InformationBest Physics Colleges in the Great Lakes Region
Explore all the Best Physics Schools in the Great Lakes Area or other specific states within that region.
| State | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|
| Michigan | 344 |
| Ohio | 393 |
| Indiana | 255 |
| Wisconsin | 264 |
More Physics Rankings in Illinois
Rankings in Majors Related to Physics
One of 8 majors within the area of study, physics has other similar majors worth exploring.
Most Popular Related Majors
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Chemistry | 21,239 |
| Geological & Earth Sciences | 7,821 |
| General Physical Sciences | 3,823 |
| Astronomy & Astrophysics | 1,375 |
| Atmospheric Sciences & Meteorology | 1,140 |
Notes and References
*These averages are for the top 11 schools only.
- Read more about our ranking methodology.
- 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 the rest 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).
- Credit for the banner image above goes to A. T. Service.
More about our data sources and methodologies.