2023 Best Value Physics Schools
Highlighting Quality Schools With More Affordable Pricing
Finding the Best Physics School for You
In 2020-2021, 13,674 people earned a degree or certificate in physics, making the major the #69 most popular in the United States.
Today's students have lots of options to pick from when considering higher education opportunities. Along with traditional schools that require in-person attendence, you can attend one of many reputable online schools. Some programs even offer a hybrid experience. Alternatively, you may choose a trade school that prepares you to enter the workforce with knowledge in a specific field.
To assist you in seeing some of the education options that are available to you, Course Advisor has created its Best Value Physics Schools ranking. Our analysis looked at 243 schools in the United States to see which programs offered the best value experiences for physics students with the aim of identifying those quality schools that are more affordable than some of their counterparts.
When determining this ranking, we place a high emphasis on the school's quality as well as its sticker price. Even though a college may be affordable, it may not offer value. Specifically, our score for quality is discounted by the published tuition and fees charged by the given college. This gives the cost per unit of quality for each college. The more quality your dollar buys, the better the value.
Our calculations use out-of-state tuition and fees in our nationwide and regional rankings. For statewide rankings, we use average in-state tuition and fees.
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2023 Best Value Physics Schools in the United States
The following schools top our list of the Best Value Physics Colleges.
Top 25 Best Schools for Affordable Quality in Physics
Our 2023 rankings named Brigham Young University - Idaho the best value school in the United States for physics students. BYU - I is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the distant town of Rexburg.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at BYU - I are $4,416 per year.
A rank of #2 on this year’s list means Brigham Young University - Provo is a great value for physics students. BYU is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the medium-sized city of Provo.
BYU undergraduate students pay an average of $6,120 in tuition and fees each year.
BYU excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our Best Physics Schools list.
A rank of #3 on this year’s list means University of North Carolina at Pembroke is a great value for physics students. Located in the distant town of Pembroke, UNC Pembroke is a public college with a moderately-sized student population.
UNC Pembroke undergraduate students pay an average of $7,495 in tuition and fees each year.
A rank of #4 on this year’s list means University of Wisconsin - River Falls is a great value for physics students. UW - River Falls is a moderately-sized public school located in the distant town of River Falls.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at UW - River Falls are $15,661 a year. While working on their degree, physics majors at UW - River Falls accumulate an average of around $27,000 in student debt.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, UW - River Falls also is in the top 10% of our Best Physics Schools ranking.
Full Physics at University of Wisconsin - River Falls Report
Out of the 243 schools in the United States that were part of this year’s ranking, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville landed the # 5 spot on the list. Located in the suburb of Edwardsville, SIUE is a public college with a fairly large student population.
SIUE undergraduate students pay an average of $11,496 in tuition and fees each year.
Full Physics at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Report
University of Wyoming landed the #6 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value physics programs. Located in the town of Laramie, UW is a public school with a fairly large student population.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at UW are $16,957 a year.
Western Illinois University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for physics students. It came in at #7 on the list. WIU is a medium-sized public school located in the remote town of Macomb.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at WIU are $13,297 per year.
Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physics Schools ranking. SRU is a medium-sized public school located in the distant town of Slippery Rock.
SRU undergraduate students pay an average of $14,615 in tuition and fees each year.
SRU also claimed a spot on our Best Physics Schools list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools in this category.
Full Physics at Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania Report
University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physics Schools ranking. UW - Eau Claire is a fairly large public school located in the city of Eau Claire.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at UW - Eau Claire are $17,149 per year.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, UW - Eau Claire also is in the top 10% of our Best Physics Schools ranking.
University of Wisconsin - La Crosse ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Physics Schools list. Located in the city of La Crosse, UW - La Crosse is a public college with a large student population.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at UW - La Crosse are $18,014 a year. Physics majors at UW - La Crosse take out an average of $27,000 in student loans while working on their egree.
UW - La Crosse also claimed a spot on our Best Physics Schools list. It’s in the top 5% of all schools in this category.
With a ranking of #11, East Tennessee State University did quite well on this year’s best value schools for physics students. Located in the small city of Johnson City, ETSU is a public college with a fairly large student population.
ETSU undergraduate students pay an average of $12,740 in tuition and fees each year.
Read full report on Physics at East Tennessee State University
Edinboro University of Pennsylvania did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for physics students. It came in at #12 on the list. Edinboro is a small public school located in the town of Edinboro.
Edinboro undergraduate students pay an average of $15,062 in tuition and fees each year.
Clarion University of Pennsylvania did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for physics students. It came in at #13 on the list. Clarion University is a small public school located in the remote town of Clarion.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Clarion University are $16,052 per year.
With a ranking of #14, University of Wisconsin - Whitewater did quite well on this year’s best value schools for physics students. Located in the town of Whitewater, UW - Whitewater is a public school with a large student population.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at UW - Whitewater are $16,602 a year.
UW - Whitewater also claimed a spot on our Best Physics Schools list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools in this category.
Southern Arkansas University Main Campus did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for physics students. It came in at #15 on the list. Southern Arkansas University Main Campus is a small public school located in the remote town of Magnolia.
Southern Arkansas University Main Campus undergraduate students pay an average of $14,530 in tuition and fees each year. The average amount in student loans that physics majors at Southern Arkansas University Main Campus take out is $23,000.
Full Physics at Southern Arkansas University Main Campus Report
East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Physics Schools list. East Stroudsburg University is a moderately-sized public school located in the city of East Stroudsburg.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at East Stroudsburg University are $19,797 per year.
Read full report on Physics at East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania
Christopher Newport University came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physics Schools ranking. Located in the medium-sized city of Newport News, CNU is a public school with a small student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at CNU are $27,790 per year.
CNU also claimed a spot on our Best Physics Schools list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools in this category.
Read full report on Physics at Christopher Newport University
Lock Haven University landed the #18 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value physics programs. Located in the town of Lock Haven, LHU is a public college with a small student population.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at LHU are $20,702 a year.
University of North Alabama came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physics Schools ranking. UNA is a medium-sized public school located in the city of Florence.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at UNA are $20,220 per year.
With a ranking of #20, University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point did quite well on this year’s best value schools for physics students. Located in the distant town of Stevens Point, UW - Stevens Point is a public school with a moderately-sized student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at UW - Stevens Point are $17,035 per year.
On top of its placing in our value ranking, UW - Stevens Point also did well on our Best Physics Schools list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
Read full report on Physics at University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point
With a ranking of #20, University of Akron Main Campus did quite well on this year’s best value schools for physics students. University of Akron Main Campus is a large public school located in the medium-sized city of Akron.
University of Akron Main Campus undergraduate students pay an average of $11,880 in tuition and fees each year.
Read full report on Physics at University of Akron Main Campus
University of Houston landed the #22 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value physics programs. Located in the large city of Houston, UH is a public school with a very large student population.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at UH are $21,891 a year. After completing their degree, physics graduates from UH carry an average student debtload of $25,399.
Northern Illinois University came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physics Schools ranking. Located in the small suburb of Dekalb, NIU is a public school with a fairly large student population.
NIU undergraduate students pay an average of $14,738 in tuition and fees each year.
University of Minnesota - Morris ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Physics Schools list. Located in the remote town of Morris, UMN Morris is a public school with a small student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at UMN Morris are $15,940 per year.
In addition to its great value ranking, UMN Morris is in the top 20% of all schools on our Best Physics Schools list.
University of Wisconsin - Parkside landed the #25 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value physics programs. UW - Parkside is a small public school located in the midsize suburb of Kenosha.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at UW - Parkside are $15,714 a year.
Rest of the Top Best Value Physics Schools
Honorable Mentions
Here are some additional great value schools for Physics students seeking value that almost earned our Best Value Physics Schools award.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 37 | Iowa State University | Ames, IA |
| 37 | Stockton University | Galloway, NJ |
| 39 | The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley | Edinburg, TX |
| 40 | California State University - Long Beach | Long Beach, CA |
| 41 | Georgia Southern University | Statesboro, GA |
| 42 | University of South Florida - Main Campus | Tampa, FL |
| 43 | Grand Valley State University | Allendale, MI |
| 44 | Oklahoma State University - Main Campus | Stillwater, OK |
| 45 | SUNY Geneseo | Geneseo, NY |
| 46 | Illinois Institute of Technology | Chicago, IL |
| 46 | Cleveland State University | Cleveland, OH |
| 46 | University of Nevada - Reno | Reno, NV |
Physics by Region
View the Best Value Physics Schools for a specific region near you.
| Region |
|---|
| Southeast |
| New England |
| Rocky Mountains |
| Plains States |
| Middle Atlantic |
| Far Western US |
| Southwest |
| Great Lakes |
More Physics Rankings
Majors Related to Physics
Physics is one of 8 different types of programs to choose from.
Majors Similar to Physics
| 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 25 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 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.
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More about our data sources and methodologies.
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