2023 Best Value Physics Schools in the Great Lakes Region
Identifying Quality Schools at More Affordable Prices
Finding the Best Physics School for You
Physics is the #69 most popular major in the country with 13,674 degrees and certificates awarded in 2020-2021.
When it comes to higher education, there are a lot of options for students. 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.
To help you arm yourself with the information you need to make your decision, Course Advisor has developed this Best Value Physics Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. This report analyzed 45 schools in the Great Lakes Region to see which ones offered the best value programs for physics students. The goal was to highlight schools with more affordable prices than others offering similar quality experiences.
This ranking is not just a list of inexpensive schools. We also consider each school's quality, since we believe a low-quality school may not be a 'bargain' at any price. More specifically, we discount our quality score by the published tuition and fees charged by a school. This gives the cost per unit of quality for each college. The value is determined by how much quality your dollar buys.
For nationwide and regional rankings, we use out-of-state tuition and fees in our calculations. Average in-state tuition and fees are used for our statewide rankings.
Top 10 Best Physics Schools
Our 2023 rankings named University of Wisconsin - River Falls the best value school in the Great Lakes Region for physics students. Located in the town of River Falls, UW - River Falls is a public college with a medium-sized student population.
UW - River Falls undergraduate students pay an average of $15,661 in tuition and fees each year. After completing their degree, physics graduates from UW - River Falls carry an average student debtload of $27,000.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, UW - River Falls also is in the top 10% of our Best Physics Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking.
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A rank of #2 on this year’s list means Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is a great value for physics students. SIUE is a fairly large public school located in the large suburb of Edwardsville.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at SIUE are $11,496 a year.
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Out of the 45 schools in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Western Illinois University landed the # 3 spot on the list. Located in the town of Macomb, WIU is a public college with a moderately-sized student population.
WIU undergraduate students pay an average of $13,297 in tuition and fees each year.
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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire. The school came in at #4 on this year’s Best Value Physics Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in the small city of Eau Claire, UW - Eau Claire is a public college with a fairly large student population.
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 in the Great Lakes Region ranking.
Full Physics at University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire Report
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The excellent programs at University of Wisconsin - La Crosse helped the school earn the #5 place on this year’s ranking of the best physics schools in the Great Lakes Region . UW - La Crosse is a fairly large public school located in the small city of La Crosse.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at UW - La Crosse are $18,014 per year. While working on their degree, physics majors at UW - La Crosse accumulate an average of around $27,000 in student debt.
UW - La Crosse excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 5% of all schools on our Best Physics Schools in the Great Lakes Region list.
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University of Wisconsin - Whitewater did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for physics students. It came in at #6 on the list. UW - Whitewater is a large public school located in the town of Whitewater.
UW - Whitewater undergraduate students pay an average of $16,602 in tuition and fees each year.
In addition to its great value ranking, UW - Whitewater is in the top 20% of all schools on our Best Physics Schools in the Great Lakes Region list.
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University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Physics Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. UW - Stevens Point is a medium-sized public school located in the distant town of Stevens Point.
UW - Stevens Point undergraduate students pay an average of $17,035 in tuition and fees each year.
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With a ranking of #7, University of Akron Main Campus did quite well on this year’s best value schools for physics students. Located in the city of Akron, University of Akron Main Campus is a public college with a fairly large student population.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at University of Akron Main Campus are $11,880 a year.
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With a ranking of #9, Northern Illinois University did quite well on this year’s best value schools for physics students. NIU is a large public school located in the small suburb of Dekalb.
NIU undergraduate students pay an average of $14,738 in tuition and fees each year.
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With a ranking of #10, University of Wisconsin - Parkside did quite well on this year’s best value schools for physics students. Located in the suburb of Kenosha, UW - Parkside is a public college with a small student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at UW - Parkside are $15,714 per year.
Request InformationBest Physics Colleges by State
Explore the best physics colleges for a specific state in the Great Lakes region.
| State | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|
| Michigan | 344 |
| Ohio | 393 |
| Illinois | 483 |
| Indiana | 255 |
| Wisconsin | 264 |
More Physics Rankings in the Great Lakes Region
Physics Related Majors for Physics
One of 8 majors within the area of study, physics has other similar majors worth exploring.
Most Popular Majors Related 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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