2023 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in the Southeast Region
Identifying Quality Schools at More Affordable Prices
Finding the Best Physical Sciences School for You
Physical Sciences is the #19 most popular major in the country with 50,306 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 Physical Sciences Schools in the Southeast Region ranking. This report analyzed 51 schools in the Southeast Region to see which ones offered the best value programs for physical sciences 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 Physical Sciences Schools
Our analysis found Western Carolina University to be the best value school for physical sciences students who want to pursue a degree in the Southeast Region . Located in the distant town of Cullowhee, WCU is a public college with a fairly large student population.
WCU undergraduate students pay an average of $8,367 in tuition and fees each year. After completing their degree, physical sciences graduates from WCU carry an average student debtload of $21,451.
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The excellent programs at East Tennessee State University helped the school earn the #2 place on this year’s ranking of the best physical sciences schools in the Southeast Region . ETSU is a large public school located in the city of Johnson City.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at ETSU are $12,740 per year.
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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Southern Arkansas University Main Campus. The school came in at #3 on this year’s Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in the Southeast Region list. Located in the town of Magnolia, Southern Arkansas University Main Campus is a public school with a small student population.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Southern Arkansas University Main Campus are $14,530 a year. The average amount in student loans that physical sciences majors at Southern Arkansas University Main Campus take out is $23,000.
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The excellent programs at University of North Alabama helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of the best physical sciences schools in the Southeast Region . Located in the city of Florence, UNA is a public college with a medium-sized student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at UNA are $20,220 per year. Physical Sciences majors at UNA take out an average of $22,500 in student loans while working on their egree.
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A rank of #5 on this year’s list means University of West Georgia is a great value for physical sciences students. University of West Georgia is a large public school located in the town of Carrollton.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at University of West Georgia are $17,576 per year. On average, physical sciences graduates from University of West Georgia take out $27,334 in student loans while working on their degree.
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Florida Atlantic University came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in the Southeast Region ranking. Located in the small city of Boca Raton, FAU is a public college with a fairly large student population.
FAU undergraduate students pay an average of $17,324 in tuition and fees each year. While working on their degree, physical sciences majors at FAU accumulate an average of around $26,812 in student debt.
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With a ranking of #7, Georgia Southern University did quite well on this year’s best value schools for physical sciences students. GaSou is a very large public school located in the distant town of Statesboro.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at GaSou are $17,539 a year. While working on their degree, physical sciences majors at GaSou accumulate an average of around $24,996 in student debt.
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Austin Peay State University landed the #8 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value physical sciences programs. Located in the medium-sized city of Clarksville, Austin Peay State University is a public school with a medium-sized student population.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Austin Peay State University are $13,975 a year. On average, physical sciences graduates from Austin Peay State University take out $23,181 in student loans while working on their degree.
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East Carolina University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in the Southeast Region ranking. ECU is a very large public school located in the small city of Greenville.
ECU undergraduate students pay an average of $23,574 in tuition and fees each year. The average amount in student loans that physical sciences majors at ECU take out is $24,250.
ECU also claimed a spot on our Best Physical Sciences Schools in the Southeast Region list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools in this category.
Full Physical Sciences at East Carolina University Report
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University of South Florida - Main Campus landed the #10 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value physical sciences programs. Located in the large city of Tampa, USF Tampa is a public school with a fairly large student population.
USF Tampa undergraduate students pay an average of $17,324 in tuition and fees each year. On average, physical sciences graduates from USF Tampa take out $22,574 in student loans while working on their degree.
In addition to its great value ranking, USF Tampa is in the top 20% of all schools on our Best Physical Sciences Schools in the Southeast Region list.
Full Physical Sciences at University of South Florida - Main Campus Report
Request InformationBest Physical Sciences Colleges by State
Explore the best physical sciences colleges for a specific state in the Southeast region.
| State | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|
| North Carolina | 1,594 |
| West Virginia | 238 |
| Mississippi | 518 |
| South Carolina | 424 |
| Florida | 1,506 |
| Virginia | 1,478 |
| Arkansas | 370 |
| Alabama | 554 |
| Kentucky | 455 |
| Georgia | 1,064 |
| Tennessee | 721 |
| Louisiana | 477 |
More Physical Sciences Rankings in the Southeast Region
Majors Related to Physical Sciences
Physical Sciences Majors to Study
| Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Chemistry | 21,239 |
| Physics | 13,674 |
| Geological & Earth Sciences | 7,821 |
| General Physical Sciences | 3,823 |
| Astronomy & Astrophysics | 1,375 |
| Atmospheric Sciences & Meteorology | 1,140 |
| Materials Sciences | 658 |
| Other Physical Science | 538 |
| Physics and Astronomy | 38 |
Most Popular Majors Related to Physical Sciences
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Computer & Information Sciences | 254,454 |
| Engineering | 198,468 |
| Biological & Biomedical Sciences | 177,778 |
| Engineering Technologies | 85,188 |
| Mathematics & Statistics | 52,396 |
Notes and References
*These averages are for the top 26 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 NASA.
More about our data sources and methodologies.