2023 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in Virginia
Identifying Quality Schools at More Affordable Prices
Finding the Best Physical Sciences School for You
Physical Sciences is the #20 most popular major in Virginia with 1,478 degrees and certificates awarded in 2020-2021.
There are lots of options to pick from today when trying to decide which program is right for you. 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 help you arm yourself with the information you need to make your decision, Course Advisor has developed this Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in Virginia ranking. This report analyzed 10 schools in Virginia 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.
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. 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.
Our calculations use out-of-state tuition and fees in our nationwide and regional rankings. Average in-state tuition and fees are used for our statewide rankings.
Top 10 Best Physical Sciences Schools
Our 2023 rankings named Christopher Newport University the best value school in Virginia for physical sciences students. CNU is a small public school located in the medium-sized city of Newport News.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at CNU are $14,924 per year. While working on their degree, physical sciences majors at CNU accumulate an average of around $27,000 in student debt.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, CNU also is in the top 15% of our Best Physical Sciences Schools in Virginia ranking.
Full Physical Sciences at Christopher Newport University Report
Request Information
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Radford University. The school came in at #2 on this year’s Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in Virginia list. Located in the suburb of Radford, Radford is a public school with a moderately-sized student population.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Radford are $11,542 per year.
Request Information
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Virginia Tech. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in Virginia list. Virginia Tech is a very large public school located in the small city of Blacksburg.
Virginia Tech undergraduate students pay an average of $14,174 in in-state tuition and fees each year. On average, physical sciences graduates from Virginia Tech take out $23,641 in student loans while working on their degree.
Virginia Tech not only placed well in our value ranking, but it is also #3 on our Best Physical Sciences Schools in Virginia list.
Full Physical Sciences at Virginia Tech Report
Request Information
A rank of #4 on this year’s list means University of Mary Washington is a great value for physical sciences students. UMW is a small public school located in the midsize suburb of Fredericksburg.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at UMW are $13,800 per year. While working on their degree, physical sciences majors at UMW accumulate an average of around $21,622 in student debt.
Full Physical Sciences at University of Mary Washington Report
Request Information
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend James Madison University. The school came in at #5 on this year’s Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in Virginia list. Located in the small city of Harrisonburg, JMU is a public college with a fairly large student population.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at JMU are $12,638 per year. The average amount in student loans that physical sciences majors at JMU take out is $20,503.
In addition to its great value ranking, JMU is in the top 10% of all schools on our Best Physical Sciences Schools in Virginia list.
Request Information
George Mason University came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in Virginia ranking. GMU is a fairly large public school located in the suburb of Fairfax.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at GMU are $13,119 per year. While working on their degree, physical sciences majors at GMU accumulate an average of around $20,293 in student debt.
In addition to its great value ranking, GMU is in the top 15% of all schools on our Best Physical Sciences Schools in Virginia list.
Request Information
Virginia Commonwealth University landed the #7 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value physical sciences programs. VCU is a fairly large public school located in the midsize city of Richmond.
VCU undergraduate students pay an average of $15,028 in in-state tuition and fees each year. On average, physical sciences graduates from VCU take out $25,378 in student loans while working on their degree. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $185.
Read full report on Physical Sciences at Virginia Commonwealth University
Request Information
University of Virginia - Main Campus did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for physical sciences students. It came in at #8 on the list. University of Virginia is a fairly large public school located in the small suburb of Charlottesville.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at University of Virginia are $19,785 per year. On average, physical sciences graduates from University of Virginia take out $21,500 in student loans while working on their degree.
University of Virginia not only placed well in our value ranking, but it is also #1 on our Best Physical Sciences Schools in Virginia list.
Read full report on Physical Sciences at University of Virginia - Main Campus
Request Information
William & Mary came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in Virginia ranking. William & Mary is a moderately-sized public school located in the suburb of Williamsburg.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at William & Mary are $23,812 a year. After completing their degree, physical sciences graduates from William & Mary carry an average student debtload of $19,606.
William & Mary not only placed well in our value ranking, but it is also #5 on our Best Physical Sciences Schools in Virginia list.
Read full report on Physical Sciences at William & Mary
Request Information
Bridgewater College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for physical sciences students. It came in at #10 on the list. Located in the suburb of Bridgewater, Bridgewater is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Bridgewater are $38,460 a year.
Request InformationBest Value Physical Sciences Colleges in the Southeast Region
Explore all the Best Value Physical Sciences Colleges in the Southeast Area or other specific states within that region.
| State | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|
| North Carolina | 1,594 |
| West Virginia | 238 |
| Mississippi | 518 |
| South Carolina | 424 |
| Florida | 1,506 |
| Arkansas | 370 |
| Alabama | 554 |
| Kentucky | 455 |
| Georgia | 1,064 |
| Tennessee | 721 |
| Louisiana | 477 |
More Physical Sciences Rankings in Virginia
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 |
Majors Similar 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 10 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.
Course Advisor provides higher-education, college and university, degree, program, career, salary, and other helpful information to students, faculty, institutions, and other internet audiences. Presented information and data are subject to change. Inclusion on this website does not imply or represent a direct relationship with the company, school, or brand. Information, though believed correct at time of publication, may not be correct, and no warranty is provided. Contact the schools to verify any information before relying on it. Financial aid may be available for those who qualify. The displayed options may include sponsored or recommended results, not necessarily based on your preferences.
© Course Advisor – All Rights Reserved.