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Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in Virginia

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2023 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in Virginia

Identifying Quality Schools at More Affordable Prices

10 Colleges
$17,728 Avg Tuition & Fees*
$32,871 Avg Salary

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.

2023 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in Virginia

The following schools top our list of the Best Value Physical Sciences Colleges.

Top 10 Best Physical Sciences Schools

#1

Christopher Newport University

Newport News, VA
$14,924 Average Tuition & Fees

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 midsize city of Newport News.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at CNU are $14,924 a year. While working on their degree, physical sciences majors at CNU accumulate an average of around $27,000 in student debt.

On top of its placing in our value ranking, CNU also did well on our Best Physical Sciences Schools in Virginia list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.

Read More…

#2

Radford University

Radford, VA
$11,542 Average Tuition & Fees

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.

Full Physical Sciences at Radford University Report

#3

Virginia Tech

Blacksburg, VA
$14,174 Average Tuition & Fees

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 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.

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#4

University of Mary Washington

Fredericksburg, VA
$13,800 Average Tuition & Fees

Out of the 10 schools in Virginia that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Mary Washington landed the # 4 spot on the list. UMW is a small public school located in the 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.

Read More…

#5

James Madison University

Harrisonburg, VA
$12,638 Average Tuition & Fees

A rank of #5 on this year’s list means James Madison University is a great value for physical sciences students. Located in the small city of Harrisonburg, JMU is a public college with a fairly large student population.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at JMU are $12,638 a year. The average amount in student loans that physical sciences majors at JMU take out is $20,503.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, JMU also is in the top 10% of our Best Physical Sciences Schools in Virginia ranking.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at James Madison University

#6

George Mason University

Fairfax, VA
$13,119 Average Tuition & Fees

George Mason University landed the #6 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value physical sciences programs. GMU is a very large public school located in the large 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.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, GMU also is in the top 15% of our Best Physical Sciences Schools in Virginia ranking.

Full Physical Sciences at George Mason University Report

$15,028 Average Tuition & Fees

With a ranking of #7, Virginia Commonwealth University did quite well on this year’s best value schools for physical sciences students. VCU is a very large public school located in the city of Richmond.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at VCU are $15,028 per 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

$19,785 Average Tuition & Fees

University of Virginia - Main Campus ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in Virginia list. University of Virginia is a fairly large public school located in the suburb of Charlottesville.

University of Virginia undergraduate students pay an average of $19,785 in in-state tuition and fees each year. On average, physical sciences graduates from University of Virginia take out $21,500 in student loans while working on their degree.

In addition to its best value ranking, and one of the reasons why the school is on the list, University of Virginia is ranked #1 for overall quality for physical sciences in Virginia.

Full Physical Sciences at University of Virginia - Main Campus Report

#9

William & Mary

Williamsburg, VA
$23,812 Average Tuition & Fees

William & Mary ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in Virginia list. William & Mary is a moderately-sized public school located in the small 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 also made our Best Physical Sciences Schools in Virginia list, coming in at #5.

Full Physical Sciences at William & Mary Report

#10

Bridgewater College

Bridgewater, VA
$38,460 Average Tuition & Fees

Bridgewater College came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in Virginia ranking. Located in the small 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.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at Bridgewater College

Best Value Physical Sciences Colleges in the Southeast Region

Explore all the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in the Southeast Area or other specific states within that region.

State Degrees Awarded
North Carolina 1,594
West Virginia 238
South Carolina 424
Florida 1,506
Arkansas 370
Mississippi 518
Tennessee 721
Louisiana 477
Alabama 554
Kentucky 455
Georgia 1,064

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.

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