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Best Value Physical Sciences Master's Degree Schools in Virginia

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2023 Best Value Physical Sciences Master's Degree Schools in Virginia

Highlighting Quality Schools With More Affordable Pricing

6 Colleges
$16,369 Avg Tuition & Fees*
$63,256 Avg Salary

Finding the Best Physical Sciences Master's Degree School for You

Physical Sciences is the #21 most popular major in Virginia with 241 degrees and certificates awarded in 2020-2021.

There are so many programs in today's world that it can tough to figure out which one is the right one for you. With more and more schools offering online options, you could even register for a great program on the other side of the country. On top of that, there are a considerable number of trade schools that offer fast-track entry to many fields.

To help you arm yourself with the information you need to make your decision, Grad Degree Search has developed this Best Value Physical Sciences Master's Degree Schools in Virginia ranking. This report analyzed 6 schools in Virginia to see which ones offered the best value master's degree 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. 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.

For nationwide and regional rankings, we use out-of-state tuition and fees in our calculations. For statewide rankings, we use average in-state tuition and fees.

2023 Best Value Physical Sciences Master’s Degree Schools in Virginia

The colleges and universities below are the best value schools for physical sciences majors pursuing a master's degree.

Best Virginia Schools for Affordable Quality for a Master's in Physical Sciences

#1

Christopher Newport University

Newport News, VA

Our 2023 rankings named Christopher Newport University the best value school in Virginia for physical sciences students working on their master’s degree. Located in the medium-sized city of Newport News, CNU is a public school with a small student population.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state graduate student at CNU are $12,006 a year.

In addition to its great value ranking, CNU is in the top 20% of all schools on our Best Physical Sciences Master’s Degree Schools in Virginia list.

Full Physical Sciences at Christopher Newport University Report

#2

Virginia Tech

Blacksburg, VA

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Virginia Tech. The school came in at #2 on this year’s Best Value Physical Sciences Master’s Degree Schools in Virginia list. Located in the small city of Blacksburg, Virginia Tech is a public school with a very large student population.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state graduate student at Virginia Tech are $16,522 a year.

In addition to its best value ranking, and one of the reasons why the school is on the list, Virginia Tech is ranked #2 for overall quality for physical sciences in Virginia.

Read More…

#3

William & Mary

Williamsburg, VA

Out of the 6 schools in Virginia that were part of this year’s ranking, William & Mary landed the # 3 spot on the list. Located in the small suburb of Williamsburg, William & Mary is a public school with a medium-sized student population.

William & Mary graduate students pay an average of $16,618 in in-state tuition and fees each year.

In addition to its best value ranking, and one of the reasons why the school is on the list, William & Mary is ranked #3 for overall quality for physical sciences in Virginia.

Full Physical Sciences at William & Mary Report

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Virginia Commonwealth University. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Physical Sciences Master’s Degree Schools in Virginia list. Located in the medium-sized city of Richmond, VCU is a public school with a fairly large student population.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state graduate student at VCU are $15,518 a year.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at Virginia Commonwealth University

#4

George Mason University

Fairfax, VA

A rank of #4 on this year’s list means George Mason University is a great value for physical sciences students working on their master’s degree. Located in the suburb of Fairfax, GMU is a public school with a very large student population.

In-state tuition fees for graduate students at GMU are $16,644 per year.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at George Mason University

University of Virginia - Main Campus landed the #6 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value master’s degree physical sciences programs. Located in the suburb of Charlottesville, University of Virginia is a public school with a very large student population.

In-state tuition fees for graduate students at University of Virginia are $20,906 per year.

University of Virginia not only placed well in our value ranking, but it is also #1 on our Best Physical Sciences Master’s Degree Schools in Virginia list.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at University of Virginia - Main Campus

Best 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
Mississippi 162
Florida 469
North Carolina 441
Tennessee 161
Georgia 240
South Carolina 89
Louisiana 146
West Virginia 49
Kentucky 92
Arkansas 69
Alabama 123

Physical Sciences Majors to Study

Major Annual Graduates
Chemistry 5,005
Physics 3,727
Geological & Earth Sciences 2,491
Materials Sciences 448
Astronomy & Astrophysics 371
Atmospheric Sciences & Meteorology 342
Other Physical Science 191
General Physical Sciences 107
Physics and Astronomy 23

Related Major Annual Graduates
Engineering 61,791
Computer & Information Sciences 60,971
Biological & Biomedical Sciences 28,851
Mathematics & Statistics 15,127
Engineering Technologies 7,672

Notes and References

*These averages are for the top 6 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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