2026 Best Value Physics Education Schools in Michigan

[Physics Education](/majors/education/teacher-education-and-development/physics-education/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 8 schools to find the best return on investment for physics education students.
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2026 Best Value Physics Education Schools in Michigan
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in physics education, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Physics Education Schools
For return on investment in physics education, no school beat Central Michigan University this year. Central Michigan University is a large public school located in the town of Mount Pleasant. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $15,480. Students borrow a median of $29,000 to complete the physics education program here. Early-career physics education graduates make about $50,688. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 90%.
Albion College is a great value for students pursuing a degree in physics education, landing the #2 spot this year. Albion College is a small private not-for-profit school located in the town of Albion. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $56,950. Typical student debt for physics education graduates is $26,047. Soon after graduation, physics education degree recipients from Albion College generally make around $40,829. Set against $26,047 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Albion College admits about 81% of applicants.
Students looking for strong value in physics education will find it at Eastern Michigan University, which ranked #3. Set in the suburb of Ypsilanti, Eastern Michigan University is a large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $16,990. Typical student debt for physics education graduates is $31,000. Early-career physics education graduates make about $47,887. Set against $31,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 80%.
A rank of #4 makes Northern Michigan University one of the best values for physics education. Set in the town of Marquette, Northern Michigan University is a moderately-sized public institution. Students from in state pay about $14,322 in tuition and fees, compared with $19,944 for out-of-state students. Physics Education graduates carry a median of $27,000 in student loans. Early-career physics education graduates make about $40,508. That is a strong return on a $27,000 median debt. Roughly 84% of applicants are accepted.
Students looking for strong value in physics education will find it at Western Michigan University, which ranked #5. Western Michigan University is a large public school located in the city of Kalamazoo. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $15,987, compared with $19,952 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for physics education graduates is $29,000. Soon after graduation, physics education degree recipients from Western Michigan University generally make around $48,966. That is a strong return on a $29,000 median debt. Roughly 85% of applicants are accepted.
Calvin College placed #6 among the best values for physics education. Calvin College is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Grand Rapids. Students from in state pay about $39,350 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for physics education graduates is $26,022. Early-career physics education graduates make about $44,220. That is a strong return on a $26,022 median debt. Roughly 71% of applicants are accepted.
Hope College placed #7 among the best values for physics education. Hope College is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Holland. In-state tuition and fees average $39,484. Students borrow a median of $27,000 to complete the physics education program here. Early-career physics education graduates make about $39,644. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 79%.
More Physics Education Rankings
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 8 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 2 ranked 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 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).
More about our data sources and methodologies.