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2024 Best Value Physics Schools in California

20 Ranked Colleges
3,224 Degrees Awarded
$13,900 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Physics Schools in California

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Physics Schools in California” ranking - to help you make that decision.

Physics is the 68th most popular major in the country with 13,674 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. In 2019-2020, physics graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $42,960 and had an average of $22,756 in loans still to pay off.

Across California, there were 3,224 physics graduates with average earnings and debt of $41,268 and $18,506 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Physics Schools in California” ranking looked at 20 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in physics. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent physics programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the physics program at the school. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

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Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Physics Schools in California” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.

Best Value Physics Schools in California

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Physics Schools in California.

Top 20 Best Value Colleges for Physics in California

1

Out of the 20 schools in the Best Value Physics Schools in California that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Los Angeles landed the #1 spot on the list. UCLA is a large school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 123 ’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCLA, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Physics Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $15,023 for California Physics students per year to attend University of California - Los Angeles.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.6% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about Physics at UCLA

2

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Santa Barbara. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Physics Schools in California. University of California - Santa Barbara is a public institution located in Santa Barbara, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 199 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

UCSB also made our “Best Physics Schools in California” list, coming in at #4. It costs about $16,252 for California Physics students per year to attend University of California - Santa Barbara.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full University of California - Santa Barbara Physics Report

3

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Long Beach. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Physics Schools in California. This large school is located in Long Beach, California, and it awarded 48 ’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at CSULB, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Physics Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for CSULB is $10,054 for california physics students.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full California State University - Long Beach Physics Report

4

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - San Diego. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Physics Schools in California. Located in La Jolla, California, this large public school handed out 82 degrees to qualified ’s physics students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our california physics students list, UCSD has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Physics Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of California - San Diego is $15,240 for california physics students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Physics at University of California - San Diego

5

Out of the 20 schools in the Best Value Physics Schools in California that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Irvine landed the #5 spot on the list. UC Irvine is a large school located in Irvine, California that handed out 122 ’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our california physics students list, UC Irvine has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best Physics Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $12,209 for California Physics students per year to attend UC Irvine.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Physics at University of California - Irvine

6

University of California - Berkeley did quite well in the 2024 Best Value Physics Schools in California ranking, coming in at #6. University of California - Berkeley is a public institution located in Berkeley, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 197 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

UC Berkeley not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Physics Schools in California” list. It costs about $16,032 for California Physics students per year to attend UC Berkeley.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%.

Read more about Physics at University of California - Berkeley

7

University of California - Davis came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physics Schools in California ranking. Located in Davis, California, this large public school handed out 90 diplomas to qualified ’s physics students in 2020-2021.

UC Davis not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Physics Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Davis is $15,768 for California Physics students.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Physics at University of California - Davis

8

California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Physics Schools in California list. Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is a large school located in San Luis Obispo, California that handed out 37 ’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.

Cal Poly San Luis Obispo also took the #13 spot in our “Best Physics Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo is $20,677 for California Physics students.

With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Cal Poly San Luis Obispo Physics Report

9
SDSU crest
San Diego State University
San Diego, California

San Diego State University did quite well in the 2024 Best Value Physics Schools in California ranking, coming in at #9. San Diego State University is a large public school situated in San Diego, California. It awarded 18 ’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at SDSU, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best Physics Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $13,845 for California Physics students per year to attend San Diego State University.

With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Physics at San Diego State University

10

University of California - Santa Cruz ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Physics Schools in California list. Located in Santa Cruz, California, this fairly large public school awarded 95 degrees to qualified ’s physics students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our california physics students list, UC Santa Cruz has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Physics Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UC Santa Cruz is $17,930 for California Physics students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.9% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full University of California - Santa Cruz Physics Report

11

With a ranking of #11, California State University - Fullerton did quite well on the 2024 Best Value Physics Schools in California list. Located in Fullerton, California, this large public school awarded 35 degrees to qualified ’s physics students in 2020-2021.

Cal State Fullerton also made our “Best Physics Schools in California” list, coming in at #15. The estimated yearly cost for Cal State Fullerton is $8,003 for california physics students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%.

Read full report on Physics at California State University - Fullerton

12

University of California - Riverside came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physics Schools in California ranking. Riverside, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s physics degrees to 83 students in 2020-2021.

UCR also made our “Best Physics Schools in California” list, coming in at #11. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Riverside is $11,822 for California Physics students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Physics at University of California - Riverside

13

California State University - Sacramento landed the #13 spot on the 2024 Best Value Physics Schools in California ranking. Sac State is a large school located in Sacramento, California that handed out 23 ’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our california physics students list, Sac State has also earned the #16 rank in our “Best Physics Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Sac State is $11,178 for california physics students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.9% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Physics at Sac State

14

California State University - Northridge did quite well in the 2024 Best Value Physics Schools in California ranking, coming in at #14. Located in Northridge, California, this large public school handed out 27 diplomas to qualified ’s physics students in 2020-2021.

CSUN not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #17 on our “Best Physics Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Northridge is $8,523 for California Physics students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full California State University - Northridge Physics Report

15
Humboldt State University crest
Humboldt State University
Arcata, California

Humboldt State University landed the #15 spot on the 2024 Best Value Physics Schools in California ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Arcata, California, and it awarded 10 ’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.

Humboldt State University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #20 on our “Best Physics Schools in California” list. It costs about $14,956 for California Physics students per year to attend Humboldt State University.

Read full report on Physics at Humboldt State University

16

University of California - Merced came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physics Schools in California ranking. UC Merced is located in Merced, California and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 26 ’s physics degrees to qualified students.

UC Merced did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best Physics Schools in California” list. It costs about $13,691 for california physics students per year to attend University of California - Merced.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.8% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full UC Merced Physics Report

17

California State Polytechnic University - Pomona came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physics Schools in California ranking. Cal Poly Pomona is a large school located in Pomona, California that handed out 25 ’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Cal Poly Pomona, the school also landed the #18 spot in our “Best Physics Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $14,304 for California Physics students per year to attend California State Polytechnic University - Pomona.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Physics at Cal Poly Pomona

18

With a ranking of #18, California State University - Los Angeles did quite well on the 2024 Best Value Physics Schools in California list. This large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 15 ’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Cal State LA, the school also landed the #19 spot in our “Best Physics Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Los Angeles is $3,302 for california physics students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full California State University - Los Angeles Physics Report

19
Stanford crest
Stanford University
Stanford, California

Stanford University landed the #19 spot on the 2024 Best Value Physics Schools in California ranking. Stanford, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s physics degrees to 85 students in 2020-2021.

Stanford also took the #1 spot in our “Best Physics Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $12,894 for california physics students per year to attend Stanford University.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 98%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.5% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read more about Physics at Stanford University

20

California Institute of Technology landed the #20 spot on the 2024 Best Value Physics Schools in California ranking. California Institute of Technology is a small school located in Pasadena, California that handed out 52 ’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our california physics students list, Caltech has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Physics Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California Institute of Technology is $26,542 for California Physics students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 99%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 3 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Full California Institute of Technology Physics Report

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