by our College Data Analytics TeamWe've pulled together some essential information you should know about the program, including how many students graduate each year, the ethnic diversity of these students, average starting salaries, and more. In addition, we cover how UCSB ranks in comparison to other schools with physics programs.
Go directly to any of the following sections:
In College Factual's most recent rankings for the best schools for physics majors, UCSB came in at #9. This puts it in the top 5% of the country in this field of study. It is also ranked #3 in California.
During the 2020-2021 academic year, University of California - Santa Barbara handed out 151 bachelor's degrees in physics. This is a decrease of 6% over the previous year when 161 degrees were handed out.
In 2021, 37 students received their master’s degree in physics from UCSB. This makes it the #6 most popular school for physics master’s degree candidates in the country.
In addition, 11 students received their doctoral degrees in physics in 2021, making the school the #59 most popular school in the United States for this category of students.
The median salary of physics students who receive their bachelor's degree at UCSB is $49,863. This is great news for graduates of the program, since this figure is higher than the national average of $38,470 for all physics bachelor's degree recipients.
While getting their bachelor's degree at UCSB, physics students borrow a median amount of $15,982 in student loans. This is not too bad considering that the median debt load of all physics bachelor's degree recipients across the country is $23,500.
The typical student loan payment of a bachelor's degree student from the physics program at UCSB is $390 per month.
Take a look at the following statistics related to the make-up of the physics majors at University of California - Santa Barbara.
Of the 151 physics students who graduated with a bachelor's degree in 2020-2021 from UCSB, about 89% were men and 11% were women.
The following table and chart show the ethnic background for students who recently graduated from University of California - Santa Barbara with a bachelor's in physics.
| Ethnic Background | Number of Students |
|---|---|
| Asian | 18 |
| Black or African American | 1 |
| Hispanic or Latino | 22 |
| White | 46 |
| Non-Resident Aliens | 47 |
| Other Races | 17 |
Of the 37 students who graduated with a Master’s in physics from UCSB in 2021, 81% were men and 19% were women.
The following table and chart show the ethnic background for students who recently graduated from University of California - Santa Barbara with a master's in physics.
| Ethnic Background | Number of Students |
|---|---|
| Asian | 2 |
| Black or African American | 0 |
| Hispanic or Latino | 3 |
| White | 18 |
| Non-Resident Aliens | 13 |
| Other Races | 1 |
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Chemistry | 126 |
| Geological & Earth Sciences | 53 |
| Materials Sciences | 22 |
More about our data sources and methodologies.