2026 Best Value Other Physical Science Schools in California
[Other Physical Science](/majors/physical-sciences/other-physical-sciences/physical-sciences-other/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 4 schools to find the best return on investment for other physical science students.
What’s on this page:
2026 Best Value Other Physical Science Schools in California
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in other physical science, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Other Physical Science Schools
Leading the list is University Of California San Diego, our #1 best value for other physical science in California. University Of California San Diego is a very large public school located in the city of La Jolla. In-state tuition and fees average $15,788, while out-of-state students pay about $47,676. Other Physical Science graduates carry a median of $17,101 in student loans. Early-career other physical science graduates make about $60,797. Set against $17,101 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 27% of applicants are accepted.
Notes and References
This ranking is produced 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 · 4 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 1 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.
