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2022 Best Value General Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k

28 Ranked Colleges
1,083 Degrees Awarded
$7,100 Avg Net Price*
Best Value General Physics Schools for a Bachelor's in California For Those Making $0-$30k

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value General Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

In 2019-2020, 13,287 people earned their degree in general physics, making the major the 57th most popular in the United States.

Across California, there were 2,989 general physics graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,083 general physics graduates with average earnings and debt of $37,907 and $21,546 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value General Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking analyzed 28 colleges that offered a degree in general physics. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent general 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 general physics program at the school. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value General Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.

Best Value General Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k

The colleges and universities below are the best for california bachelor’s degree general physics students whose families make $0-$30k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for General Physics (Income $0-$30k) in California

#1

California Institute of Technology

Pasadena, California
#1 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California Institute of Technology. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value General Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k. California Institute of Technology is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Pasadena, California. It awarded 34 bachelors’s general physics degrees in 2019-2020.

Caltech did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best General Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend Caltech is $5,456 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Physics students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 1.0% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 3 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read more about General Physics at Caltech

#2

Stanford University

Stanford, California
#2 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Stanford University. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value General Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k. Stanford is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Stanford, California. It awarded 18 bachelors’s general physics degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Stanford, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best General Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Stanford is $-1,387 for california bachelor’s degree general physics students whose families make $0-$30k. When an average net price is negative, it usually means that the student will receive more financial aid than it costs to attend the school.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The low 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%.

Read more about General Physics at Stanford University

#3 in overall quality

Out of the 28 schools in the Best Value General Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Berkeley landed the #3 spot on the list. University of California - Berkeley is a large public school situated in Berkeley, California. It awarded 135 bachelors’s general physics degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Berkeley also took the #3 spot in our “Best General Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $8,392 for california bachelor’s degree general physics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UC Berkeley.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Physics at UC Berkeley

#21 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Los Angeles. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value General Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Los Angeles, California, this large public school handed out 16 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s general physics students in 2019-2020.

Cal State LA did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #21 on our “Best General Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Los Angeles is $1,379 for california bachelor’s degree general physics students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 1.4% 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 General Physics at California State University - Los Angeles

#6 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Riverside. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value General Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k. Located in Riverside, California, this large public school handed out 38 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s general physics students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree general physics students whose families make $0-$30k list, UCR has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best General Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $8,366 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Physics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of California - Riverside.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on General Physics at University of California - Riverside

#6

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California
#5 in overall quality

University of California - Los Angeles landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UCLA is a large public school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 64 bachelors’s general physics degrees in 2019-2020.

UCLA did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best General Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $8,553 for california bachelor’s degree general physics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of California - Los Angeles.

With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full UCLA General Physics Report

#15 in overall quality

California State University - Fullerton came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Cal State Fullerton is a large school located in Fullerton, California that handed out 19 bachelors’s general physics degrees in 2019-2020.

Cal State Fullerton also took the #15 spot in our “Best General Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $4,291 for california bachelor’s degree general physics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend California State University - Fullerton.

The low student loan default rate of 2.7% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full Cal State Fullerton General Physics Report

#9 in overall quality

With a ranking of #8, University of California - Irvine did quite well on the 2022 Best Value General Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. UC Irvine is located in Irvine, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 39 bachelors’s general physics degrees to qualified students.

UC Irvine also made our “Best General Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #9. It costs about $9,558 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Physics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of California - Irvine.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low student loan default rate of 1.3% 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 General Physics at University of California - Irvine

#9

University of California - Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara, California
#4 in overall quality

With a ranking of #9, University of California - Santa Barbara did quite well on the 2022 Best Value General Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. UCSB is a public institution located in Santa Barbara, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 161 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCSB, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best General Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Santa Barbara is $10,316 for california bachelor’s degree general physics students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 1.5% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full UCSB General Physics Report

#13 in overall quality

California State University - Long Beach ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value General Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. California State University - Long Beach is located in Long Beach, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 53 bachelors’s general physics degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at CSULB, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best General Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $6,364 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Physics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend California State University - Long Beach.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about General Physics at California State University - Long Beach

#7 in overall quality

University of California - San Diego ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value General Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in La Jolla, California, this large public school handed out 50 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s general physics students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCSD, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best General Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of California - San Diego is $9,280 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Physics students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 1.5% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.

Read full report on General Physics at University of California - San Diego

#12

San Diego State University

San Diego, California
#16 in overall quality

San Diego State University landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. San Diego State University is a large school located in San Diego, California that handed out 8 bachelors’s general physics degrees in 2019-2020.

SDSU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best General Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for San Diego State University is $8,870 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Physics students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.8%, 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 89%.

Full SDSU General Physics Report

#8 in overall quality

With a ranking of #13, University of California - Davis did quite well on the 2022 Best Value General Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of California - Davis is a public institution located in Davis, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 32 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Davis also took the #8 spot in our “Best General Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $9,842 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Physics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UC Davis.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.9%, 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 93%.

Read full report on General Physics at University of California - Davis

California State University - Dominguez Hills came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. CSUDH is located in Carson, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 4 bachelors’s general physics degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $2,455 for california bachelor’s degree general physics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend CSUDH.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full California State University - Dominguez Hills General Physics Report

#22 in overall quality

With a ranking of #15, California State University - Bakersfield did quite well on the 2022 Best Value General Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. CSUB is a fairly large school located in Bakersfield, California that handed out 5 bachelors’s general physics degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at CSUB, the school also landed the #22 spot in our “Best General Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $3,423 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Physics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend CSUB.

Full CSUB General Physics Report

#17 in overall quality

California State University - Sacramento did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #16. California State University - Sacramento is a large school located in Sacramento, California that handed out 16 bachelors’s general physics degrees in 2019-2020.

Sac State also made our “Best General Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #17. The estimated yearly cost for Sac State is $6,819 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Physics students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Sac State General Physics Report

#17

California State University - San Bernardino

San Bernardino, California
#23 in overall quality

California State University - San Bernardino did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #17. California State University - San Bernardino is located in San Bernardino, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 15 bachelors’s general physics degrees to qualified students.

CSUSB also made our “Best General Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #23. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - San Bernardino is $5,077 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Physics students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on General Physics at California State University - San Bernardino

#18

University of California - Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz, California
#11 in overall quality

University of California - Santa Cruz did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #18. Located in Santa Cruz, California, this fairly large public school awarded 43 degrees to qualified bachelors’s general physics students in 2019-2020.

UC Santa Cruz also made our “Best General Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #11. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Santa Cruz is $10,872 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Physics students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full UC Santa Cruz General Physics Report

California State University - Stanislaus ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value General Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. California State University - Stanislaus is a fairly large school located in Turlock, California that handed out 11 bachelors’s general physics degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Stan State is $3,410 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Physics students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Physics at California State University - Stanislaus

#14 in overall quality

California State Polytechnic University - Pomona landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Cal Poly Pomona is located in Pomona, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 39 bachelors’s general physics degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree general physics students whose families make $0-$30k list, Cal Poly Pomona has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best General Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California State Polytechnic University - Pomona is $8,596 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Physics students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Cal Poly Pomona General Physics Report

California State University - Fresno landed the #21 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Fresno, California, this large public school awarded 6 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s general physics students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend California State University - Fresno is $3,264 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Physics students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The low student loan default rate of 4.7% 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 - Fresno General Physics Report

#10 in overall quality

California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value General Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo is a large public school situated in San Luis Obispo, California. It awarded 38 bachelors’s general physics degrees in 2019-2020.

Cal Poly San Luis Obispo also made our “Best General Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #10. It costs about $12,475 for california bachelor’s degree general physics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.

The low student loan default rate of 1.1% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.

Read more about General Physics at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo

#19 in overall quality

University of California - Merced ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value General Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Merced, California, this medium-sized public school awarded 8 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s general physics students in 2019-2020.

UC Merced also took the #19 spot in our “Best General Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $10,782 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Physics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of California - Merced.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full University of California - Merced General Physics Report

#24

San Francisco State University

San Francisco, California
#18 in overall quality

With a ranking of #24, San Francisco State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value General Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. San Francisco State University is a large public school situated in San Francisco, California. It awarded 16 bachelors’s general physics degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree general physics students whose families make $0-$30k list, SFSU has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best General Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend San Francisco State University is $11,123 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Physics students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on General Physics at SFSU

#20 in overall quality

California State University - Chico did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #25. California State University - Chico is located in Chico, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 13 bachelors’s general physics degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Chico State, the school also landed the #20 spot in our “Best General Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Chico State is $10,260 for california bachelor’s degree general physics students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Chico State General Physics Report

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Notes and References

References

  • 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).
  • Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

  • *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
  • Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.

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