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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for General Physics (Income $30-$48k) in California

28 Ranked Colleges
1,083 Degrees Awarded
$8,100 Avg Net Price*
Best Value General Physics Schools for a Bachelor's in California For Those Making $30-$48k

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value General Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking.

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 $30-$48k” ranking analyzed 28 colleges that offered a degree in general physics. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality general physics programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the general physics program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

More Ways to Rank General Physics Schools

When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Best Value General Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k” list to help you make the college decision.

To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Best Value General Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k

The colleges and universities below are the best for california bachelor’s degree general physics students whose families make $30-$48k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for General Physics (Income $30-$48k) in California

#1

Stanford University

Stanford, California
#2 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Stanford University. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value General Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Stanford, California, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 18 degrees to qualified bachelors’s general physics students in 2019-2020.

Stanford also made our “Best General Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #2. The estimated yearly cost for Stanford is $1,145 for california bachelor’s degree general physics students whose families make $30-$48k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 0.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Stanford University General Physics Report

#3 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Berkeley. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value General Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k. 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 did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best General Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Berkeley is $9,130 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Physics students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on General Physics at UC Berkeley

#3

California Institute of Technology

Pasadena, California
#1 in overall quality

Out of the 28 schools in the Best Value General Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, California Institute of Technology landed the #3 spot on the list. California Institute of Technology is located in Pasadena, California and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 34 bachelors’s general physics degrees to qualified students.

Caltech also made our “Best General Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #1. The estimated yearly cost for California Institute of Technology is $3,756 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Physics students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 3 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read full report on General Physics at California Institute of Technology

#21 in overall quality

Out of the 28 schools in the Best Value General Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Los Angeles landed the #4 spot on the list. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s general physics degrees to 16 students in 2019-2020.

Cal State LA not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #21 on our “Best General Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $2,117 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Physics students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Cal State LA.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Cal State LA General Physics Report

#5

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California
#5 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Los Angeles. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value General Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s general physics degrees to 64 students in 2019-2020.

UCLA also took the #5 spot in our “Best General Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $9,254 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Physics students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UCLA.

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 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Physics at UCLA

#6 in overall quality

University of California - Riverside ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value General Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. This large school is located in Riverside, California, and it awarded 38 bachelors’s general physics degrees in 2019-2020.

UCR not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best General Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Riverside is $9,151 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Physics students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Physics at UCR

#15 in overall quality

California State University - Fullerton landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. California State University - Fullerton is a large public school situated in Fullerton, California. It awarded 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 $6,100 for california bachelor’s degree general physics students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Cal State Fullerton.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.7%, 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%.

Read more about General Physics at Cal State Fullerton

#8

University of California - Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara, California
#4 in overall quality

University of California - Santa Barbara came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Santa Barbara, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s general physics degrees to 161 students in 2019-2020.

UCSB did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best General Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $11,895 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Physics students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of California - Santa Barbara.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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%.

Read more about General Physics at University of California - Santa Barbara

#13 in overall quality

California State University - Long Beach landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. CSULB 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.

CSULB also took the #13 spot in our “Best General Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for CSULB is $7,595 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Physics students whose families make $30-$48k.

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

Full CSULB General Physics Report

#9 in overall quality

University of California - Irvine landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This large school is located in Irvine, California, and it awarded 39 bachelors’s general physics degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Irvine also made our “Best General Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #9. It costs about $10,373 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Physics students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UC Irvine.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Physics at UC Irvine

#7 in overall quality

University of California - San Diego landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. UCSD is a large public school situated in La Jolla, California. It awarded 50 bachelors’s general physics degrees in 2019-2020.

UCSD did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best General Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $9,974 for california bachelor’s degree general physics students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UCSD.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Physics at University of California - San Diego

California State University - Dominguez Hills ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value General Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Carson, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s general physics degrees to 4 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend California State University - Dominguez Hills is $3,115 for california bachelor’s degree general physics students whose families make $30-$48k.

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

#8 in overall quality

University of California - Davis landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. 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 not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best General Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Davis is $10,769 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Physics students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low student loan default rate of 1.9% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%.

Read more about General Physics at UC Davis

#14

San Diego State University

San Diego, California
#16 in overall quality

San Diego State University 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 $30-$48k ranking. San Diego State University is a large public school situated in San Diego, California. It awarded 8 bachelors’s general physics degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree general physics students whose families make $30-$48k list, SDSU has also earned the #16 rank in our “Best General Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend San Diego State University is $10,594 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Physics students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.8%, which is much lower than the national 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

#22 in overall quality

California State University - Bakersfield did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #15. CSUB is a public institution located in Bakersfield, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 5 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

CSUB also made our “Best General Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #22. It costs about $3,880 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Physics students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend CSUB.

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

#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 $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #16. Sacramento, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s general physics degrees to 16 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree general physics students whose families make $30-$48k list, Sac State has also earned the #17 rank in our “Best General Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Sacramento is $7,823 for california bachelor’s degree general physics students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%.

Read full report on General Physics at Sac State

#17

California State University - San Bernardino

San Bernardino, California
#23 in overall quality

California State University - San Bernardino ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value General Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. San Bernardino, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s general physics degrees to 15 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at CSUSB, the school also landed the #23 spot in our “Best General Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for CSUSB is $5,869 for california bachelor’s degree general physics students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.

Full CSUSB General Physics Report

California State University - Stanislaus ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value General Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Turlock, California, this fairly large public school awarded 11 degrees to qualified bachelors’s general physics students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $3,958 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Physics students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Stan State.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Physics at California State University - Stanislaus

#19

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 $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #19. UC Santa Cruz is a fairly large public school situated in Santa Cruz, California. It awarded 43 bachelors’s general physics degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree general physics students whose families make $30-$48k list, UC Santa Cruz has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best General Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $11,793 for california bachelor’s degree general physics students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UC Santa Cruz.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, 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 UC Santa Cruz General Physics Report

With a ranking of #20, California State University - Fresno did quite well on the 2022 Best Value General Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Fresno, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s general physics degrees to 6 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Fresno State is $3,731 for california bachelor’s degree general physics students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 4.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Physics at Fresno State

#10 in overall quality

California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value General Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo is a large school located in San Luis Obispo, California that handed out 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. The estimated yearly cost for Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is $14,680 for california bachelor’s degree general physics students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Cal Poly San Luis Obispo General Physics Report

#14 in overall quality

California State Polytechnic University - Pomona came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Pomona, California, this large public school awarded 39 degrees to qualified bachelors’s general physics students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Cal Poly Pomona, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best General Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $9,630 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Physics students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Cal Poly Pomona.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full California State Polytechnic University - Pomona General Physics Report

#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 $30-$48k list. University of California - Merced is a medium-sized public school situated in Merced, California. It awarded 8 bachelors’s general physics degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Merced not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #19 on our “Best General Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Merced is $11,565 for california bachelor’s degree general physics students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full UC Merced General Physics Report

#24

San Francisco State University

San Francisco, California
#18 in overall quality

San Francisco State University ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value General Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. SFSU is a public institution located in San Francisco, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 16 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

SFSU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #18 on our “Best General Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $12,517 for california bachelor’s degree general physics students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend SFSU.

Read more about General Physics at San Francisco State University

#20 in overall quality

With a ranking of #25, California State University - Chico did quite well on the 2022 Best Value General Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. 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.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree general physics students whose families make $30-$48k list, Chico State has also earned the #20 rank in our “Best General Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Chico State is $11,576 for california bachelor’s degree general physics students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%.

Read more about General Physics at Chico State

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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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