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2022 Best Value General Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k

28 Ranked Colleges
1,083 Degrees Awarded
Best Value General Physics Schools for a Bachelor's in California For Those Making $48-$75k

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. 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 $48-$75k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

General Physics is the 57th most popular major in the country with 13,287 degrees awarded in 2019-2020.

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 $48-$75k” 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.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the general physics program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

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 $48-$75k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. 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 $48-$75k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value General Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for General Physics (Income $48-$75k) in California

#1

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 #1 for the Best Value General Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k. This fairly large school is located in Stanford, California, and it awarded 18 bachelors’s general physics degrees in 2019-2020.

Stanford did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best General Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend Stanford University is $1,959 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Physics students whose families make $48-$75k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. 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%. 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.

Read full report on General Physics at Stanford

#2

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 $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, California Institute of Technology landed the #2 spot on the list. California Institute of Technology is a private not-for-profit institution located in Pasadena, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 34 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Caltech also took the #1 spot in our “Best General Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Caltech is $8,042 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Physics students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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. 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%.

Full Caltech General Physics Report

#3 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Berkeley. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value General Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. Berkeley, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s general physics degrees to 135 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree general physics students whose families make $48-$75k list, UC Berkeley has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best General Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UC Berkeley is $13,081 for california bachelor’s degree general physics students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low student loan default rate of 1.7% 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 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full University of California - Berkeley General Physics Report

#4

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 #4 for the Best Value General Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k. This large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 64 bachelors’s general physics degrees in 2019-2020.

UCLA also took the #5 spot in our “Best General Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UCLA is $13,081 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Physics students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about General Physics at UCLA

#6 in overall quality

Out of the 28 schools in the Best Value General Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Riverside landed the #5 spot on the list. Riverside, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s general physics degrees to 38 students in 2019-2020.

UCR also made our “Best General Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #6. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Riverside is $12,290 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Physics students whose families make $48-$75k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The low student loan default rate of 2.1% 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%.

Read more about General Physics at University of California - Riverside

#6

University of California - Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara, California
#4 in overall quality

University of California - Santa Barbara landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. University of California - Santa Barbara is a large public school situated in Santa Barbara, California. It awarded 161 bachelors’s general physics degrees 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. The estimated yearly cost for UCSB is $15,343 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Physics students whose families make $48-$75k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. 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 UCSB

#21 in overall quality

California State University - Los Angeles landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 16 bachelors’s general physics degrees in 2019-2020.

Cal State LA also made our “Best General Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #21. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Los Angeles is $5,644 for california bachelor’s degree general physics students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 Cal State LA

#15 in overall quality

With a ranking of #8, California State University - Fullerton did quite well on the 2022 Best Value General Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. 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 not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #15 on our “Best General Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend Cal State Fullerton is $9,427 for california bachelor’s degree general physics students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 full report on General Physics at California State University - Fullerton

#13 in overall quality

With a ranking of #9, California State University - Long Beach did quite well on the 2022 Best Value General Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. California State University - Long Beach is a large public school situated in Long Beach, California. It awarded 53 bachelors’s general physics degrees in 2019-2020.

CSULB not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #13 on our “Best General Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for CSULB is $10,807 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Physics students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, 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 California State University - Long Beach General Physics Report

#7 in overall quality

With a ranking of #10, University of California - San Diego did quite well on the 2022 Best Value General Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in La Jolla, California, this large public school handed out 50 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s general physics students in 2019-2020.

UCSD not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best General Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend University of California - San Diego is $14,071 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Physics students whose families make $48-$75k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full University of California - San Diego General Physics Report

#8 in overall quality

University of California - Davis did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #11. Davis, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s general physics degrees to 32 students in 2019-2020.

UC Davis did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best General Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $13,578 for california bachelor’s degree general physics students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UC Davis.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%.

Full UC Davis General Physics Report

#9 in overall quality

With a ranking of #12, University of California - Irvine did quite well on the 2022 Best Value General Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. University of California - Irvine is a public institution located in Irvine, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 39 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Irvine did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best General Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Irvine is $13,648 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Physics students whose families make $48-$75k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, 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 94%.

Full University of California - Irvine General Physics Report

With a ranking of #13, California State University - Dominguez Hills did quite well on the 2022 Best Value General Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. California State University - Dominguez Hills is a public institution located in Carson, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 4 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend California State University - Dominguez Hills is $6,907 for california bachelor’s degree general physics students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 CSUDH General Physics Report

#22 in overall quality

California State University - Bakersfield ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value General Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. Bakersfield, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s general physics degrees to 5 students in 2019-2020.

CSUB also took the #22 spot in our “Best General Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Bakersfield is $7,564 for california bachelor’s degree general physics students whose families make $48-$75k.

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

#17 in overall quality

California State University - Sacramento landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Sac State is a large public school situated in Sacramento, California. It awarded 16 bachelors’s general physics degrees in 2019-2020.

Sac State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #17 on our “Best General Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend Sac State is $11,413 for california bachelor’s degree general physics students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low student loan default rate of 4.6% 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 full report on General Physics at California State University - Sacramento

#16

University of California - Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz, California
#11 in overall quality

University of California - Santa Cruz landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. University of California - Santa Cruz is a fairly large school located in Santa Cruz, California that handed out 43 bachelors’s general physics degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Santa Cruz also made our “Best General Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #11. It costs about $15,253 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Physics students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UC Santa Cruz.

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

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

#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 $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #17. 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 $8,924 for california bachelor’s degree general physics students whose families make $48-$75k.

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

Read more about General Physics at CSUSB

California State University - Stanislaus ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value General Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. Stan State is a fairly large public school situated in Turlock, California. It awarded 11 bachelors’s general physics degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Stanislaus is $7,772 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Physics students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about General Physics at Stan State

#19

San Diego State University

San Diego, California
#16 in overall quality

San Diego State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #19. Located in San Diego, California, this large public school handed out 8 degrees to qualified bachelors’s general physics students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at SDSU, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best General Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for SDSU is $14,730 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Physics students whose families make $48-$75k.

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

Read full report on General Physics at San Diego State University

#10 in overall quality

California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in San Luis Obispo, California, this large public school handed out 38 degrees to qualified bachelors’s general physics students in 2019-2020.

Cal Poly San Luis Obispo also took the #10 spot in our “Best General Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $19,407 for california bachelor’s degree general physics students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full Cal Poly San Luis Obispo General Physics Report

#14 in overall quality

With a ranking of #20, California State Polytechnic University - Pomona did quite well on the 2022 Best Value General Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. Pomona, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s general physics degrees to 39 students in 2019-2020.

Cal Poly Pomona also made our “Best General Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #14. It costs about $14,012 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Physics students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Cal Poly Pomona.

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%.

Read full report on General Physics at Cal Poly Pomona

California State University - Fresno landed the #22 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. California State University - Fresno is a large school located in Fresno, California that handed out 6 bachelors’s general physics degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend California State University - Fresno is $7,549 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Physics students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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 full report on General Physics at California State University - Fresno

#19 in overall quality

With a ranking of #23, University of California - Merced did quite well on the 2022 Best Value General Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. UC Merced is a public institution located in Merced, California. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 8 bachelors’s 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 UC Merced is $14,922 for california bachelor’s degree general physics students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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%.

Read more about General Physics at University of California - Merced

#24

San Francisco State University

San Francisco, California
#18 in overall quality

San Francisco State University came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. SFSU is located in San Francisco, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 16 bachelors’s general physics degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree general physics students whose families make $48-$75k 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 SFSU is $16,661 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Physics students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on General Physics at San Francisco State University

#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 $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #25. Located in Chico, California, this fairly large public school handed out 13 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 $48-$75k 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 $16,116 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Physics students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on 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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