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2022 Best Value General Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California

28 Ranked Colleges
1,083 Degrees Awarded
$11,900 Avg Net Price*
Best Value General Physics Schools for a Bachelor's in California

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value General Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

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” 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.

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. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

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” 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. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.

Best Value General Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California

The colleges and universities below are the best for california bachelor’s degree general physics students.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for General Physics in California

#13 in overall quality

Out of the 28 schools in the Best Value General Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Long Beach landed the #1 spot on the list. CSULB is a public institution located in Long Beach, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 53 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

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 $9,622 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Physics students.

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%. 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 full report on General Physics at California State University - Long Beach

#2

University of California - Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara, California
#4 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Santa Barbara. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value General Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. 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 also made our “Best General Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #4. It costs about $15,884 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Physics students per year to attend UCSB.

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

Read full report on General Physics at University of California - Santa Barbara

#3

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California
#5 in overall quality

Out of the 28 schools in the Best Value General Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Los Angeles landed the #3 spot on the list. University of California - Los Angeles is a large public school situated in Los Angeles, California. 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 estimated yearly cost for UCLA is $14,279 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Physics students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. 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%.

Read more about General Physics at UCLA

#10 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value General Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California. Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is a public institution located in San Luis Obispo, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 38 bachelors’s 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 $21,595 for california bachelor’s degree general physics students.

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

Read full report on General Physics at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo

#15 in overall quality

Out of the 28 schools in the Best Value General Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Fullerton landed the #5 spot on the list. Located in Fullerton, California, this large public school awarded 19 degrees to qualified bachelors’s general physics students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree general physics students list, Cal State Fullerton has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best General Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Fullerton is $7,991 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Physics students.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.7%, 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%.

Read more about General Physics at Cal State Fullerton

#14 in overall quality

With a ranking of #6, California State Polytechnic University - Pomona did quite well on the 2022 Best Value General Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. This large school is located in Pomona, California, and it awarded 39 bachelors’s general physics degrees in 2019-2020.

Cal Poly Pomona did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best General Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $12,734 for california bachelor’s degree general physics students per year to attend California State Polytechnic University - 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%.

Full Cal Poly Pomona General Physics Report

#3 in overall quality

University of California - Berkeley came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. 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.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Berkeley, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best General Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $15,329 for california bachelor’s degree general physics students 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 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 University of California - Berkeley

#17 in overall quality

With a ranking of #8, California State University - Sacramento did quite well on the 2022 Best Value General Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. 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.

Sac State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best General Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $9,979 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Physics students per year to attend Sac State.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Physics at Sac State

#7 in overall quality

University of California - San Diego came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. UCSD is located in La Jolla, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 50 bachelors’s general physics degrees to qualified students.

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 $14,232 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Physics 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full UCSD General Physics Report

#10

University of California - Riverside

Riverside, California
#6 in overall quality

University of California - Riverside landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. 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 $12,871 for california bachelor’s degree general physics students.

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

Read full report on General Physics at UCR

#20 in overall quality

With a ranking of #11, California State University - Chico did quite well on the 2022 Best Value General Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. Chico, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s general physics degrees to 13 students in 2019-2020.

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. It costs about $15,017 for california bachelor’s degree general physics students per year to attend Chico State.

The low student loan default rate of 3.3% 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%.

Full Chico State General Physics Report

#12

San Francisco State University

San Francisco, California
#18 in overall quality

With a ranking of #12, San Francisco State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value General Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California 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.

SFSU also took the #18 spot in our “Best General Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $15,113 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Physics students per year to attend San Francisco State University.

Read more about General Physics at San Francisco State University

#13

San Diego State University

San Diego, California
#16 in overall quality

San Diego State University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. San Diego, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s general physics degrees to 8 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 $14,788 for california bachelor’s degree general physics students.

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

Full San Diego State University General Physics Report

#8 in overall quality

University of California - Davis ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value General Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. University of California - Davis is a large school located in Davis, California that handed out 32 bachelors’s general physics degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Davis also made our “Best General Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #8. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Davis is $14,669 for california bachelor’s degree general physics students.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full UC Davis General Physics Report

#9 in overall quality

University of California - Irvine did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking, coming in at #15. 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.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Irvine, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best General Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UC Irvine is $14,783 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Physics students.

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

Full University of California - Irvine General Physics Report

#16

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 ranking, coming in at #16. CSUSB is a public institution located in San Bernardino, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 15 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

CSUSB not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #23 on our “Best General Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend California State University - San Bernardino is $7,342 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Physics students.

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 CSUSB

#21 in overall quality

California State University - Los Angeles ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value General Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. Cal State LA is a public institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 16 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree general physics students list, Cal State LA has also earned the #21 rank in our “Best General Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Los Angeles is $2,768 for california bachelor’s degree general physics students.

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

#22 in overall quality

California State University - Bakersfield landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. California State University - Bakersfield is a fairly large school located in Bakersfield, California that handed out 5 bachelors’s general physics degrees in 2019-2020.

CSUB not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #22 on our “Best General Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend CSUB is $5,318 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Physics students.

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

#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 ranking, coming in at #19. 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 not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best General Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for UC Santa Cruz is $18,186 for california bachelor’s degree general physics students.

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.

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

#20

Humboldt State University

Arcata, California
#25 in overall quality

Humboldt State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking, coming in at #20. Humboldt State University is a medium-sized public school situated in Arcata, California. It awarded 11 bachelors’s general physics degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree general physics students list, Humboldt State University has also earned the #25 rank in our “Best General Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $14,692 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Physics students per year to attend Humboldt State University.

Full Humboldt State University General Physics Report

#24 in overall quality

With a ranking of #21, California State University - East Bay did quite well on the 2022 Best Value General Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. California State University - East Bay is a fairly large public school situated in Hayward, California. It awarded 6 bachelors’s general physics degrees in 2019-2020.

Cal State East Bay did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #24 on our “Best General Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $11,116 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Physics students per year to attend Cal State East Bay.

Full California State University - East Bay General Physics Report

California State University - Stanislaus came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. 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.

It costs about $6,019 for California Bachelor’s Degree General Physics students per year to attend California State University - Stanislaus.

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%. 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 California State University - Stanislaus

With a ranking of #23, California State University - Fresno did quite well on the 2022 Best Value General Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. California State University - Fresno is located in Fresno, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 6 bachelors’s general physics degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend California State University - Fresno is $5,464 for california bachelor’s degree general physics students.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.7%, 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 87%.

Full Fresno State General Physics Report

#19 in overall quality

University of California - Merced came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. 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 also made our “Best General Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #19. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Merced is $13,896 for california bachelor’s degree general physics 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on General Physics at UC Merced

With a ranking of #25, California State University - Dominguez Hills did quite well on the 2022 Best Value General Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California 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 $4,215 for california bachelor’s degree general physics students.

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%.

Read more about General Physics at California State University - Dominguez Hills

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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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