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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Physics (Income $0-$30k) in the Far Western US Region

47 Ranked Colleges
1,683 Degrees Awarded
$6,700 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor's in the Far Western US Region 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. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking - to help you make that decision.

Physics is the 67th most popular major in the country with 14,123 degrees awarded in 2019-2020. In 2017-2018, physics graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $42,475 and had an average of $22,421 in loans still to pay off.

Across the Far Western US region, there were 3,784 physics graduates with average earnings and debt of $40,070 and $20,138 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,683 physics graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,083 and $22,209 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, we looked at 47 colleges that offer a degree in physics. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great physics programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the 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.

One Size Does Not Fit All

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 Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k” 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. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.

Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k

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

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Physics (Income $0-$30k) in the Far Western US Region

#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 Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k. Pasadena, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s physics degrees to 34 students in 2019-2020.

Caltech did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Caltech is $5,456 for far western us region bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student-to-faculty ratio of 3 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full California Institute of Technology Physics Report

#2

Stanford University

Stanford, California
#2 in overall quality

Out of the 47 schools in the Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Stanford University landed the #2 spot on the list. This fairly large school is located in Stanford, California, and it awarded 18 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.

Stanford also made our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #2. The yearly cost to attend Stanford University is $-1,387 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Physics students whose families make $0-$30k. A negative average net price may seem strange, but it generally means that financial aid will more than cover the cost to attend the school.

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 freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Full Stanford University Physics Report

Out of the 47 schools in the Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Washington - Seattle Campus landed the #3 spot on the list. Seattle, Washington is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s physics degrees to 207 students in 2019-2020.

UW Seattle not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. It costs about $7,850 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Physics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UW Seattle.

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 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Washington - Seattle Campus Physics Report

Out of the 47 schools in the Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Berkeley landed the #4 spot on the list. Berkeley, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s physics degrees to 135 students in 2019-2020.

UC Berkeley also took the #3 spot in our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Berkeley is $8,392 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Physics students whose families make $0-$30k.

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

Read full report on Physics at University of California - Berkeley

Out of the 47 schools in the Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Los Angeles landed the #5 spot on the list. This large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 16 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend California State University - Los Angeles is $1,379 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Physics students whose families make $0-$30k.

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%.

Read more about Physics at California State University - Los Angeles

With a ranking of #6, University of California - Riverside did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. UCR is located in Riverside, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 38 bachelors’s physics degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCR, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UCR is $8,366 for far western us region bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $0-$30k.

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

Read more about Physics at UCR

#7

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California

University of California - Los Angeles did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #7. UCLA is a public institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 64 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UCLA not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The yearly cost to attend UCLA is $8,553 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree 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%. 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 Physics at UCLA

#18 in overall quality

California State University - Fullerton ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. California State University - Fullerton is a public institution located in Fullerton, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 19 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Cal State Fullerton did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. It costs about $4,291 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Physics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Cal State Fullerton.

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

Read more about Physics at Cal State Fullerton

University of California - Irvine landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of California - Irvine is a large school located in Irvine, California that handed out 55 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Irvine did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Irvine is $9,558 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Physics students whose families make $0-$30k.

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%.

Read full report on Physics at University of California - Irvine

#10

University of California - Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara, California

University of California - Santa Barbara ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of California - Santa Barbara 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.

UCSB not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. It costs about $10,316 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Physics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UCSB.

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

Read more about Physics at University of California - Santa Barbara

California State University - Long Beach landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. California State University - Long Beach is a large school located in Long Beach, California that handed out 53 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.

CSULB did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. It costs about $6,364 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Physics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend California State University - Long Beach.

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

Full CSULB Physics Report

University of California - San Diego landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of California - San Diego is a large school located in La Jolla, California that handed out 78 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our far western us region bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $0-$30k list, UCSD has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. It costs about $9,280 for far western us region bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UCSD.

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 UCSD Physics Report

#13

San Diego State University

San Diego, California
#21 in overall quality

San Diego State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #13. San Diego State University is a public institution located in San Diego, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 8 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our far western us region bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $0-$30k list, SDSU has also earned the #21 rank in our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend San Diego State University is $8,870 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Physics students whose families make $0-$30k.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%.

Read more about Physics at San Diego State University

University of California - Davis landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in Davis, California, and it awarded 46 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Davis also took the #9 spot in our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Davis is $9,842 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Physics students whose families make $0-$30k.

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

Full University of California - Davis Physics Report

California State University - Dominguez Hills ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This fairly large school is located in Carson, California, and it awarded 4 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for CSUDH is $2,455 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Physics students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 2.6% 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 CSUDH Physics Report

California State University - San Marcos came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. CSUSM is a fairly large school located in San Marcos, California that handed out 17 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our far western us region bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $0-$30k list, CSUSM has also earned the #16 rank in our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. It costs about $9,517 for far western us region bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend California State University - San Marcos.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Physics at CSUSM

California State University - Bakersfield came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. California State University - Bakersfield 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.

The estimated yearly cost for CSUB is $3,423 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Physics students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Physics at California State University - Bakersfield

#23 in overall quality

With a ranking of #18, California State University - Sacramento did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Sacramento, California, this large public school awarded 16 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s physics students in 2019-2020.

Sac State also took the #23 spot in our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. It costs about $6,819 for far western us region bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend California State University - Sacramento.

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 California State University - Sacramento Physics Report

#19

California State University - San Bernardino

San Bernardino, California

California State University - San Bernardino came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in San Bernardino, California, this fairly large public school awarded 15 degrees to qualified bachelors’s physics students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend California State University - San Bernardino is $5,077 for far western us region bachelor’s degree 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 Physics at California State University - San Bernardino

#20

University of California - Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz, California
#12 in overall quality

University of California - Santa Cruz came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Santa Cruz, California, this fairly large public school handed out 43 degrees to qualified bachelors’s physics students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our far western us region bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $0-$30k list, UC Santa Cruz has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. It costs about $10,872 for far western us region bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of California - Santa Cruz.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Physics at University of California - Santa Cruz

California State University - Stanislaus ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This fairly large school is located in Turlock, California, and it awarded 11 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend California State University - Stanislaus is $3,410 for far western us region bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 4.3% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Stan State Physics Report

#22

Washington State University

Pullman, Washington

Washington State University came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Pullman, Washington, this large public school awarded 14 degrees to qualified bachelors’s physics students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Wazzu is $9,334 for far western us region bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $0-$30k.

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%.

Full Wazzu Physics Report

California State Polytechnic University - Pomona ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Pomona, California, and it awarded 39 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Cal Poly Pomona, the school also landed the #17 spot in our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California State Polytechnic University - Pomona is $8,596 for far western us region bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $0-$30k.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%.

Full California State Polytechnic University - Pomona Physics Report

#24

Eastern Washington University

Cheney, Washington

Eastern Washington University ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Cheney, Washington is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s physics degrees to 2 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Eastern Washington University is $8,473 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Physics students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Eastern Washington University Physics Report

With a ranking of #25, California State University - Fresno did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Fresno, California, this large public school handed out 6 degrees to qualified bachelors’s physics students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $3,264 for far western us region bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Fresno State.

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%.

Read full report on Physics at California State University - Fresno

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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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