2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k
Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking.
In 2019-2020, 14,123 people earned their degree in physics, making the major the 67th most popular in the United States. 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 California, there were 3,131 physics graduates with average earnings and debt of $34,486 and $19,317 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,177 physics graduates with average earnings and debt of $37,907 and $21,546 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking analyzed 30 colleges that offered 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.
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 physics program at the school. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
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Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k.
Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Physics (Income $0-$30k) in California
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 California For Those Making $0-$30k. California Institute of Technology is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Pasadena, California. It awarded 34 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.
Caltech did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $5,456 for california bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend California Institute of Technology.
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%. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 3 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.
Out of the 30 schools in the Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Stanford University landed the #2 spot on the list. Stanford is a private not-for-profit institution located in Stanford, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 18 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Stanford also made our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #2. The yearly cost to attend Stanford is $-1,387 for California Bachelor’s Degree Physics students whose families make $0-$30k. When an average net price is negative, it usually means that the student will receive more financial aid than it costs to attend the school.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.5%, which is much lower than the national 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.
Out of the 30 schools in the Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Berkeley landed the #3 spot on the list. UC Berkeley is located in Berkeley, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 135 bachelors’s physics degrees to qualified students.
UC Berkeley did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $8,392 for california bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of California - Berkeley.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Out of the 30 schools in the Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Los Angeles landed the #4 spot on the list. California State University - Los Angeles is a large public school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 16 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.
Cal State LA also took the #23 spot in our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Los Angeles is $1,379 for California Bachelor’s Degree Physics students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Riverside. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. UCR is a public institution located in Riverside, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 38 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
UCR also made our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #6. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Riverside is $8,366 for california bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $0-$30k.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.
Read full report on Physics at University of California - Riverside
University of California - Los Angeles ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s physics degrees to 64 students in 2019-2020.
UCLA did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for UCLA is $8,553 for California Bachelor’s Degree Physics students whose families make $0-$30k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. 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%.
California State University - Fullerton came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. California State University - Fullerton is a large school located in Fullerton, California that handed out 19 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.
Cal State Fullerton also took the #16 spot in our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Fullerton is $4,291 for California Bachelor’s Degree Physics students whose families make $0-$30k.
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 Physics at California State University - Fullerton
University of California - Irvine did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #8. University of California - Irvine is located in Irvine, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 55 bachelors’s physics degrees to qualified students.
UC Irvine also made our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #9. The yearly cost to attend UC Irvine is $9,558 for California Bachelor’s Degree Physics students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low student loan default rate of 1.3% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.
University of California - Santa Barbara landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UCSB is a large school located in Santa Barbara, California that handed out 161 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.
UCSB also took the #4 spot in our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UCSB is $10,316 for california bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%.
California State University - Long Beach ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. California State University - Long Beach is a large public school situated in Long Beach, California. It awarded 53 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.
CSULB also made our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #13. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Long Beach is $6,364 for california bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $0-$30k.
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 California State University - Long Beach Physics Report
University of California - San Diego landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UCSD is a large school located in La Jolla, California that handed out 78 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.
UCSD did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - San Diego is $9,280 for california bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low student loan default rate of 1.5% 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 full report on Physics at University of California - San Diego
San Diego State University ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. SDSU is located in San Diego, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 8 bachelors’s physics degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at SDSU, the school also landed the #18 spot in our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $8,870 for California Bachelor’s Degree Physics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend San Diego State University.
The student loan default rate at the school is 2.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%.
University of California - Davis came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Davis, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s physics degrees to 46 students in 2019-2020.
UC Davis not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $9,842 for California Bachelor’s Degree Physics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UC Davis.
The student loan default rate at the school is 1.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%.
Read full report on Physics at University of California - Davis
With a ranking of #14, California State University - Dominguez Hills did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Carson, California, this fairly large public school handed out 4 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s physics students in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend California State University - Dominguez Hills is $2,455 for California Bachelor’s Degree Physics students whose families make $0-$30k.
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%.
California State University - San Marcos ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. This fairly large school is located in San Marcos, California, and it awarded 17 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $0-$30k list, CSUSM has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend CSUSM is $9,517 for california bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low student loan default rate of 4.2% 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 - San Marcos
California State University - Bakersfield ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. CSUB is a fairly large school located in Bakersfield, California that handed out 5 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $0-$30k list, CSUB has also earned the #24 rank in our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend CSUB is $3,423 for California Bachelor’s Degree Physics students whose families make $0-$30k.
California State University - Sacramento came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. California State University - Sacramento is a large public school situated in Sacramento, California. It awarded 16 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.
Sac State also made our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #19. The yearly cost to attend Sac State is $6,819 for california bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Physics at California State University - Sacramento
With a ranking of #18, California State University - San Bernardino did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. San Bernardino, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s physics degrees to 15 students in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at CSUSB, the school also landed the #25 spot in our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - San Bernardino is $5,077 for california 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.
University of California - Santa Cruz ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Santa Cruz, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s physics degrees to 43 students in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Santa Cruz, the school also landed the #11 spot in our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Santa Cruz is $10,872 for California Bachelor’s Degree Physics students whose families make $0-$30k.
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.
With a ranking of #20, California State University - Stanislaus did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Stan State is a public institution located in Turlock, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 11 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $3,410 for California Bachelor’s Degree Physics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend California State University - Stanislaus.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full California State University - Stanislaus Physics Report
California State Polytechnic University - Pomona came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. 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 #15 spot in our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $8,596 for california bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend California State Polytechnic University - Pomona.
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 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Physics at California State Polytechnic University - Pomona
California State University - Fresno landed the #22 spot on the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Fresno State is a large public school situated in Fresno, California. It awarded 6 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Fresno is $3,264 for California Bachelor’s Degree Physics students whose families make $0-$30k.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%.
Read more about Physics at California State University - Fresno
California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #23. Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is located in San Luis Obispo, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 38 bachelors’s physics degrees to qualified students.
Cal Poly San Luis Obispo also made our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #10. It costs about $12,475 for California Bachelor’s Degree Physics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.
The low student loan default rate of 1.1% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.
Read full report on Physics at California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo
With a ranking of #24, University of California - Merced did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. UC Merced is located in Merced, California and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 8 bachelors’s physics degrees to qualified students.
UC Merced not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #21 on our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Merced is $10,782 for california bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $0-$30k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. 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%.
With a ranking of #25, San Francisco State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k 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 #20 on our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for San Francisco State University is $11,123 for california bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $0-$30k.
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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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