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2023 Best Value Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k

33 Ranked Colleges
3,867 Degrees Awarded
$7,900 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

Physics is the 68th most popular major in the country with 13,674 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. In 2019-2020, physics graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $42,960 and had an average of $22,756 in loans still to pay off.

Across the Far Western US region, there were 3,867 physics graduates with average earnings and debt of $41,477 and $19,896 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking looked at 33 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s 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. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

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The physics school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Best Value Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k”.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

Best Value Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k.

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

1
Stanford crest
Stanford University
Stanford, California

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 Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k. Stanford University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Stanford, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 85 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Stanford, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. It costs about $1,233 for far western us region physics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Stanford.

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

Read more about Physics at Stanford

2

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Berkeley. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. UC Berkeley is located in Berkeley, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 197 ’s physics degrees to qualified students.

UC Berkeley not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. It costs about $8,450 for far western us region physics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UC Berkeley.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Physics at UC Berkeley

3

Out of the 33 schools in the Best Value Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, California Institute of Technology landed the #3 spot on the list. Caltech is a private not-for-profit institution located in Pasadena, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 52 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Caltech, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. It costs about $-539 for far western us region physics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend California Institute of Technology. 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.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 3 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read full report on Physics at California Institute of Technology

4

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Los Angeles. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of California - Los Angeles is a large public school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 123 ’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.

UCLA not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The yearly cost to attend UCLA is $9,037 for Far Western US Region 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 low undergrad 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%.

Read more about Physics at University of California - Los Angeles

5

Out of the 33 schools in the Best Value Physics Schools 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 #5 spot on the list. University of Washington - Seattle Campus is a large school located in Seattle, Washington that handed out 262 ’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.

UW Seattle not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. It costs about $5,194 for far western us region physics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UW Seattle.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Physics at University of Washington - Seattle Campus

6

With a ranking of #6, University of California - San Diego did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in La Jolla, California, this large public school handed out 82 degrees to qualified ’s physics students in 2020-2021.

UCSD also made our “Best Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #5. The yearly cost to attend UCSD is $9,823 for Far Western US Region Physics students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, 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 94%.

Read more about Physics at University of California - San Diego

7

University of California - Santa Barbara ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Santa Barbara, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s physics degrees to 199 students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCSB, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UCSB is $10,568 for far western us region physics students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Physics at UCSB

8

University of California - Irvine came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physics Schools 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 122 ’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.

UC Irvine not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Irvine is $6,540 for far western us region physics students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, 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.

Read more about Physics at UC Irvine

9

California State University - Los Angeles came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Los Angeles, California, this large public school handed out 15 degrees to qualified ’s physics students in 2020-2021.

It costs about $1,887 for Far Western US Region Physics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend California State University - Los Angeles.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Cal State LA Physics Report

10

University of California - Davis landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Best Value Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Davis, California, this large public school awarded 90 diplomas to qualified ’s physics students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our far western us region physics students whose families make $0-$30k list, UC Davis has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UC Davis is $10,006 for Far Western US Region Physics students whose families make $0-$30k.

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

Read full report on Physics at University of California - Davis

11

California State University - Long Beach did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #11. California State University - Long Beach is a large public school situated in Long Beach, California. It awarded 48 ’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.

CSULB also made our “Best Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #15. It costs about $6,663 for Far Western US Region Physics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend CSULB.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, 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 undergraduate students.

Read more about Physics at CSULB

12

California State University - Fullerton landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Best Value Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. California State University - Fullerton is a large school located in Fullerton, California that handed out 35 ’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Cal State Fullerton, the school also landed the #19 spot in our “Best Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Cal State Fullerton is $4,590 for Far Western US Region Physics students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full California State University - Fullerton Physics Report

13

University of California - Riverside ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Riverside, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s physics degrees to 83 students in 2020-2021.

UCR not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #13 on our “Best Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The yearly cost to attend UCR is $6,810 for Far Western US Region Physics students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.3% 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 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Physics at University of California - Riverside

14
SDSU crest
San Diego State University
San Diego, California

San Diego State University landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Best Value Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in San Diego, California, this large public school handed out 18 degrees to qualified ’s physics students in 2020-2021.

SDSU also made our “Best Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #17. The yearly cost to attend SDSU is $7,169 for Far Western US Region Physics students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Physics at SDSU

15

University of California - Santa Cruz ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of California - Santa Cruz is a fairly large public school situated in Santa Cruz, California. It awarded 95 ’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.

UC Santa Cruz did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. It costs about $11,038 for far western us region physics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UC Santa Cruz.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Physics at UC Santa Cruz

16

University of Nevada - Reno ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Reno, Nevada is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s physics degrees to 32 students in 2020-2021.

UNR also took the #11 spot in our “Best Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UNR is $11,795 for far western us region physics students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Physics at UNR

17

California State University - Northridge landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Best Value Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Northridge, California, this large public school handed out 27 degrees to qualified ’s physics students in 2020-2021.

It costs about $6,266 for far western us region physics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend California State University - Northridge.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.7% 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 - Northridge

18

California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #18. California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo is located in San Luis Obispo, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 37 ’s physics degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. It costs about $12,173 for far western us region physics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, 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 undergraduate students.

Read full report on Physics at California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo

19

University of Nevada - Las Vegas came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in Las Vegas, Nevada, and it awarded 18 ’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.

UNLV also took the #20 spot in our “Best Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Nevada - Las Vegas is $8,991 for far western us region physics students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Nevada - Las Vegas Physics Report

20

With a ranking of #20, California State Polytechnic University - Pomona did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Pomona, California, and it awarded 25 ’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.

Cal Poly Pomona did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #24 on our “Best Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for California State Polytechnic University - Pomona is $10,349 for Far Western US Region Physics students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Physics at California State Polytechnic University - Pomona

21
Wazzu crest
Washington State University
Pullman, Washington

Washington State University came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Pullman, Washington is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s physics degrees to 21 students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our far western us region physics students whose families make $0-$30k list, Wazzu has also earned the #21 rank in our “Best Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Washington State University is $7,689 for Far Western US Region Physics students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Washington State University Physics Report

22
UO crest
University of Oregon
Eugene, Oregon

University of Oregon did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #22. Located in Eugene, Oregon, this large public school handed out 65 degrees to qualified ’s physics students in 2020-2021.

UO not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UO is $13,666 for Far Western US Region Physics students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Physics at UO

23

California State University - Sacramento landed the #23 spot on the 2023 Best Value Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Sac State is a large school located in Sacramento, California that handed out 23 ’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend California State University - Sacramento is $8,163 for far western us region physics students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.9% 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 Physics at California State University - Sacramento

24

With a ranking of #24, University of California - Merced did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Merced, California, this medium-sized public school awarded 26 diplomas to qualified ’s physics students in 2020-2021.

UC Merced not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #18 on our “Best Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The yearly cost to attend UC Merced is $10,363 for far western us region physics students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.8%, 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 undergraduate students.

Read full report on Physics at UC Merced

25
WWU crest
Western Washington University
Bellingham, Washington

Western Washington University ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Bellingham, Washington, this fairly large public school awarded 23 degrees to qualified ’s physics students in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Western Washington University is $9,979 for far western us region physics students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad 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 more about Physics at WWU

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