2023 Best Value Physics Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k
20
Ranked Colleges
3,224
Degrees Awarded
$7,600
Avg Net Price*
When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value Physics Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is part of that endeavor.
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 California, there were 3,224 physics graduates with average earnings and debt of $41,268 and $18,506 respectively.
For this year’s “Best Value Physics Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, we looked at 20 colleges that offer a degree in physics. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality physics programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.
When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the physics program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
One Size Does Not Fit All
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 California For Those Making $0-$30k”.
In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique 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 California For Those Making $0-$30k
The colleges and universities below are the best for california physics students whose families make $0-$30k.
Top 20 Best Value Colleges for Physics (Income $0-$30k) in California
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Stanford University. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value Physics Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Stanford is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Stanford, California. It awarded 85 ’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.
Stanford not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Physics Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for Stanford University is $1,233 for california physics students whose families make $0-$30k.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full Stanford University Physics Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Berkeley. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Physics Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k. Located in Berkeley, California, this large public school handed out 197 diplomas to qualified ’s physics students in 2020-2021.
UC Berkeley did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Physics Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend UC Berkeley is $8,450 for california 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 1.8% 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%.
Full University of California - Berkeley Physics Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California Institute of Technology. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Physics Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k 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.
In addition to being on our california physics students whose families make $0-$30k list, Caltech has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Physics Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Caltech is $-539 for california physics students whose families make $0-$30k. The negative number means the student will receive more financial aid on average than it costs to attend the school.
With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 3 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full California Institute of Technology Physics Report
Out of the 20 schools in the Best Value Physics Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Los Angeles landed the #4 spot on the list. This large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 123 ’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.
UCLA did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Physics Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for UCLA is $9,037 for California Physics students whose families make $0-$30k.
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 undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Physics at University of California - Los Angeles
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - San Diego. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Physics Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. UCSD is a large public school situated in La Jolla, California. It awarded 82 ’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.
UCSD did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Physics Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - San Diego is $9,823 for california 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Physics at University of California - San Diego
University of California - Santa Barbara did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Physics Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #6. 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 California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UCSB is $10,568 for California Physics students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.8%, which is much lower than the national 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
University of California - Irvine ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Physics Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. UC Irvine is a large public school situated in Irvine, California. It awarded 122 ’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.
UC Irvine also made our “Best Physics Schools in California” list, coming in at #6. The yearly cost to attend UC Irvine is $6,540 for California Physics students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default 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 full report on Physics at University of California - Irvine
With a ranking of #8, California State University - Los Angeles did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Physics Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Cal State LA is a large public school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 15 ’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.
Cal State LA not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #17 on our “Best Physics Schools in California” list. It costs about $1,887 for California Physics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Cal State LA.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Physics at California State University - Los Angeles
University of California - Davis landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Best Value Physics Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UC Davis is a large public school situated in Davis, California. It awarded 90 ’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.
UC Davis also made our “Best Physics Schools in California” list, coming in at #7. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Davis is $10,006 for california physics students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, 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%.
Full University of California - Davis Physics Report
California State University - Long Beach landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Best Value Physics Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. CSULB is a public institution located in Long Beach, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 48 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
CSULB not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best Physics Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Long Beach is $6,663 for california physics students whose families make $0-$30k.
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%. 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 - Long Beach
California State University - Fullerton came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physics Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Fullerton, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s physics degrees to 35 students in 2020-2021.
Cal State Fullerton not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #15 on our “Best Physics Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for Cal State Fullerton is $4,590 for California Physics students whose families make $0-$30k.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full Cal State Fullerton Physics Report
University of California - Riverside ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Physics Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of California - Riverside is a public institution located in Riverside, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 83 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCR, the school also landed the #11 spot in our “Best Physics Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $6,810 for california physics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UCR.
With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full UCR Physics Report
San Diego State University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physics Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in San Diego, California, and it awarded 18 ’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.
SDSU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best Physics Schools in California” list. It costs about $7,169 for california physics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend San Diego State University.
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 2.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full SDSU Physics Report
University of California - Santa Cruz came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physics Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of California - Santa Cruz is a fairly large school located in Santa Cruz, California that handed out 95 ’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.
UC Santa Cruz did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Physics Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend UC Santa Cruz is $11,038 for california 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. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full University of California - Santa Cruz Physics Report
California State University - Northridge ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Physics Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Northridge, California, and it awarded 27 ’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.
CSUN also made our “Best Physics Schools in California” list, coming in at #18. It costs about $6,266 for california 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%.
Full California State University - Northridge Physics Report
California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Physics Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. 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.
Cal Poly San Luis Obispo also made our “Best Physics Schools in California” list, coming in at #10. The yearly cost to attend California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo is $12,173 for california physics students whose families make $0-$30k.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.
Read more about Physics at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo
California State Polytechnic University - Pomona came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physics Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Cal Poly Pomona is located in Pomona, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 25 ’s physics degrees to qualified students.
Cal Poly Pomona did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best Physics Schools in California” list. It costs about $10,349 for california physics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Cal Poly Pomona.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The 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 full report on Physics at California State Polytechnic University - Pomona
California State University - Sacramento came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physics Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in Sacramento, California, and it awarded 23 ’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.
Sac State also made our “Best Physics Schools in California” list, coming in at #19. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Sacramento is $8,163 for California 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%.
Full California State University - Sacramento Physics Report
University of California - Merced came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physics Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Merced, California is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s physics degrees to 26 students in 2020-2021.
UC Merced also took the #14 spot in our “Best Physics Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $10,363 for california physics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UC Merced.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.
Read full report on Physics at University of California - Merced
Humboldt State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Physics Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #20. Located in Arcata, California, this medium-sized public school handed out 10 diplomas to qualified ’s physics students in 2020-2021.
Humboldt State University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #20 on our “Best Physics Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for Humboldt State University is $11,473 for california physics students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read more about Physics at Humboldt State University
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