2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k
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 $30-$48k” 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 $30-$48k” ranking analyzed 30 colleges that offered a degree in physics. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent physics programs, but they also 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 $30-$48k
The colleges and universities below are the best for california bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $30-$48k.
Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Physics (Income $30-$48k) in California
Out of the 30 schools in the Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Stanford University landed the #1 spot on the list. Stanford, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s physics degrees to 18 students in 2019-2020.
Stanford also made our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #2. The estimated yearly cost for Stanford is $1,145 for california bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $30-$48k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The impressive 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 student loan default rate at the school is 0.5%, 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 $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Berkeley landed the #2 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 made our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #3. It costs about $9,130 for california bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of California - Berkeley.
The low student loan default rate of 1.7% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California Institute of Technology. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Caltech is a private not-for-profit institution located in Pasadena, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 34 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Caltech also made our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #1. The yearly cost to attend California Institute of Technology is $3,756 for california bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $30-$48k.
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. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
Read full report on Physics at California Institute of Technology
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Los Angeles. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. This large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 16 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.
Cal State LA not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #23 on our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for Cal State LA is $2,117 for California Bachelor’s Degree Physics students whose families make $30-$48k.
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%.
Out of the 30 schools in the Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Los Angeles landed the #5 spot on the list. UCLA is a large public school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 64 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.
UCLA also made our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #5. The yearly cost to attend UCLA is $9,254 for California Bachelor’s Degree Physics students whose families make $30-$48k.
With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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%.
University of California - Riverside did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #6. University of California - Riverside 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 not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Riverside is $9,151 for California Bachelor’s Degree Physics students whose families make $30-$48k.
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%.
With a ranking of #7, California State University - Fullerton did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Fullerton, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s physics degrees to 19 students in 2019-2020.
Cal State Fullerton not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend Cal State Fullerton is $6,100 for California Bachelor’s Degree Physics students whose families make $30-$48k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
University of California - Santa Barbara landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. University of California - Santa Barbara is located in Santa Barbara, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 161 bachelors’s physics degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $30-$48k list, UCSB has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UCSB is $11,895 for california bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $30-$48k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Physics at University of California - Santa Barbara
With a ranking of #9, California State University - Long Beach did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. 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 also made our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #13. The yearly cost to attend CSULB is $7,595 for california bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $30-$48k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The 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 more about Physics at California State University - Long Beach
With a ranking of #10, University of California - Irvine did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. UC Irvine is a large public school situated in Irvine, California. It awarded 55 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $30-$48k list, UC Irvine has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Irvine is $10,373 for california bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $30-$48k.
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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
With a ranking of #11, University of California - San Diego did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. UCSD is a large public school situated in La Jolla, California. It awarded 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 $9,974 for california bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $30-$48k.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.
California State University - Dominguez Hills did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #12. California State University - Dominguez Hills is a public institution located in Carson, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 4 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for CSUDH is $3,115 for california bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $30-$48k.
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%.
With a ranking of #13, University of California - Davis did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. 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.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Davis, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Davis is $10,769 for california bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $30-$48k.
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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
San Diego State University ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. SDSU is a large school located in San Diego, California that handed out 8 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $30-$48k list, SDSU has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for SDSU is $10,594 for California Bachelor’s Degree Physics students whose families make $30-$48k.
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%.
California State University - Bakersfield landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k 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.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at CSUB, the school also landed the #24 spot in our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $3,880 for California Bachelor’s Degree Physics students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend CSUB.
Read full report on Physics at California State University - Bakersfield
California State University - San Marcos ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. CSUSM is a public institution located in San Marcos, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 17 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
CSUSM also made our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #14. The yearly cost to attend CSUSM is $10,347 for California Bachelor’s Degree Physics students whose families make $30-$48k.
The student loan default rate at the school is 4.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Physics at California State University - San Marcos
California State University - Sacramento landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Sac State is a public institution located in Sacramento, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 16 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $30-$48k list, Sac State has also earned the #19 rank in our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Sacramento is $7,823 for California Bachelor’s Degree Physics students whose families make $30-$48k.
The student loan default rate at the school is 4.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Physics at California State University - Sacramento
California State University - San Bernardino landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. CSUSB is located in San Bernardino, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 15 bachelors’s physics degrees to qualified students.
CSUSB not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #25 on our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend California State University - San Bernardino is $5,869 for california bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $30-$48k.
With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
California State University - Stanislaus came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. California State University - Stanislaus 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.
The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Stanislaus is $3,958 for california bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $30-$48k.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%.
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 California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Santa Cruz, California, and it awarded 43 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.
UC Santa Cruz also took the #11 spot in our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UC Santa Cruz is $11,793 for california bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $30-$48k.
The low student loan default rate of 2.9% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
California State University - Fresno landed the #21 spot on the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. California State University - Fresno is a public institution located in Fresno, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 6 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for Fresno State is $3,731 for california bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $30-$48k.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%.
Read full report on Physics at California State University - Fresno
California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo landed the #22 spot on the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo is a public institution located in San Luis Obispo, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 38 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Cal Poly San Luis Obispo also took the #10 spot in our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is $14,680 for california bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $30-$48k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. 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%.
California State Polytechnic University - Pomona came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. California State Polytechnic University - Pomona is a large school located in Pomona, California that handed out 39 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.
Cal Poly Pomona not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #15 on our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for Cal Poly Pomona is $9,630 for california bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $30-$48k.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
University of California - Merced came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. University of California - 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.
In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $30-$48k list, UC Merced has also earned the #21 rank in our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UC Merced is $11,565 for California Bachelor’s Degree Physics students whose families make $30-$48k.
The low student loan default rate of 2.9% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
San Francisco State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #25. San Francisco State University is located in San Francisco, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 16 bachelors’s physics degrees to qualified students.
SFSU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #20 on our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $12,517 for california bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend SFSU.
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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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