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2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k

47 Ranked Colleges
1,683 Degrees Awarded
$36,400 Avg Salary
Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor's in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

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

This year’s “Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking looked at 47 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in physics. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality physics programs that also have a lower cost than 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. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

More Ways to Rank Physics Schools

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. 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 for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Physics (Income $48-$75k) in the Far Western US Region

#1

Stanford University

Stanford, California
#2 in overall quality

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 for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k. Located in Stanford, California, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 18 degrees to qualified bachelors’s physics students in 2019-2020.

Stanford also took the #2 spot in our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. It costs about $1,959 for far western us region bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Stanford University.

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. The low student loan default rate of 0.5% 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 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Stanford University Physics Report

#2

California Institute of Technology

Pasadena, California
#1 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California Institute of Technology. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. This small school is located in Pasadena, California, and it awarded 34 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.

Caltech also took the #1 spot in our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Caltech is $8,042 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Physics students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 student-to-faculty ratio of 3 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Physics at Caltech

Out of the 47 schools in the Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Washington - Seattle Campus landed the #3 spot on the list. University of Washington - Seattle Campus is a public institution located in Seattle, Washington. The school has a large population, and it awarded 207 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UW Seattle also took the #6 spot in our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Washington - Seattle Campus is $9,694 for far western us region bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low student loan default rate of 2.2% 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%.

Full University of Washington - Seattle Campus Physics Report

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Berkeley. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. UC Berkeley is a large school located in Berkeley, California that handed out 135 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Berkeley did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Berkeley is $13,081 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Physics students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. 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 University of California - Berkeley

#5

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Los Angeles. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k. Located in Los Angeles, California, this large public school awarded 64 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s physics students in 2019-2020.

UCLA also took the #5 spot in our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. It costs about $13,081 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Physics students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of California - Los Angeles.

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 low student loan default rate of 1.0% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full University of California - Los Angeles Physics Report

University of California - Riverside landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. UCR is a large public school situated in Riverside, California. It awarded 38 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.

UCR also made our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #7. The yearly cost to attend UCR is $12,290 for far western us region bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 student loan default rate at the school is 2.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Physics at UCR

#7

University of California - Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara, California

University of California - Santa Barbara landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in Santa Barbara, California, this large public school handed out 161 degrees to qualified bachelors’s physics students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our far western us region bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $48-$75k list, UCSB has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. It costs about $15,343 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Physics students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of California - Santa Barbara.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

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

California State University - Los Angeles did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #8. Cal State LA is a public institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 16 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend California State University - Los Angeles is $5,644 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Physics students whose families make $48-$75k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Physics at Cal State LA

#18 in overall quality

California State University - Fullerton landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. California State University - Fullerton is located in Fullerton, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 19 bachelors’s physics degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our far western us region bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $48-$75k list, Cal State Fullerton has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. It costs about $9,427 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Physics students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend California State University - Fullerton.

The low student loan default rate of 2.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%.

Full Cal State Fullerton Physics Report

With a ranking of #10, California State University - Long Beach did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. CSULB is a public institution located in Long Beach, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 53 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

CSULB not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #15 on our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for CSULB is $10,807 for far western us region bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $48-$75k.

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

Full California State University - Long Beach Physics Report

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 the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. This large school is located in La Jolla, California, and it awarded 78 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our far western us region bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $48-$75k list, UCSD has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UCSD is $14,071 for far western us region bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full University of California - San Diego Physics Report

University of California - Davis came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. UC Davis is a large public school situated in Davis, California. It awarded 46 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Davis also made our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #9. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Davis is $13,578 for far western us region bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 UC Davis

University of California - Irvine ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k 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 far western us region bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $48-$75k list, UC Irvine has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Irvine is $13,648 for far western us region bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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%.

Read more about Physics at University of California - Irvine

California State University - Dominguez Hills ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. California State University - Dominguez Hills is a fairly large public school situated in Carson, California. It awarded 4 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Dominguez Hills is $6,907 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Physics students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%.

Read full report on Physics at California State University - Dominguez Hills

California State University - Bakersfield ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. CSUB is located in Bakersfield, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 5 bachelors’s physics degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend CSUB is $7,564 for far western us region bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Physics at CSUB

#23 in overall quality

California State University - Sacramento ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Sac State 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 the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #23. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Sacramento is $11,413 for far western us region bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low student loan default rate of 4.6% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full Sac State Physics Report

California State University - San Marcos landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. CSUSM is a fairly large school located in San Marcos, California that handed out 17 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.

CSUSM also made our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #16. It costs about $14,582 for far western us region bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend California State University - San Marcos.

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

Full California State University - San Marcos Physics Report

With a ranking of #18, University of Nevada - Las Vegas did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Las Vegas, Nevada, this large public school awarded 8 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s physics students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend UNLV is $12,470 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Physics students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on Physics at UNLV

#19

University of California - Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz, California
#12 in overall quality

University of California - Santa Cruz ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. University of California - Santa Cruz is a fairly large school located in Santa Cruz, California that handed out 43 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Santa Cruz also took the #12 spot in our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UC Santa Cruz is $15,253 for far western us region bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full UC Santa Cruz Physics Report

#20

California State University - San Bernardino

San Bernardino, California

California State University - San Bernardino landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. California State University - San Bernardino is a public institution located in San Bernardino, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 15 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for CSUSB is $8,924 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Physics students whose families make $48-$75k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.

Read more about Physics at California State University - San Bernardino

California State University - Stanislaus landed the #21 spot on the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Turlock, California, and it awarded 11 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $7,772 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Physics students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend California State University - Stanislaus.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Physics at California State University - Stanislaus

#22

Portland State University

Portland, Oregon

Portland State University came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Portland State University is a public institution located in Portland, Oregon. The school has a large population, and it awarded 27 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $13,599 for far western us region bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Portland State University.

Full Portland State University Physics Report

#23

San Diego State University

San Diego, California
#21 in overall quality

With a ranking of #23, San Diego State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. San Diego State University is a public institution located in San Diego, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 8 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at SDSU, the school also landed the #21 spot in our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. It costs about $14,730 for far western us region bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend San Diego State University.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.8%, 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 students.

Read more about Physics at San Diego State University

University of Nevada - Reno did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #24. UNR is a large school located in Reno, Nevada that handed out 17 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.

UNR also took the #20 spot in our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Nevada - Reno is $14,947 for far western us region bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on Physics at UNR

#25

Eastern Washington University

Cheney, Washington

Eastern Washington University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #25. This fairly large school is located in Cheney, Washington, and it awarded 2 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend EWU is $12,856 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Physics students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Physics at EWU

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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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