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2023 Best Value Colleges for Physics in the Far Western US Region

33 Ranked Colleges
3,867 Degrees Awarded
$13,800 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. 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 in the Far Western US Region” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

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.

For this year’s “Best Value Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking, we looked at 33 colleges that offer a degree in physics. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great physics programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.

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. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

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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 in the Far Western US Region” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.

Best Value Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region

The colleges and universities below are the best for far western us region physics students.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Physics in the Far Western US Region

1

Out of the 33 schools in the Best Value Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Long Beach landed the #1 spot on the list. This large school is located in Long Beach, California, and 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. The estimated yearly cost for CSULB is $10,054 for far western us region physics students.

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 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Physics at California State University - Long Beach

2

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Nevada - Reno. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region. Located in Reno, Nevada, this large public school awarded 32 diplomas to qualified ’s physics students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UNR, the school also landed the #11 spot in our “Best Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. It costs about $14,930 for Far Western US Region Physics students per year to attend University of Nevada - Reno.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Physics at University of Nevada - Reno

3

Out of the 33 schools in the Best Value Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Fullerton landed the #3 spot on the list. This large school is located in Fullerton, California, and it awarded 35 ’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.

Cal State Fullerton not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #19 on our “Best Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Fullerton is $8,003 for far western us region physics students.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full California State University - Fullerton Physics Report

4

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Nevada - Las Vegas. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region. UNLV is a large public school situated in Las Vegas, Nevada. It awarded 18 ’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our far western us region physics students list, UNLV has also earned the #20 rank in our “Best Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Nevada - Las Vegas is $10,993 for Far Western US Region Physics students.

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%.

Read full report on Physics at UNLV

5
SDSU crest
San Diego State University
San Diego, California

Out of the 33 schools in the Best Value Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region that were part of this year’s ranking, San Diego State University landed the #5 spot on the list. San Diego State University is a public institution located in San Diego, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 18 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

SDSU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The yearly cost to attend San Diego State University is $13,845 for Far Western US Region Physics students.

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

Read full report on Physics at San Diego State University

6

California State University - Northridge came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region ranking. CSUN is located in Northridge, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 27 ’s physics degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend CSUN is $8,523 for Far Western US Region Physics students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full California State University - Northridge Physics Report

7

California State Polytechnic University - Pomona ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region list. Pomona, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s physics degrees to 25 students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our far western us region physics students list, Cal Poly Pomona has also earned the #24 rank in our “Best Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Cal Poly Pomona is $14,304 for far western us region physics students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.6% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Physics at Cal Poly Pomona

8

California State University - Los Angeles came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region ranking. Cal State LA is a public institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 15 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Cal State LA is $3,302 for Far Western US Region Physics students.

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%.

Read more about Physics at California State University - Los Angeles

9
Humboldt State University crest
Humboldt State University
Arcata, California

With a ranking of #9, Humboldt State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region list. Humboldt State University is a public institution located in Arcata, California. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 10 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Humboldt State University is $14,956 for Far Western US Region Physics students.

Full Humboldt State University Physics Report

10

With a ranking of #10, California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region list. San Luis Obispo, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s physics degrees to 37 students in 2020-2021.

Cal Poly San Luis Obispo also made our “Best Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #12. The yearly cost to attend Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is $20,677 for Far Western US Region Physics students.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Physics at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo

11
Wazzu crest
Washington State University
Pullman, Washington

Washington State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region ranking, coming in at #11. This large school is located in Pullman, Washington, and it awarded 21 ’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.

Wazzu did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #21 on our “Best Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Washington State University is $15,300 for far western us region physics students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Physics at Wazzu

12

With a ranking of #12, California State University - Sacramento did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region list. Sac State is a large school located in Sacramento, California that handed out 23 ’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Sacramento is $11,178 for far western us region physics students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Physics at California State University - Sacramento

13
WWU crest
Western Washington University
Bellingham, Washington

Western Washington University ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region list. WWU is a fairly large public school situated in Bellingham, Washington. It awarded 23 ’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for WWU is $17,070 for far western us region physics students.

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 Western Washington University

14

Portland State University ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region list. Located in Portland, Oregon, this large public school handed out 27 diplomas to qualified ’s physics students in 2020-2021.

Portland State University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #22 on our “Best Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Portland State University is $12,498 for far western us region physics students.

The low undergrad 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%.

Read more about Physics at Portland State University

15
Oregon State crest
Oregon State University
Corvallis, Oregon

Oregon State University ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region list. Oregon State is a public institution located in Corvallis, Oregon. The school has a large population, and it awarded 48 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Oregon State also took the #16 spot in our “Best Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Oregon State is $21,508 for far western us region physics students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Oregon State University Physics Report

16
UO crest
University of Oregon
Eugene, Oregon

University of Oregon ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region list. University of Oregon is a public institution located in Eugene, Oregon. The school has a large population, and it awarded 65 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our far western us region physics students list, UO has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Oregon is $18,047 for Far Western US Region Physics students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Physics at UO

17

With a ranking of #17, University of Washington - Seattle Campus did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region list. UW Seattle is located in Seattle, Washington and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 262 ’s physics degrees to qualified students.

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. The yearly cost to attend UW Seattle is $12,017 for far western us region physics students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The undergrad 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 University of Washington - Seattle Campus

18

University of California - Los Angeles did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region ranking, coming in at #18. Located in Los Angeles, California, this large public school awarded 123 diplomas to qualified ’s physics students in 2020-2021.

UCLA did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. It costs about $15,023 for Far Western US Region Physics students per year to attend UCLA.

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 school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Physics at UCLA

19
CWU crest
Central Washington University
Ellensburg, Washington

Central Washington University came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region ranking. Central Washington University is a fairly large school located in Ellensburg, Washington that handed out 10 ’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $16,514 for Far Western US Region Physics students per year to attend Central Washington University.

Read more about Physics at Central Washington University

20

University of California - San Diego came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region ranking. UCSD is a large school located in La Jolla, California that handed out 82 ’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our far western us region physics students list, UCSD has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of California - San Diego is $15,240 for far western us region physics students.

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 undergrad 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 University of California - San Diego

21

University of California - Santa Barbara came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region ranking. Located in Santa Barbara, California, this large public school awarded 199 degrees to qualified ’s physics students in 2020-2021.

UCSB also took the #3 spot in our “Best Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UCSB is $16,252 for Far Western US Region Physics students.

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 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%.

Read more about Physics at University of California - Santa Barbara

22

University of California - Davis came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region ranking. University of California - Davis is a large public school situated in Davis, California. It awarded 90 ’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.

UC Davis not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Davis is $15,768 for Far Western US Region Physics students.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.

Read more about Physics at University of California - Davis

23

University of California - Irvine came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region ranking. University of California - Irvine is located in Irvine, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 122 ’s physics degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our far western us region physics students list, UC Irvine has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. It costs about $12,209 for Far Western US Region Physics students per year to attend University of California - Irvine.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. 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%.

Full UC Irvine Physics Report

24

University of California - Riverside landed the #24 spot on the 2023 Best Value Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region ranking. University of California - Riverside is a large school located in Riverside, California that handed out 83 ’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.

UCR did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Riverside is $11,822 for Far Western US Region Physics 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.

Full University of California - Riverside Physics Report

25

University of California - Berkeley ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region list. Located in Berkeley, California, this large public school handed out 197 degrees to qualified ’s physics students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Berkeley, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Berkeley is $16,032 for Far Western US Region Physics students.

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 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Physics at UC Berkeley

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