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2023 Most Popular Colleges for Physics in the Far Western US Region

179 Ranked Colleges
3,867 Degrees Awarded
$37,000 Avg Cost*
Most Well Attended Physics Major in the Far Western US Region

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. College Factual has developed its “Most Well Attended Physics Major in the Far Western US Region” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

In 2020-2021, 13,674 people earned their degree in physics, making the major the 68th most popular in the United States. 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 “Most Well Attended Physics Major in the Far Western US Region” ranking, we looked at 179 colleges that offer a degree in physics. This ranking identifies schools that graduate the most students in physics.

Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

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When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Most Well Attended Physics Major in the Far Western US Region” list to help you make the college decision.

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. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Most Well Attended Physics Major in the Far Western US Region

The following schools top our list of the Best “Most Well Attended Physics Major in the Far Western US Region”.

1

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Washington - Seattle Campus. The school came in at #1 for the Most Well Attended Physics Major in the Far Western US Region. University of Washington - Seattle Campus is located in Seattle, Washington and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 262 ’s physics degrees to qualified students.

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

Read full report on Physics at University of Washington - Seattle Campus

2

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Santa Barbara. The school came in at #2 for the Most Well Attended Physics Major in the Far Western US Region. UCSB is a public institution located in Santa Barbara, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 199 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

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 more about Physics at UCSB

3

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Berkeley. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Physics Major in the Far Western US Region list. This large school is located in Berkeley, California, and it awarded 197 ’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.

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 more about Physics at University of California - Berkeley

4

Out of the 179 schools in the Most Well Attended Physics Major in the Far Western US Region that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Los Angeles landed the #4 spot on the list. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s physics degrees to 123 students in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.

Full University of California - Los Angeles Physics Report

5

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Irvine. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Physics Major in the Far Western US Region list. Located in Irvine, California, this large public school awarded 122 diplomas to qualified ’s physics students in 2020-2021.

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

Read full report on Physics at University of California - Irvine

6
Pasadena City College crest
Pasadena City College
Pasadena, California

Pasadena City College landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Physics Major in the Far Western US Region ranking. Pasadena City College is a large public school situated in Pasadena, California. It awarded 100 ’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.

Read more about Physics at Pasadena City College

7

University of California - Santa Cruz came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Physics Major in the Far Western US Region ranking. Santa Cruz, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s physics degrees to 95 students in 2020-2021.

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

Full University of California - Santa Cruz Physics Report

8

University of California - Davis ranked #8 on this year’s Most Well Attended Physics Major in the Far Western US Region list. University of California - Davis is a large school located in Davis, California that handed out 90 ’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The school has an impressive undergrad 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 - Davis

9
Stanford crest
Stanford University
Stanford, California

Stanford University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Physics Major in the Far Western US Region ranking, coming in at #9. Stanford University is located in Stanford, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 85 ’s physics degrees to qualified students.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad 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 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.

Read full report on Physics at Stanford

10

University of California - Riverside landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Physics Major in the Far Western US Region ranking. University of California - Riverside is a large public school situated in Riverside, California. It awarded 83 ’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Physics at University of California - Riverside

11

University of California - San Diego did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Physics Major in the Far Western US Region ranking, coming in at #11. This large school is located in La Jolla, California, and it awarded 82 ’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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 full report on Physics at University of California - San Diego

12
Irvine Valley College crest
Irvine Valley College
Irvine, California

Irvine Valley College came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Physics Major in the Far Western US Region ranking. Irvine Valley College is a public institution located in Irvine, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 81 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Read more about Physics at Irvine Valley College

13
Moorpark College crest
Moorpark College
Moorpark, California

Moorpark College landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Physics Major in the Far Western US Region ranking. Moorpark College is located in Moorpark, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 69 ’s physics degrees to qualified students.

Full Moorpark College Physics Report

14
UO crest
University of Oregon
Eugene, Oregon

University of Oregon landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Physics Major in the Far Western US Region ranking. University of Oregon is a large public school situated in Eugene, Oregon. It awarded 65 ’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.

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%.

Full UO Physics Report

15

California Institute of Technology landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Physics Major in the Far Western US Region ranking. California Institute of Technology is a small school located in Pasadena, California that handed out 52 ’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.

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

Read more about Physics at Caltech

16
College of the Canyons crest
College of the Canyons
Santa Clarita, California

College of the Canyons came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Physics Major in the Far Western US Region ranking. College of the Canyons is a fairly large public school situated in Santa Clarita, California. It awarded 50 ’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.

Full College of the Canyons Physics Report

16
USC crest
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California

University of Southern California did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Physics Major in the Far Western US Region ranking, coming in at #16. USC is a private not-for-profit institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 50 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Physics at USC

18
Oregon State crest
Oregon State University
Corvallis, Oregon

Oregon State University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Physics Major in the Far Western US Region ranking, coming in at #18. 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.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.8% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Physics at Oregon State University

18

California State University - Long Beach did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Physics Major in the Far Western US Region ranking, coming in at #18. CSULB is located in Long Beach, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 48 ’s physics degrees to qualified students.

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 2.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full CSULB Physics Report

20
SBCC crest
Santa Barbara City College
Santa Barbara, California

Santa Barbara City College landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Physics Major in the Far Western US Region ranking. Santa Barbara City College is a public institution located in Santa Barbara, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 45 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Full Santa Barbara City College Physics Report

21
El Camino College crest
El Camino College
Torrance, California

El Camino College landed the #21 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Physics Major in the Far Western US Region ranking. Located in Torrance, California, this fairly large public school awarded 44 degrees to qualified ’s physics students in 2020-2021.

Full El Camino College Physics Report

22
Golden West College crest
Golden West College
Huntington Beach, California

Golden West College did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Physics Major in the Far Western US Region ranking, coming in at #22. This fairly large school is located in Huntington Beach, California, and it awarded 41 ’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.

Read more about Physics at Golden West College

23
Saddleback College crest
Saddleback College
Mission Viejo, California

With a ranking of #23, Saddleback College did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Physics Major in the Far Western US Region list. This fairly large school is located in Mission Viejo, California, and it awarded 37 ’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.

Full Saddleback College Physics Report

23

With a ranking of #23, California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Physics Major in the Far Western US Region list. Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is a large school located in San Luis Obispo, California that handed out 37 ’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.

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%. 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 Cal Poly San Luis Obispo

25

California State University - Fullerton landed the #25 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Physics Major in the Far Western US Region ranking. This large school is located in Fullerton, California, and it awarded 35 ’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Physics at California State University - Fullerton

Rest of the Best 28 in Most Well Attended Physics Major in the Far Western US Region

Not only did these schools make the top 28 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

26
Norco College crest
Norco College
Norco, California
27
Chaffey College crest
Chaffey College
Rancho Cucamonga, California
27

Notes and References

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