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2023 Most Well Attended Physics Major in California for a Master’s

22 Ranked Colleges
253 Degrees Awarded
$33,500 Avg Cost*
Most Well Attended Physics Major in California for a Master's

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 “Most Well Attended Physics Major in California for a Master’s” 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 California, there were 3,224 physics graduates with average earnings and debt of $41,268 and $18,506 respectively. At the master’s degree level specifically, there were 253 physics graduates with average earnings and debt of $62,974 and $0 respectively.

This year’s “Most Well Attended Physics Major in California for a Master’s” ranking analyzed 22 colleges that offered a degree in physics. To top this list, a school must have a successful physics program that graduates more students in the field than other colleges that offer the same major.

For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

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Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Most Well Attended Physics Major in California for a Master’s” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

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. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.

Most Well Attended Physics Major in California for a Master’s

The following schools top our list of the Best “Most Well Attended Physics Major in California for a Master’s”.

1

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Santa Barbara. The school came in at #1 for the Most Well Attended Physics Major in California for a Master’s. University of California - Santa Barbara is a public institution located in Santa Barbara, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 37 masters’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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Physics at University of California - Santa Barbara

2

Out of the 22 schools in the Most Well Attended Physics Major in California for a Master’s that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Berkeley landed the #2 spot on the list. University of California - Berkeley is located in Berkeley, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 29 masters’s physics degrees to qualified students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. 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 full report on Physics at UC Berkeley

3

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Los Angeles. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Physics Major in California for a Master’s list. University of California - Los Angeles is a public institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 21 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.

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

4

Out of the 22 schools in the Most Well Attended Physics Major in California for a Master’s that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Riverside landed the #4 spot on the list. UCR is located in Riverside, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 17 masters’s physics degrees to qualified students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.3% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Physics at UCR

4

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Davis. The school came in at #4 for the Most Well Attended Physics Major in California for a Master’s. This large school is located in Davis, California, and it awarded 17 masters’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 low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.5% 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%.

Read more about Physics at UC Davis

6
Stanford crest
Stanford University
Stanford, California

Stanford University landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Physics Major in California for a Master’s ranking. Stanford is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Stanford, California. It awarded 16 masters’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.

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. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full Stanford Physics Report

7

With a ranking of #7, University of California - Irvine did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Physics Major in California for a Master’s list. Irvine, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s physics degrees to 14 students in 2020-2021.

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.

Full UC Irvine Physics Report

7

University of California - Santa Cruz came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Physics Major in California for a Master’s ranking. Santa Cruz, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s physics degrees to 14 students in 2020-2021.

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

Read full report on Physics at UC Santa Cruz

9
SFSU crest
San Francisco State University
San Francisco, California

San Francisco State University ranked #9 on this year’s Most Well Attended Physics Major in California for a Master’s list. San Francisco State University is located in San Francisco, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 13 masters’s physics degrees to qualified students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.3% 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 full report on Physics at San Francisco State University

9

California State University - Northridge did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Physics Major in California for a Master’s ranking, coming in at #9. CSUN is located in Northridge, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 13 masters’s physics degrees to qualified students.

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

11

California State University - Long Beach did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Physics Major in California for a Master’s ranking, coming in at #11. CSULB is a large school located in Long Beach, California that handed out 11 masters’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.

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 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%.

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

12
San Jose State crest
San Jose State University
San Jose, California

San Jose State University ranked #12 on this year’s Most Well Attended Physics Major in California for a Master’s list. This large school is located in San Jose, California, and it awarded 8 masters’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.

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 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%.

Full San Jose State Physics Report

12

California Institute of Technology ranked #12 on this year’s Most Well Attended Physics Major in California for a Master’s list. Located in Pasadena, California, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 8 degrees to qualified masters’s physics students in 2020-2021.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 3 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 94%.

Read more about Physics at California Institute of Technology

14

California State University - Fullerton came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Physics Major in California for a Master’s ranking. Cal State Fullerton is located in Fullerton, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 7 masters’s physics degrees to qualified students.

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 low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.5% 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%.

Read more about Physics at Cal State Fullerton

14

California State University - Los Angeles ranked #14 on this year’s Most Well Attended Physics Major in California for a Master’s list. Located in Los Angeles, California, this large public school handed out 7 diplomas to qualified masters’s physics students in 2020-2021.

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%.

Full Cal State LA Physics Report

16
SDSU crest
San Diego State University
San Diego, California

With a ranking of #16, San Diego State University did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Physics Major in California for a Master’s list. SDSU is a large school located in San Diego, California that handed out 6 masters’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full SDSU Physics Report

17

University of California - San Diego did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Physics Major in California for a Master’s ranking, coming in at #17. This large school is located in La Jolla, California, and it awarded 5 masters’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.

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

Read more about Physics at University of California - San Diego

18

With a ranking of #18, California State University - Fresno did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Physics Major in California for a Master’s list. Located in Fresno, California, this large public school handed out 4 diplomas to qualified masters’s physics students in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Physics at California State University - Fresno

18
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 California for a Master’s ranking, coming in at #18. This large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 4 masters’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 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read more about Physics at USC

20

University of California - Merced did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Physics Major in California for a Master’s ranking, coming in at #20. UC Merced is located in Merced, California and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 2 masters’s physics degrees to qualified students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. 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%.

Read more about Physics at University of California - Merced

21

California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo ranked #21 on this year’s Most Well Attended Physics Major in California for a Master’s list. 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 37 masters’s 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.

Read full report on Physics at California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo

21
Naval Postgraduate School crest
Naval Postgraduate School
Monterey, California

Naval Postgraduate School did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Physics Major in California for a Master’s ranking, coming in at #21. This small school is located in Monterey, California, and it awarded 0 masters’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.

Read full report on Physics at Naval Postgraduate School

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