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2023 Most Veteran Friendly in California for Physics

19 Ranked Colleges
3,224 Degrees Awarded
$32,800 Avg Cost*
Most Veteran Friendly in California for Physics

Veterans have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Most Veteran Friendly in California for Physics” ranking - to help you make that decision.

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.

This year’s “Most Veteran Friendly in California for Physics” ranking analyzed 19 colleges that offered a degree in physics. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality physics programs as well as strong veteran support.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the physics program at the school, veteran affordability, and veteran population. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

More Ways to Rank Physics Schools

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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 “Most Veteran Friendly in California for Physics” 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. 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 Veteran Friendly in California for Physics

The following schools top our list of the Best “Most Veteran Friendly in California for Physics”.

Top 19 Best Physics Colleges for Veterans in California

1

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - San Diego. The school came in at #1 for the Most Veteran Friendly in California for Physics. UCSD is located in La Jolla, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 82 ’s physics degrees to qualified students.

UCSD not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Among the 39,576 students enrolled at UCSD, 112 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 54 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $1,596. To help with additional expenses, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program.

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

[Read full report on veteran student life at University of California - San Diego]](/colleges/university-of-california-san-diego/student-life/veterans/)

2

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Los Angeles. The school came in at #2 for the Most Veteran Friendly in California for Physics. University of California - Los Angeles is a public institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 123 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCLA, the school also landed the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 7 of the 44,589 students enrolled at UCLA were GI Bill® students, of which 4 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $8,071. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, 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.

Full UCLA Veteran Student Life Report

3

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Irvine. The school came in at #3 for the Most Veteran Friendly in California for Physics. University of California - Irvine is a public institution located in Irvine, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 122 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

UC Irvine not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Of the 36,303 students enrolled at University of California - Irvine, 8 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 5 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $3,620. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full UC Irvine Veteran Student Life Report

4
Stanford crest
Stanford University
Stanford, California

Out of the 19 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in California for Physics that were part of this year’s ranking, Stanford University landed the #4 spot on the list. Stanford is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Stanford, California. It awarded 85 ’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Stanford, the school also landed the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Of the 15,953 students enrolled at Stanford, 188 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 118 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $18,909. To help with additional expenses, 61 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

[Read full report on veteran student life at Stanford]](/colleges/stanford-university/student-life/veterans/)

5
SDSU crest
San Diego State University
San Diego, California

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend San Diego State University. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in California for Physics list. This large school is located in San Diego, California, and it awarded 18 ’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.

SDSU also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].Among the 36,334 students enrolled at SDSU, 1,433 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 853 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $4,806. During this same period, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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…

6

California State University - Long Beach ranked #6 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in California for Physics list. Long Beach, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s physics degrees to 48 students in 2020-2021.

CSULB not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Our most recent data shows that 822 of the 40,069 students enrolled at California State University - Long Beach were GI Bill® students, of which 310 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $3,845. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, 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 89%.

[Read full report on veteran student life at California State University - Long Beach]](/colleges/california-state-university-long-beach/student-life/veterans/)

7

University of California - Santa Barbara ranked #7 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in California for Physics list. Located in Santa Barbara, California, this large public school awarded 199 degrees to qualified ’s physics students in 2020-2021.

UCSB not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Of the 26,179 students enrolled at UCSB, 286 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 128 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $9,510. During this same period, 3 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. UCSB offers credit for military training for eligible students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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.

Full University of California - Santa Barbara Veteran Student Life Report

8

University of California - Riverside did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in California for Physics ranking, coming in at #8. This large school is located in Riverside, California, and it awarded 83 ’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our california vets studying physics list, UCR has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Among the 26,434 students enrolled at UCR, 11 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 5 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $2,182. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. UCR offers credit for military training for eligible students.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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…

9

University of California - Davis did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in California for Physics ranking, coming in at #9. University of California - Davis is a large school located in Davis, California that handed out 90 ’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.

UC Davis not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Our most recent data shows that 31 of the 39,074 students enrolled at University of California - Davis were GI Bill® students, of which 23 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $6,489. To help with additional expenses, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program.

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 [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full University of California - Davis Veteran Student Life Report

10

With a ranking of #10, California State Polytechnic University - Pomona did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in California for Physics list. This large school is located in Pomona, California, and it awarded 25 ’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.

Cal Poly Pomona also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.According to our most recent data, California State Polytechnic University - Pomona supports 30,014 students, and 34 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 17 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $4,486. During this same period, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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…

11

University of California - Santa Cruz landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in California for Physics ranking. This fairly large school is located in Santa Cruz, California, and it awarded 95 ’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our california vets studying physics list, UC Santa Cruz has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 273 of the 19,161 students enrolled at UC Santa Cruz were GI Bill® students, of which 114 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $8,631. To help with additional expenses, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program.

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

Full University of California - Santa Cruz Veteran Student Life Report

12

With a ranking of #12, California State University - Fullerton did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in California for Physics list. Fullerton, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s physics degrees to 35 students in 2020-2021.

Cal State Fullerton did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.According to our most recent data, Cal State Fullerton supports 42,051 students, and 748 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 342 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $4,729. During this same period, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

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

Full Cal State Fullerton Veteran Student Life Report

13

California State University - Northridge did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in California for Physics ranking, coming in at #13. CSUN is a large public school situated in Northridge, California. It awarded 27 ’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at CSUN, the school also landed the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.According to our most recent data, California State University - Northridge supports 40,381 students, and 680 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 336 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $4,745. During this same period, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. California State University - Northridge offers credit for military training for eligible students.

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

Full CSUN Veteran Student Life Report

14

California State University - Los Angeles came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in California for Physics ranking. California State University - Los Angeles is a public institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 15 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Cal State LA also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].Our most recent data shows that 3 of the 26,745 students enrolled at Cal State LA were GI Bill® students, of which 1 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $2,700. During this same period, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Cal State LA does offer credit for military training for eligible students.

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

Read More…

15

California State University - Sacramento ranked #15 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in California for Physics list. Sac State is located in Sacramento, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 23 ’s physics degrees to qualified students.

Sac State also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.According to our most recent data, California State University - Sacramento supports 32,293 students, and 34 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 23 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $4,555. During this same period, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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…

16

California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo ranked #16 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in California for Physics list. This large school is located in San Luis Obispo, California, and it awarded 37 ’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, the school also landed the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Of the 22,440 students enrolled at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, 268 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 128 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $6,027. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, 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%.

Full Cal Poly San Luis Obispo Veteran Student Life Report

17
Humboldt State University crest
Humboldt State University
Arcata, California

Humboldt State University came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in California for Physics ranking. 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.

Humboldt State University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Among the 6,612 students enrolled at Humboldt State University, 177 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 68 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $3,772. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

[Read full report on veteran student life at Humboldt State University]](/colleges/humboldt-state-university/student-life/veterans/)

18

California Institute of Technology did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in California for Physics ranking, coming in at #18. California Institute of Technology is a small school located in Pasadena, California that handed out 52 ’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.

Caltech also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].According to our most recent data, Caltech supports 2,240 students, and 4 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 1 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $67,154. During this same period, 1 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program.

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 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…

19

University of California - Merced ranked #19 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in California for Physics list. UC Merced is a medium-sized school located in Merced, California that handed out 26 ’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.

UC Merced also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Of the 9,018 students enrolled at UC Merced, 87 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 21 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $6,314. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program.

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

[Read full report on veteran student life at University of California - Merced]](/colleges/university-of-california-merced/student-life/veterans/)

Notes and References

References

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