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2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k

30 Ranked Colleges
3,891 Degrees Awarded
$7,000 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor's in California For Those Making $0-$30k

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. 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 Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

Physical Sciences is the 18th most popular major in the country with 52,879 degrees awarded in 2019-2020. In 2017-2018, physical sciences graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $38,122 and had an average of $22,339 in loans still to pay off.

Across California, there were 8,509 physical sciences graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,072 and $18,572 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 3,891 physical sciences graduates with average earnings and debt of $37,907 and $21,546 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking looked at 30 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in physical sciences. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent physical sciences programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the physical sciences program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

One Size Does Not Fit All

The physical sciences school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k”.

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.

Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Physical Sciences (Income $0-$30k) in California

#1

California Institute of Technology

Pasadena, California
#1 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California Institute of Technology. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k. Pasadena, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s physical sciences degrees to 50 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree physical sciences students whose families make $0-$30k list, Caltech has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California Institute of Technology is $5,456 for California Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. 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%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 3 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Full Caltech Physical Sciences Report

#2

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 #2 for the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k. Located in Stanford, California, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 67 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s physical sciences students in 2019-2020.

Stanford also took the #2 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $-1,387 for California Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Stanford. The negative number means the student will receive more financial aid on average than it costs to attend the school.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at Stanford University

#3 in overall quality

Out of the 30 schools in the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Berkeley landed the #3 spot on the list. University of California - Berkeley is a public institution located in Berkeley, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 377 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Berkeley also made our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #3. The estimated yearly cost for UC Berkeley is $8,392 for California Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 1.7% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full University of California - Berkeley Physical Sciences Report

#16 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Fullerton. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Cal State Fullerton is located in Fullerton, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 98 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree physical sciences students whose families make $0-$30k list, Cal State Fullerton has also earned the #16 rank in our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $4,291 for California Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Cal State Fullerton.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.7%, 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 89%.

Full California State University - Fullerton Physical Sciences Report

#7 in overall quality

Out of the 30 schools in the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Irvine landed the #5 spot on the list. UC Irvine is a large school located in Irvine, California that handed out 255 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Irvine also took the #7 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $9,558 for california bachelor’s degree physical sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UC Irvine.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Physical Sciences at University of California - Irvine

#24 in overall quality

California State University - Los Angeles came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s physical sciences degrees to 50 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Cal State LA, the school also landed the #24 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $1,379 for california bachelor’s degree physical sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Cal State LA.

The low student loan default rate of 1.4% 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 Physical Sciences at Cal State LA

#7

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California
#5 in overall quality

University of California - Los Angeles came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UCLA is a large public school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 188 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

UCLA not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $8,553 for California Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of California - Los Angeles.

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

Full UCLA Physical Sciences Report

#8

San Diego State University

San Diego, California
#10 in overall quality

With a ranking of #8, San Diego State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. SDSU is located in San Diego, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 140 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees to qualified students.

SDSU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend San Diego State University is $8,870 for California Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The low 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 Physical Sciences at San Diego State University

#12 in overall quality

University of California - Riverside did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #9. This large school is located in Riverside, California, and it awarded 105 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

UCR not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Riverside is $8,366 for California Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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 Physical Sciences at UCR

#10

University of California - Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara, California
#4 in overall quality

University of California - Santa Barbara landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UCSB is a public institution located in Santa Barbara, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 330 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UCSB also took the #4 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $10,316 for california bachelor’s degree physical sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of California - Santa Barbara.

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 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Physical Sciences at University of California - Santa Barbara

#18 in overall quality

California State University - Long Beach did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #11. Located in Long Beach, California, this large public school awarded 97 degrees to qualified bachelors’s physical sciences students in 2019-2020.

CSULB not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #18 on our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $6,364 for california bachelor’s degree physical sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend CSULB.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, 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 CSULB Physical Sciences Report

#22 in overall quality

California State University - Bakersfield did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #12. This fairly large school is located in Bakersfield, California, and it awarded 39 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at CSUB, the school also landed the #22 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Bakersfield is $3,423 for california bachelor’s degree physical sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full CSUB Physical Sciences Report

#6 in overall quality

University of California - Davis came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UC Davis is a large public school situated in Davis, California. It awarded 148 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree physical sciences students whose families make $0-$30k list, UC Davis has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UC Davis is $9,842 for california bachelor’s degree physical sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

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

Read full report on Physical Sciences at UC Davis

#8 in overall quality

University of California - San Diego landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. La Jolla, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s physical sciences degrees to 366 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree physical sciences students whose families make $0-$30k list, UCSD has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $9,280 for California Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of California - San Diego.

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

Full UCSD Physical Sciences Report

#19 in overall quality

California State University - Sacramento landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Sac State is a public institution located in Sacramento, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 74 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Sac State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #19 on our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Sacramento is $6,819 for california bachelor’s degree physical sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at Sac State

With a ranking of #16, California State University - Dominguez Hills did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. CSUDH is a fairly large public school situated in Carson, California. It awarded 9 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend California State University - Dominguez Hills is $2,455 for California Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low 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%.

Full CSUDH Physical Sciences Report

#17

California State University - San Bernardino

San Bernardino, California
#25 in overall quality

With a ranking of #17, California State University - San Bernardino did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. California State University - San Bernardino is a fairly large school located in San Bernardino, California that handed out 102 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at CSUSB, the school also landed the #25 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - San Bernardino is $5,077 for california bachelor’s degree physical sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

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 more about Physical Sciences at CSUSB

#15 in overall quality

California State University - San Marcos did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #18. Located in San Marcos, California, this fairly large public school handed out 32 degrees to qualified bachelors’s physical sciences students in 2019-2020.

CSUSM did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $9,517 for California Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend CSUSM.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Physical Sciences at California State University - San Marcos

California State University - Fresno ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Fresno, California, this large public school awarded 55 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s physical sciences students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $3,264 for California Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Fresno State.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at Fresno State

#14 in overall quality

California State Polytechnic University - Pomona came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Pomona, California, this large public school handed out 122 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s physical sciences students in 2019-2020.

Cal Poly Pomona did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for Cal Poly Pomona is $8,596 for california bachelor’s degree physical sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

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 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 full report on Physical Sciences at California State Polytechnic University - Pomona

#21

University of California - Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz, California
#11 in overall quality

University of California - Santa Cruz landed the #21 spot on the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Santa Cruz, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s physical sciences degrees to 206 students in 2019-2020.

UC Santa Cruz also took the #11 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UC Santa Cruz is $10,872 for California Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Physical Sciences at UC Santa Cruz

California State University - Stanislaus landed the #22 spot on the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Turlock, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s physical sciences degrees to 35 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend California State University - Stanislaus is $3,410 for california bachelor’s degree physical sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

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

Read more about Physical Sciences at California State University - Stanislaus

#9 in overall quality

With a ranking of #23, California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in San Luis Obispo, California, and it awarded 102 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

Cal Poly San Luis Obispo also took the #9 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo is $12,475 for california bachelor’s degree physical sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 1.1% 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%.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo

#20 in overall quality

With a ranking of #24, University of California - Merced did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Merced, California, this medium-sized public school handed out 65 degrees to qualified bachelors’s physical sciences students in 2019-2020.

UC Merced did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #20 on our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $10,782 for california bachelor’s degree physical sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of California - Merced.

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

Read more about Physical Sciences at University of California - Merced

#17 in overall quality

California State University - Channel Islands did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #25. California State University - Channel Islands is a medium-sized public school situated in Camarillo, California. It awarded 51 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

CSUCI not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #17 on our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $10,131 for california bachelor’s degree physical sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend CSUCI.

The low 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%.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at California State University - Channel Islands

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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.

Credits

  • Credit for the banner image above goes to NASA.

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