2023 Best Value Colleges for Physical Sciences (Income $0-$30k) in the Far Western US Region
35
Ranked Colleges
11,419
Degrees Awarded
$7,400
Avg Net Price*
When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.
In 2020-2021, 50,306 people earned their degree in physical sciences, making the major the 19th most popular in the United States. In 2019-2020, physical sciences graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $39,880 and had an average of $22,620 in loans still to pay off.
Across the Far Western US region, there were 11,419 physical sciences graduates with average earnings and debt of $41,747 and $20,026 respectively.
For this year’s “Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, we looked at 35 colleges that offer a degree in physical sciences. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality physical sciences programs that also have a lower cost than 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. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
One Size Does Not Fit All
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 “Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k” list to help you make the college decision.
To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.
Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k.
Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Physical Sciences (Income $0-$30k) in the Far Western US Region
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Stanford University. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Stanford University is a fairly large school located in Stanford, California that handed out 243 ’s physical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Stanford, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. It costs about $1,233 for Far Western US Region Physical Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Stanford.
With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Physical Sciences at Stanford University
Out of the 35 schools in the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Berkeley landed the #2 spot on the list. Located in Berkeley, California, this large public school handed out 560 degrees to qualified ’s physical sciences students in 2020-2021.
UC Berkeley did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Physical Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UC Berkeley is $8,450 for Far Western US Region Physical Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.
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 1.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full University of California - Berkeley Physical Sciences Report
Out of the 35 schools in the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, California Institute of Technology landed the #3 spot on the list. This small school is located in Pasadena, California, and it awarded 143 ’s physical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Caltech, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. It costs about $-539 for far western us region physical sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Caltech. The negative number means the student will receive more financial aid on average than it costs to attend the school.
With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 3 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 Physical Sciences at Caltech
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Washington - Seattle Campus. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k. This large school is located in Seattle, Washington, and it awarded 612 ’s physical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
UW Seattle not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best Physical Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The yearly cost to attend UW Seattle is $5,194 for Far Western US Region Physical Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.1%, which is much lower than the national 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 more about Physical Sciences at University of Washington - Seattle Campus
Out of the 35 schools in the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Los Angeles landed the #5 spot on the list. Located in Los Angeles, California, this large public school awarded 371 diplomas to qualified ’s physical sciences students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our far western us region physical sciences students whose families make $0-$30k list, UCLA has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Physical Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Los Angeles is $9,037 for Far Western US Region Physical Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.
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%.
Full University of California - Los Angeles Physical Sciences Report
With a ranking of #6, University of California - San Diego did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. UCSD is a public institution located in La Jolla, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 598 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
UCSD did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Physical Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. It costs about $9,823 for Far Western US Region Physical Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UCSD.
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 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full UCSD Physical Sciences Report
University of California - Santa Barbara did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #7. Located in Santa Barbara, California, this large public school awarded 400 diplomas to qualified ’s physical sciences students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our far western us region physical sciences students whose families make $0-$30k list, UCSB has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Physical Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. It costs about $10,568 for far western us region physical sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UCSB.
With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full University of California - Santa Barbara Physical Sciences Report
University of California - Irvine landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Irvine, California, this large public school handed out 367 degrees to qualified ’s physical sciences students in 2020-2021.
UC Irvine not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Physical Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Irvine is $6,540 for Far Western US Region Physical Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Physical Sciences at University of California - Irvine
University of California - Davis came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of California - Davis is a large public school situated in Davis, California. It awarded 270 ’s physical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our far western us region physical sciences students whose families make $0-$30k list, UC Davis has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Physical Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UC Davis is $10,006 for Far Western US Region Physical Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Physical Sciences at University of California - Davis
California State University - Los Angeles ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. California State University - Los Angeles is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 63 ’s physical sciences degrees to qualified students.
The yearly cost to attend Cal State LA is $1,887 for far western us region physical sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.6% 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%.
Read more about Physical Sciences at California State University - Los Angeles
California State University - Fullerton landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Cal State Fullerton is a large public school situated in Fullerton, California. It awarded 93 ’s physical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
Cal State Fullerton also made our “Best Physical Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #25. The yearly cost to attend Cal State Fullerton is $4,590 for far western us region physical sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.
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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Physical Sciences at California State University - Fullerton
With a ranking of #12, California State University - Long Beach did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. CSULB is located in Long Beach, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 120 ’s physical sciences degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at CSULB, the school also landed the #17 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend CSULB is $6,663 for far western us region physical sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.
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 Physical Sciences at CSULB
With a ranking of #13, San Diego State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. San Diego State University is a public institution located in San Diego, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 167 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
SDSU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Physical Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. It costs about $7,169 for far western us region physical sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend San Diego State University.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%.
Read full report on Physical Sciences at SDSU
With a ranking of #14, University of California - Riverside did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of California - Riverside is a large school located in Riverside, California that handed out 225 ’s physical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
UCR also took the #14 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. It costs about $6,810 for far western us region physical sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of California - Riverside.
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 Physical Sciences Report
With a ranking of #15, University of California - Santa Cruz did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of California - Santa Cruz is a public institution located in Santa Cruz, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 343 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Santa Cruz, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UC Santa Cruz is $11,038 for far western us region physical sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.
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%. 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 Physical Sciences at UC Santa Cruz
California State Polytechnic University - Pomona did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #16. California State Polytechnic University - Pomona is a large school located in Pomona, California that handed out 131 ’s physical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
Cal Poly Pomona also took the #18 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California State Polytechnic University - Pomona is $10,349 for far western us region 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 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%.
Read more about Physical Sciences at California State Polytechnic University - Pomona
California State University - Sacramento ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. California State University - Sacramento is a public institution located in Sacramento, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 80 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Sacramento is $8,163 for far western us region physical sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.9% 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 Sac State Physical Sciences Report
University of Nevada - Reno did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #18. UNR is a large public school situated in Reno, Nevada. It awarded 123 ’s physical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
UNR not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best Physical Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. It costs about $11,795 for Far Western US Region Physical Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Nevada - Reno.
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 more about Physical Sciences at University of Nevada - Reno
Washington State University landed the #19 spot on the 2023 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in Pullman, Washington, and it awarded 192 ’s physical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Wazzu, the school also landed the #19 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Wazzu is $7,689 for far western us region physical sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.
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%.
Full Washington State University Physical Sciences Report
University of Nevada - Las Vegas did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #20. UNLV is a large public school situated in Las Vegas, Nevada. It awarded 68 ’s physical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
UNLV also made our “Best Physical Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #20. It costs about $8,991 for Far Western US Region Physical Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UNLV.
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%.
Full UNLV Physical Sciences Report
California State University - San Bernardino did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #21. San Bernardino, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s physical sciences degrees to 61 students in 2020-2021.
It costs about $5,985 for far western us region physical sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend CSUSB.
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 low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.0% 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%.
Full CSUSB Physical Sciences Report
California State University - Stanislaus came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Stan State is a fairly large public school situated in Turlock, California. It awarded 27 ’s physical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $4,122 for far western us region physical sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend California State University - Stanislaus.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.3%, 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 87%.
Full Stan State Physical Sciences Report
California State University - Northridge came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. California State University - Northridge is a large school located in Northridge, California that handed out 83 ’s physical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for CSUN is $6,266 for far western us region physical sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.
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%.
Read full report on Physical Sciences at CSUN
Western Washington University landed the #24 spot on the 2023 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Bellingham, Washington, this fairly large public school awarded 126 diplomas to qualified ’s physical sciences students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our far western us region physical sciences students whose families make $0-$30k list, WWU has also earned the #21 rank in our “Best Physical Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. It costs about $9,979 for far western us region physical sciences students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Western Washington University.
The low undergrad 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%.
Full Western Washington University Physical Sciences Report
California State University - Channel Islands came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. CSUCI is a medium-sized school located in Camarillo, California that handed out 31 ’s physical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
CSUCI not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #22 on our “Best Physical Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Channel Islands is $12,011 for Far Western US Region Physical Sciences students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Physical Sciences at CSUCI
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