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2022 Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Physical Sciences (Income $30-$48k) in the Far Western US Region

33 Ranked Colleges
1,231 Degrees Awarded
$27,400 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees*
Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Master's in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Master’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

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 the Far Western US region, there were 11,783 physical sciences graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,974 and $20,331 respectively. At the master’s degree level specifically, there were 1,231 physical sciences graduates with average earnings and debt of $59,319 and $48,880 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Master’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking, we looked at 33 colleges that offer a degree in physical sciences. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great physical sciences programs and 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. 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 for a Master’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k” list to help you make the college decision.

We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. 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 Master’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Master’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k.

Top 25 Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Physical Sciences (Income $30-$48k) in the Far Western US Region

#1

Stanford University

Stanford, California
#1 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Stanford University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Master’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k. This fairly large school is located in Stanford, California, and it awarded 63 masters’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

Stanford also made our “Best Physical Sciences Master’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #1. Average graduate tuition and fees at Stanford are $55,011, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at Stanford University

#2

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California
#3 in overall quality

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 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Master’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k. This large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 87 masters’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

UCLA also made our “Best Physical Sciences Master’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #3. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at University of California - Los Angeles are $28,131.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at UCLA

#3

California Institute of Technology

Pasadena, California
#2 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California Institute of Technology. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Master’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Pasadena, California, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 21 degrees to qualified masters’s physical sciences students in 2019-2020.

Caltech did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Physical Sciences Master’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Caltech are $56,649, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at California Institute of Technology

#4 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Berkeley. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Master’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Berkeley, California, this large public school awarded 81 degrees to qualified masters’s physical sciences students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Berkeley, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Master’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at UC Berkeley are $29,347.

Read more about Physical Sciences at University of California - Berkeley

#25 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Los Angeles. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Master’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k. This large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 19 masters’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our far western us region master’s degree physical sciences students whose families make $30-$48k list, Cal State LA has also earned the #25 rank in our “Best Physical Sciences Master’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Cal State LA are $17,723.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at Cal State LA

#9 in overall quality

University of Washington - Seattle Campus did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Master’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #6. This large school is located in Seattle, Washington, and it awarded 91 masters’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW Seattle, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Master’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at UW Seattle are $30,294, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at UW Seattle

#17 in overall quality

California State University - Fullerton came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Master’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Fullerton, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s physical sciences degrees to 28 students in 2019-2020.

Cal State Fullerton also made our “Best Physical Sciences Master’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #17. Average graduate tuition and fees at California State University - Fullerton are $17,892, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full California State University - Fullerton Physical Sciences Report

#11 in overall quality

University of California - Riverside ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Master’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. This large school is located in Riverside, California, and it awarded 54 masters’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our far western us region master’s degree physical sciences students whose families make $30-$48k list, UCR has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best Physical Sciences Master’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at UCR are $28,686, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about Physical Sciences at UCR

#8 in overall quality

University of California - Irvine did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Master’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #9. University of California - Irvine is located in Irvine, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 43 masters’s physical sciences degrees to qualified students.

UC Irvine also took the #8 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Master’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at UC Irvine are $28,456.

Full University of California - Irvine Physical Sciences Report

#15 in overall quality

California State University - Long Beach did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Master’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #10. Long Beach, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s physical sciences degrees to 30 students in 2019-2020.

CSULB did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best Physical Sciences Master’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at CSULB are $17,784, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at California State University - Long Beach

California State University - Bakersfield landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Master’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Bakersfield, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s physical sciences degrees to 9 students in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at CSUB are $18,437, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full California State University - Bakersfield Physical Sciences Report

#12

University of California - Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara, California
#5 in overall quality

University of California - Santa Barbara ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Master’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. This large school is located in Santa Barbara, California, and it awarded 38 masters’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCSB, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Master’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at University of California - Santa Barbara are $28,670.

Read more about Physical Sciences at UCSB

California State University - Fresno did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Master’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #13. California State University - Fresno is a public institution located in Fresno, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 28 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Average graduate tuition and fees at Fresno State are $17,581, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full Fresno State Physical Sciences Report

#14

San Diego State University

San Diego, California
#16 in overall quality

San Diego State University landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Master’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. San Diego State University is located in San Diego, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 22 masters’s physical sciences degrees to qualified students.

SDSU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best Physical Sciences Master’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at SDSU are $18,658, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about Physical Sciences at SDSU

#6 in overall quality

With a ranking of #15, University of California - Davis did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Master’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of California - Davis is a public institution located in Davis, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 40 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Davis not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best Physical Sciences Master’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of California - Davis are $28,700, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at University of California - Davis

#24 in overall quality

With a ranking of #16, California State University - Sacramento did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Master’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Sac State is a large public school situated in Sacramento, California. It awarded 10 masters’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

Sac State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #24 on our “Best Physical Sciences Master’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at California State University - Sacramento are $18,356, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full Sac State Physical Sciences Report

#7 in overall quality

University of California - San Diego came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Master’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in La Jolla, California, this large public school awarded 118 diplomas to qualified masters’s physical sciences students in 2019-2020.

UCSD also took the #7 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Master’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of California - San Diego are $28,631, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full UCSD Physical Sciences Report

#18

Western Washington University

Bellingham, Washington
#19 in overall quality

Western Washington University came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Master’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. WWU is a fairly large school located in Bellingham, Washington that handed out 23 masters’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

WWU also made our “Best Physical Sciences Master’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #19. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Western Washington University are $24,105.

Full WWU Physical Sciences Report

University of Nevada - Las Vegas landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Master’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. University of Nevada - Las Vegas is a large school located in Las Vegas, Nevada that handed out 6 masters’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

UNLV also took the #0 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Master’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at University of Nevada - Las Vegas are $21,962.

Read more about Physical Sciences at University of Nevada - Las Vegas

#12 in overall quality

University of Nevada - Reno came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Master’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This large school is located in Reno, Nevada, and it awarded 25 masters’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UNR, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Master’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at UNR are $21,971.

Full UNR Physical Sciences Report

#21

University of California - Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz, California
#14 in overall quality

University of California - Santa Cruz ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Master’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. This fairly large school is located in Santa Cruz, California, and it awarded 29 masters’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Santa Cruz also took the #14 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Master’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at University of California - Santa Cruz are $28,952.

Read more about Physical Sciences at UC Santa Cruz

#21 in overall quality

University of California - Merced ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Master’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. This medium-sized school is located in Merced, California, and it awarded 11 masters’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Merced not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #21 on our “Best Physical Sciences Master’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at UC Merced are $43,854, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about Physical Sciences at University of California - Merced

#23

Washington State University

Pullman, Washington

Washington State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Master’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #23. Wazzu is located in Pullman, Washington and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 8 masters’s physical sciences degrees to qualified students.

Wazzu also took the #0 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Master’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Wazzu are $27,561, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full Washington State University Physical Sciences Report

#24

University of Oregon

Eugene, Oregon
#10 in overall quality

University of Oregon ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Master’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. UO is a large school located in Eugene, Oregon that handed out 100 masters’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

UO not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Physical Sciences Master’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Oregon are $29,991, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full University of Oregon Physical Sciences Report

#25

San Francisco State University

San Francisco, California
#20 in overall quality

San Francisco State University came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Master’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. SFSU is a large school located in San Francisco, California that handed out 25 masters’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

SFSU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #20 on our “Best Physical Sciences Master’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at San Francisco State University are $17,944.

Full SFSU Physical Sciences Report

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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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