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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Physical Sciences (Income $75-$110k) in California

30 Ranked Colleges
3,891 Degrees Awarded
$16,600 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor's in California For Those Making $75-$110k

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. 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 $75-$110k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

In 2019-2020, 52,879 people earned their degree in physical sciences, making the major the 18th most popular in the United States. 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.

For this year’s “Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k” ranking, we looked at 30 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. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

More Ways to Rank Physical Sciences Schools

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to you. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.

Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k

The colleges and universities below are the best for california bachelor’s degree physical sciences students whose families make $75-$110k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Physical Sciences (Income $75-$110k) in California

#1

Stanford University

Stanford, California
#2 in overall quality

Out of the 30 schools in the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k that were part of this year’s ranking, Stanford University landed the #1 spot on the list. Stanford University is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Stanford, California. It awarded 67 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

Stanford also made our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #2. The yearly cost to attend Stanford University is $10,631 for california bachelor’s degree physical sciences students whose families make $75-$110k.

The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The 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

#2

California Institute of Technology

Pasadena, California
#1 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California Institute of Technology. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. Caltech is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Pasadena, California. It awarded 50 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

Caltech also made our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #1. It costs about $12,788 for california bachelor’s degree physical sciences students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Caltech.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 3 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 1.0% 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%.

Read more about Physical Sciences at California Institute of Technology

#16 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Fullerton. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k. Cal State Fullerton is a public institution located in Fullerton, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 98 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree physical sciences students whose families make $75-$110k list, Cal State Fullerton has also earned the #16 rank in our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Fullerton is $12,916 for California Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students whose families make $75-$110k.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 2.7% 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%.

Read more about Physical Sciences at California State University - Fullerton

#24 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Los Angeles. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. Cal State LA is a public institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 50 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Cal State LA did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #24 on our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $9,576 for California Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Cal State LA.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Physical Sciences at Cal State LA

#18 in overall quality

Out of the 30 schools in the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Long Beach landed the #5 spot on the list. Long Beach, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s physical sciences degrees to 97 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at CSULB, the school also landed the #18 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for CSULB is $14,544 for california bachelor’s degree physical sciences students whose families make $75-$110k.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%.

Read more about Physical Sciences at CSULB

#3 in overall quality

University of California - Berkeley ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. This large school is located in Berkeley, California, and it awarded 377 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Berkeley also took the #3 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $21,401 for California Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend UC Berkeley.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, 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 96%.

Full University of California - Berkeley Physical Sciences Report

#22 in overall quality

California State University - Bakersfield ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. California State University - Bakersfield is a public institution located in Bakersfield, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 39 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

CSUB not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #22 on our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Bakersfield is $11,743 for california bachelor’s degree physical sciences students whose families make $75-$110k.

Full California State University - Bakersfield Physical Sciences Report

#6 in overall quality

University of California - Davis landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. University of California - Davis is a public institution located in Davis, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 148 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Davis also made our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #6. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Davis is $17,622 for california bachelor’s degree physical sciences students whose families make $75-$110k.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 1.9% 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%.

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

#12 in overall quality

University of California - Riverside ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. This large school is located in Riverside, California, and it awarded 105 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree physical sciences students whose families make $75-$110k list, UCR has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Riverside is $18,395 for California Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students whose families make $75-$110k.

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 full report on Physical Sciences at University of California - Riverside

#10

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California
#5 in overall quality

University of California - Los Angeles did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #10. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s physical sciences degrees to 188 students in 2019-2020.

UCLA did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $19,590 for california bachelor’s degree physical sciences students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend University of California - Los Angeles.

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 student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full UCLA Physical Sciences Report

#11

University of California - Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara, California
#4 in overall quality

University of California - Santa Barbara landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k 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.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCSB, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $22,226 for California Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend University of California - Santa Barbara.

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

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

#12

San Diego State University

San Diego, California
#10 in overall quality

San Diego State University came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Located in San Diego, California, this large public school handed out 140 degrees to qualified bachelors’s physical sciences students in 2019-2020.

SDSU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $18,766 for california bachelor’s degree physical sciences students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend San Diego State University.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.8%, 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.

Read more about Physical Sciences at San Diego State University

#19 in overall quality

With a ranking of #13, California State University - Sacramento did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. Sacramento, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s physical sciences degrees to 74 students in 2019-2020.

Sac State also made our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #19. The yearly cost to attend Sac State is $15,812 for California Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students whose families make $75-$110k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Physical Sciences at Sac State

#14 in overall quality

California State Polytechnic University - Pomona ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. California State Polytechnic University - Pomona is a large school located in Pomona, California that handed out 122 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Cal Poly Pomona, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California State Polytechnic University - Pomona is $17,944 for California Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students whose families make $75-$110k.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

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

#15

California State University - San Bernardino

San Bernardino, California
#25 in overall quality

California State University - San Bernardino came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. California State University - San Bernardino is a fairly large public school situated in San Bernardino, California. It awarded 102 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

CSUSB also made our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #25. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - San Bernardino is $13,611 for California Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students whose families make $75-$110k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full California State University - San Bernardino Physical Sciences Report

California State University - Dominguez Hills came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. California State University - Dominguez Hills is a fairly large school located in Carson, California that handed out 9 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $10,904 for California Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend California State University - Dominguez Hills.

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%.

Read more about Physical Sciences at California State University - Dominguez Hills

#15 in overall quality

California State University - San Marcos landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. CSUSM is a fairly large public school situated in San Marcos, California. It awarded 32 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

CSUSM also made our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #15. The yearly cost to attend California State University - San Marcos is $18,620 for California Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students whose families make $75-$110k.

The low student loan default rate of 4.2% 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 CSUSM

#7 in overall quality

University of California - Irvine ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. University of California - Irvine is a large school located in Irvine, California that handed out 255 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Irvine also made our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #7. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Irvine is $19,851 for California Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students whose families make $75-$110k.

The low student loan default rate of 1.3% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full University of California - Irvine Physical Sciences Report

#8 in overall quality

University of California - San Diego did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #19. University of California - San Diego is a public institution located in La Jolla, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 366 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCSD, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UCSD is $20,205 for California Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students whose families make $75-$110k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at University of California - San Diego

With a ranking of #20, California State University - Fresno did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. Located in Fresno, California, this large public school awarded 55 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s physical sciences students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend California State University - Fresno is $11,819 for california bachelor’s degree physical sciences students whose families make $75-$110k.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%.

Read more about Physical Sciences at California State University - Fresno

California State University - Stanislaus did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #21. California State University - Stanislaus is located in Turlock, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 35 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend California State University - Stanislaus is $12,381 for california bachelor’s degree physical sciences students whose families make $75-$110k.

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 school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at Stan State

#20 in overall quality

With a ranking of #22, University of California - Merced did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. University of California - Merced is located in Merced, California and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 65 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees to qualified students.

UC Merced not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #20 on our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $20,450 for California Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend UC Merced.

The low student loan default rate of 2.9% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.

Read more about Physical Sciences at UC Merced

#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 $75-$110k list. San Luis Obispo, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s physical sciences degrees to 102 students in 2019-2020.

Cal Poly San Luis Obispo also made our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #9. The yearly cost to attend Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is $22,585 for California Bachelor’s Degree Physical Sciences students whose families make $75-$110k.

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

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

#24

University of California - Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz, California
#11 in overall quality

University of California - Santa Cruz came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Located in Santa Cruz, California, this fairly large public school handed out 206 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s physical sciences 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 $22,739 for california bachelor’s degree physical sciences students whose families make $75-$110k.

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

Read full report on Physical Sciences at University of California - Santa Cruz

#17 in overall quality

California State University - Channel Islands landed the #25 spot on the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. CSUCI is a medium-sized school located in Camarillo, California that handed out 51 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

CSUCI also took the #17 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for CSUCI is $18,919 for california bachelor’s degree physical sciences students whose families make $75-$110k.

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 CSUCI

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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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