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2023 Best Value Colleges for Physical Sciences (Income Over $110k) in California

21 Ranked Colleges
8,381 Degrees Awarded
$26,900 Avg Net Price*
Best Vallue Physical Sciences Schools in California For Those Making Over $110k

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. College Factual has developed its “Best Vallue Physical Sciences Schools in California For Those Making Over $110k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

Physical Sciences is the 19th most popular major in the country with 50,306 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. 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 California, there were 8,381 physical sciences graduates with average earnings and debt of $43,416 and $18,590 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Vallue Physical Sciences Schools in California For Those Making Over $110k” ranking, we looked at 21 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.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the physical sciences program at the school. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

More Ways to Rank Physical Sciences Schools

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Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Vallue Physical Sciences Schools in California For Those Making Over $110k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

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. 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.

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Best Vallue Physical Sciences Schools in California For Those Making Over $110k

The colleges and universities below are the best for california physical sciences students whose families make more than $110k.

Top 21 Best Value Colleges for Physical Sciences (Income Over $110k) in California

1

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Long Beach. The school came in at #1 for the Best Vallue Physical Sciences Schools in California For Those Making Over $110k. This large school is located in Long Beach, California, and it awarded 120 ’s physical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

CSULB also took the #13 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend CSULB is $10,054 for California Physical Sciences students whose families make more than $110k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, 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%.

Full CSULB Physical Sciences Report

2

Out of the 21 schools in the Best Vallue Physical Sciences Schools in California For Those Making Over $110k that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Los Angeles landed the #2 spot on the list. Cal State LA 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.

In addition to being on our california physical sciences students whose families make more than $110k list, Cal State LA has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best Physical Sciences Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Los Angeles is $3,302 for California Physical Sciences students whose families make more than $110k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full California State University - Los Angeles Physical Sciences Report

3

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 Vallue Physical Sciences Schools in California For Those Making Over $110k. Fullerton, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s physical sciences degrees to 93 students in 2020-2021.

Cal State Fullerton also made our “Best Physical Sciences Schools in California” list, coming in at #16. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Fullerton is $8,003 for California Physical Sciences students whose families make more than $110k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full California State University - Fullerton Physical Sciences Report

4
SDSU crest
San Diego State University
San Diego, California

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend San Diego State University. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Vallue Physical Sciences Schools in California For Those Making Over $110k list. San Diego State University is a large school located in San Diego, California that handed out 167 ’s physical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at SDSU, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for SDSU is $13,845 for california physical sciences students whose families make more than $110k.

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 low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.2% 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 San Diego State University

5

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - San Diego. The school came in at #5 for the Best Vallue Physical Sciences Schools in California For Those Making Over $110k. University of California - San Diego 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 also took the #4 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $15,240 for california physical sciences students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend University of California - San Diego.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full UCSD Physical Sciences Report

6

University of California - Los Angeles ranked #6 on this year’s Best Vallue Physical Sciences Schools in California For Those Making Over $110k list. UCLA is a large public school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 371 ’s physical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCLA, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UCLA is $15,023 for California Physical Sciences students whose families make more than $110k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.6% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at University of California - Los Angeles

7

California State Polytechnic University - Pomona landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Best Vallue Physical Sciences Schools in California For Those Making Over $110k ranking. 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 made our “Best Physical Sciences Schools in California” list, coming in at #14. It costs about $14,304 for California Physical Sciences students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend Cal Poly Pomona.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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 full report on Physical Sciences at Cal Poly Pomona

8

University of California - Berkeley did quite well in the 2023 Best Vallue Physical Sciences Schools in California For Those Making Over $110k ranking, coming in at #8. Berkeley, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s physical sciences degrees to 560 students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our california physical sciences students whose families make more than $110k list, UC Berkeley has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Physical Sciences Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $16,032 for california physical sciences students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend UC Berkeley.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.8% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Physical Sciences at UC Berkeley

9

With a ranking of #9, California State University - Sacramento did quite well on the 2023 Best Vallue Physical Sciences Schools in California For Those Making Over $110k list. California State University - Sacramento is a large school located in Sacramento, California that handed out 80 ’s physical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

Sac State also made our “Best Physical Sciences Schools in California” list, coming in at #17. The yearly cost to attend Sac State is $11,178 for California Physical Sciences students whose families make more than $110k.

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%.

Read more about Physical Sciences at Sac State

10

With a ranking of #10, University of California - Santa Barbara did quite well on the 2023 Best Vallue Physical Sciences Schools in California For Those Making Over $110k list. Santa Barbara, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s physical sciences degrees to 400 students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our california physical sciences students whose families make more than $110k list, UCSB has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Physical Sciences Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $16,252 for california physical sciences students whose families make more than $110k 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%.

Read more about Physical Sciences at UCSB

11

University of California - Irvine came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Vallue Physical Sciences Schools in California For Those Making Over $110k ranking. Located in Irvine, California, this large public school awarded 367 diplomas to qualified ’s physical sciences students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Irvine, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Irvine is $12,209 for California Physical Sciences students whose families make more than $110k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Physical Sciences at University of California - Irvine

12

University of California - Davis ranked #12 on this year’s Best Vallue Physical Sciences Schools in California For Those Making Over $110k list. Davis, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s physical sciences degrees to 270 students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our california physical sciences students whose families make more than $110k list, UC Davis has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best Physical Sciences Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Davis is $15,768 for california physical sciences students whose families make more than $110k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. 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%.

Full UC Davis Physical Sciences Report

13

California State University - San Bernardino landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Best Vallue Physical Sciences Schools in California For Those Making Over $110k ranking. California State University - San Bernardino is a fairly large school located in San Bernardino, California that handed out 61 ’s physical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

CSUSB also made our “Best Physical Sciences Schools in California” list, coming in at #21. It costs about $8,107 for California Physical Sciences students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend California State University - San Bernardino.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.0%, 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 more about Physical Sciences at California State University - San Bernardino

14

California State University - Northridge came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Vallue Physical Sciences Schools in California For Those Making Over $110k ranking. California State University - Northridge is a large public school situated in Northridge, California. It awarded 83 ’s physical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

CSUN did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #19 on our “Best Physical Sciences Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for CSUN is $8,523 for california physical sciences students whose families make more than $110k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.7% 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 CSUN Physical Sciences Report

15

California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Vallue Physical Sciences Schools in California For Those Making Over $110k ranking. Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is a public institution located in San Luis Obispo, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 120 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $20,677 for California Physical Sciences students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, 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 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Cal Poly San Luis Obispo Physical Sciences Report

16

University of California - Riverside ranked #16 on this year’s Best Vallue Physical Sciences Schools in California For Those Making Over $110k list. This large school is located in Riverside, California, and it awarded 225 ’s physical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCR, the school also landed the #11 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Riverside is $11,822 for California Physical Sciences students whose families make more than $110k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, 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 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full UCR Physical Sciences Report

17
Stanford crest
Stanford University
Stanford, California

Stanford University ranked #17 on this year’s Best Vallue Physical Sciences Schools in California For Those Making Over $110k list. Stanford University is a fairly large school located in Stanford, California that handed out 243 ’s physical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

Stanford did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Physical Sciences Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for Stanford University is $12,894 for california physical sciences students whose families make more than $110k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. 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. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full Stanford Physical Sciences Report

18

University of California - Santa Cruz ranked #18 on this year’s Best Vallue Physical Sciences Schools in California For Those Making Over $110k list. UC Santa Cruz is a fairly large public school situated in Santa Cruz, California. It awarded 343 ’s physical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our california physical sciences students whose families make more than $110k list, UC Santa Cruz has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Physical Sciences Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UC Santa Cruz is $17,930 for california physical sciences students whose families make more than $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. The low undergrad 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%.

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

19
Humboldt State University crest
Humboldt State University
Arcata, California

Humboldt State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Vallue Physical Sciences Schools in California For Those Making Over $110k ranking, coming in at #19. Humboldt State University is a public institution located in Arcata, California. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 56 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Humboldt State University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #20 on our “Best Physical Sciences Schools in California” list. It costs about $14,956 for California Physical Sciences students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend Humboldt State University.

Full Humboldt State University Physical Sciences Report

20

University of California - Merced ranked #20 on this year’s Best Vallue Physical Sciences Schools in California For Those Making Over $110k list. University of California - Merced is a medium-sized school located in Merced, California that handed out 92 ’s physical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

UC Merced did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best Physical Sciences Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for UC Merced is $13,691 for California Physical Sciences students whose families make more than $110k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The low undergrad 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 University of California - Merced

21

California Institute of Technology ranked #21 on this year’s Best Vallue Physical Sciences Schools in California For Those Making Over $110k list. Caltech is a small school located in Pasadena, California that handed out 143 ’s physical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Caltech, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California Institute of Technology is $26,542 for California Physical Sciences students whose families make more than $110k.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 3 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at Caltech

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