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2023 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in California For Those Getting Aid

21 Ranked Colleges
8,381 Degrees Awarded
$13,600 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in California For Those Getting Aid

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in California For Those Getting Aid” ranking.

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.

This year’s “Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in California For Those Getting Aid” ranking analyzed 21 colleges that offered 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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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 California For Those Getting Aid” list to help you make the college decision.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. 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 in California For Those Getting Aid

The colleges and universities below are the best for california physical sciences students with aid.

Top 21 Best Value Colleges for Physical Sciences in California (With Aid)

1
Stanford crest
Stanford University
Stanford, California

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 in California For Those Getting Aid. Stanford, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s physical sciences degrees to 243 students in 2020-2021.

Stanford also took the #1 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Stanford University is $12,894 for california physical sciences students with aid.

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 low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.5% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.

Read more about Physical Sciences at Stanford University

2

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - San Diego. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in California For Those Getting Aid. This large school is located in La Jolla, California, and it awarded 598 ’s physical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

UCSD not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Physical Sciences Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - San Diego is $15,240 for california physical sciences students with aid.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The low undergrad 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 full report on Physical Sciences at UCSD

3

Out of the 21 schools in the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in California For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Los Angeles landed the #3 spot on the list. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s physical sciences degrees to 63 students in 2020-2021.

Cal State LA also took the #18 spot 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 with aid.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

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

4

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Los Angeles. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in California For Those Getting Aid. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s physical sciences degrees to 371 students in 2020-2021.

UCLA not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Physical Sciences Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Los Angeles is $15,023 for California Physical Sciences students with aid.

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

Read more about Physical Sciences at UCLA

5

Out of the 21 schools in the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in California For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Santa Barbara landed the #5 spot on the 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.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCSB, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UCSB is $16,252 for California Physical Sciences students with aid.

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%. 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 full report on Physical Sciences at UCSB

6

University of California - Berkeley came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. UC Berkeley is located in Berkeley, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 560 ’s physical sciences degrees to qualified students.

UC Berkeley not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Physical Sciences Schools in California” list. It costs about $16,032 for california physical sciences students with aid per year to attend University of California - Berkeley.

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 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%.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at UC Berkeley

7

University of California - Irvine landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. University of California - Irvine is a public institution located in Irvine, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 367 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

UC Irvine did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Physical Sciences Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for UC Irvine is $12,209 for california physical sciences students with aid.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.4% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Physical Sciences at UC Irvine

8

With a ranking of #8, California State University - Long Beach did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in California For Those Getting Aid 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 #13 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $10,054 for california physical sciences students with aid per year to attend California State University - Long Beach.

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%.

Read more about Physical Sciences at California State University - Long Beach

9

California State University - Fullerton came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. Cal State Fullerton is a large school located in Fullerton, California that handed out 93 ’s physical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

Cal State Fullerton also made our “Best Physical Sciences Schools in California” list, coming in at #16. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Fullerton is $8,003 for California Physical Sciences students with aid.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.5% 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 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Physical Sciences at Cal State Fullerton

10

University of California - Davis ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in California For Those Getting Aid list. This large school is located in Davis, California, and it awarded 270 ’s physical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

UC Davis did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best Physical Sciences Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Davis is $15,768 for california physical sciences students with aid.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full University of California - Davis Physical Sciences Report

11

With a ranking of #11, University of California - Riverside did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in California For Those Getting Aid list. University of California - Riverside is a public institution located in Riverside, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 225 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

UCR also took the #11 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $11,822 for California Physical Sciences students with aid per year to attend UCR.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.

Full UCR Physical Sciences Report

12
SDSU crest
San Diego State University
San Diego, California

San Diego State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in California For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #12. SDSU is located in San Diego, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 167 ’s physical sciences degrees to qualified students.

SDSU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best Physical Sciences Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend San Diego State University is $13,845 for california physical sciences students with aid.

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 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%.

Read more about Physical Sciences at San Diego State University

13

California State University - Sacramento landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. Sacramento, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s physical sciences degrees to 80 students in 2020-2021.

Sac State also took the #17 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Sacramento is $11,178 for california physical sciences students with aid.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Sac State Physical Sciences Report

14

California State Polytechnic University - Pomona did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in California For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #14. Pomona, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s physical sciences degrees to 131 students in 2020-2021.

Cal Poly Pomona also took the #14 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $14,304 for california physical sciences students with aid per year to attend Cal Poly Pomona.

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%.

Full California State Polytechnic University - Pomona Physical Sciences Report

15

California State University - San Bernardino ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in California For Those Getting Aid list. Located in San Bernardino, California, this fairly large public school awarded 61 diplomas to qualified ’s physical sciences students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at CSUSB, the school also landed the #21 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California State University - San Bernardino is $8,107 for california physical sciences students with aid.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.

Full CSUSB Physical Sciences Report

16

California State University - Northridge came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. California State University - Northridge is located in Northridge, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 83 ’s physical sciences degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at CSUN, the school also landed the #19 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $8,523 for california physical sciences students with aid per year to attend California State University - Northridge.

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 more about Physical Sciences at CSUN

17

University of California - Merced came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. University of California - Merced is a public institution located in Merced, California. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 92 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

UC Merced also made our “Best Physical Sciences Schools in California” list, coming in at #15. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Merced is $13,691 for california physical sciences students with aid.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Physical Sciences at UC Merced

18

With a ranking of #18, University of California - Santa Cruz did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in California For Those Getting Aid list. Santa Cruz, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s physical sciences degrees to 343 students in 2020-2021.

UC Santa Cruz not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best Physical Sciences Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for UC Santa Cruz is $17,930 for california physical sciences students with aid.

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 undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Physical Sciences at UC Santa Cruz

19

California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in San Luis Obispo, California, this large public school handed out 120 diplomas to qualified ’s physical sciences students in 2020-2021.

Cal Poly San Luis Obispo did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best Physical Sciences Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo is $20,677 for california physical sciences students with aid.

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 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Cal Poly San Luis Obispo Physical Sciences Report

20
Humboldt State University crest
Humboldt State University
Arcata, California

Humboldt State University landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. 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 also took the #20 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Humboldt State University is $14,956 for california physical sciences students with aid.

Full Humboldt State University Physical Sciences Report

21

California Institute of Technology did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in California For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #21. Pasadena, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s physical sciences degrees to 143 students in 2020-2021.

Caltech did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Physical Sciences Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend Caltech is $26,542 for California Physical Sciences students with aid.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 3 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read more about Physical Sciences at Caltech

Notes and References

References

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