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2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Doctorate in the Far Western US Region

18 Ranked Colleges
1,082 Degrees Awarded
$31,100 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees*
Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Doctorate in the Far Western US Region

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Doctorate in the Far Western US Region” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

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 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 doctor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,082 physical sciences graduates with average earnings and debt of $72,342 and $136,270 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Doctorate in the Far Western US Region” ranking, we looked at 18 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.

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. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

More Ways to Rank Physical Sciences Schools

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Doctorate in the Far Western US Region” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.

Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Doctorate in the Far Western US Region

The colleges and universities below are the best for far western us region doctor’s degree physical sciences students.

Top 20 Best Value Doctor’s Degree Colleges for Physical Sciences in the Far Western US Region

#10 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Nevada - Reno. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Doctorate in the Far Western US Region. UNR is located in Reno, Nevada and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 19 doctorate’s physical sciences degrees to qualified students.

UNR not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Physical Sciences Doctor’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 UNR are $21,971.

Full University of Nevada - Reno Physical Sciences Report

#16 in overall quality

Out of the 18 schools in the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Doctorate in the Far Western US Region that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Nevada - Las Vegas landed the #2 spot on the list. Las Vegas, Nevada is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out doctorate’s physical sciences degrees to 12 students in 2019-2020.

UNLV did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best Physical Sciences Doctor’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 UNLV are $21,962.

Full UNLV Physical Sciences Report

#3

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 #3 for the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Doctorate in the Far Western US Region. UCLA is a public institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 69 doctorate’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UCLA not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Physical Sciences Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at UCLA are $28,131, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full University of California - Los Angeles Physical Sciences Report

#3

San Diego State University

San Diego, California
#11 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend San Diego State University. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Doctorate in the Far Western US Region. SDSU is a large public school situated in San Diego, California. It awarded 9 doctorate’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

SDSU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best Physical Sciences Doctor’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.

Full SDSU Physical Sciences Report

#7 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - San Diego. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Doctorate in the Far Western US Region list. This large school is located in La Jolla, California, and it awarded 100 doctorate’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

UCSD also made our “Best Physical Sciences Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #7. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at UCSD are $28,631.

Full UCSD Physical Sciences Report

#5

University of California - Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara, California
#6 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Santa Barbara. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Doctorate in the Far Western US Region. UCSB is located in Santa Barbara, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 61 doctorate’s physical sciences degrees to qualified students.

UCSB also took the #6 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at UCSB are $28,670, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about Physical Sciences at UCSB

#9 in overall quality

With a ranking of #6, University of Washington - Seattle Campus did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Doctorate in the Far Western US Region list. UW Seattle is a large school located in Seattle, Washington that handed out 85 doctorate’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 Doctor’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.

Full University of Washington - Seattle Campus Physical Sciences Report

#8 in overall quality

University of California - Irvine landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Doctorate in the Far Western US Region ranking. University of California - Irvine is a public institution located in Irvine, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 75 doctorate’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Irvine, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Doctor’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.

Read more about Physical Sciences at UC Irvine

#5 in overall quality

University of California - Davis came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Doctorate in the Far Western US Region ranking. UC Davis is a public institution located in Davis, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 50 doctorate’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Davis also took the #5 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Doctor’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 Davis are $28,700.

Read more about Physical Sciences at UC Davis

#9

Oregon State University

Corvallis, Oregon
#12 in overall quality

Oregon State University ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Doctorate in the Far Western US Region list. Oregon State is a large school located in Corvallis, Oregon that handed out 30 doctorate’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

Oregon State also made our “Best Physical Sciences Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #12. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Oregon State are $28,121.

Read more about Physical Sciences at Oregon State

#9

Portland State University

Portland, Oregon
#19 in overall quality

Portland State University ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Doctorate in the Far Western US Region list. Located in Portland, Oregon, this large public school awarded 9 degrees to qualified doctorate’s physical sciences students in 2019-2020.

Portland State University also took the #19 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Doctor’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 Portland State University are $23,784.

Full Portland State University Physical Sciences Report

#10

University of Oregon

Eugene, Oregon
#11 in overall quality

University of Oregon came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Doctorate in the Far Western US Region ranking. UO is a large school located in Eugene, Oregon that handed out 50 doctorate’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UO, the school also landed the #11 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Oregon are $29,991, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about Physical Sciences at UO

#11

University of California - Berkeley

Berkeley, California
#4 in overall quality

With a ranking of #11, University of California - Berkeley did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Doctorate in the Far Western US Region list. UC Berkeley is a large public school situated in Berkeley, California. It awarded 139 doctorate’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Berkeley not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Physical Sciences Doctor’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 UC Berkeley are $29,347.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at UC Berkeley

#12

Washington State University

Pullman, Washington
#18 in overall quality

Washington State University landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Doctorate in the Far Western US Region ranking. Washington State University is a large public school situated in Pullman, Washington. It awarded 24 doctorate’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

Wazzu also made our “Best Physical Sciences Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #18. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Washington State University are $27,561.

Read more about Physical Sciences at Wazzu

#13

University of California - Riverside

Riverside, California
#14 in overall quality

University of California - Riverside came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Doctorate in the Far Western US Region ranking. UCR is located in Riverside, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 49 doctorate’s physical sciences degrees to qualified students.

UCR not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best Physical Sciences Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at UCR are $28,686, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

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

#14

University of California - Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz, California
#13 in overall quality

University of California - Santa Cruz landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Doctorate in the Far Western US Region ranking. This fairly large school is located in Santa Cruz, California, and it awarded 40 doctorate’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Santa Cruz also took the #13 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at UC Santa Cruz are $28,952, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at UC Santa Cruz

#15

University of Hawaii at Manoa

Honolulu, Hawaii
#15 in overall quality

University of Hawaii at Manoa came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Doctorate in the Far Western US Region ranking. UH Manoa is a fairly large school located in Honolulu, Hawaii that handed out 23 doctorate’s physical sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

UH Manoa also made our “Best Physical Sciences Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #15. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at UH Manoa are $34,550.

Read more about Physical Sciences at University of Hawaii at Manoa

#17 in overall quality

University of California - Merced ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Doctorate in the Far Western US Region list. UC Merced is a public institution located in Merced, California. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 11 doctorate’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Merced also took the #17 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Doctor’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 Merced are $43,854.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at UC Merced

#17

Stanford University

Stanford, California
#1 in overall quality

Stanford University landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Doctorate in the Far Western US Region ranking. Stanford University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Stanford, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 111 doctorate’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Stanford also made our “Best Physical Sciences Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #1. Average graduate tuition and fees at Stanford University are $55,011, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full Stanford University Physical Sciences Report

#18

California Institute of Technology

Pasadena, California
#2 in overall quality

California Institute of Technology came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools for a Doctorate in the Far Western US Region ranking. Pasadena, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out doctorate’s physical sciences degrees to 43 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our far western us region doctor’s degree physical sciences students list, Caltech has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Physical Sciences Doctor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at California Institute of Technology are $56,649, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full Caltech 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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