2023 Most Focused Doctor’s Degree Colleges for Physical Sciences in the Far Western US Region
24
Ranked Colleges
1,034
Degrees Awarded
$69,817
Avg Salary
It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major in the Far Western US Region” ranking - to help you make that decision.
In 2020-2021, 50,306 people earned their degree in physical sciences, making the major the 19th most popular in the United States. 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 the Far Western US region, there were 11,419 physical sciences graduates with average earnings and debt of $41,747 and $20,026 respectively. At the doctor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,034 physical sciences graduates with average earnings and debt of $75,423 and $0 respectively.
This year’s “Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major in the Far Western US Region” ranking analyzed 24 colleges that offered a degree in physical sciences. That schools that top this list have a program in physical sciences in which the largest percentage of students at the school are enrolled.
See our ranking methodology to learn more.
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 “Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major in the Far Western US Region” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.
To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most 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.
Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major 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 24 Most Focused Doctor’s Degree Colleges for Physical Sciences in the Far Western US Region
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California Institute of Technology. The school came in at #1 for the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major in the Far Western US Region. Located in Pasadena, California, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 64 diplomas to qualified doctorate’s physical sciences students in 2020-2021.
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. 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 Caltech
Out of the 24 schools in the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major in the Far Western US Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Stanford University landed the #2 spot on the list. Stanford is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Stanford, California. It awarded 112 doctorate’s physical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
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 school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%.
Read full report on Physical Sciences at Stanford University
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Berkeley. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major in the Far Western US Region list. UC Berkeley is a large school located in Berkeley, California that handed out 124 doctorate’s physical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full UC Berkeley Physical Sciences Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - San Diego. The school came in at #4 for the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major in the Far Western US Region. Located in La Jolla, California, this large public school awarded 93 degrees to qualified doctorate’s physical sciences students in 2020-2021.
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 University of California - San Diego Physical Sciences Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Alaska Fairbanks. The school came in at #5 for the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major in the Far Western US Region. UAF is a public institution located in Fairbanks, Alaska. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 10 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Read more about Physical Sciences at University of Alaska Fairbanks
University of California - Santa Barbara landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major in the Far Western US Region ranking. University of California - Santa Barbara is a large school located in Santa Barbara, California that handed out 55 doctorate’s physical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
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 1.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Physical Sciences at UCSB
University of California - Riverside did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major in the Far Western US Region ranking, coming in at #7. Located in Riverside, California, this large public school awarded 50 degrees to qualified doctorate’s physical sciences students in 2020-2021.
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 low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.3% 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%.
Read more about Physical Sciences at University of California - Riverside
With a ranking of #8, University of Washington - Seattle Campus did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major in the Far Western US Region list. This large school is located in Seattle, Washington, and it awarded 99 doctorate’s physical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
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 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%.
Full UW Seattle Physical Sciences Report
With a ranking of #9, University of California - Santa Cruz did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major in the Far Western US Region list. Located in Santa Cruz, California, this fairly large public school awarded 35 diplomas to qualified doctorate’s physical sciences students in 2020-2021.
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 school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Physical Sciences at UC Santa Cruz
University of California - Los Angeles landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major in the Far Western US Region ranking. UCLA is a public institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 82 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.
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 more about Physical Sciences at University of California - Los Angeles
University of Oregon came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major in the Far Western US Region ranking. University of Oregon is a large school located in Eugene, Oregon that handed out 31 doctorate’s physical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Physical Sciences at UO
University of California - Davis landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major in the Far Western US Region ranking. University of California - Davis is a public institution located in Davis, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 56 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. 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%.
Full UC Davis Physical Sciences Report
University of Nevada - Reno landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major in the Far Western US Region ranking. Reno, Nevada is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out doctorate’s physical sciences degrees to 22 students in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.3% 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%.
Read full report on Physical Sciences at University of Nevada - Reno
University of California - Irvine landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major in the Far Western US Region ranking. Located in Irvine, California, this large public school awarded 45 degrees to qualified doctorate’s physical sciences students in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 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.
Read more about Physical Sciences at UC Irvine
University of Hawaii at Manoa came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major in the Far Western US Region ranking. Honolulu, Hawaii is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out doctorate’s physical sciences degrees to 16 students in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.5% 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%.
Read more about Physical Sciences at UH Manoa
Oregon State University ranked #16 on this year’s Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major in the Far Western US Region list. Located in Corvallis, Oregon, this large public school awarded 30 degrees to qualified doctorate’s physical sciences students in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default 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 full report on Physical Sciences at Oregon State
University of California - Merced came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major in the Far Western US Region ranking. University of California - Merced is a medium-sized school located in Merced, California that handed out 7 doctorate’s physical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
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 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
University of Southern California did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major in the Far Western US Region ranking, coming in at #18. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out doctorate’s physical sciences degrees to 58 students in 2020-2021.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, 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 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Physical Sciences at USC
Washington State University ranked #19 on this year’s Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major in the Far Western US Region list. Wazzu is a large school located in Pullman, Washington that handed out 14 doctorate’s physical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Physical Sciences at Washington State University
Portland State University came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major in the Far Western US Region ranking. Portland, Oregon is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out doctorate’s physical sciences degrees to 11 students in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Physical Sciences at Portland State University
University of Nevada - Las Vegas came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major in the Far Western US Region ranking. Located in Las Vegas, Nevada, this large public school awarded 8 diplomas to qualified doctorate’s physical sciences students in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Physical Sciences at University of Nevada - Las Vegas
San Diego State University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major in the Far Western US Region ranking, coming in at #22. SDSU is a public institution located in San Diego, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 10 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full SDSU Physical Sciences Report
Naval Postgraduate School did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major in the Far Western US Region ranking, coming in at #23. Naval Postgraduate School is a public institution located in Monterey, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 2 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Read full report on Physical Sciences at Naval Postgraduate School
Loma Linda University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major in the Far Western US Region ranking, coming in at #24. Located in Loma Linda, California, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 0 degrees to qualified doctorate’s physical sciences students in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.6% 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 undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 3 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.
Read more about Physical Sciences at Loma Linda University
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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
- *Avg Salary and Avg 4-Year Grad Rate 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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