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2023 Schools Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major in the Far Western US Region

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Schools Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major in the Far Western US Region

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 Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major in the Far Western US Region” ranking - to help you make that decision.

Physical Sciences is the 19th most popular major in the country with 49,473 degrees awarded in 2021-2022. In , physical sciences graduates who were awarded their degree in , earned an average of $40,118 and had an average of $21,983 in loans still to pay off.

Across the Far Western US region, there were 10,789 physical sciences graduates with average earnings and debt of $41,747 and $18,600 respectively.

For this year’s “Schools Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major in the Far Western US Region” ranking, we looked at 244 colleges that offer 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.

For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

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Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Schools Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major in the Far Western US Region” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

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. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

Schools Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major in the Far Western US Region

The following schools top our list of the Best “Schools Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major in the Far Western US Region”.

Top 25 Most Focused Colleges for Physical Sciences in the Far Western US Region

1

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 Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major in the Far Western US Region. Caltech is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Pasadena, California. It awarded 158 ’s physical sciences degrees in 2021-2022.

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. With a freshman retention rate of 99%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Physical Sciences at California Institute of Technology

2
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Whitman College
Walla Walla, Washington

Out of the 244 schools in the Schools Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major in the Far Western US Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Whitman College landed the #2 spot on the list. Walla Walla, Washington is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s physical sciences degrees to 30 students in 2021-2022.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Full Whitman Physical Sciences Report

3
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Reed College
Portland, Oregon

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Reed College. The school came in at #3 for the Schools Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major in the Far Western US Region. Reed is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Portland, Oregon. It awarded 20 ’s physical sciences degrees in 2021-2022.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 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 Reed

4
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Western Nevada College
Carson City, Nevada

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Western Nevada College. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major in the Far Western US Region list. WNC is a public institution located in Carson City, Nevada. The school has a small population, and it awarded 95 ’s degrees in 2021-2022.

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%.

Full WNC Physical Sciences Report

5
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South Seattle College
Seattle, Washington

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend South Seattle College. The school came in at #5 for the Schools Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major in the Far Western US Region. South Seattle is a small school located in Seattle, Washington that handed out 32 ’s physical sciences degrees in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full South Seattle Physical Sciences Report

6
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Pomona College
Claremont, California

Pomona College did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major in the Far Western US Region ranking, coming in at #6. Pomona College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Claremont, California. It awarded 21 ’s physical sciences degrees in 2021-2022.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read more about Physical Sciences at Pomona

7
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Harvey Mudd College
Claremont, California

Harvey Mudd College landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major in the Far Western US Region ranking. Harvey Mudd College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Claremont, California. It awarded 30 ’s physical sciences degrees in 2021-2022.

With a freshman retention rate of 98%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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.

Read more about Physical Sciences at Harvey Mudd College

8
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Seattle Central College
Seattle, Washington

Seattle Central College came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major in the Far Western US Region ranking. Located in Seattle, Washington, this small public school handed out 63 diplomas to qualified ’s physical sciences students in 2021-2022.

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%.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at Seattle Central College

9
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North Seattle College
Seattle, Washington

North Seattle College did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major in the Far Western US Region ranking, coming in at #9. This small school is located in Seattle, Washington, and it awarded 24 ’s physical sciences degrees in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at North Seattle College

10

University of California - Santa Cruz came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major in the Far Western US Region ranking. UC Santa Cruz is located in Santa Cruz, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 275 ’s physical sciences degrees to qualified students.

The low undergrad 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 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full University of California - Santa Cruz Physical Sciences Report

11
Oxy crest
Occidental College
Los Angeles, California

With a ranking of #11, Occidental College did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major in the Far Western US Region list. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s physical sciences degrees to 22 students in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.2%, 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 92%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read more about Physical Sciences at Oxy

12

University of California - Santa Barbara did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major in the Far Western US Region ranking, coming in at #12. University of California - Santa Barbara is a large public school situated in Santa Barbara, California. It awarded 431 ’s physical sciences degrees in 2021-2022.

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 0.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full UCSB Physical Sciences Report

13
Stanford crest
Stanford University
Stanford, California

Stanford University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major in the Far Western US Region ranking. 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 2021-2022.

With a freshman retention rate of 98%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Stanford Physical Sciences Report

14
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Pacific Lutheran University
Tacoma, Washington

Pacific Lutheran University did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major in the Far Western US Region ranking, coming in at #14. This small school is located in Tacoma, Washington, and it awarded 36 ’s physical sciences degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full PLU Physical Sciences Report

15

With a ranking of #15, University of California - San Diego did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major in the Far Western US Region list. This large school is located in La Jolla, California, and it awarded 628 ’s physical sciences degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at UCSD

16
Westmont crest
Westmont College
Santa Barbara, California

Westmont College landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major in the Far Western US Region ranking. Westmont is a small school located in Santa Barbara, California that handed out 18 ’s physical sciences degrees in 2021-2022.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Westmont Physical Sciences Report

17

University of California - Merced came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major in the Far Western US Region ranking. UC Merced is a medium-sized public school situated in Merced, California. It awarded 95 ’s physical sciences degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at UC Merced

18
Cascadia College crest
Cascadia College
Bothell, Washington

With a ranking of #18, Cascadia College did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major in the Far Western US Region list. Cascadia College is a small public school situated in Bothell, Washington. It awarded 25 ’s physical sciences degrees in 2021-2022.

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%.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at Cascadia College

19
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Whitworth University
Spokane, Washington

With a ranking of #19, Whitworth University did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major in the Far Western US Region list. Whitworth is located in Spokane, Washington and, has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 48 ’s physical sciences degrees to qualified students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Physical Sciences at Whitworth University

20

University of Washington - Seattle Campus came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major in the Far Western US Region ranking. UW Seattle is a large school located in Seattle, Washington that handed out 543 ’s physical sciences degrees in 2021-2022.

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 0.7% 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 University of Washington - Seattle Campus Physical Sciences Report

21

University of California - Berkeley landed the #21 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major in the Far Western US Region ranking. Berkeley, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s physical sciences degrees to 547 students in 2021-2022.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%.

Read more about Physical Sciences at UC Berkeley

22
American River crest
American River College
Sacramento, California

American River College came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major in the Far Western US Region ranking. American River is a large public school situated in Sacramento, California. It awarded 116 ’s physical sciences degrees in 2021-2022.

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 American River Physical Sciences Report

23
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El Camino College
Torrance, California

El Camino College came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major in the Far Western US Region ranking. Torrance, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s physical sciences degrees to 83 students in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at El Camino College

24

Willamette University ranked #24 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major in the Far Western US Region list. Willamette University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Salem, Oregon. The school has a small population, and it awarded 20 ’s degrees in 2021-2022.

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 more about Physical Sciences at Willamette

25
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Green River College
Auburn, Washington

With a ranking of #25, Green River College did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major in the Far Western US Region list. Green River College is located in Auburn, Washington and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 46 ’s physical sciences degrees to qualified students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.4% 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%.

Full GRC Physical Sciences Report

Rest of the Best 37 in Schools Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major in the Far Western US Region

Not only did these schools make the top 37 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

26
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Compton College
Compton, CA
27
Scripps crest
Scripps College
Claremont, CA
28
29
30
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Highline College
Des Moines, WA
31
32
33
34
35
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Pitzer College
Claremont, CA
36
37
Whittier crest
Whittier College
Whittier, CA

Notes and References

References

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Footnotes

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