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2023 Schools Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major in California

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Schools Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major in California

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Schools Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major in California” ranking is part of that endeavor.

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 California, there were 8,070 physical sciences graduates with average earnings and debt of $43,416 and $17,594 respectively.

This year’s “Schools Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major in California” ranking analyzed 169 colleges that offered a degree in physical sciences. The colleges and universities that top this list are recognized because their physical sciences program is one of the largest majors offered at the school.

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 California” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

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. 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 California

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

Top 25 Most Focused Colleges for Physical Sciences in California

1

Out of the 169 schools in the Schools Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major in California that were part of this year’s ranking, California Institute of Technology landed the #1 spot on the list. Caltech is a private not-for-profit institution located in Pasadena, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 158 ’s degrees in 2021-2022.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 3 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 99%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full California Institute of Technology Physical Sciences Report

2
Pomona crest
Pomona College
Claremont, California

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Pomona College. The school came in at #2 for the Schools Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major in California. Pomona is a private not-for-profit institution located in Claremont, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 21 ’s degrees in 2021-2022.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 7 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 Pomona

3
Harvey Mudd College crest
Harvey Mudd College
Claremont, California

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Harvey Mudd College. The school came in at #3 for the Schools Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major in California. Harvey Mudd College is located in Claremont, California and, has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 30 ’s physical sciences degrees to qualified students.

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.

Full Harvey Mudd College Physical Sciences Report

4

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Santa Cruz. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major in California list. This fairly large school is located in Santa Cruz, California, and it awarded 275 ’s physical sciences degrees in 2021-2022.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. 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 more about Physical Sciences at UC Santa Cruz

5
Oxy crest
Occidental College
Los Angeles, California

Out of the 169 schools in the Schools Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major in California that were part of this year’s ranking, Occidental College landed the #5 spot on the list. Occidental College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 22 ’s physical sciences degrees 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, 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.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at Occidental College

6

University of California - Santa Barbara came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major in California ranking. Santa Barbara, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s physical sciences degrees to 431 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full University of California - Santa Barbara Physical Sciences Report

7
Stanford crest
Stanford University
Stanford, California

Stanford University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major in California ranking. Stanford is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Stanford, California. It awarded 243 ’s physical sciences degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 98%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 5 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 0.2% 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%.

Full Stanford University Physical Sciences Report

8

University of California - San Diego landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major in California ranking. UCSD is a large public school situated in La Jolla, California. It awarded 628 ’s physical sciences degrees in 2021-2022.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%.

Full UCSD Physical Sciences Report

9
Westmont crest
Westmont College
Santa Barbara, California

Westmont College landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major in California ranking. Westmont College is a small school located in Santa Barbara, California that handed out 18 ’s physical sciences degrees in 2021-2022.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. 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 Westmont

10

University of California - Merced ranked #10 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major in California list. Merced, California is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s physical sciences degrees to 95 students in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.8% 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%.

Full University of California - Merced Physical Sciences Report

11

With a ranking of #11, University of California - Berkeley did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major in California list. University of California - Berkeley is a large public school situated in Berkeley, California. It awarded 547 ’s physical sciences degrees in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at UC Berkeley

12
American River crest
American River College
Sacramento, California

American River College landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major in California ranking. American River College is a public institution located in Sacramento, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 116 ’s degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full American River Physical Sciences Report

13
El Camino College crest
El Camino College
Torrance, California

El Camino College landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major in California ranking. El Camino College is a fairly large public school situated in Torrance, California. It awarded 83 ’s physical sciences degrees 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%.

Full El Camino College Physical Sciences Report

14
Compton College crest
Compton College
Compton, California

Compton College did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major in California ranking, coming in at #14. Compton, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s physical sciences degrees to 9 students in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.0% 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 Compton College

15
Scripps crest
Scripps College
Claremont, California

Scripps College came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major in California ranking. Claremont, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s physical sciences degrees to 7 students in 2021-2022.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 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 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Scripps Physical Sciences Report

16
Monterey Peninsula College crest
Monterey Peninsula College
Monterey, California

Monterey Peninsula College ranked #16 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major in California list. Monterey, California is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s physical sciences degrees to 24 students in 2021-2022.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at Monterey Peninsula College

17
Irvine Valley College crest
Irvine Valley College
Irvine, California

Irvine Valley College ranked #17 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major in California list. Irvine Valley College is a public institution located in Irvine, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 188 ’s degrees in 2021-2022.

Full Irvine Valley College Physical Sciences Report

18
CSM crest
College of San Mateo
San Mateo, California

College of San Mateo came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major in California ranking. CSM is a medium-sized school located in San Mateo, California that handed out 21 ’s physical sciences degrees in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Physical Sciences at CSM

19

With a ranking of #19, University of California - Riverside did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major in California list. University of California - Riverside is a large public school situated in Riverside, California. It awarded 200 ’s physical sciences degrees in 2021-2022.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.8% 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 - Riverside

20
Pitzer crest
Pitzer College
Claremont, California

Pitzer College came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major in California ranking. Claremont, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s physical sciences degrees to 6 students in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.8% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%.

Full Pitzer College Physical Sciences Report

21

University of California - Irvine came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major in California ranking. University of California - Irvine is a large public school situated in Irvine, California. It awarded 350 ’s physical sciences degrees in 2021-2022.

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%. 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 - Irvine Physical Sciences Report

22
Whittier crest
Whittier College
Whittier, California

Whittier College did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major in California ranking, coming in at #22. Whittier is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Whittier, California. It awarded 11 ’s physical sciences degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at Whittier

23
Cuyamaca College crest
Cuyamaca College
El Cajon, California

Cuyamaca College came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major in California ranking. El Cajon, California is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s physical sciences degrees to 18 students in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Physical Sciences at Cuyamaca College

24
Humboldt State University crest
Humboldt State University
Arcata, California

Humboldt State University did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major in California ranking, coming in at #24. Humboldt State University is a medium-sized school located in Arcata, California that handed out 75 ’s physical sciences degrees in 2021-2022.

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 more about Physical Sciences at Humboldt State University

25
Columbia Junior College crest
Columbia College
Sonora, California

Columbia College landed the #25 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major in California ranking. Located in Sonora, California, this small public school handed out 5 degrees to qualified ’s physical sciences students in 2021-2022.

Read more about Physical Sciences at Columbia College

Rest of the Best 26 in Schools Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major in California

Not only did these schools make the top 26 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

26

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