2023 Most Popular Doctor’s Degree Colleges for Physical Sciences in the Far Western US Region
24
Ranked Colleges
1,034
Degrees Awarded
$69,817
Avg Salary
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 “Most Well Attended Physical Sciences Major in the Far Western US Region for a Doctorate” ranking as one item you can use to help make this 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 “Most Well Attended Physical Sciences Major in the Far Western US Region for a Doctorate” ranking analyzed 24 colleges that offered a degree in physical sciences. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have one of the most popular physical sciences programs in the United States.
Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
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 “Most Well Attended Physical Sciences Major in the Far Western US Region for a Doctorate” 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. 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.
Most Well Attended Physical Sciences Major in the Far Western US Region for a Doctorate
The following schools top our list of the Best “Most Well Attended Physical Sciences Major in the Far Western US Region for a Doctorate”.
Top 24 Most Popular Doctor’s Degree Colleges for Physical Sciences in the Far Western US Region
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Berkeley. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Physical Sciences Major in the Far Western US Region for a Doctorate list. Berkeley, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out doctorate’s physical sciences degrees to 124 students in 2020-2021.
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 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%.
Full University of California - Berkeley Physical Sciences Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Stanford University. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Physical Sciences Major in the Far Western US Region for a Doctorate list. Stanford is located in Stanford, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 112 doctorate’s physical sciences degrees to qualified students.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 4 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 0.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full Stanford Physical Sciences Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Washington - Seattle Campus. The school came in at #3 for the Most Well Attended Physical Sciences Major in the Far Western US Region for a Doctorate. University of Washington - Seattle Campus is a large public school situated in Seattle, Washington. It awarded 99 doctorate’s physical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Physical Sciences at UW Seattle
Out of the 24 schools in the Most Well Attended Physical Sciences Major in the Far Western US Region for a Doctorate that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - San Diego landed the #4 spot on the list. La Jolla, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out doctorate’s physical sciences degrees to 93 students in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, 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 University of California - San Diego
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Los Angeles. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Physical Sciences Major in the Far Western US Region for a Doctorate list. UCLA is a large school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 82 doctorate’s physical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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 full report on Physical Sciences at University of California - Los Angeles
With a ranking of #6, California Institute of Technology did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Physical Sciences Major in the Far Western US Region for a Doctorate list. Caltech is located in Pasadena, California and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 64 doctorate’s physical sciences degrees to qualified students.
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 California Institute of Technology
University of Southern California did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Physical Sciences Major in the Far Western US Region for a Doctorate ranking, coming in at #7. University of Southern California is a private not-for-profit institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 58 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.
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. 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%. 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 more about Physical Sciences at University of Southern California
University of California - Davis came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Physical Sciences Major in the Far Western US Region for a Doctorate ranking. UC Davis is a large public school situated in Davis, California. It awarded 56 doctorate’s physical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
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.
Read more about Physical Sciences at UC Davis
University of California - Santa Barbara did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Physical Sciences Major in the Far Western US Region for a Doctorate ranking, coming in at #9. UCSB is located in Santa Barbara, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 55 doctorate’s physical sciences degrees to qualified students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full University of California - Santa Barbara Physical Sciences Report
With a ranking of #10, University of California - Riverside did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Physical Sciences Major in the Far Western US Region for a Doctorate list. This large school is located in Riverside, California, and it awarded 50 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 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Physical Sciences at University of California - Riverside
University of California - Irvine ranked #11 on this year’s Most Well Attended Physical Sciences Major in the Far Western US Region for a Doctorate list. UC Irvine is located in Irvine, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 45 doctorate’s physical sciences degrees to qualified students.
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 full report on Physical Sciences at University of California - Irvine
University of California - Santa Cruz came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Physical Sciences Major in the Far Western US Region for a Doctorate ranking. Located in Santa Cruz, California, this fairly large public school awarded 35 diplomas to qualified doctorate’s physical sciences students in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.9% 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 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full UC Santa Cruz Physical Sciences Report
University of Oregon ranked #13 on this year’s Most Well Attended Physical Sciences Major in the Far Western US Region for a Doctorate list. Eugene, Oregon is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out doctorate’s physical sciences degrees to 31 students in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.1% 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 UO Physical Sciences Report
Oregon State University landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Physical Sciences Major in the Far Western US Region for a Doctorate ranking. Oregon State University is a large school located in Corvallis, Oregon that handed out 30 doctorate’s physical sciences degrees 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.
Full Oregon State Physical Sciences Report
With a ranking of #15, University of Nevada - Reno did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Physical Sciences Major in the Far Western US Region for a Doctorate list. 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 school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Physical Sciences at UNR
University of Hawaii at Manoa landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Physical Sciences Major in the Far Western US Region for a Doctorate ranking. UH Manoa is a public institution located in Honolulu, Hawaii. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 16 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Physical Sciences at University of Hawaii at Manoa
Washington State University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Physical Sciences Major in the Far Western US Region for a Doctorate ranking, coming in at #17. Wazzu is a public institution located in Pullman, Washington. The school has a large population, and it awarded 14 doctorate’s 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%.
Full Wazzu Physical Sciences Report
Portland State University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Physical Sciences Major in the Far Western US Region for a Doctorate ranking, coming in at #18. Portland State University is located in Portland, Oregon and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 11 doctorate’s physical sciences degrees to qualified students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.7% 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 Portland State University Physical Sciences Report
With a ranking of #19, University of Alaska Fairbanks did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Physical Sciences Major in the Far Western US Region for a Doctorate list. University of Alaska Fairbanks is a medium-sized public school situated in Fairbanks, Alaska. It awarded 10 doctorate’s physical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
Read full report on Physical Sciences at University of Alaska Fairbanks
With a ranking of #19, San Diego State University did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Physical Sciences Major in the Far Western US Region for a Doctorate list. Located in San Diego, California, this large public school awarded 10 degrees to qualified doctorate’s physical sciences students in 2020-2021.
With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.2% 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 San Diego State University Physical Sciences Report
With a ranking of #21, University of Nevada - Las Vegas did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Physical Sciences Major in the Far Western US Region for a Doctorate list. This large school is located in Las Vegas, Nevada, and it awarded 8 doctorate’s physical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.9% 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 UNLV Physical Sciences Report
University of California - Merced came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Physical Sciences Major in the Far Western US Region for a Doctorate ranking. Merced, California is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out doctorate’s physical sciences degrees to 7 students in 2020-2021.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.
Read full report on Physical Sciences at UC Merced
Naval Postgraduate School landed the #23 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Physical Sciences Major in the Far Western US Region for a Doctorate ranking. Naval Postgraduate School is a small school located in Monterey, California that handed out 2 doctorate’s physical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
Read more about Physical Sciences at Naval Postgraduate School
Loma Linda University landed the #24 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Physical Sciences Major in the Far Western US Region for a Doctorate ranking. This small school is located in Loma Linda, California, and it awarded 0 doctorate’s physical sciences degrees 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%. 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.
Read more about Physical Sciences at Loma Linda University
Focus on a Specific Degree Level
Switch to a Similar Major
Switch to a More Focused Major
Switch to a Different Ranking Method
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.
college factual
