2023 Most Popular Colleges for Physical Sciences in California
169
Ranked Colleges
8,381
Degrees Awarded
$35,300
Avg Cost*
Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Most Well Attended Physical Sciences Major in California” ranking.
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 California, there were 8,381 physical sciences graduates with average earnings and debt of $43,416 and $18,590 respectively.
This year’s “Most Well Attended Physical Sciences Major in California” ranking analyzed 169 colleges that offered a degree in physical sciences. To top this list, a school must have a successful physical sciences program that graduates more students in the field than other colleges that offer the same major.
Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
One Size Does Not Fit All
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 California” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.
In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. 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.
Most Well Attended Physical Sciences Major in California
The colleges and universities below are the best for california physical sciences students.
Top 25 Most Popular Colleges for Physical Sciences in California
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - San Diego. The school came in at #1 for the Most Well Attended Physical Sciences Major in California. University of California - San Diego is a large school located in La Jolla, California that handed out 598 ’s physical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.
Read more about Physical Sciences at UCSD
Out of the 169 schools in the Most Well Attended Physical Sciences Major in California that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Berkeley landed the #2 spot on the list. University of California - Berkeley is a large school located in Berkeley, California that handed out 560 ’s physical sciences degrees 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 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%.
Read full report on Physical Sciences at UC Berkeley
Out of the 169 schools in the Most Well Attended Physical Sciences Major in California that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Santa Barbara landed the #3 spot on the list. UCSB is a public institution located in Santa Barbara, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 400 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate 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%.
Read full report on Physical Sciences at University of California - Santa Barbara
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Los Angeles. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Physical Sciences Major in California list. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s physical sciences degrees to 371 students 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Physical Sciences at University of California - Los Angeles
Out of the 169 schools in the Most Well Attended Physical Sciences Major in California that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Irvine landed the #5 spot on the list. Located in Irvine, California, this large public school awarded 367 degrees to qualified ’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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.
Read more about Physical Sciences at UC Irvine
With a ranking of #6, University of California - Santa Cruz did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Physical Sciences Major in California list. University of California - Santa Cruz is located in Santa Cruz, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 343 ’s physical sciences degrees to qualified students.
With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.
Full University of California - Santa Cruz Physical Sciences Report
University of California - Davis did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Physical Sciences Major in California ranking, coming in at #7. UC Davis is a large school located in Davis, California that handed out 270 ’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 low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.5% 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 UC Davis
With a ranking of #8, Stanford University did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Physical Sciences Major in California list. Stanford is a fairly large school located in Stanford, California that handed out 243 ’s physical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
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 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. 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 Stanford University
University of California - Riverside did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Physical Sciences Major in California ranking, coming in at #9. Riverside, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s physical sciences degrees to 225 students in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.3%, 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 - Riverside Physical Sciences Report
San Diego State University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Physical Sciences Major in California ranking, coming in at #10. SDSU is located in San Diego, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 167 ’s physical sciences degrees to qualified students.
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%.
Read full report on Physical Sciences at San Diego State University
With a ranking of #11, American River College did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Physical Sciences Major in California list. American River is a public institution located in Sacramento, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 148 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Full American River College Physical Sciences Report
With a ranking of #12, Irvine Valley College did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Physical Sciences Major in California list. Located in Irvine, California, this fairly large public school awarded 145 degrees to qualified ’s physical sciences students in 2020-2021.
Full Irvine Valley College Physical Sciences Report
California Institute of Technology ranked #13 on this year’s Most Well Attended Physical Sciences Major in California list. This small school is located in Pasadena, California, and it awarded 143 ’s physical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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 full report on Physical Sciences at California Institute of Technology
El Camino College came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Physical Sciences Major in California ranking. This fairly large school is located in Torrance, California, and it awarded 140 ’s physical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
Full El Camino College Physical Sciences Report
With a ranking of #15, California State Polytechnic University - Pomona did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Physical Sciences Major in California list. Cal Poly Pomona is located in Pomona, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 131 ’s physical sciences degrees to qualified students.
With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full Cal Poly Pomona Physical Sciences Report
University of Southern California ranked #16 on this year’s Most Well Attended Physical Sciences Major in California list. USC is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 121 ’s physical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
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 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. 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 USC
California State University - Long Beach ranked #17 on this year’s Most Well Attended Physical Sciences Major in California list. CSULB is a large public school situated in Long Beach, California. It awarded 120 ’s physical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.4% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Physical Sciences at California State University - Long Beach
California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo ranked #17 on this year’s Most Well Attended Physical Sciences Major in California list. This large school is located in San Luis Obispo, California, and it awarded 120 ’s physical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. 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 California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo Physical Sciences Report
San Jose State University came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Physical Sciences Major in California ranking. San Jose, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s physical sciences degrees to 108 students in 2020-2021.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. 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%.
Read full report on Physical Sciences at San Jose State
Orange Coast College ranked #20 on this year’s Most Well Attended Physical Sciences Major in California list. Located in Costa Mesa, California, this fairly large public school awarded 104 degrees to qualified ’s physical sciences students in 2020-2021.
Read full report on Physical Sciences at Orange Coast College
Moorpark College did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Physical Sciences Major in California ranking, coming in at #21. Moorpark, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s physical sciences degrees to 104 students in 2020-2021.
Full Moorpark College Physical Sciences Report
Pasadena City College landed the #22 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Physical Sciences Major in California ranking. Located in Pasadena, California, this large public school awarded 100 degrees to qualified ’s physical sciences students in 2020-2021.
Full Pasadena City College Physical Sciences Report
California State University - Fullerton ranked #23 on this year’s Most Well Attended Physical Sciences Major in California list. Cal State Fullerton is a large public school situated in Fullerton, California. It awarded 93 ’s physical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.5%, 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.
Read full report on Physical Sciences at Cal State Fullerton
University of California - Merced landed the #24 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Physical Sciences Major in California ranking. UC Merced is a medium-sized school located in Merced, California that handed out 92 ’s physical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full University of California - Merced Physical Sciences Report
Saddleback College ranked #25 on this year’s Most Well Attended Physical Sciences Major in California list. Mission Viejo, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s physical sciences degrees to 85 students in 2020-2021.
Read more about Physical Sciences at Saddleback College
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