by our College Data Analytics TeamCollege Factual looked at 21 colleges and universities when compiling its 2024 Best Physical Sciences Bachelor's Degree Schools in California ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 3,929 bachelor's degrees in physical sciences to qualified students.
What's on this page: * Our Methodology
Your choice of physical sciences for getting your bachelor's degree school matters. This section explores some of the factors we include in our ranking and how much they vary depending on the school you select. To make it into this list, a school must excel in the following areas.
The overall quality of a bachelor's degree school is important to ensure a quality education, not just how well they do in a particular major. To account for this we consider a school's overall Best Colleges ranking which itself looks at a combination of different factors like degree completion, educational resources, student body caliber and post-graduation earnings for the school as a whole.
One measure we use to determine the quality of a school is to look at the average salary of bachelor's graduates during the early years of their career. That is, everyone wants their bachelor's degree to be worth something, and salaries are one measure of determining that.
The metrics below are just some of the other metrics that we use to determine our rankings.
Our full ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best colleges for physical sciences students working on their bachelor's degree.
The physical sciences school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we've developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of the Best Physical Sciences Bachelor's Degree Schools in California.
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. 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.
Learn about the top ranked colleges and universities for physical sciences students seeking a a bachelor's degree.
Stanford University is one of the finest schools in the country for getting a bachelor's degree in physical sciences. Located in the suburb of Stanford, Stanford is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in physical sciences from Stanford University
It is difficult to beat University of California - Berkeley if you want to pursue a bachelor's degree in physical sciences. Located in the medium-sized city of Berkeley, UC Berkeley is a public university with a fairly large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in physical sciences from University of California - Berkeley
It's hard to beat University of California - San Diego if you want to pursue a bachelor's degree in physical sciences. Located in the large city of La Jolla, UCSD is a public university with a very large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in physical sciences from University of California - San Diego
Any student who is interested in a bachelor's degree in physical sciences needs to check out University of California - Santa Barbara. UCSB is a very large public university located in the medium-sized suburb of Santa Barbara.More information about a bachelor’s in physical sciences from University of California - Santa Barbara
UCLA is a very large public university located in the city of Los Angeles.More information about a bachelor’s in physical sciences from University of California - Los Angeles
Located in the large city of Irvine, UC Irvine is a public university with a fairly large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in physical sciences from University of California - Irvine
UC Davis is a fairly large public university located in the suburb of Davis.More information about a bachelor’s in physical sciences from University of California - Davis
Located in the city of Pasadena, Caltech is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.More information about a bachelor’s in physical sciences from California Institute of Technology
Located in the city of San Diego, SDSU is a public university with a fairly large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in physical sciences from San Diego State University
Located in the city of Santa Cruz, UC Santa Cruz is a public university with a large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in physical sciences from University of California - Santa Cruz
Explore all the Best Physical Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Area or other specific states within that region.
| State | Colleges | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|---|
| Washington | 34 | 955 |
| Hawaii | 30 | 60 |
| Oregon | 30 | 388 |
| Nevada | 30 | 131 |
| Alaska | 29 | 29 |
| Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Chemistry | 1,830 |
| Physics | 1,225 |
| Geological & Earth Sciences | 585 |
| Astronomy & Astrophysics | 161 |
| Atmospheric Sciences & Meteorology | 46 |
| Materials Sciences | 41 |
| General Physical Sciences | 27 |
| Other Physical Science | 14 |
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Biological & Biomedical Sciences | 16,507 |
| Engineering | 15,173 |
| Mathematics & Statistics | 5,295 |
| Natural Resources & Conservation | 3,190 |
| Agriculture & Agriculture Operations | 2,055 |
| Architecture & Related Services | 1,259 |
| Engineering Technologies | 1,111 |
| Science Technologies / Technicians | 25 |
| Military Technologies & Applied Sciences | 10 |
