2023 Best Value Colleges for Engineering & Applied Physics (Income $48-$75k) in California
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Ranked Colleges
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Degrees Awarded
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 “Best Value Applied Physics Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking is part of that endeavor.
In 2020-2021, 994 people earned their degree in engineering and applied physics, making the major the 448th most popular in the United States.
Across California, there were 91 engineering and applied physics graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Applied Physics Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking analyzed 4 colleges that offered a degree in engineering and applied physics. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great engineering and applied physics programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.
Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the engineering and applied physics program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
More Ways to Rank Engineering & Applied Physics Schools
Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Applied Physics Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.
In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest 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.
Best Value Applied Physics Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k
The colleges and universities below are the best for california applied physics students whose families make $48-$75k.
Top 4 Best Value Colleges for Engineering & Applied Physics (Income $48-$75k) in California
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Berkeley. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Applied Physics Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k. University of California - Berkeley is a large public school situated in Berkeley, California. It awarded 18 ’s applied physics degrees in 2020-2021.
UC Berkeley also made our “Best Engineering & Applied Physics Schools in California” list, coming in at #1. It costs about $13,423 for California Applied Physics students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of California - Berkeley.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%.
Full University of California - Berkeley Engineering & Applied Physics Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - San Diego. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Applied Physics Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k. La Jolla, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s applied physics degrees to 17 students in 2020-2021.
UCSD did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Engineering & Applied Physics Schools in California” list. It costs about $14,310 for California Applied Physics students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UCSD.
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 Engineering & Applied Physics at UCSD
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Santa Clara University. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Applied Physics Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. SCU is a private not-for-profit institution located in Santa Clara, California. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 6 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
SCU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Engineering & Applied Physics Schools in California” list. It costs about $29,618 for california applied physics students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend SCU.
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 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%.
Read more about Engineering & Applied Physics at SCU
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Point Loma Nazarene University. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Applied Physics Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. PLNU is a small school located in San Diego, California that handed out 6 ’s applied physics degrees in 2020-2021.
PLNU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Engineering & Applied Physics Schools in California” list. It costs about $27,354 for California Applied Physics students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend PLNU.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Engineering & Applied Physics at PLNU
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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
- *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees 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.
