College Factual  by our College Data Analytics Team
       Unbiased Factual Guarantee

2023 Most Focused Colleges for Engineering & Applied Physics in California

12 Ranked Colleges
$40,100 Avg Cost*
Schools Highly Focused on Applied Physics Major in California

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Schools Highly Focused on Applied Physics Major in California” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

Engineering & Applied Physics is the 448th most popular major in the country with 1,044 degrees awarded in 2021-2022.

Across California, there were 87 engineering & applied physics graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.

This year’s “Schools Highly Focused on Applied Physics Major in California” ranking analyzed 12 colleges that offered a degree in engineering & applied physics. This a ranking of the schools where the largest percentage of students has enrolled in engineering & applied physics.

Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

More Ways to Rank Engineering & Applied Physics Schools

Rankings by Degree Other Award Levels
Rankings by Location Check Out Other Locales
More Applied Physics Rankings Other Ranking Categories

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 Applied Physics Major in California” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. 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.

Schools Highly Focused on Applied Physics Major in California

The colleges and universities below are the best for california applied physics students.

Top 12 Most Focused Colleges for Engineering & Applied Physics in California

1

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California Institute of Technology. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Applied Physics Major in California list. This small school is located in Pasadena, California, and it awarded 30 ’s applied physics degrees in 2021-2022.

With a freshman retention rate of 99%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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.

Full Caltech Engineering & Applied Physics Report

2
Westmont crest
Westmont College
Santa Barbara, California

Out of the 12 schools in the Schools Highly Focused on Applied Physics Major in California that were part of this year’s ranking, Westmont College landed the #2 spot on the list. Westmont is a private not-for-profit institution located in Santa Barbara, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 1 ’s degrees in 2021-2022.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. 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%. 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 Westmont Engineering & Applied Physics Report

3
Whittier crest
Whittier College
Whittier, California

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Whittier College. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Applied Physics Major in California list. Whittier, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s applied physics degrees to 1 students in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% 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 Whittier Engineering & Applied Physics Report

4
Biola crest
Biola University
La Mirada, California

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Biola University. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Applied Physics Major in California list. Located in La Mirada, California, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school awarded 15 degrees to qualified ’s applied physics students in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, 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 88%.

Read more about Engineering & Applied Physics at Biola

5
PLNU crest
Point Loma Nazarene University
San Diego, California

Out of the 12 schools in the Schools Highly Focused on Applied Physics Major in California that were part of this year’s ranking, Point Loma Nazarene University landed the #5 spot on the list. Point Loma Nazarene University is located in San Diego, California and, has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 5 ’s applied physics degrees to qualified students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Engineering & Applied Physics at Point Loma Nazarene University

6
SCU crest
Santa Clara University
Santa Clara, California

Santa Clara University did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Applied Physics Major in California ranking, coming in at #6. SCU is located in Santa Clara, California and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 2 ’s applied physics degrees to qualified students.

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 0.3% 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 Santa Clara University

7
Pacific crest
University of the Pacific
Stockton, California

University of the Pacific landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Applied Physics Major in California ranking. University of the Pacific is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Stockton, California. It awarded 3 ’s applied physics 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%.

Read full report on Engineering & Applied Physics at Pacific

8

University of California - San Diego did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Applied Physics Major in California ranking, coming in at #8. La Jolla, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s applied physics degrees to 18 students in 2021-2022.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%.

Read more about Engineering & Applied Physics at University of California - San Diego

9

University of California - Berkeley did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Applied Physics Major in California ranking, coming in at #9. Berkeley, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s applied physics degrees to 12 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 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Engineering & Applied Physics at UC Berkeley

10
Naval Postgraduate School crest
Naval Postgraduate School
Monterey, California

Naval Postgraduate School ranked #10 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Applied Physics Major in California list. Naval Postgraduate School is a small school located in Monterey, California that handed out 0 ’s applied physics degrees in 2021-2022.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read full report on Engineering & Applied Physics at Naval Postgraduate School

11

University of California - Davis landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Applied Physics Major in California ranking. Located in Davis, California, this large public school handed out 0 diplomas to qualified ’s applied physics students in 2021-2022.

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 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full UC Davis Engineering & Applied Physics Report

11
Loyola Marymount crest
Loyola Marymount University
Los Angeles, California

Loyola Marymount University ranked #11 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Applied Physics Major in California list. Loyola Marymount University is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 0 ’s applied physics degrees to qualified students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.9% 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 Engineering & Applied Physics at Loyola Marymount

Notes and References

References

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

Credits

Popular Reports

College Rankings
Best by Location
Degree Guides by Major
Graduate Programs

Compare Your School Options