2025 Best Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region
33
Colleges in the Far Western US Region
3,474
Physics Degrees Awarded
$52,956
Avg Early-Career Salary
If you plan on majoring in
physics, you won't be alone since the degree program is ranked #68 in the country in terms of popularity. So, you have a fair amount of options to choose from when looking for a school.
In 2025, College Factual analyzed 33 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 3,474 degrees in physics to qualified students.
Jump to one of the following sections: * Degree-Level Rankings
Choosing a Great Physics School
Your choice of physics school matters, so we have put together these rankings to help you make your decision. In order to come up with a best overall ranking for physics schools, we combine our degree-level rankings, weighting them by the number of degrees awarded at each level.
You may want to choose one of the degree levels below to find the schools of most interest to you.
Physics Rankings by Degree Level
Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we've developed a number of rankings, including this Best Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region list, to help you choose the best school for you.
More interested in schools in a specific area of the country? Filter this list by region or state.
To further help you make the college decision, we've developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you.
Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.
Read more about College Factual's methodology.
Best Schools for Physics in the Far Western US Region
If you aren't interested in a particular degree level and want to know which schools are the overall best at delivering an education for the physics degrees they offer, see the list below.
10 Top Far Western US Region Schools in Physics
It's difficult to beat University of California - Berkeley if you want to pursue a degree in physics. UC Berkeley is a fairly large public university located in the midsize city of Berkeley. A Best Colleges rank of #14 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means UC Berkeley is a great university overall.
There were approximately 152 physics students who graduated with this degree at UC Berkeley in the most recent data year. Those physics students who get their degree from University of California - Berkeley make $10,805 more than the typical physics graduate.
More information about a degree in physics from University of California - Berkeley
It's difficult to beat University of California - San Diego if you want to pursue a degree in physics. UCSD is a very large public university located in the city of La Jolla. A Best Colleges rank of #49 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means UCSD is a great university overall.
There were roughly 71 physics students who graduated with this degree at UCSD in the most recent year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the physics program state that they receive average early career earnings of $48,951.
More information about a degree in physics from University of California - San Diego
University of California - Irvine is a good decision for students pursuing a degree in physics. UC Irvine is a very large public university located in the city of Irvine. A Best Colleges rank of #73 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means UC Irvine is a great university overall.
There were roughly 121 physics students who graduated with this degree at UC Irvine in the most recent data year. Students who receive their degree from the physics program earn an average of $43,144 for their early career.
More information about a degree in physics from University of California - Irvine
It is hard to beat University of California - Santa Barbara if you want to pursue a degree in physics. Located in the suburb of Santa Barbara, UCSB is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #47 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means UCSB is a great university overall.
There were roughly 194 physics students who graduated with this degree at UCSB in the most recent year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the physics program state that they receive average early career income of $53,597.
More information about a degree in physics from University of California - Santa Barbara
Doctor's Degree
Highest Degree Type
7th
Most Popular In CA
97
Physics Degrees Awarded
Located in the suburb of Davis, UC Davis is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #55 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means UC Davis is a great university overall.
There were about 97 physics students who graduated with this degree at UC Davis in the most recent data year.
More information about a degree in physics from University of California - Davis
Located in the large city of Los Angeles, UCLA is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #28 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means UCLA is a great university overall.
There were roughly 119 physics students who graduated with this degree at UCLA in the most recent data year. Those physics students who get their degree from University of California - Los Angeles earn $9,789 more than the standard physics grad.
More information about a degree in physics from University of California - Los Angeles
Located in the large city of Seattle, UW Seattle is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #44 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means UW Seattle is a great university overall.
There were about 209 physics students who graduated with this degree at UW Seattle in the most recent year we have data available. After graduating, physics degree recipients typically make about $41,474 at the beginning of their careers.
More information about a degree in physics from University of Washington - Seattle Campus
Bachelor's Degree
Highest Degree Type
20th
Most Popular In CA
51
Physics Degrees Awarded
Located in the suburb of San Luis Obispo, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #165 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is a great university overall.
There were roughly 51 physics students who graduated with this degree at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo in the most recent data year.
More information about a degree in physics from California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo
Whitworth is a small private not-for-profit university located in the large suburb of Spokane. This university ranks 18th out of 50 schools for overall quality in the state of Washington.
There were about 16 physics students who graduated with this degree at Whitworth in the most recent year we have data available.
More information about a degree in physics from Whitworth University
UC Santa Cruz is a large public university located in the city of Santa Cruz. A Best Colleges rank of #91 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means UC Santa Cruz is a great university overall.
There were approximately 61 physics students who graduated with this degree at UC Santa Cruz in the most recent year we have data available. After graduating, physics degree recipients usually make around $37,859 in the first five years of their career.
More information about a degree in physics from University of California - Santa Cruz
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