2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Physics (Income $48-$75k) in California
It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.
In 2019-2020, 14,123 people earned their degree in physics, making the major the 67th most popular in the United States. In 2017-2018, physics graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $42,475 and had an average of $22,421 in loans still to pay off.
Across California, there were 3,131 physics graduates with average earnings and debt of $34,486 and $19,317 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,177 physics graduates with average earnings and debt of $37,907 and $21,546 respectively.
For this year’s “Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking, we looked at 30 colleges that offer a degree in physics. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality physics programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.
When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the physics program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.
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When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k” list to help you make the college decision.
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Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k.
Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Physics (Income $48-$75k) in California
Out of the 30 schools in the Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, Stanford University landed the #1 spot on the list. This fairly large school is located in Stanford, California, and it awarded 18 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.
Stanford also took the #2 spot in our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Stanford University is $1,959 for california bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $48-$75k.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The 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. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
Out of the 30 schools in the Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, California Institute of Technology landed the #2 spot on the list. This small school is located in Pasadena, California, and it awarded 34 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.
Caltech also made our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #1. The estimated yearly cost for California Institute of Technology is $8,042 for california bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $48-$75k.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 3 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Berkeley. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k. University of California - Berkeley is a large school located in Berkeley, California that handed out 135 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.
UC Berkeley also made our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #3. The estimated yearly cost for UC Berkeley is $13,081 for california bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $48-$75k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. The low 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%.
Out of the 30 schools in the Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Los Angeles landed the #4 spot on the list. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s physics degrees to 64 students in 2019-2020.
UCLA did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for UCLA is $13,081 for california bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $48-$75k.
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 school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Physics at University of California - Los Angeles
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Riverside. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k. University of California - Riverside is a public institution located in Riverside, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 38 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
UCR did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $12,290 for california bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UCR.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
Read more about Physics at University of California - Riverside
University of California - Santa Barbara ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. UCSB is a public institution located in Santa Barbara, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 161 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $48-$75k list, UCSB has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $15,343 for California Bachelor’s Degree Physics students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UCSB.
The low 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Physics at University of California - Santa Barbara
California State University - Los Angeles came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. California State University - Los Angeles is a public institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 16 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Cal State LA not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #23 on our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Los Angeles is $5,644 for California Bachelor’s Degree Physics students whose families make $48-$75k.
The low student loan default rate of 1.4% 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%.
Read full report on Physics at California State University - Los Angeles
California State University - Fullerton came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in Fullerton, California, this large public school handed out 19 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s physics students in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $48-$75k list, Cal State Fullerton has also earned the #16 rank in our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $9,427 for California Bachelor’s Degree Physics students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend California State University - Fullerton.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.7%, 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 students.
California State University - Long Beach landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Long Beach, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s physics degrees to 53 students in 2019-2020.
CSULB also took the #13 spot in our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Long Beach is $10,807 for california bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $48-$75k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The low 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%.
University of California - San Diego landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. UCSD is located in La Jolla, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 78 bachelors’s physics degrees to qualified students.
UCSD not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - San Diego is $14,071 for california bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $48-$75k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
University of California - Davis did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #11. UC Davis is a large public school situated in Davis, California. It awarded 46 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.
UC Davis also took the #8 spot in our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UC Davis is $13,578 for california bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $48-$75k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The low student loan default rate of 1.9% 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%.
University of California - Irvine landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. University of California - Irvine is located in Irvine, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 55 bachelors’s physics degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $48-$75k list, UC Irvine has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Irvine is $13,648 for california bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $48-$75k.
The low student loan default rate of 1.3% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
California State University - Dominguez Hills landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. CSUDH is a fairly large public school situated in Carson, California. It awarded 4 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $6,907 for California Bachelor’s Degree Physics students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend CSUDH.
The student loan default rate at the school is 2.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Physics at California State University - Dominguez Hills
California State University - Bakersfield did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #14. CSUB is a public institution located in Bakersfield, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 5 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
CSUB also took the #24 spot in our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Bakersfield is $7,564 for california bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $48-$75k.
With a ranking of #15, California State University - Sacramento did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Sacramento, California, this large public school awarded 16 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s physics students in 2019-2020.
Sac State also took the #19 spot in our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $11,413 for california bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Sac State.
The student loan default rate at the school is 4.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Physics at California State University - Sacramento
California State University - San Marcos did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #16. CSUSM is a public institution located in San Marcos, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 17 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
CSUSM not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $14,582 for california bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend California State University - San Marcos.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full California State University - San Marcos Physics Report
University of California - Santa Cruz landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. UC Santa Cruz is located in Santa Cruz, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 43 bachelors’s physics degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $48-$75k list, UC Santa Cruz has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $15,253 for California Bachelor’s Degree Physics students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UC Santa Cruz.
The low 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.
With a ranking of #18, California State University - San Bernardino did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. CSUSB is a fairly large public school situated in San Bernardino, California. It awarded 15 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.
CSUSB not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #25 on our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - San Bernardino is $8,924 for california bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $48-$75k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.
Full California State University - San Bernardino Physics Report
California State University - Stanislaus landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in Turlock, California, this fairly large public school awarded 11 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s physics students in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Stanislaus is $7,772 for california bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $48-$75k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The low student loan default rate of 4.3% 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%.
Full California State University - Stanislaus Physics Report
With a ranking of #20, San Diego State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. SDSU is located in San Diego, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 8 bachelors’s physics degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at SDSU, the school also landed the #18 spot in our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $14,730 for california bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend SDSU.
The low student loan default rate of 2.8% 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 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is a large school located in San Luis Obispo, California that handed out 38 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo is $19,407 for california bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $48-$75k.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.1%, 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 94%.
California State Polytechnic University - Pomona ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Pomona, California, this large public school handed out 39 degrees to qualified bachelors’s physics students in 2019-2020.
Cal Poly Pomona also took the #15 spot in our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $14,012 for california bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend California State Polytechnic University - Pomona.
The low 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
California State University - Fresno came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in Fresno, California, this large public school handed out 6 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s physics students in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for Fresno State is $7,549 for california bachelor’s degree physics students whose families make $48-$75k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 4.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
University of California - Merced did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #24. Merced, California is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s physics degrees to 8 students in 2019-2020.
UC Merced also made our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #21. It costs about $14,922 for California Bachelor’s Degree Physics students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UC Merced.
The low 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.
California State University - Channel Islands did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Physics Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #25. California State University - Channel Islands is a medium-sized school located in Camarillo, California that handed out 13 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2019-2020.
CSUCI also made our “Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #17. It costs about $15,108 for California Bachelor’s Degree Physics students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend CSUCI.
The student loan default rate at the school is 2.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Physics at California State University - Channel Islands
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- Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Physics (Income $48-$75k)
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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
Footnotes
- *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 A. T. Service.
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