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2023 Best Value Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k

33 Ranked Colleges
3,867 Degrees Awarded
Best Value Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

In 2020-2021, 13,674 people earned their degree in physics, making the major the 68th most popular in the United States. In 2019-2020, physics graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $42,960 and had an average of $22,756 in loans still to pay off.

Across the Far Western US region, there were 3,867 physics graduates with average earnings and debt of $41,477 and $19,896 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking analyzed 33 colleges that offered a degree in physics. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great 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 physics program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

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Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

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. 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.

Best Value Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Physics (Income $48-$75k) in the Far Western US Region

1
Stanford crest
Stanford University
Stanford, California

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Stanford University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k. Stanford University is located in Stanford, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 85 ’s physics degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Stanford, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. It costs about $7,081 for Far Western US Region Physics students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Stanford.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The undergraduate 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. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.5% 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%.

Full Stanford Physics Report

2

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Washington - Seattle Campus. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. This large school is located in Seattle, Washington, and it awarded 262 ’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW Seattle, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UW Seattle is $8,393 for Far Western US Region 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 school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full UW Seattle Physics Report

3

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California Institute of Technology. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k. Caltech is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Pasadena, California. It awarded 52 ’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our far western us region physics students whose families make $48-$75k list, Caltech has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. It costs about $9,755 for Far Western US Region Physics students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Caltech.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 3 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read more about Physics at Caltech

4

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Berkeley. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k. Located in Berkeley, California, this large public school handed out 197 diplomas to qualified ’s physics students in 2020-2021.

UC Berkeley not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Berkeley is $13,423 for far western us region physics students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Physics at UC Berkeley

5

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Los Angeles. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Los Angeles, California, this large public school handed out 123 diplomas to qualified ’s physics students in 2020-2021.

UCLA also took the #4 spot in our “Best Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. It costs about $12,644 for Far Western US Region Physics students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UCLA.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Physics at University of California - Los Angeles

6

University of California - San Diego did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #6. La Jolla, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s physics degrees to 82 students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCSD, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of California - San Diego is $14,310 for Far Western US Region Physics students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Physics at University of California - San Diego

7

University of California - Irvine did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #7. UC Irvine is located in Irvine, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 122 ’s physics degrees to qualified students.

UC Irvine not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. It costs about $13,275 for far western us region physics students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of California - Irvine.

The low undergrad 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.

Full UC Irvine Physics Report

8

University of California - Santa Barbara ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. University of California - Santa Barbara is a large school located in Santa Barbara, California that handed out 199 ’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.

UCSB not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. It costs about $14,583 for far western us region physics students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UCSB.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.8% 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%.

Read more about Physics at University of California - Santa Barbara

9

With a ranking of #9, University of California - Davis did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Davis, California, this large public school awarded 90 degrees to qualified ’s physics students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Davis, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UC Davis is $14,193 for far western us region physics students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad 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%.

Read full report on Physics at University of California - Davis

10

With a ranking of #10, California State University - Los Angeles did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Cal State LA is a large public school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 15 ’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Cal State LA is $5,700 for Far Western US Region Physics students whose families make $48-$75k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Cal State LA Physics Report

11

California State University - Long Beach ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. CSULB is a public institution located in Long Beach, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 48 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

CSULB did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The yearly cost to attend CSULB is $11,189 for far western us region physics students whose families make $48-$75k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Physics at CSULB

12

California State University - Fullerton did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #12. This large school is located in Fullerton, California, and it awarded 35 ’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our far western us region physics students whose families make $48-$75k list, Cal State Fullerton has also earned the #19 rank in our “Best Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Fullerton is $9,017 for Far Western US Region Physics students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.5% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Physics at Cal State Fullerton

13

University of California - Riverside did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #13. Located in Riverside, California, this large public school handed out 83 diplomas to qualified ’s physics students in 2020-2021.

UCR also took the #13 spot in our “Best Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. It costs about $11,126 for far western us region physics students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of California - Riverside.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.3% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full UCR Physics Report

14

With a ranking of #14, University of Nevada - Reno did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. University of Nevada - Reno is a public institution located in Reno, Nevada. The school has a large population, and it awarded 32 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

UNR did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UNR is $15,106 for Far Western US Region Physics students whose families make $48-$75k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Physics at University of Nevada - Reno

15

University of California - Santa Cruz landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Best Value Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. University of California - Santa Cruz is located in Santa Cruz, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 95 ’s physics degrees to qualified students.

UC Santa Cruz also made our “Best Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #10. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Santa Cruz is $15,567 for Far Western US Region Physics students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low undergrad 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Physics at UC Santa Cruz

16

University of Nevada - Las Vegas ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. University of Nevada - Las Vegas is a large public school situated in Las Vegas, Nevada. It awarded 18 ’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our far western us region physics students whose families make $48-$75k list, UNLV has also earned the #20 rank in our “Best Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Nevada - Las Vegas is $11,929 for Far Western US Region Physics students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.9% 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%.

Full UNLV Physics Report

17
UO crest
University of Oregon
Eugene, Oregon

University of Oregon ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. UO is a large public school situated in Eugene, Oregon. It awarded 65 ’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our far western us region physics students whose families make $48-$75k list, UO has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UO is $16,014 for far western us region physics students whose families make $48-$75k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Physics at UO

18
SDSU crest
San Diego State University
San Diego, California

San Diego State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #18. Located in San Diego, California, this large public school handed out 18 diplomas to qualified ’s physics students in 2020-2021.

SDSU also took the #17 spot in our “Best Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for San Diego State University is $14,698 for far western us region physics students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Physics at San Diego State University

19

California State University - Northridge ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. This large school is located in Northridge, California, and it awarded 27 ’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend CSUN is $10,780 for far western us region physics students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.7% 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 California State University - Northridge Physics Report

20
Portland State University crest
Portland State University
Portland, Oregon

Portland State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #20. Portland State University is located in Portland, Oregon and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 27 ’s physics degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our far western us region physics students whose families make $48-$75k list, Portland State University has also earned the #22 rank in our “Best Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Portland State University is $12,964 for Far Western US Region Physics students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Physics at Portland State University

21

University of California - Merced ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. University of California - Merced is a medium-sized public school situated in Merced, California. It awarded 26 ’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.

UC Merced not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #18 on our “Best Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. It costs about $14,261 for far western us region physics students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of California - Merced.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad 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%.

Full UC Merced Physics Report

22

With a ranking of #22, California State University - Sacramento did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Sacramento, California, this large public school awarded 23 degrees to qualified ’s physics students in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Sac State is $12,602 for far western us region physics students whose families make $48-$75k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Physics at Sac State

23

California State Polytechnic University - Pomona came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. California State Polytechnic University - Pomona is a large school located in Pomona, California that handed out 25 ’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.

Cal Poly Pomona also took the #24 spot in our “Best Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California State Polytechnic University - Pomona is $15,958 for Far Western US Region Physics students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.6% 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 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full California State Polytechnic University - Pomona Physics Report

24
Wazzu crest
Washington State University
Pullman, Washington

Washington State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #24. Washington State University is a large public school situated in Pullman, Washington. It awarded 21 ’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our far western us region physics students whose families make $48-$75k list, Wazzu has also earned the #21 rank in our “Best Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. It costs about $14,233 for Far Western US Region Physics students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Washington State University.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Physics at Wazzu

25

California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo is a large school located in San Luis Obispo, California that handed out 37 ’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our far western us region physics students whose families make $48-$75k list, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo is $17,340 for far western us region 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 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 Physics at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo

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