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2023 Best Vallue Physics Schools in California For Those Making Over $110k

20 Ranked Colleges
3,224 Degrees Awarded
$27,300 Avg Net Price*
Best Vallue Physics Schools in California For Those Making Over $110k

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Vallue Physics Schools in California For Those Making Over $110k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

Physics is the 68th most popular major in the country with 13,674 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. 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 California, there were 3,224 physics graduates with average earnings and debt of $41,268 and $18,506 respectively.

This year’s “Best Vallue Physics Schools in California For Those Making Over $110k” ranking analyzed 20 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.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the physics program at the school. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

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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 Vallue Physics Schools in California For Those Making Over $110k” list to help you make the college decision.

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.

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Best Vallue Physics Schools in California For Those Making Over $110k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Vallue Physics Schools in California For Those Making Over $110k.

Top 20 Best Value Colleges for Physics (Income Over $110k) in California

1

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Long Beach. The school came in at #1 for the Best Vallue Physics Schools in California For Those Making Over $110k. CSULB is a large public school situated in Long Beach, California. It awarded 48 ’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our california physics students whose families make more than $110k list, CSULB has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Physics Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Long Beach is $10,054 for california physics students whose families make more than $110k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, 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 CSULB

2

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Los Angeles. The school came in at #2 for the Best Vallue Physics Schools in California For Those Making Over $110k. Cal State LA is a large public school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 15 ’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.

Cal State LA also took the #17 spot in our “Best Physics Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $3,302 for california physics students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend Cal State LA.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Physics at Cal State LA

3

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Fullerton. The school came in at #3 for the Best Vallue Physics Schools in California For Those Making Over $110k. Located in Fullerton, California, this large public school awarded 35 degrees to qualified ’s physics students in 2020-2021.

Cal State Fullerton also made our “Best Physics Schools in California” list, coming in at #15. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Fullerton is $8,003 for california physics students whose families make more than $110k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.5%, 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 89%.

Read more about Physics at California State University - Fullerton

4

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Los Angeles. The school came in at #4 for the Best Vallue Physics Schools in California For Those Making Over $110k. University of California - Los Angeles is a large school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 123 ’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.

UCLA not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Physics Schools in California” list. It costs about $15,023 for California Physics students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend UCLA.

The low undergrad 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%.

Full UCLA Physics Report

5

Out of the 20 schools in the Best Vallue Physics Schools in California For Those Making Over $110k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - San Diego landed the #5 spot on the list. UCSD is a public institution located in La Jolla, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 82 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our california physics students whose families make more than $110k list, UCSD has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Physics Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UCSD is $15,240 for california physics students whose families make more than $110k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.0% 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 University of California - San Diego Physics Report

6
SDSU crest
San Diego State University
San Diego, California

San Diego State University came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Vallue Physics Schools in California For Those Making Over $110k ranking. Located in San Diego, California, this large public school awarded 18 diplomas to qualified ’s physics students in 2020-2021.

SDSU also made our “Best Physics Schools in California” list, coming in at #13. It costs about $13,845 for California Physics students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend San Diego State University.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Physics at San Diego State University

7

University of California - Santa Barbara did quite well in the 2023 Best Vallue Physics Schools in California For Those Making Over $110k ranking, coming in at #7. University of California - Santa Barbara is a public institution located in Santa Barbara, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 199 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCSB, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Physics Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $16,252 for California Physics students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend University of California - Santa Barbara.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. 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 UCSB

8

University of California - Irvine landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Best Vallue Physics Schools in California For Those Making Over $110k ranking. Irvine, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s physics degrees to 122 students in 2020-2021.

UC Irvine also made our “Best Physics Schools in California” list, coming in at #6. It costs about $12,209 for california physics students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend University of California - Irvine.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, 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 94%.

Full UC Irvine Physics Report

9

University of California - Berkeley came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Vallue Physics Schools in California For Those Making Over $110k ranking. University of California - Berkeley is a large school located in Berkeley, California that handed out 197 ’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.

UC Berkeley also took the #2 spot in our “Best Physics Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Berkeley is $16,032 for California Physics students whose families make more than $110k.

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%. 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 full report on Physics at UC Berkeley

10

University of California - Davis ranked #10 on this year’s Best Vallue Physics Schools in California For Those Making Over $110k list. Located in Davis, California, this large public school handed out 90 diplomas to qualified ’s physics students in 2020-2021.

UC Davis also took the #7 spot in our “Best Physics Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UC Davis is $15,768 for California Physics students whose families make more than $110k.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Physics at University of California - Davis

11

California State Polytechnic University - Pomona did quite well in the 2023 Best Vallue Physics Schools in California For Those Making Over $110k ranking, coming in at #11. This large school is located in Pomona, California, and it awarded 25 ’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.

Cal Poly Pomona also took the #16 spot in our “Best Physics Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California State Polytechnic University - Pomona is $14,304 for California Physics students whose families make more than $110k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Physics at Cal Poly Pomona

12

California State University - Northridge ranked #12 on this year’s Best Vallue Physics Schools in California For Those Making Over $110k list. CSUN is a public institution located in Northridge, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 27 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our california physics students whose families make more than $110k list, CSUN has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best Physics Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Northridge is $8,523 for california physics students whose families make more than $110k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full California State University - Northridge Physics Report

13

With a ranking of #13, California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo did quite well on the 2023 Best Vallue Physics Schools in California For Those Making Over $110k list. San Luis Obispo, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s physics degrees to 37 students in 2020-2021.

Cal Poly San Luis Obispo also took the #10 spot in our “Best Physics Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo is $20,677 for California Physics students whose families make more than $110k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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 California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo

14

With a ranking of #14, California State University - Sacramento did quite well on the 2023 Best Vallue Physics Schools in California For Those Making Over $110k list. California State University - Sacramento is a large public school situated in Sacramento, California. It awarded 23 ’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.

Sac State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #19 on our “Best Physics Schools in California” list. It costs about $11,178 for California Physics students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend California State University - Sacramento.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Physics at Sac State

15

University of California - Riverside ranked #15 on this year’s Best Vallue Physics Schools in California For Those Making Over $110k list. This large school is located in Riverside, California, and it awarded 83 ’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.

UCR also made our “Best Physics Schools in California” list, coming in at #11. It costs about $11,822 for california physics students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend UCR.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Physics at UCR

16
Stanford crest
Stanford University
Stanford, California

Stanford University ranked #16 on this year’s Best Vallue Physics Schools in California For Those Making Over $110k list. Located in Stanford, California, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 85 diplomas to qualified ’s physics students in 2020-2021.

Stanford also took the #1 spot in our “Best Physics Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $12,894 for california physics students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend Stanford.

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

Read full report on Physics at Stanford

17

University of California - Santa Cruz landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Best Vallue Physics Schools in California For Those Making Over $110k ranking. UC 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 not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best Physics Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Santa Cruz is $17,930 for California Physics students whose families make more than $110k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Physics at UC Santa Cruz

18
Humboldt State University crest
Humboldt State University
Arcata, California

Humboldt State University came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Vallue Physics Schools in California For Those Making Over $110k ranking. Arcata, California is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s physics degrees to 10 students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our california physics students whose families make more than $110k list, Humboldt State University has also earned the #20 rank in our “Best Physics Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Humboldt State University is $14,956 for california physics students whose families make more than $110k.

Read full report on Physics at Humboldt State University

19

University of California - Merced ranked #19 on this year’s Best Vallue Physics Schools in California For Those Making Over $110k list. UC Merced is a medium-sized public school situated in Merced, California. It awarded 26 ’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.

UC Merced did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best Physics Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Merced is $13,691 for California Physics students whose families make more than $110k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.8%, 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 86%.

Full UC Merced Physics Report

20

California Institute of Technology came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Vallue Physics Schools in California For Those Making Over $110k ranking. Located in Pasadena, California, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 52 diplomas to qualified ’s physics students in 2020-2021.

Caltech also took the #8 spot in our “Best Physics Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Caltech is $26,542 for california physics students whose families make more than $110k.

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

Read more about Physics at California Institute of Technology

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