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2023 Best Value Colleges for Physics in the Far Western US Region (With Aid)

33 Ranked Colleges
3,867 Degrees Awarded
$13,700 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking - to help you make that 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 Getting Aid” ranking looked at 33 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s 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. 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 Value Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid” list to help you make the college decision.

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. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.

Best Value Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Physics in the Far Western US Region (With Aid)

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 Getting Aid. This fairly large school is located in Stanford, California, and it awarded 85 ’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.

Stanford also took the #1 spot in our “Best Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Stanford University is $12,894 for Far Western US Region Physics students with aid.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. 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%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Full Stanford Physics Report

2

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Washington - Seattle Campus. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid. UW Seattle is a large school located in Seattle, Washington that handed out 262 ’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our far western us region physics students with aid list, UW Seattle has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. It costs about $12,017 for far western us region physics students with aid per year to attend UW Seattle.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%.

Full University of Washington - Seattle Campus Physics Report

3

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Los Angeles. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Los Angeles, California, this large public school awarded 15 degrees to qualified ’s physics students in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Los Angeles is $3,302 for far western us region physics students with aid.

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 California State University - Los Angeles Physics Report

4

Out of the 33 schools in the Best Value Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - San Diego landed the #4 spot on the list. This large school is located in La Jolla, California, and it awarded 82 ’s physics degrees 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 estimated yearly cost for UCSD is $15,240 for Far Western US Region Physics students with aid.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 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.

Read full report on Physics at University of California - San Diego

5

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Los Angeles. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid. Located in Los Angeles, California, this large public school awarded 123 diplomas to qualified ’s physics students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our far western us region physics students with aid list, UCLA has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UCLA is $15,023 for Far Western US Region Physics students with aid.

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%. 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 Physics at University of California - Los Angeles

6

University of California - Santa Barbara came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Santa Barbara, California, this large public school handed out 199 diplomas to qualified ’s physics students 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 $16,252 for Far Western US Region Physics students with aid per year to attend UCSB.

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 1.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full University of California - Santa Barbara Physics Report

7

California State University - Long Beach did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #7. Located in Long Beach, California, this large public school handed out 48 degrees to qualified ’s physics students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at CSULB, the school also landed the #15 spot in our “Best Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend CSULB is $10,054 for far western us region physics students with aid.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.4% 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 89%.

Read more about Physics at CSULB

8

University of California - Irvine came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. University of California - Irvine is a large school located in Irvine, California that handed out 122 ’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.

UC Irvine also took the #7 spot in our “Best Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Irvine is $12,209 for Far Western US Region Physics students with aid.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Physics at UC Irvine

9

California State University - Fullerton landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Best Value Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Fullerton, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s physics degrees to 35 students in 2020-2021.

Cal State Fullerton not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #19 on our “Best Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. It costs about $8,003 for far western us region physics students with aid per year to attend California State University - Fullerton.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. 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%.

Read more about Physics at Cal State Fullerton

10

University of California - Berkeley ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid list. University of California - Berkeley is a large school located in Berkeley, California that handed out 197 ’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Berkeley, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UC Berkeley is $16,032 for far western us region physics students with aid.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Physics at UC Berkeley

11

University of California - Davis did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #11. UC Davis is a large public school situated in Davis, California. It awarded 90 ’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.

UC Davis not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UC Davis is $15,768 for far western us region physics students with aid.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Physics at University of California - Davis

12

With a ranking of #12, University of California - Riverside did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid list. This large school is located in Riverside, California, and it awarded 83 ’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our far western us region physics students with aid list, UCR has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. It costs about $11,822 for Far Western US Region Physics students with aid per year to attend University of California - Riverside.

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 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Physics at University of California - Riverside

13

California State University - Northridge came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Northridge, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s physics degrees to 27 students in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend CSUN is $8,523 for Far Western US Region Physics students with aid.

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%.

Read more about Physics at California State University - Northridge

14
SDSU crest
San Diego State University
San Diego, California

San Diego State University came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. San Diego State University is a large school located in San Diego, California that handed out 18 ’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.

SDSU also took the #17 spot in our “Best Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend San Diego State University is $13,845 for far western us region physics students with aid.

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%.

Full SDSU Physics Report

15

With a ranking of #15, University of Nevada - Las Vegas did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Las Vegas, Nevada, this large public school awarded 18 diplomas to qualified ’s physics students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UNLV, the school also landed the #20 spot in our “Best Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. It costs about $10,993 for far western us region physics students with aid per year to attend University of Nevada - Las Vegas.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Physics at University of Nevada - Las Vegas

16

University of Nevada - Reno ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid list. UNR is a public institution located in Reno, Nevada. The school has a large population, and it awarded 32 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UNR, the school also landed the #11 spot in our “Best Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UNR is $14,930 for far western us region physics students with aid.

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 UNR

17
UO crest
University of Oregon
Eugene, Oregon

With a ranking of #17, University of Oregon did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid list. University of Oregon is a large public school situated in Eugene, Oregon. It awarded 65 ’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.

UO did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Oregon is $18,047 for Far Western US Region Physics students with aid.

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%.

Full UO Physics Report

18

University of California - Merced landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Best Value Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. University of California - Merced is located in Merced, California and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 26 ’s physics degrees to qualified students.

UC Merced also made our “Best Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #18. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Merced is $13,691 for far western us region physics students with aid.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%.

Full University of California - Merced Physics Report

19
Portland State University crest
Portland State University
Portland, Oregon

With a ranking of #19, Portland State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid list. Portland State University is a public institution located in Portland, Oregon. The school has a large population, and it awarded 27 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Portland State University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #22 on our “Best Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. It costs about $12,498 for Far Western US Region Physics students with aid per year to attend Portland State University.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.7% 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 full report on Physics at Portland State University

20

University of California - Santa Cruz landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Best Value Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. University of California - Santa Cruz is a fairly large school located in Santa Cruz, California that handed out 95 ’s physics degrees in 2020-2021.

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 $17,930 for far western us region physics students with aid.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Physics at UC Santa Cruz

21

California State Polytechnic University - Pomona came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. California State Polytechnic University - Pomona is located in Pomona, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 25 ’s physics degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Cal Poly Pomona, the school also landed 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 $14,304 for far western us region physics students with aid.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full California State Polytechnic University - Pomona Physics Report

22

California State University - Sacramento landed the #22 spot on the 2023 Best Value Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Sac State is a public institution located in Sacramento, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 23 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $11,178 for far western us region physics students with aid per year to attend Sac State.

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 full report on Physics at Sac State

23
Oregon State crest
Oregon State University
Corvallis, Oregon

With a ranking of #23, Oregon State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid list. Corvallis, Oregon is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s physics degrees to 48 students in 2020-2021.

Oregon State also made our “Best Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #16. The estimated yearly cost for Oregon State is $21,508 for Far Western US Region Physics students with aid.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.

Read full report on Physics at Oregon State

24

With a ranking of #24, California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid list. California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo is a public institution located in San Luis Obispo, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 37 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. It costs about $20,677 for Far Western US Region Physics students with aid per year to attend Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Physics at California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo

25
Wazzu crest
Washington State University
Pullman, Washington

Washington State University came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. 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 with aid list, Wazzu has also earned the #21 rank in our “Best Physics Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Washington State University is $15,300 for far western us region physics students with aid.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.3% 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 Wazzu Physics Report

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