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2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Physics Major in California

58 Ranked Colleges
1,139 Degrees Awarded
$38,153 Avg Salary
Schools for a Bachelor's Highly Focused on Physics Major in California

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Physics Major in California” ranking is part of that endeavor.

In 2021-2022, 13,447 people earned their degree in physics, making the major the 68th most popular in the United States. In , physics graduates who were awarded their degree in , earned an average of $42,912 and had an average of $22,477 in loans still to pay off.

Across California, there were 2,939 physics graduates with average earnings and debt of $41,268 and $17,323 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,139 physics graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,904 and $19,503 respectively.

This year’s “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Physics Major in California” ranking analyzed 58 colleges that offered a degree in physics. The colleges and universities that top this list are recognized because their physics program is one of the largest majors offered at the school.

For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

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Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Physics Major in California

The following schools top our list of the Best “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Physics Major in California”.

Top 25 Most Focused Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Physics in California

1
Harvey Mudd College crest
Harvey Mudd College
Claremont, California

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Harvey Mudd College. The school came in at #1 for the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Physics Major in California. Harvey Mudd College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Claremont, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 20 bachelors’s degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 98%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Full Harvey Mudd College Physics Report

2

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California Institute of Technology. The school came in at #2 for the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Physics Major in California. Located in Pasadena, California, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 27 degrees to qualified bachelors’s physics students in 2021-2022.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 99%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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 full report on Physics at Caltech

3
Pomona crest
Pomona College
Claremont, California

Out of the 58 schools in the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Physics Major in California that were part of this year’s ranking, Pomona College landed the #3 spot on the list. This small school is located in Claremont, California, and it awarded 6 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2021-2022.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. 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 Pomona College

4

Out of the 58 schools in the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Physics Major in California that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Santa Barbara landed the #4 spot on the list. This large school is located in Santa Barbara, California, and it awarded 161 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2021-2022.

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%. 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 full report on Physics at University of California - Santa Barbara

5
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Occidental College
Los Angeles, California

Out of the 58 schools in the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Physics Major in California that were part of this year’s ranking, Occidental College landed the #5 spot on the list. Occidental College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 6 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full Occidental College Physics Report

6
Scripps crest
Scripps College
Claremont, California

Scripps College did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Physics Major in California ranking, coming in at #6. Claremont, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s physics degrees to 4 students in 2021-2022.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read more about Physics at Scripps

7
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Claremont McKenna College
Claremont, California

Claremont McKenna College came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Physics Major in California ranking. This small school is located in Claremont, California, and it awarded 6 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2021-2022.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 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 98%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Physics at Claremont McKenna College

8
Pitzer crest
Pitzer College
Claremont, California

Pitzer College landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Physics Major in California ranking. Located in Claremont, California, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 2 degrees to qualified bachelors’s physics students in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.8% 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 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Physics at Pitzer College

9

University of California - Santa Cruz ranked #9 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Physics Major in California list. University of California - Santa Cruz is a fairly large school located in Santa Cruz, California that handed out 44 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2021-2022.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Physics at UC Santa Cruz

10

University of California - Merced did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Physics Major in California ranking, coming in at #10. University of California - Merced is a medium-sized school located in Merced, California that handed out 17 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full University of California - Merced Physics Report

11
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Whittier College
Whittier, California

Whittier College did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Physics Major in California ranking, coming in at #11. Whittier College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Whittier, California. It awarded 5 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad 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%.

Full Whittier Physics Report

12

University of California - Berkeley ranked #12 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Physics Major in California list. University of California - Berkeley is located in Berkeley, California and, has a large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 99 bachelors’s physics degrees to qualified students.

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 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 University of California - Berkeley Physics Report

13
Westmont crest
Westmont College
Santa Barbara, California

Westmont College landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Physics Major in California ranking. Westmont is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Santa Barbara, California. It awarded 2 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.

Read full report on Physics at Westmont

14

University of California - Irvine landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Physics Major in California ranking. UC Irvine is located in Irvine, California and, has a large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 89 bachelors’s physics degrees to qualified students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full UC Irvine Physics Report

15

University of California - Riverside did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Physics Major in California ranking, coming in at #15. Located in Riverside, California, this large public school handed out 42 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s physics students in 2021-2022.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.8% 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 - Riverside

16

California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo ranked #16 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Physics Major in California list. San Luis Obispo, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s physics degrees to 51 students in 2021-2022.

With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Physics at California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo

17
Stanford crest
Stanford University
Stanford, California

Stanford University landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Physics Major in California ranking. Stanford is a private not-for-profit institution located in Stanford, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 27 bachelors’s degrees in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. With a freshman retention rate of 98%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Physics at Stanford

18
SSU crest
Sonoma State University
Rohnert Park, California

Sonoma State University ranked #18 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Physics Major in California list. Sonoma State University is a public institution located in Rohnert Park, California. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 8 bachelors’s degrees in 2021-2022.

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%.

Read more about Physics at SSU

19

University of California - Los Angeles came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Physics Major in California ranking. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s physics degrees to 77 students in 2021-2022.

With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.

Read full report on Physics at UCLA

20
Humboldt State University crest
Humboldt State University
Arcata, California

With a ranking of #20, Humboldt State University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Physics Major in California list. Humboldt State University is a public institution located in Arcata, California. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 14 bachelors’s degrees in 2021-2022.

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%.

Read more about Physics at Humboldt State University

21

With a ranking of #21, University of California - San Diego did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Physics Major in California list. University of California - San Diego is a large public school situated in La Jolla, California. It awarded 53 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.6% 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 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Physics at UCSD

22

University of California - Davis did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Physics Major in California ranking, coming in at #22. UC Davis is a large school located in Davis, California that handed out 58 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 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 - Davis

23

California State University - Chico did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Physics Major in California ranking, coming in at #23. Chico State is located in Chico, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 4 bachelors’s physics degrees to qualified students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.2% 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 Chico State

24
CLU crest
California Lutheran University
Thousand Oaks, California

California Lutheran University ranked #24 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Physics Major in California list. California Lutheran University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Thousand Oaks, California. It awarded 8 bachelors’s physics degrees in 2021-2022.

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%.

Full California Lutheran University Physics Report

25
Loyola Marymount crest
Loyola Marymount University
Los Angeles, California

With a ranking of #25, Loyola Marymount University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Physics Major in California list. Loyola Marymount University is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 7 bachelors’s physics degrees to qualified students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.9% 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 Loyola Marymount University Physics Report

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