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2023 Schools Highly Focused on Physics Major in the Far Western US Region

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Schools Highly Focused on Physics Major in the Far Western US Region

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Schools Highly Focused on Physics Major in the Far Western US Region” ranking - to help you make that decision.

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 the Far Western US region, there were 3,474 physics graduates with average earnings and debt of $41,477 and $18,294 respectively.

For this year’s “Schools Highly Focused on Physics Major in the Far Western US Region” ranking, we looked at 179 colleges that offer 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.

Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

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The physics school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Schools Highly Focused on Physics Major in the Far Western US Region”.

To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.

Schools Highly Focused on Physics Major in the Far Western US Region

The following schools top our list of the Best “Schools Highly Focused on Physics Major in the Far Western US Region”.

Top 25 Most Focused Colleges for Physics in the Far Western US Region

1

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California Institute of Technology. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Physics Major in the Far Western US Region list. Caltech is located in Pasadena, California and, has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 60 ’s physics degrees to qualified students.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 99%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The impressive undergraduate 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.

Full Caltech Physics Report

2
Reed crest
Reed College
Portland, Oregon

Out of the 179 schools in the Schools Highly Focused on Physics Major in the Far Western US Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Reed College landed the #2 spot on the list. Reed is a small school located in Portland, Oregon that handed out 11 ’s physics degrees in 2021-2022.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%. 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%.

Read full report on Physics at Reed

3
Harvey Mudd College crest
Harvey Mudd College
Claremont, California

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Harvey Mudd College. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Physics Major in the Far Western US Region list. Harvey Mudd College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Claremont, California. It awarded 20 ’s physics degrees in 2021-2022.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 98%. 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.

Full Harvey Mudd College Physics Report

4
Pomona crest
Pomona College
Claremont, California

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Pomona College. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Physics Major in the Far Western US Region list. This small school is located in Claremont, California, and it awarded 6 ’s physics degrees in 2021-2022.

With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read full report on Physics at Pomona College

5

Out of the 179 schools in the Schools Highly Focused on Physics Major in the Far Western US Region that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Santa Barbara landed the #5 spot on the list. University of California - Santa Barbara is a large public school situated in Santa Barbara, California. It awarded 194 ’s physics degrees in 2021-2022.

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 0.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full University of California - Santa Barbara Physics Report

6
CSM crest
College of San Mateo
San Mateo, California

With a ranking of #6, College of San Mateo did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Physics Major in the Far Western US Region list. San Mateo, California is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s physics degrees to 12 students in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.9% 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%.

Read full report on Physics at CSM

7
Whitman crest
Whitman College
Walla Walla, Washington

Whitman College came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Physics Major in the Far Western US Region ranking. Whitman College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Walla Walla, Washington. It awarded 6 ’s physics degrees in 2021-2022.

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

Read more about Physics at Whitman

8
Napa Valley College crest
Napa Valley College
Napa, California

Napa Valley College landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Physics Major in the Far Western US Region ranking. Located in Napa, California, this small public school awarded 20 degrees to qualified ’s physics students in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Physics at Napa Valley College

9
Whitworth crest
Whitworth University
Spokane, Washington

Whitworth University did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Physics Major in the Far Western US Region ranking, coming in at #9. Located in Spokane, Washington, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 16 diplomas to qualified ’s physics students 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%.

Full Whitworth University Physics Report

10

Willamette University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Physics Major in the Far Western US Region ranking. Willamette is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Salem, Oregon. It awarded 11 ’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%.

Read more about Physics at Willamette

11
Irvine Valley College crest
Irvine Valley College
Irvine, California

Irvine Valley College came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Physics Major in the Far Western US Region ranking. Irvine Valley College is a fairly large public school situated in Irvine, California. It awarded 112 ’s physics degrees in 2021-2022.

Read full report on Physics at Irvine Valley College

12
Stanford crest
Stanford University
Stanford, California

Stanford University did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Physics Major in the Far Western US Region ranking, coming in at #12. Located in Stanford, California, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 99 diplomas to qualified ’s physics students in 2021-2022.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 98%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.2% 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%.

Full Stanford University Physics Report

13
Cuyamaca College crest
Cuyamaca College
El Cajon, California

Cuyamaca College landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Physics Major in the Far Western US Region ranking. Located in El Cajon, California, this medium-sized public school awarded 13 diplomas to qualified ’s physics students in 2021-2022.

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%.

Read more about Physics at Cuyamaca College

14

University of Washington - Seattle Campus did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Physics Major in the Far Western US Region ranking, coming in at #14. Seattle, Washington is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s physics degrees to 209 students in 2021-2022.

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 undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Physics at University of Washington - Seattle Campus

15
Oxy crest
Occidental College
Los Angeles, California

Occidental College ranked #15 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Physics Major in the Far Western US Region list. Occidental College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 6 ’s physics degrees in 2021-2022.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%. 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. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.2% 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 Oxy

16

With a ranking of #16, University of California - Santa Cruz did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Physics Major in the Far Western US Region list. University of California - Santa Cruz is a fairly large school located in Santa Cruz, California that handed out 61 ’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 low undergrad 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%.

Read full report on Physics at UC Santa Cruz

17
Scripps crest
Scripps College
Claremont, California

With a ranking of #17, Scripps College did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Physics Major in the Far Western US Region list. Scripps College is located in Claremont, California and, has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 4 ’s physics degrees to qualified students.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Physics at Scripps College

18
GCC crest
Glendale Community College
Glendale, California

Glendale Community College landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Physics Major in the Far Western US Region ranking. Glendale Community College is a fairly large school located in Glendale, California that handed out 14 ’s physics degrees in 2021-2022.

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%.

Full GCC Physics Report

19
Puget Sound crest
University of Puget Sound
Tacoma, Washington

University of Puget Sound landed the #19 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Physics Major in the Far Western US Region ranking. University of Puget Sound is a small school located in Tacoma, Washington that handed out 6 ’s physics degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, 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 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. 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%.

Full University of Puget Sound Physics Report

20
Skyline College crest
Skyline College
San Bruno, California

Skyline College came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Physics Major in the Far Western US Region ranking. Skyline College is located in San Bruno, California and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 13 ’s physics degrees to qualified students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Physics at Skyline College

21
Norco College crest
Norco College
Norco, California

Norco College did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Physics Major in the Far Western US Region ranking, coming in at #21. Norco College is a medium-sized public school situated in Norco, California. It awarded 28 ’s physics degrees in 2021-2022.

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%.

Full Norco College Physics Report

22
Claremont McKenna crest
Claremont McKenna College
Claremont, California

Claremont McKenna College ranked #22 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Physics Major in the Far Western US Region list. Claremont McKenna is located in Claremont, California and, has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 6 ’s physics degrees to qualified students.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 98%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Claremont McKenna College Physics Report

23

University of California - Berkeley ranked #23 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Physics Major in the Far Western US Region list. University of California - Berkeley is a large school located in Berkeley, California that handed out 152 ’s physics degrees in 2021-2022.

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

Read more about Physics at UC Berkeley

24
Moorpark College crest
Moorpark College
Moorpark, California

With a ranking of #24, Moorpark College did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Physics Major in the Far Western US Region list. Moorpark, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s physics degrees to 50 students in 2021-2022.

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 Moorpark College

25
Pitzer crest
Pitzer College
Claremont, California

Pitzer College ranked #25 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Physics Major in the Far Western US Region list. Pitzer College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Claremont, California. It awarded 2 ’s physics degrees in 2021-2022.

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

Rest of the Best 27 in Schools Highly Focused on Physics Major in the Far Western US Region

Not only did these schools make the top 27 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

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