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2023 Most Focused Colleges for Physics in California

147 Ranked Colleges
$37,200 Avg Cost*
Schools Highly Focused on Physics Major in California

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Schools Highly Focused on Physics Major in California” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

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.

This year’s “Schools Highly Focused on Physics Major in California” ranking looked at 147 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s 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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Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Schools Highly Focused on Physics Major in California” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

Schools Highly Focused on Physics Major in California

The colleges and universities below are the best for california physics students.

Top 25 Most Focused Colleges for Physics in California

1

Out of the 147 schools in the Schools Highly Focused on Physics Major in California that were part of this year’s ranking, California Institute of Technology landed the #1 spot on the list. This small school is located in Pasadena, California, and it awarded 60 ’s physics degrees in 2021-2022.

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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 99%.

Read full report on Physics at California Institute of Technology

2
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 #2 for the Schools Highly Focused on Physics Major in California. This small school is located in Claremont, California, and it awarded 20 ’s physics 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. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read more about Physics at Harvey Mudd College

3
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Pomona College
Claremont, California

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Pomona College. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Physics Major in California list. Located in Claremont, California, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 6 degrees to qualified ’s physics students 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.

Full Pomona College Physics Report

4

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Santa Barbara. The school came in at #4 for the Schools Highly Focused on Physics Major in California. UCSB is a large school located in Santa Barbara, California that handed out 194 ’s physics degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Physics at UCSB

5
CSM crest
College of San Mateo
San Mateo, California

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend College of San Mateo. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Physics Major in California list. Located in San Mateo, California, this medium-sized public school handed out 12 degrees to qualified ’s physics students in 2021-2022.

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%.

Full College of San Mateo Physics Report

6
Napa Valley College crest
Napa Valley College
Napa, California

Napa Valley College did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Physics Major in California ranking, coming in at #6. Napa Valley College is a small school located in Napa, California that handed out 20 ’s physics degrees 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%.

Full Napa Valley College Physics Report

7
Irvine Valley College crest
Irvine Valley College
Irvine, California

Irvine Valley College ranked #7 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Physics Major in California list. This fairly large school is located in Irvine, California, and it awarded 112 ’s physics degrees in 2021-2022.

Read more about Physics at Irvine Valley College

8
Stanford crest
Stanford University
Stanford, California

Stanford University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Physics Major in California ranking. Stanford, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s physics degrees to 99 students in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. With a freshman retention rate of 98%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Physics at Stanford

9
Cuyamaca College crest
Cuyamaca College
El Cajon, California

Cuyamaca College ranked #9 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Physics Major in California list. Cuyamaca College is a medium-sized public school situated in El Cajon, California. It awarded 13 ’s physics degrees in 2021-2022.

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%.

Full Cuyamaca College Physics Report

10
Oxy crest
Occidental College
Los Angeles, California

Occidental College did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Physics Major in California ranking, coming in at #10. Oxy is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 6 ’s physics degrees to qualified students.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, 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.

Read full report on Physics at Oxy

11

With a ranking of #11, University of California - Santa Cruz did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Physics Major in California list. This fairly large school is located in Santa Cruz, California, and it awarded 61 ’s physics degrees in 2021-2022.

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 school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Physics at University of California - Santa Cruz

12
Scripps crest
Scripps College
Claremont, California

Scripps College came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Physics Major in California ranking. Scripps is a small school located in Claremont, California that handed out 4 ’s physics degrees in 2021-2022.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 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 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Physics at Scripps

13
GCC crest
Glendale Community College
Glendale, California

Glendale Community College landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Physics Major in California ranking. This fairly large school is located in Glendale, California, and it awarded 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 Glendale Community College Physics Report

14
Skyline College crest
Skyline College
San Bruno, California

Skyline College ranked #14 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Physics Major in California list. This medium-sized school is located in San Bruno, California, and it awarded 13 ’s physics degrees in 2021-2022.

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%.

Full Skyline College Physics Report

15
Norco College crest
Norco College
Norco, California

Norco College landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Physics Major in California ranking. Norco College is a medium-sized school located in Norco, California that handed out 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

16
Claremont McKenna crest
Claremont McKenna College
Claremont, California

Claremont McKenna College landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Physics Major in California ranking. Claremont McKenna College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Claremont, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 6 ’s 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 more about Physics at Claremont McKenna College

17

University of California - Berkeley landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Physics Major in California ranking. University of California - Berkeley is a public institution located in Berkeley, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 152 ’s degrees in 2021-2022.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full University of California - Berkeley Physics Report

18
Moorpark College crest
Moorpark College
Moorpark, California

With a ranking of #18, Moorpark College did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Physics Major in California list. This fairly large school is located in Moorpark, California, and it awarded 50 ’s physics degrees 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 more about Physics at Moorpark College

19
Pitzer crest
Pitzer College
Claremont, California

Pitzer College landed the #19 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Physics Major in California ranking. Pitzer is located in Claremont, California and, has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 2 ’s physics degrees to qualified students.

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 0.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Physics at Pitzer College

20

University of California - Merced ranked #20 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Physics Major in California list. This medium-sized school is located in Merced, California, and it awarded 33 ’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%.

Read full report on Physics at UC Merced

21
Laney College crest
Laney College
Oakland, California

Laney College did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Physics Major in California ranking, coming in at #21. Located in Oakland, California, this medium-sized public school awarded 5 diplomas to qualified ’s physics students in 2021-2022.

Full Laney College Physics Report

22
Pasadena City College crest
Pasadena City College
Pasadena, California

Pasadena City College landed the #22 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Physics Major in California ranking. Pasadena City College is located in Pasadena, California and, has a large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 53 ’s physics degrees to qualified 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 full report on Physics at Pasadena City College

23
El Camino College crest
El Camino College
Torrance, California

El Camino College ranked #23 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Physics Major in California list. Torrance, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s physics degrees to 29 students in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Physics at El Camino College

24
Columbia Junior College crest
Columbia College
Sonora, California

Columbia College ranked #24 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Physics Major in California list. Columbia College is a small school located in Sonora, California that handed out 3 ’s physics degrees in 2021-2022.

Read full report on Physics at Columbia Junior College

24
Monterey Peninsula College crest
Monterey Peninsula College
Monterey, California

Monterey Peninsula College came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Physics Major in California ranking. Monterey Peninsula College is located in Monterey, California and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 12 ’s physics degrees to qualified students.

Full Monterey Peninsula College Physics Report

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