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2025 Best Physical Sciences Master's Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region

20 Colleges in the Far Western US Region
1,169 Master's Degrees
$83,116 Avg Early-Career Salary
Physical Sciences is about average in terms of popularity for master's degrees programs. That is, it ranks #19 out of the 37 majors across the country that we analyze each year. As such, the degree program isn't offered at every college in the United States, but there are schools that do have a program in the field that are top-notch when it comes to quality.

College Factual looked at 20 colleges and universities when compiling its 2025 Best Physical Sciences Master's Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 1,169 master's degrees in physical sciences to qualified students.

What's on this page: * Our Methodology

Choosing a Great Physical Sciences School for Your Master's Degree

Best Physical Sciences Master's Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region Your choice of physical sciences for getting your master's degree school matters. This section explores some of the factors we include in our ranking and how much they vary depending on the school you select. When choosing a school we recommend considering some of the following factors:

Quality Overall Is Important

The overall quality of a master's degree school is important to ensure a quality education, not just how well they do in a particular major. To account for this we include a school's overall Best Colleges for a Master's Degree ranking which itself looks at a host of various factors like degree completion, educational resources, student body caliber and post-graduation earnings for the school as a whole.

Average Earnings

To determine the overall quality of a graduate school, one factor we look at is the average early-career salary of those receiving their master's degree from the school. This is because one of the main reasons people pursue their master's degree is to enable themselves to find better-paying positions.

Other Factors We Consider

The metrics below are just some of the other metrics that we use to determine our rankings.

Our complete ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best colleges for physical sciences students working on their master's degree.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Rankings by Location Check Out Other Locales
More Physical Sciences Rankings Other Ranking Categories

The physical sciences 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 the Best Physical Sciences Master's Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region.

Best Schools for Master’s Students to Study Physical Sciences in the Far Western US Region

The following list ranks the best colleges and universities for pursuing a master's degree in physical sciences.

10 Top Far Western US Region Schools for a Master's in Physical Sciences

1
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
76 Annual Graduates

Any student who is interested in a master's degree in physical sciences needs to check out University of California - Berkeley. Located in the midsize city of Berkeley, UC Berkeley is a public university with a fairly large student population.More information about a master’s in physical sciences from University of California - Berkeley

2
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
119 Annual Graduates

It is difficult to beat University of California - Los Angeles if you wish to pursue a master's degree in physical sciences. UCLA is a very large public university located in the large city of Los Angeles.More information about a master’s in physical sciences from University of California - Los Angeles

3
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
49 Annual Graduates

It's difficult to beat University of California - Santa Barbara if you want to pursue a master's degree in physical sciences. UCSB is a fairly large public university located in the midsize suburb of Santa Barbara.More information about a master’s in physical sciences from University of California - Santa Barbara

4
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
128 Annual Graduates

It is difficult to beat University of California - San Diego if you want to pursue a master's degree in physical sciences. Located in the city of La Jolla, UCSD is a public university with a very large student population.More information about a master’s in physical sciences from University of California - San Diego

5
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
37 Annual Graduates

Located in the city of Irvine, UC Irvine is a public university with a fairly large student population.More information about a master’s in physical sciences from University of California - Irvine

6
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
75 Annual Graduates

UW Seattle is a very large public university located in the large city of Seattle.More information about a master’s in physical sciences from University of Washington - Seattle Campus

7
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
20 Annual Graduates

Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is a very large public university located in the suburb of San Luis Obispo.More information about a master’s in physical sciences from California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo

8
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
40 Annual Graduates

Located in the city of Eugene, UO is a public university with a very large student population.More information about a master’s in physical sciences from University of Oregon

9
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
37 Annual Graduates

Located in the small city of Corvallis, Oregon State is a public university with a fairly large student population.More information about a master’s in physical sciences from Oregon State University

10
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
28 Annual Graduates

Located in the city of San Francisco, SFSU is a public university with a fairly large student population.More information about a master’s in physical sciences from San Francisco State University

Best Physical Sciences Colleges by State

Explore the best physical sciences schools for a specific state in the Far Western US Region .

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
California 33 847
Washington 31 133
Oregon 29 141
Hawaii 27 31
Nevada 27 30
Alaska 21 21

View All Rankings >

Physical Sciences Majors to Study

Major Annual Graduates
Chemistry 360
Geological & Earth Sciences 321
Physics 302
Materials Sciences 72
Astronomy & Astrophysics 65
Atmospheric Sciences & Meteorology 36
General Physical Sciences 12
Physics and Astronomy 1

Related Major Annual Graduates
Engineering 9,294
Biological & Biomedical Sciences 2,011
Mathematics & Statistics 1,812
Architecture & Related Services 1,282
Natural Resources & Conservation 804
Engineering Technologies 765
Agriculture & Agriculture Operations 275
Military Technologies & Applied Sciences 152
Science Technologies / Technicians 29

Notes and References

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