2023 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k
21
Ranked Colleges
8,381
Degrees Awarded
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 “Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking - to help you make that decision.
Physical Sciences is the 19th most popular major in the country with 50,306 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. In 2019-2020, physical sciences graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $39,880 and had an average of $22,620 in loans still to pay off.
Across California, there were 8,381 physical sciences graduates with average earnings and debt of $43,416 and $18,590 respectively.
For this year’s “Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking, we looked at 21 colleges that offer a degree in physical sciences. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality physical sciences programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.
Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the physical sciences program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
One Size Does Not Fit All
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 “Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k”.
We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.
Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k.
Top 21 Best Value Colleges for Physical Sciences (Income $48-$75k) in California
Out of the 21 schools in the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, Stanford University landed the #1 spot on the list. Located in Stanford, California, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 243 degrees to qualified ’s physical sciences students in 2020-2021.
Stanford did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Physical Sciences Schools in California” list. It costs about $7,081 for California Physical Sciences students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Stanford University.
The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 4 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 86%, 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 more about Physical Sciences at Stanford
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California Institute of Technology. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. California Institute of Technology is located in Pasadena, California and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 143 ’s physical sciences degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our california physical sciences students whose families make $48-$75k list, Caltech has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Physical Sciences Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $9,755 for california physical sciences students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend California Institute of Technology.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. 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 more about Physical Sciences at Caltech
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Berkeley. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k. Berkeley, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s physical sciences degrees to 560 students 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 Physical Sciences Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $13,423 for California Physical Sciences students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of California - Berkeley.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. 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 Physical Sciences at UC Berkeley
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Los Angeles. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s physical sciences degrees to 371 students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california physical sciences students whose families make $48-$75k list, UCLA has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Physical Sciences Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UCLA is $12,644 for California Physical Sciences students whose families make $48-$75k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default 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 Physical Sciences at University of California - Los Angeles
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - San Diego. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k. UCSD is located in La Jolla, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 598 ’s physical sciences degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCSD, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UCSD is $14,310 for California Physical Sciences students whose families make $48-$75k.
With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.
Read full report on Physical Sciences at UCSD
University of California - Irvine came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Irvine, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s physical sciences degrees to 367 students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Irvine, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Irvine is $13,275 for California Physical Sciences students whose families make $48-$75k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Physical Sciences at UC Irvine
University of California - Davis did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #7. University of California - Davis is a large school located in Davis, California that handed out 270 ’s physical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california physical sciences students whose families make $48-$75k list, UC Davis has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best Physical Sciences Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Davis is $14,193 for california physical sciences students whose families make $48-$75k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Physical Sciences at University of California - Davis
University of California - Santa Barbara landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. University of California - Santa Barbara is located in Santa Barbara, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 400 ’s physical sciences degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our california physical sciences students whose families make $48-$75k list, UCSB has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Physical Sciences Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $14,583 for california physical sciences students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of California - Santa Barbara.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. 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%.
Full University of California - Santa Barbara Physical Sciences Report
With a ranking of #9, California State University - Los Angeles did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. California State University - Los Angeles is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 63 ’s physical sciences degrees to qualified students.
Cal State LA did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best Physical Sciences Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend Cal State LA is $5,700 for california physical sciences students whose families make $48-$75k.
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%.
Read full report on Physical Sciences at California State University - Los Angeles
California State University - Long Beach ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. CSULB is a public institution located in Long Beach, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 120 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
CSULB also took the #13 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $11,189 for california physical sciences students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend CSULB.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Physical Sciences at California State University - Long Beach
University of California - Riverside came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. UCR is a large school located in Riverside, California that handed out 225 ’s physical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
UCR also took the #11 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Riverside is $11,126 for California Physical Sciences students whose families make $48-$75k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.
Full University of California - Riverside Physical Sciences Report
California State University - Fullerton landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in Fullerton, California, this large public school handed out 93 degrees to qualified ’s physical sciences students in 2020-2021.
Cal State Fullerton also made our “Best Physical Sciences Schools in California” list, coming in at #16. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Fullerton is $9,017 for California Physical Sciences students whose families make $48-$75k.
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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on Physical Sciences at California State University - Fullerton
With a ranking of #13, San Diego State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. SDSU is located in San Diego, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 167 ’s physical sciences degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our california physical sciences students whose families make $48-$75k list, SDSU has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Physical Sciences Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for San Diego State University is $14,698 for California Physical Sciences students whose families make $48-$75k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, 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 89%.
Read more about Physical Sciences at San Diego State University
University of California - Santa Cruz landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Santa Cruz, California, and it awarded 343 ’s physical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california physical sciences students whose families make $48-$75k list, UC Santa Cruz has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Physical Sciences Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $15,567 for california physical sciences students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of California - Santa Cruz.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.9% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full University of California - Santa Cruz Physical Sciences Report
With a ranking of #15, California State University - Sacramento did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. California State University - Sacramento is located in Sacramento, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 80 ’s physical sciences degrees to qualified students.
Sac State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best Physical Sciences Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend Sac State is $12,602 for california physical sciences students whose families make $48-$75k.
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%.
Full Sac State Physical Sciences Report
California State University - San Bernardino did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #16. This fairly large school is located in San Bernardino, California, and it awarded 61 ’s physical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
CSUSB also took the #21 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - San Bernardino is $9,854 for California Physical Sciences students whose families make $48-$75k.
With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.0% 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 Physical Sciences at CSUSB
California State Polytechnic University - Pomona came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Cal Poly Pomona is a large school located in Pomona, California that handed out 131 ’s physical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
Cal Poly Pomona not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best Physical Sciences Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend Cal Poly Pomona is $15,958 for California Physical Sciences students whose families make $48-$75k.
With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Physical Sciences at Cal Poly Pomona
California State University - Northridge came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Northridge, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s physical sciences degrees to 83 students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at CSUN, the school also landed the #19 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Northridge is $10,780 for california physical sciences students whose families make $48-$75k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Physical Sciences at California State University - Northridge
University of California - Merced landed the #19 spot on the 2023 Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Merced, California is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s physical sciences degrees to 92 students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Merced, the school also landed the #15 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $14,261 for California Physical Sciences students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UC Merced.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.8% 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%.
Full UC Merced Physical Sciences Report
California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Physical Sciences Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in San Luis Obispo, California, this large public school awarded 120 degrees to qualified ’s physical sciences students in 2020-2021.
Cal Poly San Luis Obispo also took the #12 spot in our “Best Physical Sciences Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $17,340 for California Physical Sciences students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend California Polytechnic State University - 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 Physical Sciences at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo
