2023 Best Physical Sciences Colleges for Veterans in California
20
Ranked Colleges
8,381
Degrees Awarded
$32,200
Avg Cost*
When pursuing a degree in today’s world, veterans have many different options to choose from. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Most Veteran Friendly in California for Physical Sciences” 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 “Most Veteran Friendly in California for Physical Sciences” ranking, we looked at 20 colleges that offer a degree in physical sciences. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great physical sciences programs and a strong support system for veterans and active service members.
To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as veteran satisfaction, veteran affordability, and overall quality of the physical sciences program at the school. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
More Ways to Rank Physical Sciences Schools
When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Most Veteran Friendly in California for Physical Sciences” list to help you make the college decision.
In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.
Most Veteran Friendly in California for Physical Sciences
The colleges and universities below are the best for california vets studying physical sciences.
Top 20 Best Physical Sciences Colleges for Veterans in California
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - San Diego. The school came in at #1 for the Most Veteran Friendly in California for Physical Sciences. UCSD is a large public school situated in La Jolla, California. It awarded 598 ’s physical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCSD, the school also landed the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Of the 39,576 students enrolled at UCSD, 112 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 54 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $1,596. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full University of California - San Diego Veteran Student Life Report
Out of the 20 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in California for Physical Sciences that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Los Angeles landed the #2 spot on the list. University of California - Los Angeles is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 371 ’s physical sciences degrees to qualified students.
UCLA also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.According to our most recent data, UCLA supports 44,589 students, and 7 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 4 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $8,071. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program.
With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
[Read full report on veteran student life at UCLA]](/colleges/university-of-california-los-angeles/student-life/veterans/)
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Irvine. The school came in at #3 for the Most Veteran Friendly in California for Physical Sciences. University of California - Irvine is a large school located in Irvine, California that handed out 367 ’s physical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
UC Irvine did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.According to our most recent data, University of California - Irvine supports 36,303 students, and 8 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 5 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $3,620. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program.
With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read More…
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend San Diego State University. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in California for Physical Sciences list. San Diego State University is a large school located in San Diego, California that handed out 167 ’s physical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california vets studying physical sciences list, SDSU has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Among the 36,334 students enrolled at SDSU, 1,433 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 853 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $4,806. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, 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…
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Stanford University. The school came in at #5 for the Most Veteran Friendly in California for Physical Sciences. Stanford is a private not-for-profit institution located in Stanford, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 243 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Stanford also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].Our most recent data shows that 188 of the 15,953 students enrolled at Stanford University were GI Bill® students, of which 118 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $18,909. In addition to receiving other benefits, 61 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, 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 4 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Full Stanford Veteran Student Life Report
University of California - Santa Barbara came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in California for Physical Sciences 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.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCSB, the school also landed the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Of the 26,179 students enrolled at University of California - Santa Barbara, 286 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 128 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $9,510. In addition to receiving other benefits, 3 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
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 school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full UCSB Veteran Student Life Report
California State University - Long Beach ranked #7 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in California for Physical Sciences list. CSULB is located in Long Beach, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 120 ’s physical sciences degrees to qualified students.
CSULB also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Among the 40,069 students enrolled at CSULB, 822 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 310 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $3,845. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read More…
With a ranking of #8, University of California - Riverside did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in California for Physical Sciences list. University of California - Riverside is a large public school situated in Riverside, California. It awarded 225 ’s physical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
UCR did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Among the 26,434 students enrolled at University of California - Riverside, 11 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 5 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $2,182. To help with additional expenses, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. University of California - Riverside does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, 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 Veteran Student Life Report
With a ranking of #9, University of California - Davis did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in California for Physical Sciences list. This large school is located in Davis, California, and it awarded 270 ’s physical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
UC Davis also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Among the 39,074 students enrolled at UC Davis, 31 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 23 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $6,489. To help with additional expenses, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program.
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 school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
[Read full report on veteran student life at University of California - Davis]](/colleges/university-of-california-davis/student-life/veterans/)
California State Polytechnic University - Pomona came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in California for Physical Sciences ranking. Cal Poly Pomona is a large public school situated in Pomona, California. It awarded 131 ’s physical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
Cal Poly Pomona not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Our most recent data shows that 34 of the 30,014 students enrolled at California State Polytechnic University - Pomona were GI Bill® students, of which 17 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $4,486. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. California State Polytechnic University - Pomona does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full Cal Poly Pomona Veteran Student Life Report
University of California - Santa Cruz landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in California for Physical Sciences ranking. UC Santa Cruz is a public institution located in Santa Cruz, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 343 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Santa Cruz, the school also landed the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Among the 19,161 students enrolled at UC Santa Cruz, 273 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 114 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $8,631. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read More…
With a ranking of #12, California State University - Sacramento did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in California for Physical Sciences list. Located in Sacramento, California, this large public school awarded 80 degrees to qualified ’s physical sciences students in 2020-2021.
Sac State also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.According to our most recent data, California State University - Sacramento supports 32,293 students, and 34 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 23 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $4,555. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. California State University - Sacramento offers credit for military training for eligible students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full California State University - Sacramento Veteran Student Life Report
With a ranking of #13, California State University - Fullerton did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in California for Physical Sciences list. California State University - Fullerton is a public institution located in Fullerton, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 93 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Cal State Fullerton also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].According to our most recent data, Cal State Fullerton supports 42,051 students, and 748 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 342 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $4,729. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Cal State Fullerton does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%.
[Read full report on veteran student life at California State University - Fullerton]](/colleges/california-state-university-fullerton/student-life/veterans/)
California State University - Northridge came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in California for Physical Sciences ranking. This large school is located in Northridge, California, and it awarded 83 ’s physical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california vets studying physical sciences list, CSUN has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.According to our most recent data, California State University - Northridge supports 40,381 students, and 680 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 336 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $4,745. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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 veteran student life at CSUN]](/colleges/california-state-university-northridge/student-life/veterans/)
California State University - Los Angeles ranked #15 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in California for Physical Sciences list. This large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 63 ’s physical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
Cal State LA also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Among the 26,745 students enrolled at California State University - Los Angeles, 3 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 1 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $2,700. During this same period, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read More…
California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in California for Physical Sciences ranking. California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo is a large school located in San Luis Obispo, California that handed out 120 ’s physical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
Cal Poly San Luis Obispo not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.According to our most recent data, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo supports 22,440 students, and 268 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 128 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $6,027. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Cal Poly San Luis Obispo offers credit for military training for eligible students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, 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 94%.
[Read full report on veteran student life at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo]](/colleges/california-polytechnic-state-university-san-luis-obispo/student-life/veterans/)
Humboldt State University ranked #17 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in California for Physical Sciences list. Located in Arcata, California, this medium-sized public school awarded 56 degrees to qualified ’s physical sciences students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california vets studying physical sciences list, Humboldt State University has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 177 of the 6,612 students enrolled at Humboldt State University were GI Bill® students, of which 68 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $3,772. To help with additional expenses, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
Read More…
California State University - San Bernardino landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in California for Physical Sciences ranking. California State University - San Bernardino is located in San Bernardino, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 61 ’s physical sciences degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our california vets studying physical sciences list, CSUSB has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Of the 19,689 students enrolled at CSUSB, 400 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 170 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $5,274. To help with additional expenses, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.
Read More…
California Institute of Technology came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in California for Physical Sciences ranking. Located in Pasadena, California, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 143 degrees to qualified ’s physical sciences students in 2020-2021.
Caltech did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Among the 2,240 students enrolled at California Institute of Technology, 4 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 1 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $67,154. On top of their other funding sources, 1 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 3 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.
Full California Institute of Technology Veteran Student Life Report
University of California - Merced ranked #20 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in California for Physical Sciences list. 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.
In addition to being on our california vets studying physical sciences list, UC Merced has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 87 of the 9,018 students enrolled at UC Merced were GI Bill® students, of which 21 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $6,314. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program.
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 school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full UC Merced Veteran Student Life Report
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