by our College Data Analytics TeamIn 2025, College Factual analyzed 21 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Physical Sciences Bachelor's Degree Schools in California ranking. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 3,688 bachelor's degrees in physical sciences during the 2022-2023 academic year.
What's on this page: * Our Methodology
Your choice of physical sciences for getting your bachelor'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. To make it into this list, a school must excel in the following areas.
The overall quality of a bachelor's degree school is important to ensure a good education, not just how well they do in a particular major. To take this into account we consider a college's overall Best Colleges ranking which itself looks at a collection of various factors like degree completion, educational resources, student body caliber and post-graduation earnings for the school as a whole.
One measure we use to determine the quality of a school is to look at the average salary of bachelor's graduates during the early years of their career. That is, everyone wants their bachelor's degree to be worth something, and salaries are one measure of determining that.
The metrics below are just some of the other metrics that we use to determine our rankings.
Our full ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best schools for physical sciences students working on their bachelor's degree.
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 Bachelor's Degree Schools in California.
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. 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.
Learn about the top ranked colleges and universities for physical sciences students seeking a a bachelor's degree.
It is hard to beat University of California - San Diego if you wish to pursue a bachelor's degree in physical sciences. Located in the large city of La Jolla, UCSD is a public university with a very large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in physical sciences from University of California - San Diego
It is hard to beat University of California - Berkeley if you wish to pursue a bachelor's degree in physical sciences. Located in the city of Berkeley, UC Berkeley is a public university with a fairly large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in physical sciences from University of California - Berkeley
Every student who is interested in a bachelor's degree in physical sciences needs to look into University of California - Santa Barbara. UCSB is a very large public university located in the suburb of Santa Barbara.More information about a bachelor’s in physical sciences from University of California - Santa Barbara
University of California - Irvine is one of the best schools in the United States for getting a bachelor's degree in physical sciences. Located in the large city of Irvine, UC Irvine is a public university with a fairly large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in physical sciences from University of California - Irvine
UC Davis is a fairly large public university located in the suburb of Davis.More information about a bachelor’s in physical sciences from University of California - Davis
UCLA is a fairly large public university located in the city of Los Angeles.More information about a bachelor’s in physical sciences from University of California - Los Angeles
Located in the small city of Santa Cruz, UC Santa Cruz is a public university with a fairly large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in physical sciences from University of California - Santa Cruz
Located in the city of San Diego, SDSU is a public university with a very large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in physical sciences from San Diego State University
Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is a very large public university located in the small suburb of San Luis Obispo.More information about a bachelor’s in physical sciences from California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo
Located in the large city of San Francisco, SFSU is a public university with a fairly large student population.More information about a bachelor’s in physical sciences from San Francisco State University
Explore all the Best Physical Sciences Colleges in the Far Western US Area or other specific states within that region.
| State | Colleges | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|---|
| Washington | 34 | 955 |
| Hawaii | 30 | 60 |
| Oregon | 30 | 388 |
| Nevada | 30 | 131 |
| Alaska | 29 | 29 |
| Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Chemistry | 1,686 |
| Physics | 1,140 |
| Geological & Earth Sciences | 552 |
| Astronomy & Astrophysics | 127 |
| General Physical Sciences | 82 |
| Atmospheric Sciences & Meteorology | 50 |
| Materials Sciences | 41 |
| Other Physical Science | 10 |
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Biological & Biomedical Sciences | 16,043 |
| Engineering | 14,391 |
| Mathematics & Statistics | 5,063 |
| Natural Resources & Conservation | 3,060 |
| Agriculture & Agriculture Operations | 1,948 |
| Architecture & Related Services | 1,219 |
| Engineering Technologies | 1,137 |
| Military Technologies & Applied Sciences | 2 |
