2023 Best Physics Bachelor's Degree Schools in California
Finding the Best Physics Bachelor's Degree School for You
In 2020-2021, 3,218 degrees and certificates were awarded to physics students who went to a California college or university. This makes it the #40 most popular major in the state.
When it comes to higher education, there are a lot of options for students. You're no longer limited to schools in your local area, either, since online programs are becoming more prevalent. Or you may find the programs at a trade school to be a better alternative for you.
To help you arm yourself with the information you need to make your decision, Course Advisor has developed this Best Physics Bachelor's Degree Schools in California ranking. This report analyzed 23 schools in California to see which ones offered the best bachelor's degree programs for students. The factors used to develop this ranking include those related to how in-demand the school is, the overall quality of the school, and post-graduation wages, and more.
View our full ranking methodology.
2023 Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California
Check out the physics bachelor's degree programs at these schools if you want to get the best education that money can buy.
Top 10 Best Physics Bachelor's Degree Schools
Our analysis found Stanford University to be the best school for physics students who want to pursue a bachelor’s degree in California. Stanford is a large private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Stanford.
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Santa Barbara. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California list. Located in the medium-sized suburb of Santa Barbara, UCSB is a public college with a very large student population.
While working on their Bachelor's Degree, physics majors at UCSB accumulate an average of around $17,121 in student debt.
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A rank of #3 on this year’s list means University of California - Berkeley is a great place for physics students working on their bachelor’s degree. Located in the medium-sized city of Berkeley, UC Berkeley is a public school with a very large student population.
While working on their Bachelor's Degree, physics majors at UC Berkeley accumulate an average of around $15,953 in student debt.
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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend University of California - Los Angeles. The school came in at #4 on this year’s Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California list. Located in the large city of Los Angeles, UCLA is a public school with a very large student population.
Physics majors at UCLA take out an average of $21,236 in student loans while working on their Bachelor's Degree.
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The excellent bachelor’s degree programs at University of California - San Diego helped the school earn the #5 place on this year’s ranking of the best physics schools in California. UCSD is a fairly large public school located in the city of La Jolla.
The average amount in student loans that physics majors at UCSD take out while working on their Bachelor's Degree is $19,846.
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With a ranking of #6, University of California - Merced did quite well on this year’s best schools for physics students working on their bachelor’s degree. UC Merced is a medium-sized public school located in the rural area of Merced.
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San Diego State University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for physics students to get a bachelor’s degree. It came in at #7 on the list. SDSU is a fairly large public school located in the city of San Diego.
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University of Redlands came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California ranking. Located in the small city of Redlands, University of Redlands is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.
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With a ranking of #9, University of California - Irvine did quite well on this year’s best schools for physics students working on their bachelor’s degree. Located in the city of Irvine, UC Irvine is a public school with a very large student population.
The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $201, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
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University of California - Riverside came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Physics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California ranking. Located in the city of Riverside, UCR is a public college with a very large student population.
Request InformationBest Physics Colleges in the Far Western US Region
Explore all the Best Physics Schools in the Far Western US Area or other specific states within that region.
| State | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|
| Washington | 392 |
| Oregon | 187 |
| Nevada | 50 |
| Hawaii | 10 |
| Alaska | 4 |
More Physics Rankings in California
Rankings in Majors Related to Physics
One of 8 majors within the area of study, physics has other similar majors worth exploring.
Most Popular Majors Related to Physics
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Chemistry | 21,239 |
| Geological & Earth Sciences | 7,821 |
| General Physical Sciences | 3,823 |
| Astronomy & Astrophysics | 1,375 |
| Atmospheric Sciences & Meteorology | 1,140 |
Notes and References
*These averages are for the top 23 schools only.
- Read more about our ranking methodology.
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of the rest of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
- Credit for the banner image above goes to A. T. Service.
More about our data sources and methodologies.