2023 Best Physics Doctor's Degree Schools in California
Finding the Best Physics Doctor'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 assist you in seeing some of the education options that are available to you, Course Advisor has created its Best Physics Doctor's Degree Schools in California ranking. This report analyzed 11 schools in California to see which ones offered the best doctor'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 Doctor’s Degree Schools in California
The following schools top our list of the Best Physics Doctor's Degree Colleges.
Top 10 Best Physics Doctor's Degree Schools
Our analysis found Stanford University to be the best school for physics students who want to pursue a doctor’s degree in California. Stanford is a large private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Stanford.
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A rank of #2 on this year’s list means University of California - Santa Barbara is a great place for physics students working on their doctor’s degree. Located in the suburb of Santa Barbara, UCSB is a public school with a fairly large student population.
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The excellent doctor’s degree programs at University of California - San Diego helped the school earn the #3 place on this year’s ranking of the best physics schools in California. UCSD is a very large public school located in the city of La Jolla.
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Out of the 11 schools in California that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Berkeley landed the # 4 spot on the list. Located in the city of Berkeley, UC Berkeley is a public college with a very large student population.
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A rank of #5 on this year’s list means University of California - Los Angeles is a great place for physics students working on their doctor’s degree. Located in the large city of Los Angeles, UCLA is a public college with a fairly large student population.
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University of California - Merced came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Physics Doctor’s Degree Schools in California ranking. UC Merced is a moderately-sized public school located in the rural area of Merced.
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University of California - Riverside came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Physics Doctor’s Degree Schools in California ranking. Located in the city of Riverside, UCR is a public school with a very large student population.
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With a ranking of #8, University of California - Irvine did quite well on this year’s best schools for physics students working on their doctor’s degree. Located in the city of Irvine, UC Irvine is a public school with a very large student population.
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California Institute of Technology came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Physics Doctor’s Degree Schools in California ranking. Caltech is a small private not-for-profit school located in the midsize city of Pasadena.
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University of California - Santa Cruz ranked #10 on this year’s Best Physics Doctor’s Degree Schools in California list. UC Santa Cruz is a large public school located in the city of Santa Cruz.
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Request InformationBest Physics Colleges in the Far Western US Region
Explore all the Best Physics Colleges 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 11 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.