2023 Best Physics Schools in California
Finding the Best Physics 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.
The Best Physics Schools in California ranking is one of many tools that Course Advisor has developed to help you make your educational decision. This report analyzed 23 schools in California to see which ones offered the best programs for students.
View our full ranking methodology.
2023 Best Physics Schools in California
The colleges and universities below are the best for physics majors pursuing a .
Top 10 Best Physics Schools
Our 2023 rankings named Stanford University the best school in California for physics students. Stanford is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Stanford.
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The excellent programs at University of California - Santa Barbara helped the school earn the #2 place on this year’s ranking of the best physics schools in California. Located in the medium-sized suburb of Santa Barbara, UCSB is a public school with a very large student population.
The average amount in student loans that physics majors at UCSB take out is $17,525.
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Out of the 23 schools in California that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Berkeley landed the # 3 spot on the list. Located in the medium-sized city of Berkeley, UC Berkeley is a public college with a very large student population.
On average, physics graduates from UC Berkeley take out $15,000 in student loans while working on their degree.
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A rank of #4 on this year’s list means University of California - Los Angeles is a great place for physics students. Located in the city of Los Angeles, UCLA is a public school with a fairly large student population.
Physics majors at UCLA take out an average of $21,100 in student loans while working on their egree.
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Out of the 23 schools in California that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - San Diego landed the # 5 spot on the list. UCSD is a very large public school located in the large city of La Jolla.
While working on their degree, physics majors at UCSD accumulate an average of around $19,042 in student debt.
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San Diego State University came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Physics Schools in California ranking. SDSU is a fairly large public school located in the large city of San Diego.
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University of California - Merced came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Physics Schools in California ranking. UC Merced is a medium-sized public school located in the rural area of Merced.
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University of Redlands ranked #8 on this year’s Best Physics Schools in California list. Located in the city of Redlands, University of Redlands is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.
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University of California - Irvine ranked #9 on this year’s Best Physics Schools in California list. Located in the city of Irvine, UC Irvine is a public school with a very large student population.
Physics majors at UC Irvine take out an average of $20,814 in student loans while working on their egree. 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 landed the #10 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best physics programs. Located in the city of Riverside, UCR is a public college with a very large student population.
On average, physics graduates from UCR take out $22,248 in student loans while working on their degree.
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 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.
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More about our data sources and methodologies.
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