Find Schools

Study Area & Zipcode

Best Physics Schools in California

Find Schools Near

2023 Best Physics Schools in California

23 Colleges
$41,268 Avg Salary
$18,506 Avg Student Debt

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

#1

Stanford University

Stanford, CA

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 large suburb of Stanford.

Read full report on Physics at Stanford University

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend University of California - Santa Barbara. The school came in at #2 on this year’s Best Physics Schools in California list. Located in the suburb of Santa Barbara, UCSB is a public school with a fairly large student population.

The average amount in student loans that physics majors at UCSB take out is $17,525.

Read full report on Physics at University of California - Santa Barbara

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend University of California - Berkeley. The school came in at #3 on this year’s Best Physics Schools in California list. Located in the medium-sized city of Berkeley, UC Berkeley is a public school with a fairly large student population.

On average, physics graduates from UC Berkeley take out $15,000 in student loans while working on their degree.

Full Physics at University of California - Berkeley Report

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 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 $21,100 in student loans while working on their egree.

Read More…

A rank of #5 on this year’s list means University of California - San Diego is a great place for physics students. 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.

Read full report on Physics at University of California - San Diego

#6

San Diego State University

San Diego, CA

With a ranking of #6, San Diego State University did quite well on this year’s best schools for physics students. SDSU is a fairly large public school located in the city of San Diego.

Read More…

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.

Read full report on Physics at University of California - Merced

#8

University of Redlands

Redlands, CA

University of Redlands ranked #8 on this year’s Best Physics Schools in California list. Located in the small city of Redlands, University of Redlands is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.

Read More…

With a ranking of #9, University of California - Irvine did quite well on this year’s best schools for physics students. Located in the large city of Irvine, UC Irvine is a public college with a fairly 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.

Read full report on Physics at University of California - Irvine

University of California - Riverside did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for physics students. It came in at #10 on the list. Located in the large city of Riverside, UCR is a public school with a fairly large student population.

On average, physics graduates from UCR take out $22,248 in student loans while working on their degree.

Read More…

Best 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

One of 8 majors within the area of study, physics has other similar majors worth exploring.

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.

Featured Schools

Find Schools Near You

Our free school finder matches students with accredited colleges across the U.S.