2023 Best Physics Master's Degree Schools in California
Finding the Best Physics Master'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 Master's Degree Schools in California ranking. Our analysis looked at 16 schools in California to see which master's degree programs offered the best educational experiences 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 Master’s Degree Schools in California
Check out the physics master's degree programs at these schools if you want to get the best education that money can buy.
Top 10 Best Physics Master's Degree Schools
Our analysis found Stanford University to be the best school for physics students who want to pursue a master’s degree in California. Stanford is a large private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Stanford.
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The excellent master’s degree 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 suburb of Santa Barbara, UCSB is a public college with a very large student population.
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Out of the 16 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 midsize city of Berkeley, UC Berkeley is a public college with a fairly large student population.
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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 working on their master’s degree. Located in the city of Los Angeles, UCLA is a public school with a fairly large student population.
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend San Diego State University. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Physics Master’s Degree Schools in California list. SDSU is a very large public school located in the large city of San Diego.
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University of California - Merced did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for physics students to get a master’s degree. It came in at #6 on the list. UC Merced is a moderately-sized public school located in the rural area of Merced.
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University of California - Riverside did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for physics students to get a master’s degree. It came in at #7 on the list. Located in the large city of Riverside, UCR is a public college with a very large student population.
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University of California - Irvine came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Physics Master’s Degree Schools in California ranking. Located in the city of Irvine, UC Irvine is a public school with a very large student population.
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California State University - Long Beach did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for physics students to get a master’s degree. It came in at #9 on the list. Located in the city of Long Beach, CSULB is a public school with a very large student population.
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University of California - Santa Cruz landed the #10 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best master’s degree physics programs. UC Santa Cruz is a fairly large public school located in the small city of Santa Cruz.
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 16 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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