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Best Physics Master's Degree Schools in California

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2023 Best Physics Master's Degree Schools in California

16 Colleges
$89,430 Avg Salary

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

#1

Stanford University

Stanford, CA

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 fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Stanford.

Full Physics at Stanford University Report

Out of the 16 schools in California that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Santa Barbara landed the # 2 spot on the list. Located in the midsize suburb of Santa Barbara, UCSB is a public school with a very large student population.

Full Physics at University of California - Santa Barbara Report

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 Master’s Degree Schools in California list. Located in the midsize city of Berkeley, UC Berkeley is a public school 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 - Los Angeles landed the # 4 spot on the list. Located in the large city of Los Angeles, UCLA is a public college with a very large student population.

Read full report on Physics at University of California - Los Angeles

#5

San Diego State University

San Diego, CA

The excellent master’s degree programs at San Diego State University helped the school earn the #5 place on this year’s ranking of the best physics schools in California. SDSU is a fairly large public school located in the city of San Diego.

Read full report on Physics at San Diego State University

University of California - Merced came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Physics Master’s Degree Schools in California ranking. UC Merced is a medium-sized public school located in the rural area of Merced.

Full Physics at University of California - Merced Report

With a ranking of #7, University of California - Riverside did quite well on this year’s best schools for physics students working on their master’s degree. Located in the large city of Riverside, UCR is a public school with a fairly large student population.

Full Physics at University of California - Riverside Report

University of California - Irvine landed the #8 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best master’s degree physics programs. Located in the city of Irvine, UC Irvine is a public college with a fairly large student population.

Read full report on Physics at University of California - Irvine

California State University - Long Beach ranked #9 on this year’s Best Physics Master’s Degree Schools in California list. Located in the large city of Long Beach, CSULB is a public college with a very large student population.

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University of California - Santa Cruz ranked #10 on this year’s Best Physics Master’s Degree Schools in California list. UC Santa Cruz is a fairly large public school located in the city of Santa Cruz.

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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 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.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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