2023 Most Popular 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.
The Most Popular Physics Doctor's Degree Schools in California ranking is one of many tools that Course Advisor has developed to help you make your educational decision. Our analysis looked at 13 schools in California to see which doctor's degree programs were the most popular for students. To create this ranking we looked at how many students graduated from the Physics program at each school on the list.
2023 Most Popular Physics Doctor’s Degree Schools in California
Check out the physics doctor's degree programs at these schools if you want to attend one of the most popular in California.
Top 10 Most Popular Physics Doctor's Degree Schools
Our analysis found Stanford University to be the most popular 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 large suburb of Stanford.
Of the 41 students majoring in physics at Stanford, 83% are male and 17% are female.
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Out of the 13 schools in California that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Berkeley landed the # 2 spot on the list. Located in the medium-sized city of Berkeley, UC Berkeley is a public school with a fairly large student population.
About 18% of the students majoring in physics at the school are women while 82% are male.
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The in-demand doctor’s degree programs at University of California - Los Angeles helped the school earn the #3 place on this year’s ranking of the most popular physics schools in California. Located in the city of Los Angeles, UCLA is a public college with a fairly large student population.
Women make up 22% of the physics majors at the school.
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California Institute of Technology. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Most Popular Physics Doctor’s Degree Schools in California list. Caltech is a small private not-for-profit school located in the midsize city of Pasadena.
Of the 21 students majoring in physics at Caltech, 90% are male and 10% are female.
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The in-demand doctor’s degree programs at University of California - San Diego helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of the most popular physics schools in California. UCSD is a very large public school located in the city of La Jolla.
Of the 21 students majoring in physics at UCSD, 81% are male and 19% are female.
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University of California - Riverside came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Physics Doctor’s Degree Schools in California ranking. Located in the large city of Riverside, UCR is a public college with a fairly large student population.
Women make up 22% of the physics majors at the school.
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University of California - Davis landed the #7 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular doctor’s degree physics programs. Located in the small suburb of Davis, UC Davis is a public college with a fairly large student population.
Women make up 12% of the physics majors at the school.
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University of California - Irvine landed the #8 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular doctor’s degree physics programs. Located in the large city of Irvine, UC Irvine is a public school with a very large student population.
About 27% of the students majoring in physics at the school are women while 73% are male.
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University of Southern California did quite well in this year’s ranking of the most popular places for physics students to get a doctor’s degree. It came in at #8 on the list. USC is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Los Angeles.
Women make up 13% of the physics majors at the school.
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University of California - Santa Barbara landed the #10 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular doctor’s degree physics programs. Located in the suburb of Santa Barbara, UCSB is a public college with a fairly large student population.
About 18% of the students majoring in physics at the school are women while 82% are male.
Request InformationBest Physics Colleges in the Far Western US Region
Explore all the Most Popular 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 |
Physics Related Majors
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 13 schools only.
- 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.