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Physics at University of California-San Diego

If you are interested in studying Physics, take a look at what University of California-San Diego. The following information will help you decide if it is a good fit for you.

University of California-San Diego is located in La Jolla, CA.

In the most recent year for which we have data, 117 physics degrees were awarded at University of California-San Diego.

Online & Distance Learning at University of California-San Diego

Online coursework is an option at University of California-San Diego. Of 44,256 students, 236 (1%) were enrolled entirely in distance education and 7,655 (17%) took at least some classes online.

Physics Rankings at University of California-San Diego

Use these rankings to compare University of California-San Diego’s Physics program against other schools offering the same major.

Master’s-Level Rankings

Ranking	Scope	Rank
Best Schools (Quality)	California	#15 of 77
Best Schools (Quality)	Far Western (Region)	#15 of 89
Best Schools (Quality)	Nationwide	#45 of 259
Best Value	Far Western (Region)	#48 of 89
Best Value	California	#49 of 77
Best Value	Nationwide	#52 of 257

Doctoral-Level Rankings

Ranking	Scope	Rank
Best Schools (Quality)	California	#15 of 77
Best Schools (Quality)	Far Western (Region)	#15 of 89
Best Schools (Quality)	Nationwide	#45 of 259
Best Value	Far Western (Region)	#48 of 89
Best Value	California	#49 of 77
Best Value	Nationwide	#52 of 257

Earnings for Physics Graduates from University of California-San Diego

Graduates of University of California-San Diego’s Physics program report the following median earnings (per the U.S. Department of Education’s College Scorecard):

Years After Graduation	Median Earnings
1 year	$41,524
2 years	$60,965
3 years	$81,597
4 years	$103,170
5 years	$109,391

Is this above or below average for the school? Four years after graduating, Physics graduates from University of California-San Diego take home a median $103,170, compared with $84,922 for all University of California-San Diego graduates — about 21% higher than the school-wide median.

Median Debt at Graduation

Median student loan debt for Physics graduates from University of California-San Diego comes in at $16,800.

Student Demographics & Diversity

Take a look at the student demographics for Physics graduates at University of California-San Diego, by degree type.

Program-wide, Physics graduates at University of California-San Diego are 23% women (27) and 77% men (90).

Physics Bachelor’s Program at University of California-San Diego

Of the 69 bachelor’s physics degrees awarded at University of California-San Diego, 25% were women (17) and 75% were men (52).

The following table and chart show the race/ethnicity of Physics bachelor’s degree recipients at University of California-San Diego.

Race / Ethnicity	Number of Graduates
White	26
Hispanic / Latino	5
Black / African American	1
Asian	11
Two or More Races	6
International (Nonresident)	19
Unknown	1

Racial-ethnic minorities make up 33% of Physics bachelor’s degree recipients at University of California-San Diego, above the national average of 30%.*

Physics Master’s Program at University of California-San Diego

Among the 15 master’s physics degrees awarded at University of California-San Diego, 20% were women (3) and 80% were men (12).

The following table and chart show the race/ethnicity of Physics master’s degree recipients at University of California-San Diego.

Race / Ethnicity	Number of Graduates
White	5
Hispanic / Latino	2
Asian	2
Two or More Races	1
International (Nonresident)	5

Racial-ethnic minorities make up 33% of Physics master’s degree recipients at University of California-San Diego, above the national average of 21%.*

Physics Doctoral Program at University of California-San Diego

Among the 33 doctoral physics degrees awarded at University of California-San Diego, 21% were women (7) and 79% were men (26).

The following table and chart show the race/ethnicity of Physics doctoral degree recipients at University of California-San Diego.

Race / Ethnicity	Number of Graduates
White	11
Hispanic / Latino	3
Asian	3
International (Nonresident)	16

Minority students account for 18% of Physics doctoral degree recipients at University of California-San Diego, higher than the national average of 14%.*

*The racial-ethnic minorities figure is the total number of graduates minus White, international (nonresident), and unknown-race graduates.

More Specific Physics Concentrations at University of California-San Diego

This Physics program at University of California-San Diego offers more specialized concentrations:

Concentration	Graduates
General Physics	74
Other Physics	43

Top-Paying Careers for Physics Graduates

Those who complete Physics program at University of California-San Diego pursue many career paths. The table below ranks the highest-paying careers for Physics graduates, ordered by median annual salary:

Occupation	Nationwide Median Wage
Water Resource Specialists	$179,716
Natural Sciences Managers	$132,227
Physicists	$111,776
Clinical Research Coordinators	$110,931
Physics Teachers, Postsecondary	$80,685
Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education	$77,927

References

• IPEDS — Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System
• U.S. Department of Education — College Scorecard
• O*NET Online (Bureau of Labor Statistics)
• National Center for Education Statistics

More about our data sources and methodologies.