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Physics at University of California-Santa Barbara

If you are interested in studying Physics, consider the program at University of California-Santa Barbara. Get started with the following essential facts.

University of California-Santa Barbara sits in Santa Barbara, CA.

During the most recent reporting year, 213 physics graduations were recorded at University of California-Santa Barbara.

Online Class Availability at University of California-Santa Barbara

Distance learning is available at University of California-Santa Barbara. Among 26,133 students, 57 (0%) studied exclusively online and 1,195 (5%) took at least some classes online.

Physics Rankings at University of California-Santa Barbara

These rankings give you a sense of how University of California-Santa Barbara’s Physics program to other colleges that offer this major.

Master’s-Level Rankings

Ranking	Scope	Rank
Best Schools (Quality)	California	#4 of 77
Best Schools (Quality)	Far Western (Region)	#4 of 89
Best Schools (Quality)	Nationwide	#15 of 259
Best Value	California	#60 of 77
Best Value	Far Western (Region)	#63 of 89
Best Value	Nationwide	#74 of 257

Doctoral-Level Rankings

Ranking	Scope	Rank
Best Schools (Quality)	California	#4 of 77
Best Schools (Quality)	Far Western (Region)	#4 of 89
Best Schools (Quality)	Nationwide	#15 of 259
Best Value	California	#60 of 77
Best Value	Far Western (Region)	#63 of 89
Best Value	Nationwide	#74 of 257

Earnings for Physics Graduates from University of California-Santa Barbara

Graduates of University of California-Santa Barbara’s Physics program earn the following amounts (per the U.S. Department of Education’s College Scorecard):

Years After Graduation	Median Earnings
1 year	$49,863
2 years	$59,889
3 years	$60,670
4 years	$88,722
5 years	$104,149

How do these earnings stack up against the rest of the school? Four years after graduating, Physics graduates from University of California-Santa Barbara earn a median of $88,722, compared with $66,666 for all University of California-Santa Barbara graduates — about 33% higher than the school-wide median.

Median Debt at Graduation

Median student loan debt for Physics graduates from University of California-Santa Barbara is $15,982.

Student Demographics & Diversity

Take a look at the composition of Physics graduates at University of California-Santa Barbara, by degree type.

Across all degree levels, Physics graduates at University of California-Santa Barbara are 24% women (52) and 76% men (161).

Physics Bachelor’s Program at University of California-Santa Barbara

Among the 138 bachelor’s physics degrees awarded at University of California-Santa Barbara, 25% were women (35) and 75% were men (103).

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

Race / Ethnicity	Number of Graduates
White	46
Hispanic / Latino	13
Asian	17
Two or More Races	6
International (Nonresident)	52
Unknown	4

Racial-ethnic minorities make up 26% of Physics bachelor’s degree recipients at University of California-Santa Barbara, lower than the national average of 30%.*

Physics Master’s Program at University of California-Santa Barbara

Among the 45 master’s physics graduates at University of California-Santa Barbara, 24% were women (11) and 76% were men (34).

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

Race / Ethnicity	Number of Graduates
White	11
Hispanic / Latino	2
Black / African American	2
Asian	5
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	1
International (Nonresident)	24

Minority students account for 22% of Physics master’s degree recipients at University of California-Santa Barbara, higher than the national average of 21%.*

Physics Doctoral Program at University of California-Santa Barbara

Among the 30 doctoral physics degrees awarded at University of California-Santa Barbara, 20% were women (6) and 80% were men (24).

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

Race / Ethnicity	Number of Graduates
White	13
Hispanic / Latino	2
Asian	1
International (Nonresident)	14

Racial-ethnic minorities make up 10% of Physics doctoral degree recipients at University of California-Santa Barbara, below 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-Santa Barbara

The Physics program at University of California-Santa Barbara offers more specialized concentrations:

Concentration	Graduates
General Physics	213

Highest-Paying Careers for Physics Graduates

Those who complete Physics program at University of California-Santa Barbara pursue many career paths. The table below ranks the best-paid 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.