Best Biophysics Programs in the West (2026)
Updated
Regional list from Best Biophysics Programs in the United States
This page ranks the 38 Biophysics programs in the West by the median earnings of Biophysics graduates four years after completing. University of California-Santa Barbara ranks 1st on this list, reporting median earnings of $90,694 for its graduates four years after completing.
Across the listed programs, the figure ranges from $90,694 to $18,315, with a median of $66,170. For 8 of the 38 programs the figure is the two-year completion median rather than the four-year one.
Public institutions account for 29 of the 38 programs, or 76%, alongside 9 private nonprofits. California State University-Los Angeles posts the lowest average net price on the page, at $3,967.
University of California-San Diego ranks 1st on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions.
The ranked list
| Rank | School | Program Earnings | Average net price | Net price, families under $30K | Admission rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of California-Santa Barbara · Santa Barbara, CA | $90,694 | $16,109 | $9,231 | 33.0% |
| University of California-Santa Barbara ranks 1st on this list, reporting $90,694 in median earnings for its Biophysics graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 2 | University of California-Santa Cruz · Santa Cruz, CA | $88,305 | $17,890 | $8,717 | 65.8% |
| An average net price of $17,890 coincides with median earnings of $88,305 for Biophysics graduates at University of California-Santa Cruz four years after completing. | |||||
| 3 | University of San Diego · San Diego, CA | $83,380 | $30,365 | $15,586 | 52.4% |
| A private nonprofit university in San Diego, University of San Diego admits 52% of applicants and its Biophysics graduates earn a median of $83,380 four years after completing. | |||||
| 4 | California State University-Long Beach · Long Beach, CA | $79,820 | $10,440 | $7,183 | 46.3% |
| Graduates across all fields who borrowed left with a median of $14,289 in federal loans at California State University-Long Beach, where the Biophysics program reports median earnings of $79,820 four years after completing. | |||||
| 5 | California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo · San Luis Obispo, CA | $78,097 | $16,665 | $7,529 | 31.3% |
| California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo ranks 58th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions and shows $78,097 in median earnings for its Biophysics graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 6 | California State University-East Bay · Hayward, CA | $77,863 | $9,320 | $6,360 | 97.4% |
| With an admission rate of 97%, California State University-East Bay reports $77,863 in median earnings for its Biophysics graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 7 | Western Washington University · Bellingham, WA | $77,048 | $21,193 | $12,915 | 93.3% |
| Western Washington University reports an average net price of $12,915 for families earning under $30,000 and median earnings of $77,048 for its Biophysics graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 8 | San Francisco State University · San Francisco, CA | $76,134 | $12,278 | $9,341 | 96.4% |
| San Francisco State University ranks 8th on this list, with a median of $76,134 for its Biophysics graduates four years after completing and a school-wide median federal debt of $15,371. | |||||
| 9 | Portland State University · Portland, OR | $75,765 | $9,552 | $7,655 | 90.9% |
| Portland State University posts $75,765 in median earnings for its Biophysics graduates four years after completing, alongside an average net price of $9,552. | |||||
| 10 | University of California-Los Angeles · Los Angeles, CA | $73,506 | $12,548 | $5,579 | 9.0% |
| University of California-Los Angeles admits 9% of applicants and its Biophysics graduates earn a median of $73,506 four years after completing, with a cohort of 222 graduates. | |||||
| 11 | University of California-San Diego · La Jolla, CA | $72,491 | $12,470 | $7,525 | 26.7% |
| Holding the strongest Azimuth composite rank on the page, 1st among nonprofit four-year institutions, University of California-San Diego reports $72,491 in median earnings for its Biophysics graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 12 | University of California-Davis · Davis, CA | $70,754 | $14,741 | $9,211 | 41.8% |
| Graduates across all fields who borrowed left with a median of $13,000 in federal loans at University of California-Davis, and its Biophysics program reports median earnings of $70,754 four years after completing. | |||||
| 13 | Colorado State University-Fort Collins · Fort Collins, CO | $70,343 | $21,279 | $13,259 | 88.5% |
| Colorado State University-Fort Collins reports median earnings of $70,343 for its Biophysics graduates four years after completing, with 63 graduates in the earnings cohort. | |||||
| 14 | University of Denver · Denver, CO | $69,725 | $36,131 | $20,097 | 77.8% |
| A private nonprofit university in Denver, University of Denver has an average net price of $36,131 and an admission rate of 78%. | |||||
| 15 | University of Colorado Boulder · Boulder, CO | $68,488 | $25,346 | $14,231 | 78.1% |
| Graduates across all fields who borrowed left with a median of $19,500 in federal loans at University of Colorado Boulder, which ranks 174th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions. | |||||
| 16 | California State University-Fullerton · Fullerton, CA | $68,170 | $6,555 | $3,315 | 90.5% |
| California State University-Fullerton ranks 16th on this list and posts an average net price of $6,555, alongside an admission rate of 91%. | |||||
| 17 | California State University-Los Angeles · Los Angeles, CA | $67,441 | $3,967 | $2,877 | 91.3% |
| With median earnings of $67,441 for its Biophysics graduates four years after completing, California State University-Los Angeles also reports an average net price of $2,877 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
| 18 | California State University-Sacramento · Sacramento, CA | $66,885 | $9,338 | $6,501 | 94.0% |
| California State University-Sacramento admits 94% of applicants and shows median earnings of $66,885 for its Biophysics graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 19 | University of Arizona · Tucson, AZ | $66,862 | $16,674 | $13,353 | 86.1% |
| University of Arizona has a median federal debt of $19,620 across all of the school's borrowers who completed, and its Biophysics graduates earned a median of $66,862 four years after completing. | |||||
| 20 | California State University-San Marcos · San Marcos, CA | $65,479 | $10,229 | $6,230 | 95.1% |
| Ranking 59th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions, California State University-San Marcos reports an average net price of $10,229. | |||||
| 21 | Brigham Young University · Provo, UT | $63,291 | $15,564 | $10,444 | 67.8% |
| Brigham Young University reports 84 graduates in the earnings cohort and a median of $63,291 for its Biophysics graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 22 | University of Nevada-Reno · Reno, NV | $63,239 | $15,927 | $12,674 | 73.7% |
| An admission rate of 74% and an average net price of $12,674 for families earning under $30,000 are reported by University of Nevada-Reno. | |||||
| 23 | Arizona State University Campus Immersion · Tempe, AZ | $60,501 | $14,967 | $9,070 | 89.9% |
| Arizona State University Campus Immersion ranks 23rd on this list, with 196 graduates in the earnings cohort and median earnings of $60,501 four years after completing. | |||||
| 24 | California State University-Chico · Chico, CA | $60,367 | $14,480 | $9,902 | 92.7% |
| Graduates across all fields who borrowed left with a median of $16,552 in federal loans at California State University-Chico, which ranks 91st on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions. | |||||
| 25 | University of California-Riverside · Riverside, CA | $59,549 | $14,304 | $8,852 | 76.4% |
| University of California-Riverside reports median earnings of $59,549 for its Biophysics graduates four years after completing, alongside an average net price of $14,304. | |||||
| 26 | University of Washington-Seattle Campus · Seattle, WA | $58,818 | $14,091 | $6,384 | 39.2% |
| Graduates across all fields who borrowed from University of Washington-Seattle Campus left with a median of $14,615 in federal loans, and the school's Biophysics completers earn a median of $58,818 four years after completing. | |||||
| 27 | University of Southern California · Los Angeles, CA | $57,246 | $32,740 | $13,516 | 9.8% |
| University of Southern California admits 10% of applicants and ranks 92nd on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions. | |||||
| 28 | Metropolitan State University of Denver · Denver, CO | $57,065 | $15,327 | $12,481 | 98.8% |
| Metropolitan State University of Denver ranks 28th on this list, with median earnings of $57,065 for its Biophysics graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 29 | University of New Mexico-Main Campus · Albuquerque, NM | $48,873 | $15,489 | $11,938 | 95.2% |
| University of New Mexico-Main Campus posts an average net price of $11,938 for families earning under $30,000, and its Biophysics graduates earn a median of $48,873 four years after completing. | |||||
| 30 | University of Hawaii at Manoa · Honolulu, HI | $43,080 | $15,664 | $10,675 | 86.6% |
| With a cohort of 23 graduates in the earnings cohort, University of Hawaii at Manoa reports median earnings of $43,080 for its Biophysics graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 31 | Mount Saint Mary's University · Los Angeles, CA | $41,565 | $21,413 | $23,849 | 73.1% |
| Mount Saint Mary's University ranks 187th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions and reports an average net price of $21,413. | |||||
| 32 | University of Puget Sound · Tacoma, WA | $38,289 | $38,394 | $23,643 | 72.3% |
| University of Puget Sound admits 72% of applicants, and its Biophysics graduates earn a median of $38,289 four years after completing. | |||||
| 33 | California Lutheran University · Thousand Oaks, CA | $33,993 | $30,109 | $22,161 | 75.7% |
| California Lutheran University reports an average net price of $22,161 for families earning under $30,000, alongside median earnings of $33,993 for its Biophysics graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 34 | Santa Clara University · Santa Clara, CA | $31,839 | $50,062 | $22,985 | 48.0% |
| Santa Clara University ranks 34th on this list, with an admission rate of 48% and median earnings of $31,839 for its Biophysics graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 35 | University of Oregon · Eugene, OR | $30,047 | $22,182 | $15,909 | 88.3% |
| University of Oregon posts an average net price of $22,182, and its Biophysics graduates earn a median of $30,047 four years after completing. | |||||
| 36 | University of Idaho · Moscow, ID | $28,055 | $14,831 | $11,270 | 75.5% |
| Median earnings of $28,055 for its Biophysics graduates four years after completing coincide with an Azimuth composite rank of 456th among nonprofit four-year institutions at University of Idaho. | |||||
| 37 | Point Loma Nazarene University · San Diego, CA | $26,353 | $38,729 | $30,999 | 83.7% |
| Point Loma Nazarene University, a private nonprofit university in San Diego, ranks 37th on this list and reports median earnings of $26,353 for its Biophysics graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 38 | Oregon State University · Corvallis, OR | $18,315 | $19,604 | $12,107 | 77.3% |
| Oregon State University posts an average net price of $19,604 and an admission rate of 77%, alongside median earnings of $18,315 for its Biophysics graduates four years after completing. | |||||
How this list is ordered
Programs are ordered by the median earnings of their Biophysics graduates four years after completing, highest first. Only programs with a reported earnings cohort in the West appear. The figure is the median for federally aided completers of the program who were working and not enrolled, measured four years after completing. For 8 of the 38 listed programs the figure is the two-year completion median rather than the four-year one. The metric does not adjust for graduate school enrollment, cost, or who enrolls, and it is not a measure of teaching quality. The gap between University of California-Santa Barbara and University of California-Santa Cruz is $2,389, and the spread from the top of the list to the bottom is $72,379.
Related rankings
- Best Biophysics Programs in the United States
- Best Colleges in the West
- Top Biophysics Programs in the Midwest by Earnings
- Best Biophysics Programs in the Northeast
- Best Biophysics Programs in the South
- Biological Sciences Colleges in the West for Social Mobility