Top Physics Programs in the West by Earnings (2026)
Updated
Regional list from Best Physics Programs in the United States
This page ranks the 32 Physics programs in the West by the median earnings of Physics graduates four years after completing, highest first. Oregon State University leads the list with median earnings of $103,167 for its Physics graduates four years after completing.
Across the listed programs, the figure ranges from $103,167 to $29,685, with a median of $76,512. For 5 of the 32 listed programs the figure is the two-year completion median rather than the four-year one.
Public institutions account for 29 of the 32 programs, or 91%, alongside 3 private nonprofit programs. California State University-San Bernardino posts the lowest average net price on the list at $4,564.
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 | Oregon State University · Corvallis, OR | $103,167 | $19,604 | $12,107 | 77.3% |
| Oregon State University reports $103,167 in median earnings for its Physics graduates four years after completing, the highest figure on this list. | |||||
| 2 | Whitworth University · Spokane, WA | $99,842 | $26,534 | $16,788 | 89.8% |
| Whitworth University, a private nonprofit university in Spokane, ranks 2nd on this list and posts an average net price of $26,534. | |||||
| 3 | California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo · San Luis Obispo, CA | $96,805 | $16,665 | $7,529 | 31.3% |
| California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo admits 31% of applicants and reports median earnings of $96,805 for its Physics graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 4 | University of California-Irvine · Irvine, CA | $96,215 | $14,251 | $8,123 | 28.6% |
| University of California-Irvine ranks 12th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions and shows median federal debt of $13,590 among Physics completers who borrowed. | |||||
| 5 | University of California-Berkeley · Berkeley, CA | $96,043 | $13,481 | $5,311 | 11.0% |
| An average net price of $5,311 for families earning under $30,000 coincides with median earnings of $96,043 for University of California-Berkeley's Physics graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 6 | University of California-San Diego · La Jolla, CA | $95,018 | $12,470 | $7,525 | 26.7% |
| University of California-San Diego reports median earnings of $95,018 for its Physics graduates four years after completing and ranks 1st on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions. | |||||
| 7 | Willamette University · Salem, OR | $89,506 | $25,121 | $16,182 | 77.1% |
| Willamette University posts an average net price of $25,121 and reports median federal debt of $19,500 among Physics completers who borrowed. | |||||
| 8 | University of Arizona · Tucson, AZ | $88,207 | $16,674 | $13,353 | 86.1% |
| University of Arizona admits 86% of applicants and reports median earnings of $88,207 for its Physics graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 9 | California State Polytechnic University-Pomona · Pomona, CA | $87,856 | $11,531 | $7,851 | 75.2% |
| California State Polytechnic University-Pomona ranks 15th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions and shows an average net price of $11,531. | |||||
| 10 | Portland State University · Portland, OR | $87,488 | $9,552 | $7,655 | 90.9% |
| Portland State University reports median earnings of $87,488 for its Physics graduates four years after completing, with median federal debt of $22,358 among those completers who borrowed. | |||||
| 11 | California State University-Fullerton · Fullerton, CA | $86,504 | $6,555 | $3,315 | 90.5% |
| California State University-Fullerton shows an average net price of $6,555 and reports median federal debt of $13,750 across all of the school's borrowers who completed. | |||||
| 12 | University of California-Los Angeles · Los Angeles, CA | $85,708 | $12,548 | $5,579 | 9.0% |
| University of California-Los Angeles admits 9% of applicants, the lowest admission rate on the page, and reports median earnings of $85,708 for its Physics graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 13 | University of California-Santa Barbara · Santa Barbara, CA | $85,219 | $16,109 | $9,231 | 33.0% |
| 13th on this list, University of California-Santa Barbara reports median earnings of $85,219 for its Physics graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 14 | Arizona State University Campus Immersion · Tempe, AZ | $81,696 | $14,967 | $9,070 | 89.9% |
| Ranking 14th on this list, Arizona State University Campus Immersion shows a median federal debt of $21,500 among Physics completers who borrowed. | |||||
| 15 | University of California-Davis · Davis, CA | $78,569 | $14,741 | $9,211 | 41.8% |
| With an admission rate of 42%, University of California-Davis posts median earnings of $78,569 for its Physics graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 16 | University of Utah · Salt Lake City, UT | $77,158 | $16,200 | $13,123 | 86.0% |
| University of Utah sits 16th on this page and carries an average net price of $13,123 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
| 17 | University of Washington-Seattle Campus · Seattle, WA | $75,867 | $14,091 | $6,384 | 39.2% |
| A cohort of 151 graduates in the earnings cohort accompanies median earnings of $75,867 for Physics graduates at University of Washington-Seattle Campus four years after completing. | |||||
| 18 | University of Colorado Boulder · Boulder, CO | $75,764 | $25,346 | $14,231 | 78.1% |
| University of Colorado Boulder ranks 18th on this list and reports a median federal debt of $19,306 among Physics completers who borrowed. | |||||
| 19 | University of Oregon · Eugene, OR | $75,160 | $22,182 | $15,909 | 88.3% |
| Graduates across all fields who borrowed at University of Oregon left with a median of $20,139 in federal loans, while the school ranks 384th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions. | |||||
| 20 | University of California-Riverside · Riverside, CA | $74,410 | $14,304 | $8,852 | 76.4% |
| University of California-Riverside posts median earnings of $74,410 for its Physics graduates four years after completing and an admission rate of 76%. | |||||
| 21 | Brigham Young University · Provo, UT | $73,747 | $15,564 | $10,444 | 67.8% |
| Brigham Young University, a private nonprofit university in Provo, reports an average net price of $10,444 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
| 22 | University of Northern Colorado · Greeley, CO | $73,186 | $17,760 | $12,695 | 85.9% |
| University of Northern Colorado ranks 22nd on this list and shows a median federal debt of $23,810 among Physics completers who borrowed. | |||||
| 23 | California State University-Long Beach · Long Beach, CA | $70,462 | $10,440 | $7,183 | 46.3% |
| California State University-Long Beach reports median earnings of $70,462 for its Physics graduates four years after completing, alongside an average net price of $10,440. | |||||
| 24 | Boise State University · Boise, ID | $64,459 | $21,610 | $18,165 | 87.2% |
| Boise State University sits 24th on this page and carries an average net price of $18,165 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
| 25 | California State University-Sacramento · Sacramento, CA | $64,133 | $9,338 | $6,501 | 94.0% |
| California State University-Sacramento reports median earnings of $64,133 for its Physics graduates four years after completing, alongside an average net price of $9,338. | |||||
| 26 | Western Washington University · Bellingham, WA | $63,833 | $21,193 | $12,915 | 93.3% |
| Western Washington University admits 93% of applicants and its Physics graduates earned a median of $63,833 four years after completing. | |||||
| 27 | California State University-San Bernardino · San Bernardino, CA | $62,004 | $4,564 | $2,681 | 93.7% |
| Graduates across all fields who borrowed left California State University-San Bernardino with a median of $14,715 in federal loans, and the school's Physics completers earned $62,004 four years after completing. | |||||
| 28 | California State University-San Marcos · San Marcos, CA | $57,318 | $10,229 | $6,230 | 95.1% |
| California State University-San Marcos ranks 28th on this list and reports an average net price of $6,230 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
| 29 | Central Washington University · Ellensburg, WA | $41,565 | $18,476 | $11,846 | 90.6% |
| Central Washington University sits 339th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions, with Physics graduates earning a median of $41,565 four years after completing. | |||||
| 30 | Idaho State University · Pocatello, ID | $41,025 | $12,193 | $10,593 | Not reported |
| With a cohort of 6 graduates, Idaho State University posts median earnings of $41,025 for its Physics completers four years after completing. | |||||
| 31 | Northern Arizona University · Flagstaff, AZ | $37,568 | $14,158 | $9,709 | 89.6% |
| Northern Arizona University reports an admission rate of 90% and an average net price of $9,709 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
| 32 | Colorado State University-Fort Collins · Fort Collins, CO | $29,685 | $21,279 | $13,259 | 88.5% |
| Colorado State University-Fort Collins ranks 200th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions, and its Physics graduates earned a median of $29,685 four years after completing. | |||||
How this list is ordered
Programs are ordered by the median earnings of their Physics graduates four years after completing, highest first. Only programs with a reported earnings cohort in the West appear. The figure reflects federally aided completers of the Physics program who were working and not enrolled. For 5 of the 32 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 range and median below cover the 32 schools with a published figure. Oregon State University leads Whitworth University by a gap of $3,325, and the spread from the top to the bottom of the list is $73,482.