Approximately 0.1% of graduates in of California receive physics degrees every year. That means an estimated 1,315 physicists graduate from California's 104 physics schools each year.

Top Schools

Stanford University, which is located in Stanford, is the top-ranked school in California that has a physics program. It received a ranking of 2nd in the country in 2010. In 2010, 104 students graduated from Stanford University's physics program. Tuition at Stanford University was $40,172 per year.

The second-ranked school in California that has a physics program is University of California-Berkeley. University of California-Berkeley, which was ranked 5th in the country in 2010, is located in Berkeley. In 2010, 172 students graduated from University of California-Berkeley physics program. The tuition rate at University of California-Berkeley was $10,940 per year.

The third-ranked school in California that has a physics program is University of California-Los Angeles. University of California-Los Angeles, which was ranked 5th in the country in 2010, is located in Los Angeles. In 2010, University of California-Los Angeles graduated 120 students from its physics programs. Tuition at University of California-Los Angeles was $10,781 per year.

Cost

If you are hoping to attend one of California's physics schools, you can expect to pay an average tuition of $10,520 per year, though tuition can range from $41,130 per year to $644 per year. The California physics schools with the highest tuition rates in 2010 were:

1. Pitzer College - located in Claremont, students are charged $41,130 per year
2. University of Southern California - located in Los Angeles, students are charged $41,022 per year
3. Occidental College - located in Los Angeles, students are charged $40,939 per year

The physics schools in California that charged the lowest tuition rates were:

1. Folsom Lake College - located in Folsom, students are charged $644 per year
2. Cosumnes River College - located in Sacramento, students are charged $644 per year
3. College of the Siskiyous - located in Weed, students are charged $650 per year

A physics degree from a California school... what next?

A large number of California physics graduates become physicists. 2,890 physicists were working in California in 2010. The following counties have the largest number of California physicists:

1. Los Angeles County - 1,000 physicists
2. Marin County - 410 physicists
3. San Diego County - 310 physicists

Projected Growth

The government projects that by 2018, the number of physicists in the state of California will grow to 2,200. This would require a 15% growth in the profession.

Salary

A physicist in California makes an average of $103,620 per year. In 2010, however, some California physicists earned as little as less than $50,270 per year or as much as more than $157,410 per year. On average a physicist earns the most in the following California counties:

1. Alameda County - $128,720 per year
2. Marin County - $126,170 per year
3. San Benito County - $117,000 per year

A physicist in the following counties in California make the lowest salaries on average:

1. El Dorado County - $84,760 per year
2. Los Angeles County - $87,950 per year
3. Ventura County - $94,850 per year

More Information

Take a look at the graphs and charts below for additional California statistics regarding a career in physics and to compare salaries with a variety of related fields such as chemical engineering or chemistry.