U.S. median for this major: $78,569.
College Scorecard field of study
Median for graduates who received federal aid.
College Scorecard field of study
About 19% of median earnings 4 years out. U.S. median $23,490.
College Scorecard field of study (federal loans)
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $41,573. College Scorecard.
Physics at California colleges
Every California college we cover that reports Physics graduate earnings, highest first. Net price is the school-wide average after grants.
| Rank | College | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt | Avg. net price | Graduation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo | $96,805 | $23,000 | $16,665 | 86% |
| 2 | University of California-Irvine | $96,215 | $15,000 | $14,251 | 87% |
| 3 | University of California-Berkeley | $96,043 | $15,508 | $13,481 | 93% |
| 4 | University of California-San Diego | $95,018 | $16,800 | $12,470 | 86% |
| 5 | California State Polytechnic University-Pomona | $87,856 | $23,000 | $11,531 | 68% |
| 6 | California State University-Fullerton | $86,504 | — | $6,555 | 70% |
| 7 | University of California-Los Angeles | $85,708 | $21,100 | $12,548 | 93% |
| 8 | University of California-Santa Barbara | $85,219 | $15,982 | $16,109 | 83% |
| 9 | University of California-Davis | $78,569 | $16,464 | $14,741 | 86% |
| 10 | University of California-Riverside | $74,410 | $19,000 | $14,304 | 76% |
| 11 | California State University-Long Beach | $70,462 | $23,229 | $10,440 | 69% |
| 12 | California State University-Sacramento | $64,133 | — | $9,338 | 56% |
| 13 | California State University-San Bernardino | $62,004 | — | $4,564 | 55% |
45 more California colleges offer Physics but have too few graduates to report earnings.
Careers for Physics graduates
Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education
Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs -0.2% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.
Natural Sciences Managers
Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs +8.2% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35. Careers from the federal major-to-occupation crosswalk.
What families pay at University of California-Santa Barbara, by income
School-wide average after grants for students receiving federal aid. Tap your band.
College Scorecard
About University of California-Santa Barbara
- Acceptance rate: 33% · admissions
- Graduation rate: 83% within 6 years
- Median earnings, all majors, 10 years after starting: $74,915
- Full cost breakdown · all 53 majors · overview
Related majors at University of California-Santa Barbara
- Chemistry$74,713
- Geology / Earth Science$66,788
University of California-Santa Barbara Physics questions
How much do University of California-Santa Barbara Physics graduates earn?
Physics graduates of University of California-Santa Barbara earn a median $85,219 four years after graduating and $53,597 one year after. The U.S. median for Physics graduates across 107 colleges is $78,569.
How much debt do University of California-Santa Barbara Physics graduates have?
The median federal loan debt for Physics graduates of University of California-Santa Barbara is $15,982, about 19% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $23,490.
Where does University of California-Santa Barbara rank for Physics in California?
Of 13 California colleges reporting Physics graduate earnings, University of California-Santa Barbara ranks 8th. The highest is California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo at $96,805.
What jobs do Physics graduates get?
A common career is secondary school teachers, except special and career/technical education, with a median wage of $102,840 in the Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA area and $72,040 nationally. Others include natural sciences managers.
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Sources: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (field of study: median earnings and federal loan debt of graduates who received federal aid); BLS. How we score
Data: JSON · Markdown · all datasets
Cite this: “University of California-Santa Barbara Physics: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/university-of-california-santa-barbara/majors/physics (College Scorecard and BLS data).