# Portland State University: Physics (bachelor's)

Portland, OR. IPEDS 209807, CIP 40.08. Page: https://educationguide.com/colleges/portland-state-university/majors/physics

## Graduate outcomes
- Median earnings 1 year after graduating: $62,749
- Median earnings 4 years after graduating: $87,488 (U.S. median for this major: $78,569 across 107 colleges)
- Median federal loan debt: $29,070 (U.S. median $23,490)
- Rank in OR: 4 of 5 colleges by 4-year earnings
- Versus the OR median for this major (5 colleges, $89,506): -$2,018
- Versus the U.S. median: +$8,919

## Cost to finish and years to pay back (EducationGuide calculation)
School-wide net price x 4.42 years (average time graduates took). Earnings gain = $87,488 minus $36,549 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in OR (Census ACS 2020-2024).

| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0-30k | $7,655 | $33,835 | under 1 year |
| 30-48k | $7,752 | $34,264 | under 1 year |
| 48-75k | $8,981 | $39,696 | under 1 year |
| 75-110k | $12,993 | $57,429 | 1.1 years |
| 110k+ | $19,112 | $84,475 | 1.7 years |

Method: https://educationguide.com/how-we-score#value

## Physics at OR colleges
| College | Earnings 4 yrs | Median debt | Avg. net price | Graduation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oregon State University | $103,167 | $25,410 | $19,604 | 70% |
| Oregon State University-Cascades Campus | $103,167 | $25,410 | $18,048 | 56% |
| Willamette University | $89,506 | $22,989 | $25,121 | 71% |
| Portland State University | $87,488 | $29,070 | $9,552 | 53% |
| University of Oregon | $75,160 | not reported | $22,182 | 72% |

## Careers
- Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education (SOC 25-2031): median wage $84,120 Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA, $79,570 OR, $72,040 U.S.; U.S. jobs -0.2% by 2035
- Natural Sciences Managers (SOC 11-9121): median wage $165,200 Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA, $143,120 OR, $167,220 U.S.; U.S. jobs 8.2% by 2035

## Sources and years
- Earnings (4 yr): Treasury AY2017-2018, AY2018-2019 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars; debt: NSLDS pooled AY2018-19, AY2019-20 cohort

Free to reuse with attribution: cite "EducationGuide.com" with a link to the page URL. Most figures are U.S. government data (public domain); loan default rates and athletics come from the Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By 1.0, attribution required) and founding years from Wikidata (CC0).