# University of Colorado Boulder: Physics (bachelor's)

Boulder, CO. IPEDS 126614, CIP 40.08. Page: https://educationguide.com/colleges/university-of-colorado-boulder/majors/physics

## Graduate outcomes
- Median earnings 1 year after graduating: $41,874
- Median earnings 4 years after graduating: $75,764 (U.S. median for this major: $78,569 across 107 colleges)
- Median federal loan debt: $20,635 (U.S. median $23,490)
- Rank in CO: 1 of 2 colleges by 4-year earnings
- Versus the U.S. median: -$2,805

## Cost to finish and years to pay back (EducationGuide calculation)
School-wide net price x 4.26 years (average time graduates took). Earnings gain = $75,764 minus $40,610 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in CO (Census ACS 2020-2024).

| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0-30k | $14,231 | $60,624 | 1.7 years |
| 30-48k | $14,381 | $61,263 | 1.7 years |
| 48-75k | $18,828 | $80,207 | 2.3 years |
| 75-110k | $26,915 | $114,658 | 3.3 years |
| 110k+ | $34,818 | $148,325 | 4.2 years |

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

## Physics at CO colleges
| College | Earnings 4 yrs | Median debt | Avg. net price | Graduation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Colorado Boulder | $75,764 | $20,635 | $25,346 | 74% |
| University of Northern Colorado | $73,186 | $27,000 | $17,760 | 51% |

## Careers
- Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education (SOC 25-2031): median wage $81,450 Boulder, CO, $72,900 CO, $72,040 U.S.; U.S. jobs -0.2% by 2035
- Natural Sciences Managers (SOC 11-9121): median wage $210,340 Boulder, CO, $152,730 CO, $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).