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2026 Best Value Engineering Physics Schools in California
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in engineering physics, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Engineering Physics Schools
University Of California Berkeley earned the #1 spot for value among engineering physics schools in California. University Of California Berkeley is a very large public school located in the city of Berkeley. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $15,377, while out-of-state students pay about $47,265. Engineering Physics graduates carry a median of $14,238 in student loans. Early-career engineering physics graduates make about $70,847. That is a strong return on a $14,238 median debt. Roughly 11% of applicants are accepted.
California Institute Of Technology came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the best value engineering physics schools. California Institute Of Technology is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Pasadena. Students from in state pay about $65,898 in tuition and fees. Early-career engineering physics graduates make about $173,344. Roughly 3% of applicants are accepted.
Biola University came in at #3 on our 2026 list of the best value engineering physics schools. Biola University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of La Mirada. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $48,984. Students borrow a median of $25,308 to complete the engineering physics program here. Soon after graduation, engineering physics degree recipients from Biola University generally make around $45,003. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 74%.
Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 12 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 1 ranked schools only.
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
ADBLOCK #116
[Engineering Physics](/majors/engineering/engineering-physics/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
