Get my odds
Berkeley, CA · Physics & astronomy

Physics & astronomy at UC Berkeley

UC Berkeley graduates about 156 physics & astronomy majors a year, 2% of its graduating class. That puts it 23rd of 525 schools we score for physics & astronomy, a standout program at 90 out of 100. Graduates in the major earn a median $95,000 four years out, 1.27× what the same major pays nationally. Research spending in the field runs about $158 million a year, a rough guide to how many labs and projects undergraduates can join.

90/100Standout#23 of 525 for physics & astronomy →
Graduates a year1562% of the class
Median pay 4 years out$95,0001.27× the same major nationally
Research in the field$158Ma year, NSF
Admit rate11%whole school

Around UC Berkeley

Sather Tower
Sather Tower 2013-09-29 13-34-23Photo: EricDLee · CC BY-SA 3.0 · source
South Hall is the oldest building on the campus of University of California, Ber
Berkeley - South HallPhoto: roger4336 · CC BY-SA 2.0 · source
Wheeler Hall
Wheeler Hall - panoramioPhoto: Alexander Gude · CC BY-SA 3.0 · source
Wheeler Hall Room 150 at UC Berkeley
Wheeler Hall Room 150 at UC Berkeley (54263464661)Photo: Gabriel Classon · CC BY 2.0 · source

Where physics & astronomy happens

Buildings on campus that fit the field: Social Sciences Building, Physics North & Physics South, Valley Life Sciences Building.

Named buildings on the campus map: Academic 124 · Dorm 27 · Athletics 15 · Student housing 8 · Arts 7 · Library 7.

Open the full-screen campus map →

Nearby in the physics & astronomy ranking

  1. University of Michigan–Ann Arbor 91
  2. Wesleyan University 91
  3. Haverford College 91
  4. Amherst College 91
  5. University of Virginia 90
  6. University of North Carolina–Chapel Hill 90
  7. Wellesley College 90
  8. Williams College 90

Other strong majors at UC Berkeley

How the score works

The score is out of 100 and compares UC Berkeley with every school we score in physics & astronomy. It weighs the school's overall strength; how many students graduate in the major and what share of the class they are; research spending in the field (NSF); early pay against the same major nationally; how many courses the catalog lists; and test scores. 80+ is a standout program, 65+ strong, 45+ solid. Sources: US Department of Education (College Scorecard, IPEDS), NSF HERD, each school's current course catalog, OpenStreetMap and Wikimedia Commons.

See your odds at UC Berkeley Everything about UC Berkeley