38 Best colleges for Biophysics in California, US

Updated: February 29, 2024

Ranking by academic field

Below is a list of best universities in California ranked based on their research performance in Biophysics. A graph of 3.47M citations received by 56.5K academic papers made by 38 universities in California was used to calculate publications' ratings, which then were adjusted for release dates and added to final scores.

We don't distinguish between undergraduate and graduate programs nor do we adjust for current majors offered. You can find information about granted degrees on a university page but always double-check with the university website.

1. Stanford University

Stanford

For Biophysics

#3 in the United States

#3 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 4%
Average SAT: 1540
Average ACT: 34
Net Price: $18,279

2. University of California - San Francisco

San Francisco

For Biophysics

#5 in the United States

#5 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 13%
Enrollment: 3,140
Male:Female: 35:65
Founded: 1864

3. University of California-San Diego

San Diego

For Biophysics

#7 in the United States

#7 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 24%
Receiving Aid: 61%
Average Aid: $20,782
Enrollment: 42,006

4. University of California - Berkeley

Berkeley

For Biophysics

#8 in the United States

#8 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 11%
Receiving Aid: 60%
Average Aid: $21,669
Enrollment: 45,307

5. University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles

For Biophysics

#12 in the United States

#12 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 9%
Receiving Aid: 57%
Average Aid: $21,766
Enrollment: 46,430

6. University of California - Davis

Davis

For Biophysics

#22 in the United States

#23 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 37%
Receiving Aid: 63%
Average Aid: $20,548
Enrollment: 39,679

7. University of California - Irvine

Irvine

For Biophysics

#24 in the United States

#25 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 21%
Receiving Aid: 80%
Average Aid: $17,411
Enrollment: 35,937

8. California Institute of Technology

Pasadena

For Biophysics

#31 in the United States

#32 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 3%
Net Price: $20,755
Receiving Aid: 71%
Average Aid: $59,192

9. University of Southern California

Los Angeles

For Biophysics

#51 in the United States

#56 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 12%
Average SAT: 1500
Average ACT: 34
Net Price: $36,808

10. University of California - Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara

For Biophysics

#58 in the United States

#63 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 26%
Receiving Aid: 59%
Average Aid: $20,389
Enrollment: 26,420

11. University of California - Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz

For Biophysics

#79 in the United States

#87 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 47%
Receiving Aid: 74%
Average Aid: $21,202
Enrollment: 19,478

12. University of California - Riverside

Riverside

For Biophysics

#90 in the United States

#99 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 69%
Receiving Aid: 79%
Average Aid: $22,042
Enrollment: 26,809

13. Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute

San Diego

For Biophysics

#121 in the United States

#135 in North America

Enrollment: 44
Male:Female: 45:55

14. Irell & Manella Graduate School of Biological Sciences at City of Hope

Duarte

For Biophysics

#137 in the United States

#154 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 14%
Enrollment: 90
Founded: 1994

15. San Diego State University

San Diego

For Biophysics

#154 in the United States

#173 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 39%
Receiving Aid: 98%
Average Aid: $9,934
Enrollment: 37,402

16. Loma Linda University

Loma Linda

For Biophysics

#181 in the United States

#201 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 100%
Enrollment: 4,280
Male:Female: 33:67
Founded: 1905

17. University of the Pacific

Stockton

For Biophysics

#207 in the United States

#231 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 93%
Average SAT: 1272
Average ACT: 29
Net Price: $28,164

18. University of California - Merced

Merced

For Biophysics

#212 in the United States

#236 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 89%
Receiving Aid: 86%
Average Aid: $25,868
Enrollment: 9,103

19. West Los Angeles College

Culver

For Biophysics

#236 in the United States

#263 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 100%
Receiving Aid: 65%
Average Aid: $6,951
Enrollment: 8,656

20. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach

For Biophysics

#246 in the United States

#273 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 40%
Receiving Aid: 80%
Average Aid: $9,478
Enrollment: 38,973

21. Western University of Health Sciences

Pomona

For Biophysics

#262 in the United States

#289 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 8%
Enrollment: 3,724
Male:Female: 36:64
Founded: 1977

22. University of San Diego

San Diego

For Biophysics

#274 in the United States

#302 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 53%
Net Price: $36,008
Receiving Aid: 84%
Average Aid: $36,408

23. San Francisco State University

San Francisco

For Biophysics

#280 in the United States

#309 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 94%
Receiving Aid: 78%
Average Aid: $9,830
Enrollment: 25,282

24. California State University - Fullerton

Fullerton

For Biophysics

#281 in the United States

#310 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 67%
Receiving Aid: 80%
Average Aid: $9,194
Enrollment: 40,386

25. Chapman University

Orange

For Biophysics

#287 in the United States

#319 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 73%
Average SAT: 1300
Average ACT: 29
Net Price: $45,033

26. Palo Alto University

Palo Alto

For Biophysics

#291 in the United States

#323 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 12%
Enrollment: 1,129
Male:Female: 14:86
Founded: 1975

27. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles

For Biophysics

#303 in the United States

#338 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 87%
Receiving Aid: 92%
Average Aid: $10,907
Enrollment: 26,460

28. California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo

San Luis Obispo

For Biophysics

#312 in the United States

#348 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 30%
Receiving Aid: 57%
Average Aid: $10,065
Enrollment: 22,000

29. California State University - Northridge

Los Angeles

For Biophysics

#316 in the United States

#352 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 91%
Receiving Aid: 85%
Average Aid: $10,511
Enrollment: 37,579

30. University of San Francisco

San Francisco

For Biophysics

#318 in the United States

#354 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 71%
Average SAT: 1310
Average ACT: 29
Net Price: $42,953

31. California State Polytechnic University - Pomona

Pomona

For Biophysics

#328 in the United States

#365 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 55%
Receiving Aid: 77%
Average Aid: $9,040
Enrollment: 27,503

32. Occidental College

Los Angeles

For Biophysics

#335 in the United States

#372 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 39%
Average SAT: 1440
Average ACT: 33
Net Price: $44,853

33. Santa Clara University

Santa Clara

For Biophysics

#337 in the United States

#374 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 52%
Average SAT: 1385
Average ACT: 31
Net Price: $50,551

34. Humboldt State University

Arcata

For Biophysics

#338 in the United States

#375 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 98%
Receiving Aid: 76%
Average Aid: $9,262
Enrollment: 6,025

35. San Jose State University

San Jose

For Biophysics

#344 in the United States

#381 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 77%
Receiving Aid: 65%
Average Aid: $9,210
Enrollment: 35,751

36. Soka University of America

Aliso Viejo

For Biophysics

#349 in the United States

#386 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 57%
Average SAT: 1340
Net Price: $17,928
Receiving Aid: 100%

37. Pomona College

Claremont

For Biophysics

#353 in the United States

#390 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 7%
Average SAT: 1520
Average ACT: 34
Net Price: $19,962

38. Keck Graduate Institute

Claremont

For Biophysics

#357 in the United States

#394 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 50%
Enrollment: 668
Male:Female: 30:70
Founded: 1997

Closest to California states to learn Biophysics

State	Universities Unis	Best university country rank Best uni rank
Oregon	5	36
Utah	3	25
Arizona	4	56
Idaho	3	217
Washington	4	9
Colorado	5	55
Nebraska	4	104
Kansas	3	89
Texas	26	20
Oklahoma	4	125
North Dakota	2	199
Iowa	3	35
Missouri	9	14
Arkansas	4	147
Louisiana	7	107
Wisconsin	5	10
Illinois	13	18
Mississippi	5	176
Indiana	6	41
Michigan	9	15
Tennessee	7	39
Alabama	5	44
Ohio	14	29
Georgia	9	40
South Carolina	3	118
North Carolina	9	17
Virginia	10	26
Pennsylvania	18	2
Florida	11	47
District of Columbia	4	113
Maryland	6	6
New York	37	11
New Jersey	8	42
Connecticut	6	4
Massachusetts	18	1
Rhode Island	3	82
Puerto Rico	4	241

Closest to California states to learn Biophysics

Biology subfields in California