40 Best colleges for Atomic and Molecular physics in California, US

Updated: March 15, 2026

Ranking by academic field

Below is a list of best universities in California ranked based on their research performance in Atomic and Molecular physics. A graph of 4.5M citations received by 89.3K academic papers made by 40 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. University of California - Berkeley

Berkeley

For Atomic and Molecular physics

#1 in the United States

#1 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 11%
Receiving Aid: 63%
Average Aid: $29,608
Enrollment: 45,882

2. Stanford University

Stanford

For Atomic and Molecular physics

#3 in the United States

#3 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 4%
Average SAT: 1545
Average ACT: 35
Net Price: $25,078

3. California Institute of Technology

Pasadena

For Atomic and Molecular physics

#5 in the United States

#5 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 3%
Net Price: $14,513
Receiving Aid: 70%
Average Aid: $72,373

4. University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles

For Atomic and Molecular physics

#15 in the United States

#15 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 9%
Receiving Aid: 59%
Average Aid: $25,627
Enrollment: 47,335

5. University of California - Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara

For Atomic and Molecular physics

#18 in the United States

#18 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 33%
Receiving Aid: 61%
Average Aid: $24,695
Enrollment: 26,133

6. University of California-San Diego

San Diego

For Atomic and Molecular physics

#19 in the United States

#19 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 27%
Receiving Aid: 66%
Average Aid: $25,757
Enrollment: 44,256

7. University of Southern California

Los Angeles

For Atomic and Molecular physics

#38 in the United States

#39 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 10%
Average SAT: 1500
Average ACT: 34
Net Price: $43,412

8. University of California - Irvine

Irvine

For Atomic and Molecular physics

#43 in the United States

#46 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 29%
Receiving Aid: 61%
Average Aid: $23,110
Enrollment: 37,297

9. University of California - Davis

Davis

For Atomic and Molecular physics

#49 in the United States

#52 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 42%
Receiving Aid: 65%
Average Aid: $24,591
Enrollment: 40,065

10. University of California - Riverside

Riverside

For Atomic and Molecular physics

#74 in the United States

#82 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 76%
Receiving Aid: 80%
Average Aid: $24,355
Enrollment: 26,384

11. University of California - Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz

For Atomic and Molecular physics

#79 in the United States

#90 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 66%
Receiving Aid: 64%
Average Aid: $22,774
Enrollment: 19,938

12. University of California - San Francisco

San Francisco

For Atomic and Molecular physics

#105 in the United States

#127 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 13%
Enrollment: 3,007
Male:Female: 36:64
Founded: 1864

13. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles

For Atomic and Molecular physics

#150 in the United States

#175 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 91%
Receiving Aid: 95%
Average Aid: $13,824
Enrollment: 23,163

14. University of California - Merced

Merced

For Atomic and Molecular physics

#170 in the United States

#196 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 91%
Receiving Aid: 91%
Average Aid: $27,292
Enrollment: 9,110

15. San Diego State University

San Diego

For Atomic and Molecular physics

#172 in the United States

#198 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 36%
Receiving Aid: 62%
Average Aid: $12,053
Enrollment: 41,137

16. California State University - Northridge

Los Angeles

For Atomic and Molecular physics

#188 in the United States

#214 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 93%
Receiving Aid: 86%
Average Aid: $12,825
Enrollment: 38,313

17. University of the Pacific

Stockton

For Atomic and Molecular physics

#213 in the United States

#241 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 71%
Average SAT: 1332
Average ACT: 28
Net Price: $31,670

18. California State University - Fullerton

Fullerton

For Atomic and Molecular physics

#214 in the United States

#242 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 91%
Receiving Aid: 83%
Average Aid: $11,234
Enrollment: 43,662

19. Naval Postgraduate School

Monterey

For Atomic and Molecular physics

#228 in the United States

#258 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 23%
Enrollment: 2,441
Male:Female: 79:21
Founded: 1909

20. San Jose State University

San Jose

For Atomic and Molecular physics

#233 in the United States

#263 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 85%
Receiving Aid: 69%
Average Aid: $12,353
Enrollment: 37,661

21. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach

For Atomic and Molecular physics

#236 in the United States

#266 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 46%
Receiving Aid: 82%
Average Aid: $11,795
Enrollment: 42,003

22. San Francisco State University

San Francisco

For Atomic and Molecular physics

#237 in the United States

#267 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 96%
Receiving Aid: 81%
Average Aid: $12,996
Enrollment: 22,563

23. Harvey Mudd College

Claremont

For Atomic and Molecular physics

#256 in the United States

#290 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 13%
Average SAT: 1535
Average ACT: 35
Net Price: $43,966

24. California State Polytechnic University - Pomona

Pomona

For Atomic and Molecular physics

#292 in the United States

#332 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 75%
Receiving Aid: 80%
Average Aid: $11,833
Enrollment: 27,636

25. University of San Francisco

San Francisco

For Atomic and Molecular physics

#308 in the United States

#350 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 62%
Average SAT: 1290
Average ACT: 28
Net Price: $45,443

26. Humboldt State University

Arcata

For Atomic and Molecular physics

#310 in the United States

#352 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 98%
Receiving Aid: 74%
Average Aid: $10,748
Enrollment: 6,237

27. California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo

San Luis Obispo

For Atomic and Molecular physics

#347 in the United States

#393 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 31%
Receiving Aid: 62%
Average Aid: $14,338
Enrollment: 23,069

28. Pomona College

Claremont

For Atomic and Molecular physics

#352 in the United States

#398 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 7%
Average SAT: 1525
Average ACT: 34
Net Price: $19,938

29. Santa Clara University

Santa Clara

For Atomic and Molecular physics

#355 in the United States

#401 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 48%
Average SAT: 1420
Average ACT: 32
Net Price: $53,883

30. University of San Diego

San Diego

For Atomic and Molecular physics

#359 in the United States

#405 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 52%
Net Price: $37,918
Receiving Aid: 87%
Average Aid: $40,965

31. California State University - Fresno

Fresno

For Atomic and Molecular physics

#364 in the United States

#410 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 95%
Receiving Aid: 88%
Average Aid: $12,326
Enrollment: 24,427

32. Chapman University

Orange

For Atomic and Molecular physics

#367 in the United States

#413 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 65%
Average SAT: 1350
Average ACT: 30
Net Price: $47,902

33. Occidental College

Los Angeles

For Atomic and Molecular physics

#380 in the United States

#426 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 44%
Average SAT: 1450
Average ACT: 33
Net Price: $48,400

34. Loma Linda University

Loma Linda

For Atomic and Molecular physics

#387 in the United States

#433 in North America

Enrollment: 4,210
Male:Female: 34:66
Founded: 1905

35. California State University Maritime Academy

Vallejo

For Atomic and Molecular physics

#411 in the United States

#458 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 95%
Receiving Aid: 68%
Average Aid: $11,038
Enrollment: 837

36. California State University - East Bay

Hayward

For Atomic and Molecular physics

#416 in the United States

#463 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 97%
Receiving Aid: 82%
Average Aid: $12,369
Enrollment: 12,326

37. Westmont College

Santa Barbara

For Atomic and Molecular physics

#429 in the United States

#476 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 77%
Average SAT: 1345
Average ACT: 29
Net Price: $32,172

38. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson

For Atomic and Molecular physics

#436 in the United States

#484 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 93%
Receiving Aid: 95%
Average Aid: $13,951
Enrollment: 15,182

39. Palo Alto University

Palo Alto

For Atomic and Molecular physics

#437 in the United States

#485 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 12%
Enrollment: 1,065
Male:Female: 16:84
Founded: 1975

40. California State University - Sacramento

Sacramento

For Atomic and Molecular physics

#438 in the United States

#486 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 94%
Receiving Aid: 86%
Average Aid: $12,767
Enrollment: 31,943

Closest to California states to learn Atomic and Molecular physics

State	Universities Unis	Best university country rank Best uni rank
Oregon	7	69
Utah	4	45
Arizona	3	34
Idaho	3	110
Washington	6	9
Colorado	7	11
New Mexico	3	63
Nebraska	5	66
South Dakota	5	254
Kansas	3	50
Texas	30	12
Oklahoma	4	93
North Dakota	2	163
Minnesota	6	8
Iowa	4	35
Missouri	9	55
Arkansas	4	87
Louisiana	7	56
Wisconsin	10	10
Illinois	16	6
Mississippi	4	143
Indiana	11	36
Michigan	13	14
Tennessee	10	39
Alabama	9	86
Kentucky	5	75
Ohio	20	25
Georgia	10	31
South Carolina	4	91
North Carolina	13	28
Virginia	13	41
Pennsylvania	23	24
Florida	14	30
District of Columbia	5	103
Maryland	9	16
New York	46	13
New Jersey	8	4
Connecticut	9	17
Massachusetts	20	2
New Hampshire	3	113
Rhode Island	3	68
Maine	4	160
Puerto Rico	2	198