51 Best colleges for Nuclear 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 Nuclear Physics. A graph of 10.2M citations received by 202K academic papers made by 51 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 Nuclear Physics

#2 in the United States

#2 in North America

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

2. Stanford University

Stanford

For Nuclear Physics

#3 in the United States

#3 in North America

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

3. University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles

For Nuclear Physics

#5 in the United States

#5 in North America

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

4. California Institute of Technology

Pasadena

For Nuclear Physics

#7 in the United States

#7 in North America

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

5. University of California-San Diego

San Diego

For Nuclear Physics

#16 in the United States

#16 in North America

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

6. University of California - Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara

For Nuclear Physics

#17 in the United States

#17 in North America

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

7. University of California - Davis

Davis

For Nuclear Physics

#37 in the United States

#38 in North America

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

8. University of California - Irvine

Irvine

For Nuclear Physics

#41 in the United States

#43 in North America

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

9. University of Southern California

Los Angeles

For Nuclear Physics

#51 in the United States

#56 in North America

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

10. University of California - Riverside

Riverside

For Nuclear Physics

#58 in the United States

#64 in North America

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

11. University of California - San Francisco

San Francisco

For Nuclear Physics

#59 in the United States

#65 in North America

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

12. University of California - Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz

For Nuclear Physics

#61 in the United States

#67 in North America

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

13. Loma Linda University

Loma Linda

For Nuclear Physics

#165 in the United States

#191 in North America

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

14. San Diego State University

San Diego

For Nuclear Physics

#182 in the United States

#208 in North America

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

15. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles

For Nuclear Physics

#183 in the United States

#209 in North America

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

16. California State University - Northridge

Los Angeles

For Nuclear Physics

#199 in the United States

#226 in North America

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

17. University of California - Merced

Merced

For Nuclear Physics

#204 in the United States

#233 in North America

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

18. San Jose State University

San Jose

For Nuclear Physics

#210 in the United States

#239 in North America

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

19. San Francisco State University

San Francisco

For Nuclear Physics

#219 in the United States

#248 in North America

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

20. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach

For Nuclear Physics

#222 in the United States

#252 in North America

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

21. Naval Postgraduate School

Monterey

For Nuclear Physics

#230 in the United States

#262 in North America

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

22. California State University - Fullerton

Fullerton

For Nuclear Physics

#285 in the United States

#322 in North America

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

23. University of the Pacific

Stockton

For Nuclear Physics

#288 in the United States

#326 in North America

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

24. Pomona College

Claremont

For Nuclear Physics

#290 in the United States

#328 in North America

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

25. California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo

San Luis Obispo

For Nuclear Physics

#296 in the United States

#335 in North America

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

26. Humboldt State University

Arcata

For Nuclear Physics

#297 in the United States

#336 in North America

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

27. University of San Francisco

San Francisco

For Nuclear Physics

#300 in the United States

#340 in North America

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

28. California State University - Fresno

Fresno

For Nuclear Physics

#340 in the United States

#383 in North America

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

29. Chapman University

Orange

For Nuclear Physics

#346 in the United States

#389 in North America

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

30. California State Polytechnic University - Pomona

Pomona

For Nuclear Physics

#355 in the United States

#400 in North America

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

31. Santa Clara University

Santa Clara

For Nuclear Physics

#357 in the United States

#402 in North America

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

32. Palo Alto University

Palo Alto

For Nuclear Physics

#360 in the United States

#405 in North America

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

33. Harvey Mudd College

Claremont

For Nuclear Physics

#361 in the United States

#406 in North America

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

34. University of San Diego

San Diego

For Nuclear Physics

#367 in the United States

#412 in North America

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

35. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson

For Nuclear Physics

#416 in the United States

#465 in North America

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

36. Occidental College

Los Angeles

For Nuclear Physics

#420 in the United States

#470 in North America

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

37. California State University - Sacramento

Sacramento

For Nuclear Physics

#439 in the United States

#489 in North America

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

38. California State University - East Bay

Hayward

For Nuclear Physics

#451 in the United States

#501 in North America

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

39. West Los Angeles College

Culver

For Nuclear Physics

#476 in the United States

#526 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 100%
Receiving Aid: 83%
Average Aid: $5,857
Enrollment: 9,255

40. Loyola Marymount University

Los Angeles

For Nuclear Physics

#480 in the United States

#530 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 45%
Average SAT: 1345
Average ACT: 30
Net Price: $59,926

41. California State University - Chico

Chico

For Nuclear Physics

#500 in the United States

#552 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 93%
Receiving Aid: 75%
Average Aid: $11,509
Enrollment: 15,257

42. Western University of Health Sciences

Pomona

For Nuclear Physics

#518 in the United States

#570 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 8%
Enrollment: 3,665
Male:Female: 35:65
Founded: 1977

43. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield

For Nuclear Physics

#536 in the United States

#588 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 94%
Receiving Aid: 93%
Average Aid: $12,966
Enrollment: 10,419

44. California State University - San Bernardino

San Bernardino

For Nuclear Physics

#553 in the United States

#606 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 94%
Receiving Aid: 91%
Average Aid: $12,167
Enrollment: 18,492

45. California State University Maritime Academy

Vallejo

For Nuclear Physics

#562 in the United States

#616 in North America

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

46. Whittier College

Whittier

For Nuclear Physics

#568 in the United States

#622 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 81%
Net Price: $28,101
Receiving Aid: 100%
Average Aid: $36,176

47. Westmont College

Santa Barbara

For Nuclear Physics

#577 in the United States

#631 in North America

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

48. United States University

San Diego

For Nuclear Physics

#582 in the United States

#636 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 100%
Net Price: $20,197
Receiving Aid: 32%
Average Aid: $8,161

49. Sonoma State University

Rohnert Park

For Nuclear Physics

#587 in the United States

#641 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 93%
Receiving Aid: 87%
Average Aid: $9,094
Enrollment: 5,891

50. Master's University and Seminary

Santa Clarita

For Nuclear Physics

#602 in the United States

#656 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 84%
Net Price: $37,919
Receiving Aid: 98%
Average Aid: $16,990

51. Soka University of America

Aliso Viejo

For Nuclear Physics

#614 in the United States

#668 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 43%
Average SAT: 1422
Net Price: $15,691
Receiving Aid: 100%

Closest to California states to learn Nuclear Physics

State	Universities Unis	Best university country rank Best uni rank
Oregon	9	81
Utah	5	42
Arizona	4	30
Idaho	3	119
Washington	12	12
Colorado	12	24
New Mexico	5	63
Montana	3	127
Nebraska	6	77
South Dakota	6	274
Kansas	5	85
Texas	42	15
Oklahoma	7	108
North Dakota	2	196
Minnesota	12	18
Iowa	8	43
Missouri	10	56
Arkansas	6	141
Louisiana	12	73
Wisconsin	12	10
Illinois	30	13
Mississippi	5	167
Indiana	14	28
Michigan	19	9
Tennessee	15	36
Alabama	10	94
Kentucky	8	72
Ohio	30	21
Georgia	14	38
South Carolina	8	91
North Carolina	18	33
Virginia	19	50
Pennsylvania	33	22
Florida	24	29
District of Columbia	7	92
Maryland	14	8
New York	69	11
New Jersey	13	4
Vermont	4	162
Hawaii	2	109
Connecticut	11	20
Massachusetts	27	1
New Hampshire	3	80
Rhode Island	3	67
Maine	5	189
Puerto Rico	5	229