Physics graduates from University of California-Irvine earn $92,632 median salary — below the national average for this program.
Physics at University of California-Irvine
Irvine, California • Doctoral
What the IPEDS & College Scorecard Data Shows for Physics at University of California-Irvine
This page combines two federal data products: IPEDS institutional characteristics for University of California-Irvine and the College Scorecard field-of-study (FOS) file for Physics at the doctoral credential level. The FOS file is keyed by CIP (Classification of Instructional Programs) code, which means earnings and debt figures here reflect only graduates of this specific program — not the school as a whole. IPEDS reports 24 completers in the most recent cohort for this program at University of California-Irvine, the denominator behind the median earnings figure.
Median graduate earnings of $92,632 represent Treasury-verified wages approximately one year after program completion, drawn from Social Security Administration records linked to federal financial aid applicants. Compared to the national mean of $116,348 across all institutions offering Physics, graduates here earn below the national average for this program. Across all programs at University of California-Irvine, the mean median-earnings figure is $76,635, providing internal context for whether this specific field out-earns other options at the same institution.
Debt signals complete the ROI picture. Median federal debt is not separately reported for this program at this school.. Program-level debt and earnings come from the Department of Education’s College Scorecard FOS release, updated annually.
Earnings Comparison
Program Details
Debt & ROI
Physics at Other Schools
| School | Median Earnings | Median Debt |
|---|---|---|
| University of California-Los Angeles | $178,137 | — |
| University of California-Berkeley | $177,589 | — |
| University of California-San Diego | $166,997 | — |
| University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign | $163,024 | — |
| University of Michigan-Ann Arbor | $141,253 | — |
| University of California-Davis | $141,034 | — |
| Ohio State University-Main Campus | $132,984 | — |
| University of Arizona | $123,527 | — |
| University of California-Santa Barbara | $95,688 | — |
| University of California-Irvine (this school) | $92,632 | — |
Other Programs at University of California-Irvine
| Program | Median Earnings | Median Debt |
|---|---|---|
| Health and Medical Administrative Services | $215,277 | — |
| Computer Science | $175,922 | — |
| Human Computer Interaction | $175,307 | $55,000 |
| Law | $153,307 | $133,605 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | $148,411 | $72,394 |
| Medicine | $143,530 | $191,478 |
| Computer Engineering | $132,357 | $19,000 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | $128,924 | $85,000 |
| Computer Science | $127,404 | $15,000 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | $119,502 | $13,500 |
Other Schools with Physics
Quick picks offering the same program — compare side by side
About the Data
Data from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard Field of Study file. Earnings are median earnings for graduates after completion, drawn from U.S. Treasury tax records linked to federal financial aid applicants. Institutional characteristics come from IPEDS. Debt figures represent the median cumulative federal loan debt at graduation.
Debt-to-earnings ratio compares cumulative debt to annual earnings. A ratio below 1.0 indicates that annual earnings exceed total debt, generally considered favorable. Estimated monthly payments assume a standard 10-year repayment plan.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.