Physics graduates from University of California-Los Angeles earn $178,137 median salary — above the national average for this program.
Physics at University of California-Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California • Doctoral
What the IPEDS & College Scorecard Data Shows for Physics at University of California-Los Angeles
This page combines two federal data products: IPEDS institutional characteristics for University of California-Los Angeles 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 23 completers in the most recent cohort for this program at University of California-Los Angeles, the denominator behind the median earnings figure.
Median graduate earnings of $178,137 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 above the national average for this program. Across all programs at University of California-Los Angeles, the mean median-earnings figure is $91,903, 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 (this school) | $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 | $92,632 | — |
Other Programs at University of California-Los Angeles
| Program | Median Earnings | Median Debt |
|---|---|---|
| Computer Engineering | $228,705 | $13,500 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | $223,358 | $97,335 |
| Computer and Information Sciences, General | $216,722 | $15,156 |
| Physics (current) | $178,137 | — |
| Law | $177,968 | $135,373 |
| Engineering, General | $177,858 | — |
| Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering | $174,798 | $40,304 |
| Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods | $169,099 | $88,637 |
| Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering | $151,186 | — |
| Materials Engineering | $146,629 | — |
View all 100 programs at University of California-Los Angeles →
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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.