Physics at California State Polytechnic University-Pomona

Cal Poly Pomona physics graduates start strong at $64,000—outperforming 95% of physics programs nationwide and ranking in the 80th percentile among California schools. That first-year number beats even UC Berkeley and sits just below UCLA. But here's the complication: earnings drop to $52,000 by year four, a pattern that warrants investigation. This could reflect graduates pursuing advanced degrees (common in physics), switching to teaching roles, or simply the volatility of a small dataset—fewer than 30 graduates means a handful of career paths can swing the numbers significantly.

The $23,000 debt load is reasonable and below both national and state medians for physics programs, keeping the debt-to-earnings ratio at a manageable 0.36. For a school serving a largely working-class population (46% receive Pell grants), this combination of strong initial placement and modest debt represents genuine value. The admission rate of 74% means this opportunity is accessible to students who might not get into the more selective UCs.

The small sample size makes it impossible to know if that earnings dip is real or statistical noise. If your child is considering this program, I'd want to understand their post-graduation plans—the strong first-year number suggests solid industry connections, but if most physics majors here continue to graduate school, those mid-career numbers might not tell the full story. At this debt level, it's worth the bet, but expect to do some additional research on where graduates actually land.