Physics at The University of Texas at San Antonio

UTSA's physics program operates in unusual territory: graduates carry remarkably low debt ($27,508) while earning below-average starting salaries. At $36,328 first-year, this trails the Texas median by $3,000 and sits well below what physics majors earn at Texas Tech ($57,435) or Texas A&M ($53,329). Yet that debt load ranks in just the 5th percentile nationally—meaning 95% of physics programs saddle students with more debt. The debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.76 is manageable, roughly 9 months of gross income.

The critical caveat here is sample size: fewer than 30 graduates means one or two outliers can skew the picture dramatically. That said, if these numbers hold, parents are looking at a program that won't overburden students financially but also won't deliver the strong early earnings that physics degrees typically command. UTSA serves a high-need population (42% on Pell grants), which may explain both the lower debt and the regional job market outcomes.

For a student planning graduate school—where physics majors often land—this combination of low debt and accessible admissions (88% acceptance rate) could work well. But a family counting on immediate post-graduation earning power should recognize this program underperforms most Texas alternatives, including UT Austin just down I-35, which produces similar starting earnings with comparable debt.