Engineering Physics at University of California-San Diego

Engineering physics sits at the intersection of two high-value fields, and national data from peer programs suggests first-year earnings around $57,500—a solid start, though not the premium you might expect from a UC engineering degree. With an estimated debt load of $24,250, the debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.42 appears manageable compared to many undergraduate programs.

The challenge here is uncertainty. Because DOE suppresses data when graduate cohorts are too small, we're working entirely from national medians rather than outcomes specific to UC San Diego's program. Engineering physics tends to be a boutique major even at large universities, which explains the data gaps. Nationally, the 135 programs offering this degree show first-year earnings ranging from roughly $50,000 to over $65,000, meaning individual program outcomes vary considerably—and UC San Diego's position in that range remains unclear.

What we do know: UC San Diego is a research powerhouse with strong engineering credentials, and engineering physics graduates often pursue advanced degrees or specialized technical roles where the real payoff comes later. If your child is drawn to this intellectually demanding path, the estimated debt burden won't be crushing. But understand you're making this decision with limited visibility into how this specific program's graduates actually fare in the job market.