Physics at University of California-Santa Cruz

UC Santa Cruz physics graduates start about $12,000 behind the California median for physics programs and roughly $10,000 below the national benchmark. Among 58 California physics programs, this ranks in just the 25th percentile—meaning three-quarters of comparable state programs produce better initial outcomes. The gap is stark when you look at peer UC schools: UCLA physics grads earn $60,495 right out of college, while UC Santa Barbara graduates start at $53,597. Even several Cal State campuses significantly outperform UCSC despite typically lower admission selectivity.

The $16,250 debt burden is reasonable and actually below both state and national medians, which keeps the financial risk relatively contained. A debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.43 means graduates owe less than half their first-year salary—manageable by most standards. However, the low starting earnings raise questions about whether UCSC physics students are finding relevant employment immediately after graduation or taking interim positions while pursuing graduate school or career pivots.

For families comparing UC options, this data suggests significant variation in physics outcomes even within the same university system. If your child is set on UC Santa Cruz for campus culture or location, the debt load won't be crushing. But if maximizing early career earnings matters—and physics employment is the goal—other California programs demonstrate substantially stronger market outcomes.