Physical Sciences at UC Riverside
In 2023, 117 of the 5,399 students who finished a bachelor's degree at UC Riverside did so in physical sciences: 2.2% of the class and the 11th most common major on campus. Across all 2,440 reporting institutions the field accounts for 1.29% of bachelor's degrees; at UC Riverside it is 1.7x that, more concentrated. 41% of those graduates were women.
Is physical sciences competitive at UC Riverside?
Colleges report one admission rate for the whole school; here is the bar you are actually measured against, and how the model treats this major.
UC Riverside admitted 39,758 of 62,807 applicants for fall 2023 (76%). Colleges report admissions at the school level, not by major, so there is no published acceptance rate for physical sciences at UC Riverside. CollegeCalcAI's published model treats "Physics / Chemistry" as more competitive than UC Riverside's overall rate (multiplier 0.98 on the effective admit rate), so an applicant declaring this field is scored against a slightly higher bar.
How to apply to UC Riverside for physical sciences
What readers look for from applicants who declare this field, at any selectivity.
- Chemistry and physics at the highest level, with calculus
- A lab or research experience, even a small one, described specifically
- Math depth matters as much as science grades here
- Run your odds with the major set: your estimate at UC Riverside for physical sciences →
Where else to study physical sciences
Other colleges in California and at a similar selectivity that award bachelor's degrees in this field.
Every college ranked by physical sciences graduates: colleges that graduate the most physical sciences majors → · Physical Sciences colleges in California →
More majors at UC Riverside
The other fields UC Riverside graduates the most students in, 2023.
Questions about physical sciences at UC Riverside
How many students major in physical sciences at UC Riverside?
117 students earned a bachelor's degree in physical sciences at UC Riverside in 2023, 2.2% of that year's 5,399 graduates (IPEDS completions, first majors).
Is physical sciences competitive at UC Riverside?
UC Riverside admitted 39,758 of 62,807 applicants for fall 2023 (76%). Colleges report admissions at the school level, not by major, so there is no published acceptance rate for physical sciences at UC Riverside. CollegeCalcAI's published model treats "Physics / Chemistry" as more competitive than UC Riverside's overall rate (multiplier 0.98 on the effective admit rate), so an applicant declaring this field is scored against a slightly higher bar.
What is the acceptance rate for physical sciences at UC Riverside?
There is no official major-level acceptance rate; UC Riverside reports one school-wide figure, 76%. Some programs (direct-admit nursing, engineering and business schools) select separately and can be more selective than the school overall. CollegeCalcAI's calculator applies its published per-major adjustment and shows your estimate for this school with the major set.
Is UC Riverside known for physical sciences?
By output, physical sciences is the 11th most common field at UC Riverside and more concentrated there than at the average U.S. college (2.2% of graduates versus 1.29% nationally).
Source: U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS 2023 Completions (bachelor's degrees, first majors, CIP 2-digit series). Admissions counts: IPEDS 2023. Built 2026-09-19. Estimates from CollegeCalcAI are not predictions or guarantees.