Physicsat Oregon State University
Graduates earn $48,169/yr in their first year — about 4.0% above the national Physics average. Base-case 10-year earnings $529K; scenarios range from $496K to $535K depending on AI disruption.
What this degree looks like at Oregon State University
First-year earnings of $48,169 track close to the $46,482 national median for Physics programs. This is a middle-of-the-road outcome on salary alone.
The earnings-to-cost ratio of 9.8x signals a solid financial return — projected decade earnings comfortably exceed the tuition investment.
Some AI exposure exists in Physics's typical career paths, with 50% of job tasks potentially affected. The pessimistic scenario still projects solid returns, with a 7% gap from the optimistic case.
Median debt of $24,250 represents roughly 6 months of the $48,169 starting salary — a manageable burden by most borrower standards.
Ranked #48 of 75 Physics programs, Oregon State University falls below the median. Stronger options exist, though cost and location may compensate.
Three scenarios, ten years out
Each scenario is a different assumption about how AI reshapes the career paths this major feeds into. Earnings projections stack the full 10-year cumulative trajectory; scores use the same 0–100 metric as the hero, recomputed under that scenario's assumptions.
10 year projection
Year-by-year earnings under each scenario. Base case reflects BLS growth patterns applied to Oregon State University's starting earnings; optimistic and pessimistic adjust for AI's effect on each career path this major feeds into.
Common career destinations for this program's graduates, weighted by the school's specific occupation mix. Salary is BLS national median; AI risk is per-role task-exposure research.
Peer schools offering Physics
How Oregon State University stacks up against other schools offering this major.
Other top programs at Oregon State University
Other highest-scoring programs offered at Oregon State University, ranked by DegreeOutlook Score.
Frequently asked about Physics at Oregon State University
What is the DegreeOutlook Score for Physics at Oregon State University?
A score of 48/100 indicates below-average financial outcomes for Physics. Earnings, ROI, or AI risk factors are pulling the score down.
Will AI replace Physics careers?
With 50% of typical job tasks exposed to AI, this is one of the higher-risk fields. Our pessimistic scenario projects $495,855 in decade earnings vs $534,602 in the optimistic case — a meaningful gap.