Physicsat University of California-Irvine
Graduates earn $43,144/yr in their first year — about 7.0% below the national Physics average. Base-case 10-year earnings $494K; scenarios range from $469K to $494K depending on AI disruption.
What this degree looks like at UC Irvine
University of California-Irvine's Physics program produces graduates earning $43,144/yr — within striking distance of the $46,482 national average for this field.
At 8.7x the cost of in-state tuition, the ten-year earnings outlook represents a strong return. Not exceptional, but meaningfully positive.
AI risk is moderate — 50% task exposure — and the 5% scenario spread suggests disruption would dent but not destroy the earnings outlook.
Loan repayment is a non-issue here — $13,590 in median debt clears quickly against $43,144 in annual earnings.
At #55 out of 75 programs, University of California-Irvine's financial outcomes for Physics trail the majority of peers. The value case depends on other factors.
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 UC Irvine'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 UC Irvine stacks up against other schools offering this major.
Other top programs at UC Irvine
Other highest-scoring programs offered at UC Irvine, ranked by DegreeOutlook Score.
Frequently asked about Physics at UC Irvine
How does University of California-Irvine's Physics program score?
This program scores 43/100 — on the lower end for Physics. Prospective students should carefully weigh costs against likely earnings.
How vulnerable is Physics to AI automation?
AI won't 'replace' Physics careers outright, but it is likely to reduce the number of job openings. We model 50% task exposure, which compresses field employment probability in our scenarios.