I’m currently a junior, and am looking to pursue a degree in physics. What are the differences between the physics program in each of these colleges? Is one more rigorous/challenging than the other? I currently have a 32 ACT, 3.65 GPA, 5 AP classes, and varsity sports. Would those be good enough to get into either of these colleges?
CSE is harder to get into than CLA. Is the 3.65 GPA weighted or unweighted? What is your class rank?
A BA in Physics means you will be received a more broad liberal arts education which allows you to major in more than one subject or pick up one or two minors (so you can combine Physics with math or with another science, or specialize in Philosophy, another humanities field, or even a social science). Therefore, the number of credits required for the major is significantly less than for the BS (through CSE). The latter is more for someone who wants to become highly specialized in some aspect of the major. For Physics specifically at UMN, the BS track will have you choose one of several “sub plans”: Professional (for graduate or professional work); biological (if, say, you want to go to med. school); computational (i.e. want to combine with CS or applied math); and Secondary Education (want to teach at the high school level).
Read all about it in the course catalog. Click on “majors” then compare the BA (CLA) to the BS (CSE):
http://www.catalogs.umn.edu/ug/
Also, check out the descriptions on the Physics dept. page: