<p>I am a high school senior and want to major in physics in college with hopes of becoming an astronomer one day (after graduate school of course). So far, I have been admitted into USC and won the deans scholarship, and I think I will get into UCLA too. If I do, which school should I attend to major in physics? At USC I would major in physics and minor in astronomy. At UCLA, I would probably double major in physics/astrophysics. What school is better for physics in general?</p>
<p>Net price of each?</p>
<p>If you care about rankings in physics, USC has a much lower ranking than UCLA.</p>
<p>Well not looking at a price for now, just want to know whats better physics wise. What are the rankings for each?</p>
<p>The rankings vary; you can search for “physics rankings” or “UCLA physics ranking” or “USC physics ranking” to find a bunch of different rankings.</p>
<p>Beyond rankings, you may want to look at faculty rosters and course offerings at each school to see if one of them has a better match for your academic interests. The undergraduate physics major should be fairly similar at different schools, but elective physics and astronomy course availability, and types of physics research being done, can vary from school to school.</p>
<p>But price certainly does matter for many students. Big debt is not a good idea.</p>
<p>The “rankings” in physics are based on the graduate program and don’t have much to do with your undergraduate education. Most physics curricula in the U.S. are the same and you will get a solid foundation at either school. The key is taking the more rigorous set of courses that you can find in the program and with a double major in astronomy and physics that should not be a problem. Both universities have Ph.D. programs so you will be able to find research opportunities on campus if you seek them. So you should decide based on fit and finances. Go visit both schools and talk to faculty if possible.</p>