Is Public College the Right Choice for Theoretical Physics Research?

[zahero_2007]

Hi guys , Is applying to a public college for an undergraduate physics program a good idea if I want to specialize in theoretical physics in the future and do research ? How much does it cost on average ? I don't have the money for other universities and I didn't graduate from a US high school which means no SAT scores etc also my first language is not English and I didn't take TOEFL yet .So other options are limited.

 

[bcrowell]

For someone who was a resident of, say, California, and wanted to do theoretical physics research, I would certainly suggest going to a UC. UC Berkeley and UCLA are two of the best universities in the world, and for a resident they are much, much cheaper than a private school.

Are you currently living in a foreign country?

If so, then you're going to be paying nonresident tuition, which is much higher. You can find out how much it is by looking on the specific schools' web sites.

If money is very tight, you could consider going to a community college for two years, then transferring to a university.