Would I be looked down upon for majoring in physics rather than engineering?

Hello Brittany,
In a similar thought to Keith's, I think the question we need to ask you (and what you need to ask yourself) is "do you want to be an engineer and have a career in engineering?"

If the answer is yes, then you'll want to pursue an engineering degree. It would be very difficult to get an entry-level engineering job with a physics degree. It's not that you be "looked down upon" but you'd be competing against people whose degree is in-line with the job requirements.

I will say that the engineering industry and workforce compared to physics is much larger. An engineering degree will give you a wider-range of companies and locations to work, and overall there are a lot more engineering jobs than jobs for physics majors, especially at the B.S. level.

If you are concerned about finances, consider spending a year or so at a community/junior college to get all of your state's "common" required courses taken care of, then transfer into a program at a 4-year university where you'll just have your degree-specific courses to work on. That's what I did and it worked very well for me.

I hope this helps!
Skyler

On of my coworkers has a physics degree and he too is an engineer by trade. I wouldn't let that deter you from attending your local college if that is your desire. From my college experience, Engineers were looked as as practical implementators, and Physicists were thought of as more theoretical in nature. there s a very large grey area between the two where roles are interchanged. Playing contrarian, some companies would desire a candidate with a Physics degree over an Engineer degree to provide thought insight into projects.

Based on the question, it sounds like you might be more interested in engineering than physics. If this is the case, I would advise you to consider schools with degree programs in the engineering discipline that interests you.

I wouldn't worry about being "looked down upon;" instead, I would research schools that have the degree programs you are interested in. Of course, that means you'll have to research careers in engineering and physics, and decide which appeals to you more. Whether you choose to pursue physics or engineering, I think you will find a number of schools that are suitable.