Award-Winning College Physics Tutors serving San Francisco, CA

Private 1-on-1 tutoring, weekly live classes for academic support, test prep & enrichment, practice tests and diagnostics, and more to elevate grades and test scores.

1,000+
Schools &
Universities
98%
Satisfaction
10M+
Hours
Delivered
2x
Growth in
Proficiency
Get Started in 60 Seconds!

Who needs tutoring?

No obligation. Takes ~1 minute.

Mitch
Certified College Physics Tutor
Mitch
BA Stanford University
1+ Years Tutoring

Engineering undergrads learn physics by building things that have to actually work — bridges that hold load, circuits that don't fry — and Mitch's general engineering degree put him through that full sequence of mechanics, E&M, and thermodynamics with real design constraints attached. He's especially good at teaching students to sketch the physical situation first (free-body diagrams, energy bar charts, field lines) so the math has something concrete to latch onto. Holds a 5.0 rating.

View Profile
Kevin
Certified College Physics Tutor
Kevin
BA University of California-Santa Barbara
8+ Years Tutoring

Between his UCSB honors biology coursework and his pre-med trajectory, Kevin has logged serious time with the physics that underpins living systems — fluid dynamics in circulation, pressure and volume in respiration, optics in vision, and the thermodynamics governing metabolic processes. He breaks down force diagrams and energy calculations by tying them back to concrete physical scenarios, so the math feels like it's describing something real rather than floating in abstraction. His 33 ACT reflects the quantitative reasoning he brings to calculus-based problem solving.

ACT Scores
Composite33
SAT Scores
Composite1500
View Profile
Certified College Physics Tutor
Nicholas
BA University of California-Irvine
1+ Years Tutoring

Biology majors often hit college physics expecting to memorize formulas the way they memorize metabolic pathways — and that's exactly where they stall out. Nicholas, who earned a 33 ACT while completing his own biology degree, tackles mechanics and electromagnetism by connecting the physical reasoning back to systems biology students already understand, like pressure gradients in circulation or torque in joint mechanics. That cross-disciplinary instinct makes the problem-solving approach click faster than pure equation drilling.

ACT Scores
Composite33
View Profile
Certified College Physics Tutor
Gerardo
BA University of California Los Angeles
14+ Years Tutoring

A state-certified teacher with a physics degree, Gerardo has taught the full arc of introductory physics — from free-body diagrams in mechanics through Gauss's law in electrostatics — and knows exactly where students lose the thread between the concept and the math. His classroom instinct is to get students talking through problems out loud, catching misunderstandings in real time before they calcify into bad habits. That teaching background means he reads confusion quickly and adjusts on the fly, which matters in a subject where one shaky assumption derails an entire solution.

View Profile
Certified College Physics Tutor
Whitney
BA Pomona College
13+ Years Tutoring

Neuroscience at Pomona College meant Whitney spent serious time with the physics that governs how the body works — electrical potentials across membranes, wave mechanics in imaging, fluid dynamics in circulation — giving her a life-sciences angle on college physics that most tutors can't offer. She's especially good at walking through force diagrams and energy conservation problems by tying them back to biological systems students already care about. Her pre-med trajectory and 1480 SAT reflect the quantitative rigor she brings to each session.

SAT Scores
Composite1480
View Profile
Certified College Physics Tutor
Jack
Current Undergrad, Double in Integrative Biology and Anthropology University of California-Berkeley
10+ Years Tutoring

UC Berkeley's integrative biology program requires a full year of calculus-based physics — mechanics, waves, thermodynamics, electromagnetism — and Jack earned a 1590 SAT while navigating that same quantitative rigor. His biology background gives him a useful second lens for physics concepts like fluid dynamics, pressure, and energy transfer, since he's used to thinking about how those principles play out in living systems rather than just on a whiteboard.

SAT Scores
Composite1590
View Profile
Certified College Physics Tutor
Pooja
BA University of California-Irvine
1+ Years Tutoring

Private tutoring through her UC Irvine biology program meant Pooja was regularly fielding physics questions alongside the calculus and chemistry ones — force problems in physiology, pressure and flow in circulatory systems, optics in lab instrumentation. She treats college physics problems like puzzles to decode, walking students through the setup logic (free-body diagrams, energy accounting, identifying which conservation law applies) before any numbers get plugged in. Her strength is making the problem-solving process feel methodical rather than overwhelming.

View Profile
Certified College Physics Tutor
Drew
Current Undergrad, Physics/Mathematics Occidental College
1+ Years Tutoring

Studying physics and mathematics simultaneously at Occidental means Drew is working through the same college physics material his students are — kinematics, forces, energy, waves — with the added benefit of seeing the mathematical scaffolding in his math courses the same week it shows up in his physics lectures. That real-time parallel gives him a sharp sense of which derivations are actually worth understanding versus which ones students can treat as tools, so sessions stay efficient and targeted.

ACT Scores
Composite31
View Profile
Certified College Physics Tutor
Tito
BA University
1+ Years Tutoring

Between teaching biology, chemistry, and physics across both high school and college levels, Tito has an unusually broad view of how scientific concepts interconnect — which pays off in college physics, where a thermodynamics problem might demand chemistry intuition or a biomechanics question pulls from biology. He breaks problems into their physical setup first, making sure students can sketch the scenario and identify governing principles before touching any math. Rated 4.8 by students.

ACT Scores
Composite34
View Profile
Certified College Physics Tutor
Valerie
Current Undergrad, Physics-engineering 3-2 Ithaca College
1+ Years Tutoring

Currently pursuing a physics-engineering 3-2 program, Valerie is taking the same calculus-based physics courses her students are navigating — mechanics, waves, electromagnetism — which means she knows exactly which problem types are showing up on exams right now. That real-time familiarity with the material, combined with her 1500 SAT and hands-on engineering coursework, lets her walk through force diagrams and energy methods with the kind of specificity that generic physics tutoring often lacks.

ACT Scores
Composite32
SAT Scores
Composite1500
View Profile
Certified College Physics Tutor
Jenna
BA Indiana University-Bloomington
3+ Years Tutoring

Jenna's neuroscience degree from Indiana University covered a surprising amount of physics — action potentials are fundamentally circuit problems, and understanding imaging techniques like fMRI requires grappling with electromagnetism and wave behavior. Now heading into medical school, she brings that interdisciplinary lens to college physics topics like mechanics and electricity, connecting abstract equations to the biological systems where they actually play out. Rated 4.9 by students.

ACT Scores
Composite31
View Profile
Certified College Physics Tutor
Fady
BA University of California-Irvine
14+ Years Tutoring

Pre-med students often struggle with college physics because the course feels disconnected from biology — but Fady, currently applying to medical school with a biological sciences degree, naturally bridges that gap by tying force, pressure, and energy concepts back to physiological systems. He breaks down mechanics and fluid dynamics problems step by step, emphasizing the physical intuition behind each setup rather than letting students default to equation-hunting.

View Profile
Certified College Physics Tutor
Sarah
BA Clark University
15+ Years Tutoring

College-level physics ramps up fast once partial derivatives, line integrals, and differential equations enter the picture. Sarah earned her B.A. in both Physics and Mathematics, so she walks through topics like Gauss's Law or Lagrangian mechanics by unpacking the math and the physics simultaneously — no hand-waving, no skipped steps.

View Profile
Certified College Physics Tutor
Anthony
BA Yale University • Doctor of Philosophy, Economics Yale University
6+ Years Tutoring

A dual BS in physics and math from Yale means Anthony didn't just take college physics — he took the honors sequence and then kept going through differential equations, multivariable calculus, and upper-division mechanics. His PhD work in economics at Yale still draws on that training daily, since building economic models requires the same setup-and-solve discipline as a multi-step Newton's law problem. Rated 5.0 by students.

SAT Scores
Composite1560
View Profile
Certified College Physics Tutor
Srini
Current Undergrad Student, Molecular Biophysics Brown University
10+ Years Tutoring

Studying molecular biophysics at Brown means Srini lives at the intersection of physics and biology — applying thermodynamics, electromagnetism, and wave mechanics to understand how molecules actually behave in living systems. That dual perspective makes him especially effective at unpacking the conceptual reasoning behind problems in mechanics, circuits, and optics that trip up so many college students.

ACT Scores
Composite35
SAT ScoresPerfect Score
Composite1600
View Profile
Certified College Physics Tutor
Kate
MS Massachusetts Institute of Technology • BA Massachusetts Institute of Technology
1+ Years Tutoring

Environmental engineering is essentially physics with consequences — Kate's master's work required her to model fluid flow, heat transfer, and pressure systems in real infrastructure, which means she's solved the same types of problems that show up on college physics exams but with actual design constraints attached. That applied perspective makes her particularly effective at teaching students to set up force balances and energy equations from a physical scenario rather than reverse-engineering from a formula sheet. Rated 4.9 by students.

SAT Scores
Composite1580
View Profile
Certified College Physics Tutor
Steve
MS Washington University in St. Louis • BA Saint Louis University-Main Campus
1+ Years Tutoring

Statics, dynamics, circuits, electromagnetics — Steve didn't just take these courses, he took them twice over, earning degrees in both mechanical and electrical engineering before working as a practicing engineer. That dual perspective is especially useful in college physics, where a problem about induced EMF or stress in a beam benefits from someone who's designed real systems around those principles. Rated 4.9 by students.

ACT Scores
Composite31
View Profile
Certified College Physics Tutor
Aadith
BA Rice University
8+ Years Tutoring

Studying biophysics at Rice means Aadith lives where physics and biology collide — modeling protein folding forces, analyzing fluid flow through membranes, applying thermodynamic principles to living systems — so he brings a concrete, research-informed perspective to the mechanics, waves, and electromagnetism that fill college physics syllabi. His 1590 SAT reflects serious quantitative chops, and his dual exposure to physics and biochemistry means he can walk through a tough problem from multiple angles until the reasoning clicks.

SAT Scores
Composite1590
View Profile
Certified College Physics Tutor
Daniel
Current Undergrad Student, Engineering Physics Cornell University
1+ Years Tutoring

Engineering physics at Cornell means Daniel is taking the most mathematically demanding version of every physics course — mechanics, E&M, waves, thermo — and building the intuition to move fluidly between physical reasoning and formal derivation. He's particularly strong at teaching students how to set up problems from scratch, translating a word problem into a free-body diagram or energy equation before any numbers appear. Rated 5.0 by students.

SAT Scores
Composite1520
View Profile
Certified College Physics Tutor
Pranav
BA Johns Hopkins University
8+ Years Tutoring

College-level physics demands more than plug-and-chug — problems in electrodynamics, rotational mechanics, or thermodynamics often require combining multiple principles in a single solution. Pranav digs into these multi-step problems as a Biomedical Engineering student at Johns Hopkins, where physics underpins much of his coursework. He walks through derivations and problem-solving strategies that build real fluency with the material rather than surface-level familiarity.

SAT Scores
Composite1580
View Profile
Certified College Physics Tutor
Justin
BA Washington University in St. Louis • Doctor of Philosophy, Computational Mathematics University of Chicago
9+ Years Tutoring

Three years of tutoring introductory physics while completing dual bachelor's degrees in physics and mathematics gave Justin a detailed map of exactly where students lose the thread — the jump from one-dimensional kinematics to rotational analogs, the shift from intuitive force reasoning to formal energy methods. His PhD in Computational Mathematics at the University of Chicago deepened that foundation, adding fluency with the differential equations and vector calculus that make the leap from algebra-based to calculus-based physics so steep. Rated 5.0 by students.

ACT Scores
Composite33
SAT Scores
Composite1560
View Profile
Certified College Physics Tutor
Rahul
BS Cornell University
6+ Years Tutoring

Thermodynamics is where Rahul lights up — it was his favorite corner of Cornell's chemical engineering program, and that enthusiasm shows when he's walking someone through heat engines, entropy, or the first and second laws in a college physics context. His engineering training means he treats every problem as a physical system first and an equation second, pushing for the conceptual reasoning behind each step rather than formula-matching. Rated 4.9 by students.

ACT ScoresPerfect Score
Composite36
View Profile
Certified College Physics Tutor
Abby
BA Cornell University
5+ Years Tutoring

Engineering coursework at Cornell means Abby is actively grinding through the same calculus-based physics — mechanics, wave motion, electromagnetism — that her students are tackling, which keeps her explanations grounded in the specific problem styles and pitfalls that show up on current exams. She breaks down multi-step problems by isolating the physical principle first, then translating it into the math, so students stop guessing which equation to use. Holds a 5.0 rating.

SAT Scores
Composite1530
View Profile
Certified College Physics Tutor
Jonathan
PhD University of Chicago • BA Vanderbilt University
10+ Years Tutoring

A physics PhD means Jonathan didn't just take college physics — he spent years teaching it, earning a teaching fellowship that kept him in front of students even while running his own research. That depth shows when he tackles the conceptual leaps that derail most introductory students, like connecting free-body diagrams to real force interactions or translating a word problem into the right conservation law. Rated 5.0 by students.

View Profile
Certified College Physics Tutor
Ryan
BA Cornell University
6+ Years Tutoring

Studying civil engineering at Cornell means Ryan solves physics problems for a living — calculating load distributions, analyzing force vectors in structural systems, and applying fluid mechanics principles that come straight out of college physics coursework. He scored a 35 ACT, which speaks to the quantitative precision he brings when breaking down mechanics or electromagnetism problems step by step. Rated 4.7 by students.

ACT Scores
Composite35
SAT Scores
Composite1510
View Profile

Testimonials

Because the right College Physics tutor makes all the difference.

4.9

Average Session Rating – Based on 3.4M Learner Ratings

Worked with a College Physics Tutor

Your customer interface is A+, being your agents or your site, The tutor you found for me is perfect, no formulas or canned lectures but easy flowing lecture addressing my needs. Congratulations for a job well done.

JA
Julio Aranovich
Worked with a College Physics Tutor

Heejin has been very patient with me. I work a full time job sometimes even on the weekends. It has been a slow process with my Korean classes, but Heejin has been wonderful and patient.

AH
Angela Hussein
Worked with a College Physics Tutor

My son has had many quality tutors through this convenient service, and he can hop on at any time of day to get support for a homework assignment or test. It's very convenient and effective.

TR
Tara R
Worked with a College Physics Tutor

I've been working with my tutor for a few months now and the progress has been remarkable. The personalized attention and tailored lessons made all the difference compared to in-classroom learning.

MC
Michael Chen
Worked with a College Physics Tutor

The flexibility of scheduling combined with the quality of instruction is unmatched. I can get help exactly when I need it, whether that's late at night or early in the morning before a test.

PP
Priya Patel
Worked with a College Physics Tutor

My daughter went from dreading her sessions to looking forward to them. The tutor made the material engaging and built her confidence in ways I never thought possible. Highly recommend.

RW
Rebecca Williams

Frequently Asked Questions

College physics typically covers mechanics (motion, forces, energy), thermodynamics, waves and sound, electricity and magnetism, and often modern physics topics like relativity and quantum mechanics. The exact curriculum depends on whether you're taking introductory physics, physics for engineers, or a specialized course, but most programs emphasize both theoretical understanding and problem-solving skills. A tutor can help you master the specific topics your course requires, whether that's classical mechanics or electromagnetic theory.

Physics is fundamentally about understanding how the physical world works, not memorizing equations. A tutor helps you develop conceptual understanding by connecting abstract theories to real-world applications—like understanding why a ball thrown at an angle follows a parabolic path, or how energy conservation applies to roller coasters. Through guided problem-solving and asking strategic questions, tutors help you build intuition about physics principles so you can apply them to novel problems on exams.

Yes. While tutors typically don't perform experiments with you, they can help you understand the physics behind your lab work, design proper experiments based on scientific method principles, analyze data using appropriate mathematical tools, and write clear lab reports that connect your observations to theoretical concepts. This support strengthens both your experimental skills and your grasp of the underlying physics principles you're investigating.

Many students struggle with unit conversions, free-body diagrams, and translating word problems into mathematical equations. Others find it difficult to visualize abstract concepts like electric fields, magnetic forces, or wave behavior. Additionally, college physics requires stronger math skills—particularly calculus—than high school physics. A tutor can address these specific pain points by breaking complex concepts into understandable pieces and building your mathematical confidence alongside your physics understanding.

Absolutely. Physics is foundational for engineering, chemistry, computer science, and other STEM fields. Developing a deep understanding of physics concepts early ensures you have the solid foundation needed for advanced courses like quantum mechanics, thermodynamics, or electrical engineering. Given San Francisco's concentration of tech and engineering opportunities, mastering physics now opens doors to internships and careers in these high-demand fields.

Varsity Tutors connects students in San Francisco with expert tutors who have deep knowledge of college-level physics. When you reach out, you'll be matched with a tutor whose expertise aligns with your specific course and learning goals—whether that's calculus-based physics, algebra-based physics, or a specialized topic. The matching process takes into account your schedule and learning style to ensure the best fit.

Yes. Physics exams require more than memorized formulas—they test your ability to apply concepts to new situations and think scientifically. Tutors help you develop this reasoning through practice problem-solving, working through past exams together, understanding why incorrect approaches fail, and building confidence in your ability to tackle unfamiliar problems. This preparation makes you more resilient during high-stakes exams.

Let’s find your perfect tutor

Answer a few quick questions. We’ll recommend the right plan and match you with a top 5% tutor.

Prefer to talk? Call us