Trying to help DS interested in Physics with safety schools

Your local Cal State would be a Safety school along with the majority of CSU’s if his CSU capped weighted GPA is 4.0+. Cal Poly SLO is a very good option but not a safety school, more like a Match school for Physics.

I agree with @lkg4answers about UCSB College of Creative Studies but again not a safety.

UC Riverside, Merced and Santa Cruz would be Safety/Likely schools.