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2023 Most Focused Colleges for Marine Biology in California

9 Ranked Colleges
$35,500 Avg Cost*
Schools Highly Focused on Biological Oceanography Major in California

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Schools Highly Focused on Biological Oceanography Major in California” ranking - to help you make that decision.

Marine Biology is the 298th most popular major in the country with 1,994 degrees awarded in 2021-2022.

Across California, there were 305 marine biology graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.

This year’s “Schools Highly Focused on Biological Oceanography Major in California” ranking looked at 9 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in marine biology. That schools that top this list have a program in marine biology in which the largest percentage of students at the school are enrolled.

See our ranking methodology to learn more.

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Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Schools Highly Focused on Biological Oceanography Major in California” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.

Schools Highly Focused on Biological Oceanography Major in California

The colleges and universities below are the best for california biological oceanography students.

Top 9 Most Focused Colleges for Marine Biology in California

1

Out of the 9 schools in the Schools Highly Focused on Biological Oceanography Major in California that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Santa Cruz landed the #1 spot on the list. Located in Santa Cruz, California, this fairly large public school handed out 66 degrees to qualified ’s biological oceanography students in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.3% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%.

Full University of California - Santa Cruz Marine Biology Report

2

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - San Diego. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Biological Oceanography Major in California list. UCSD is located in La Jolla, California and, has a large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 154 ’s biological oceanography degrees to qualified students.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Marine Biology at UCSD

3

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Long Beach. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Biological Oceanography Major in California list. This large school is located in Long Beach, California, and it awarded 48 ’s biological oceanography degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full California State University - Long Beach Marine Biology Report

4

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Los Angeles. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Biological Oceanography Major in California list. UCLA is a public institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 16 ’s degrees in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full UCLA Marine Biology Report

5
San Jose State crest
San Jose State University
San Jose, California

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend San Jose State University. The school came in at #5 for the Schools Highly Focused on Biological Oceanography Major in California. San Jose State is a public institution located in San Jose, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 8 ’s degrees in 2021-2022.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Marine Biology at San Jose State University

6
USD crest
University of San Diego
San Diego, California

University of San Diego ranked #6 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Biological Oceanography Major in California list. USD is a private not-for-profit institution located in San Diego, California. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 0 ’s degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Marine Biology at USD

7

University of California - Santa Barbara landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Biological Oceanography Major in California ranking. This large school is located in Santa Barbara, California, and it awarded 9 ’s biological oceanography degrees in 2021-2022.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.5% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Marine Biology at UCSB

8
USC crest
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California

University of Southern California came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Biological Oceanography Major in California ranking. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s biological oceanography degrees to 4 students in 2021-2022.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.5% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about Marine Biology at University of Southern California

9

California State University - Monterey Bay ranked #9 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Biological Oceanography Major in California list. This medium-sized school is located in Seaside, California, and it awarded 0 ’s biological oceanography degrees in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Marine Biology at California State University - Monterey Bay

Notes and References

References

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