College Factual  by our College Data Analytics Team
       Unbiased Factual Guarantee

2025 Best Marine Science Schools in California

3 Colleges in California
133 Marine Science Degrees Awarded
$27,949 Avg Early-Career Salary
You'll be studying one of the lesser sought-after majors if you pursue a degree in marine science. It is ranked #295 out of 395 major degree programs in terms of popularity. As such, your educational options may be more limited than if you were in a more popular field.

College Factual reviewed 3 schools in California to determine which ones were the best for degree seekers in the field of marine science. Combined, these schools handed out 133 degrees in marine science to qualified students.

Jump to one of the following sections: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great Marine Science School

Best Marine Science Schools in California The marine science program you select can have a big impact on your future. That's why we developed our collection of Best Schools for Marine Science rankings. We derive our Best Overall Marine Science School rankings by rolling up our degree-level rankings after weighting them by the number of degrees awarded at each school.

You may want to choose one of the degree levels below to find the schools of most interest to you.

Marine Science Rankings by Degree Level

Bachelor's Degrees in Marine Science
Master's Degrees in Marine Science
Doctor's Degrees in Marine Science

The marine science school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we've developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of the Best Marine Science Schools in California. You can also filter this list by location to find schools closer to you.

In addition to College Factual's rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don't forget it.

More information on how we come up with our rankings can be found here: College Factual's Data Methodology.

Best Schools for Marine Science in California

Although we recommend filtering by degree level first, you can view the list below to see which schools give the educational experience for the marine science degree levels they offer.

Top California Schools in Marine Science

1
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
3rd Most Popular In CA
40.0% Growth in Graduates

University of California - Davis is one of the finest schools in the United States for getting a degree in marine science. Located in the small suburb of Davis, UC Davis is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #55 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means UC Davis is a great university overall.

There were about 20 marine science students who graduated with this degree at UC Davis in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in marine science from University of California - Davis

2
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
85 Marine Science Degrees Awarded
24.7% Growth in Graduates

It's difficult to beat California State University - Monterey Bay if you want to pursue a degree in marine science. CSUMB is a medium-sized public university located in the medium-sized suburb of Seaside. This university ranks 72nd out of 161 colleges for overall quality in the state of California.

There were about 85 marine science students who graduated with this degree at CSUMB in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, marine science degree recipients usually earn about $27,268 at the beginning of their careers.

More information about a degree in marine science from California State University - Monterey Bay

3
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
2nd Most Popular In CA

It's difficult to beat California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo if you wish to pursue a degree in marine science. Located in the small suburb of San Luis Obispo, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 22nd out of 161 colleges for overall quality in the state of California.

There were about 12 marine science students who graduated with this degree at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in marine science from California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo

Best Marine Science Colleges in the Far Western US Region

Explore all the Best Marine Science Colleges in the Far Western US Area or other specific states within that region.

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Washington 300 0
Hawaii 164 8
Alaska 119 0

View All Rankings >

Marine Science is one of 51 different types of Multi / Interdisciplinary Studies programs to choose from.

Marine Science Concentrations

Major Annual Graduates
Marine Sciences 133

View All Marine Science Focus Areas >

Related Major Annual Graduates
Biological & Physical Science 19,259
Other Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies 3,747
Cognitive Science 1,815
International Studies 1,305
Nutrition Science 1,251
Human Biology 678
Mathematics & Computer Science 563
Behavioral Science 558
Gerontology 236
Interdisciplinary Studies 204

View All Marine Science Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

Popular Reports

College Rankings
Best by Location
Degree Guides by Major
Graduate Programs

Compare Your School Options