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2025 Best Geological & Earth Sciences Master's Degree Schools in California

4 Colleges in California
215 Master's Degrees
$83,116 Avg Early-Career Salary
a master's degree in geological & earth sciences is more popular than many other degrees. In fact, it ranks #82 out of 343 on popularity of all such degrees in the nation. This means you won't have too much trouble finding schools that offer the degree.

In 2025, College Factual analyzed 4 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Geological & Earth Sciences Master's Degree Schools in California ranking. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 215 master's degrees in geological & earth sciences during the 2022-2023 academic year.

What's on this page: * Our Methodology

Choosing a Great Geological & Earth Sciences School for Your Master's Degree

Best Geological & Earth Sciences Master's Degree Schools in California Your choice of geological & earth sciences for getting your master's degree school matters. Important measures of a quality geology program can vary widely even among the top schools. When choosing a school we recommend considering some of the following factors:

Quality Overall Is Important

The overall quality of a master's degree school is important to ensure a good education, not just how well they do in a particular major. To account for this we consider a college's overall Best Colleges for a Master's Degree ranking which itself looks at a collection of different factors like degree completion, educational resources, student body caliber and post-graduation earnings for the school as a whole.

Average Earnings

To determine the overall quality of a graduate school, one factor we look at is the average early-career salary of those receiving their master's degree from the school. This is because one of the main reasons people pursue their master's degree is to enable themselves to find better-paying positions.

Other Factors We Consider

The metrics below are just some of the other metrics that we use to determine our rankings.

Our full ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best colleges for geological & earth sciences students working on their master's degree.

More Ways to Rank Geological & Earth Sciences Schools

Rankings by Location Check Out Other Locales
More Geology Rankings Other Ranking Categories

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we've developed a number of rankings, including this Best Geological & Earth Sciences Master's Degree Schools in California list, to help you choose the best school for you.

Best Schools for Master’s Students to Study Geological & Earth Sciences in California

Explore the top ranked colleges and universities for geological & earth sciences students seeking a a master's degree.

Top California Schools for a Master's in Geology

1
16 Annual Graduates

Any student who is interested in a master's degree in geological & earth sciences needs to look into University of California - Los Angeles. UCLA is a fairly large public university located in the city of Los Angeles.More information about a master’s in geological & earth sciences from University of California - Los Angeles

2
54 Annual Graduates

University of California - San Diego is a great option for students interested in a master's degree in geological & earth sciences. Located in the large city of La Jolla, UCSD is a public university with a very large student population.More information about a master’s in geological & earth sciences from University of California - San Diego

3
15 Annual Graduates

University of California - Irvine is one of the finest schools in the United States for getting a master's degree in geological & earth sciences. Located in the city of Irvine, UC Irvine is a public university with a fairly large student population.More information about a master’s in geological & earth sciences from University of California - Irvine

4

Every student who is interested in a master's degree in geological & earth sciences needs to take a look at California State University - Fresno. Located in the large city of Fresno, Fresno State is a public university with a very large student population.

Master's students who receive their degree from the geology program earn around $83,116 in their early career salary.

More information about a master’s in geological & earth sciences from California State University - Fresno

Best Geological & Earth Sciences Colleges in the Far Western US Region

Explore all the Best Geological & Earth Sciences Colleges in the Far Western US Area or other specific states within that region.

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Washington 183 40
Oregon 158 26
Nevada 105 15
Hawaii 85 16
Alaska 52 14

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Geological & Earth Sciences is one of 8 different types of Physical Sciences programs to choose from.

Geology Concentrations

Major Annual Graduates
Geology & Earth Sciences 128
Chemical & Physical Oceanography 38
Hydrology & Water Resources Science 17
Geophysics & Seismology 15
Other Geological & Earth Sciences/Geosciences 13
Geochemistry 4

Related Major Annual Graduates
Chemistry 277
Physics 243
Materials Sciences 66
Astronomy & Astrophysics 46
Atmospheric Sciences & Meteorology 19
General Physical Sciences 12
Physics and Astronomy 1

Notes and References

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