2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k
Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.
In 2019-2020, 7,036 people earned their degree in geology and earth sciences, making the major the 101st most popular in the United States.
Across California, there were 848 geology and earth sciences graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 572 geology and earth sciences graduates with average earnings and debt of $37,907 and $21,546 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking analyzed 25 colleges that offered a degree in geology and earth sciences. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great geology and earth sciences programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.
To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the geology and earth sciences program at the school. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
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Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.
To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.
Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k.
Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Geology & Earth Sciences (Income $0-$30k) in California
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California Institute of Technology. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k. Caltech is a small school located in Pasadena, California that handed out 2 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.
Caltech not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $5,456 for California Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend California Institute of Technology.
The student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The student-to-faculty ratio of 3 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Stanford University. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Stanford is a fairly large school located in Stanford, California that handed out 30 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.
Stanford also took the #2 spot in our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Stanford is $-1,387 for california bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $0-$30k. The negative number means the student will receive more financial aid on average than it costs to attend the school.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Geology & Earth Sciences at Stanford University
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Fullerton. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. California State University - Fullerton is a large school located in Fullerton, California that handed out 20 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.
Cal State Fullerton also took the #12 spot in our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $4,291 for california bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend California State University - Fullerton.
The student loan default rate at the school is 2.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%.
Full California State University - Fullerton Geology & Earth Sciences Report
Out of the 25 schools in the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Los Angeles landed the #4 spot on the list. California State University - Los Angeles is a large school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 10 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Cal State LA, the school also landed the #20 spot in our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $1,379 for California Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend California State University - Los Angeles.
The low student loan default rate of 1.4% 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%.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Long Beach. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k. Located in Long Beach, California, this large public school awarded 10 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s geology students in 2019-2020.
CSULB not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $6,364 for california bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend CSULB.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
University of California - Berkeley came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of California - Berkeley is a large school located in Berkeley, California that handed out 5 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.
UC Berkeley also made our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #4. The estimated yearly cost for UC Berkeley is $8,392 for California Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
With a ranking of #7, University of California - Irvine did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of California - Irvine is a public institution located in Irvine, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 52 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
UC Irvine also made our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #9. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Irvine is $9,558 for California Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
Full University of California - Irvine Geology & Earth Sciences Report
California State University - Bakersfield landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. California State University - Bakersfield is a public institution located in Bakersfield, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 25 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
CSUB also made our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #18. The yearly cost to attend CSUB is $3,423 for california bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $0-$30k.
University of California - Los Angeles came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of California - Los Angeles is a public institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 14 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $0-$30k list, UCLA has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Los Angeles is $8,553 for california bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low student loan default rate of 1.0% 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%.
Full University of California - Los Angeles Geology & Earth Sciences Report
With a ranking of #10, University of California - Riverside did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Riverside, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s geology degrees to 14 students in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCR, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Riverside is $8,366 for California Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low student loan default rate of 2.1% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
Read more about Geology & Earth Sciences at University of California - Riverside
With a ranking of #11, University of California - Santa Barbara did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Santa Barbara, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s geology degrees to 63 students in 2019-2020.
UCSB also took the #3 spot in our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UCSB is $10,316 for California Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
Read more about Geology & Earth Sciences at University of California - Santa Barbara
San Diego State University ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. San Diego State University is a public institution located in San Diego, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 28 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
SDSU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #15 on our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for SDSU is $8,870 for california bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $0-$30k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The low student loan default rate of 2.8% 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%.
University of California - Davis did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #13. University of California - Davis is a large public school situated in Davis, California. It awarded 28 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.
UC Davis also made our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #5. It costs about $9,842 for california bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of California - Davis.
With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 1.9% 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%.
Full University of California - Davis Geology & Earth Sciences Report
California State University - Sacramento ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Sac State is a large school located in Sacramento, California that handed out 18 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $0-$30k list, Sac State has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Sacramento is $6,819 for California Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low student loan default rate of 4.6% 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 Geology & Earth Sciences at California State University - Sacramento
California State Polytechnic University - Pomona came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Pomona, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s geology degrees to 22 students in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $0-$30k list, Cal Poly Pomona has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California State Polytechnic University - Pomona is $8,596 for California Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $0-$30k.
With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full California State Polytechnic University - Pomona Geology & Earth Sciences Report
University of California - Santa Cruz did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #16. University of California - Santa Cruz is a public institution located in Santa Cruz, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 66 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
UC Santa Cruz also took the #7 spot in our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $10,872 for california bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of California - Santa Cruz.
With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 2.9% 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%.
With a ranking of #17, University of California - Merced did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of California - Merced is a public institution located in Merced, California. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 19 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $0-$30k list, UC Merced has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $10,782 for california bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of California - Merced.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Geology & Earth Sciences at University of California - Merced
California State University - Fresno did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #18. California State University - Fresno is a large public school situated in Fresno, California. It awarded 5 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.
Fresno State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #24 on our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for Fresno State is $3,264 for california bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full California State University - Fresno Geology & Earth Sciences Report
With a ranking of #19, California State University - San Bernardino did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. California State University - San Bernardino is a public institution located in San Bernardino, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 15 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
CSUSB did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #22 on our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - San Bernardino is $5,077 for California Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
California State University - Stanislaus landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. California State University - Stanislaus is a fairly large public school situated in Turlock, California. It awarded 9 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.
Stan State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #25 on our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend Stan State is $3,410 for california bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $0-$30k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
University of California - San Diego did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #21. Located in La Jolla, California, this large public school awarded 19 degrees to qualified bachelors’s geology students in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $0-$30k list, UCSD has also earned the #17 rank in our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $9,280 for california bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of California - San Diego.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The low student loan default rate of 1.5% 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%.
San Francisco State University landed the #22 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. San Francisco State University is a large school located in San Francisco, California that handed out 1 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.
SFSU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend San Francisco State University is $11,123 for California Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $0-$30k.
With a ranking of #23, California State University - East Bay did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Cal State East Bay is a fairly large school located in Hayward, California that handed out 4 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.
Cal State East Bay did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #23 on our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $8,036 for California Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend California State University - East Bay.
Full California State University - East Bay Geology & Earth Sciences Report
California State University - Chico landed the #24 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Chico, California, this fairly large public school handed out 4 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s geology students in 2019-2020.
Chico State also took the #19 spot in our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $10,260 for California Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Chico State.
The student loan default rate at the school is 3.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Humboldt State University ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. This medium-sized school is located in Arcata, California, and it awarded 22 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Humboldt State University, the school also landed the #21 spot in our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Humboldt State University is $11,263 for California Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $0-$30k.
Full Humboldt State University Geology & Earth Sciences Report
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Notes and References
References
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
- Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.
Read more about our data sources and methodologies
Footnotes
- *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
- Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.
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- Credit for the banner image above goes to Kelvinsong.
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