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2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k

25 Ranked Colleges
572 Degrees Awarded
$16,900 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor's in California For Those Making $75-$110k

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

Geology & Earth Sciences is the 101st most popular major in the country with 7,036 degrees awarded in 2019-2020.

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.

For this year’s “Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k” ranking, we looked at 25 colleges that offer 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.

One Size Does Not Fit All

The geology 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 “Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k”.

We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.

Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Geology & Earth Sciences (Income $75-$110k) in California

#1

Stanford University

Stanford, California
#2 in overall quality

Out of the 25 schools in the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k that were part of this year’s ranking, Stanford University landed the #1 spot on the list. This fairly large school is located in Stanford, California, and it awarded 30 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

Stanford also made our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #2. It costs about $10,631 for California Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Stanford University.

The student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. 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 student loan default rate at the school is 0.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Stanford University Geology & Earth Sciences Report

#12 in overall quality

Out of the 25 schools in the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Fullerton landed the #2 spot on the list. Cal State Fullerton is a public institution located in Fullerton, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 20 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Cal State Fullerton not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend Cal State Fullerton is $12,916 for California Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $75-$110k.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full Cal State Fullerton Geology & Earth Sciences Report

#8 in overall quality

Out of the 25 schools in the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Long Beach landed the #3 spot on the list. CSULB is a public institution located in Long Beach, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 10 bachelors’s degrees 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 $14,544 for California Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend CSULB.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Geology & Earth Sciences at California State University - Long Beach

#4

California Institute of Technology

Pasadena, California
#1 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California Institute of Technology. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. Located in Pasadena, California, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 2 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 $75-$110k list, Caltech has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California Institute of Technology is $12,788 for california bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $75-$110k.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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.

Full Caltech Geology & Earth Sciences Report

#20 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Los Angeles. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s geology degrees to 10 students in 2019-2020.

Cal State LA did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #20 on our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $9,576 for california bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Cal State LA.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Cal State LA Geology & Earth Sciences Report

#18 in overall quality

With a ranking of #6, California State University - Bakersfield did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. California State University - Bakersfield is a fairly large public school situated in Bakersfield, California. It awarded 25 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $75-$110k list, CSUB has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Bakersfield is $11,743 for california bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $75-$110k.

Read more about Geology & Earth Sciences at California State University - Bakersfield

#5 in overall quality

University of California - Davis did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #7. Located in Davis, California, this large public school awarded 28 degrees to qualified bachelors’s geology students in 2019-2020.

UC Davis not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for UC Davis is $17,622 for california bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $75-$110k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Geology & Earth Sciences at UC Davis

#10 in overall quality

California State Polytechnic University - Pomona came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. California State Polytechnic University - Pomona is a public institution located in Pomona, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 22 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Cal Poly Pomona not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend California State Polytechnic University - Pomona is $17,944 for california bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $75-$110k.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The 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 Geology & Earth Sciences at California State Polytechnic University - Pomona

#13 in overall quality

University of California - Riverside landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. University of California - Riverside is a large public school situated in Riverside, California. It awarded 14 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

UCR not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #13 on our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Riverside is $18,395 for California Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $75-$110k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Geology & Earth Sciences at UCR

#14 in overall quality

California State University - Sacramento ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. California State University - Sacramento is located in Sacramento, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 18 bachelors’s geology degrees to qualified students.

Sac State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend Sac State is $15,812 for California Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $75-$110k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Geology & Earth Sciences at Sac State

#11

University of California - Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara, California
#3 in overall quality

University of California - Santa Barbara came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. UCSB is located in Santa Barbara, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 63 bachelors’s geology degrees to qualified students.

UCSB not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend UCSB is $22,226 for california bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $75-$110k.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.

Read more about Geology & Earth Sciences at University of California - Santa Barbara

#12

University of California - Berkeley

Berkeley, California
#4 in overall quality

With a ranking of #12, University of California - Berkeley did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. UC Berkeley is a public institution located in Berkeley, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 5 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Berkeley not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for UC Berkeley is $21,401 for california bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $75-$110k.

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

Read full report on Geology & Earth Sciences at University of California - Berkeley

#13

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California
#6 in overall quality

With a ranking of #13, University of California - Los Angeles did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. Located in Los Angeles, California, this large public school awarded 14 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s geology students in 2019-2020.

UCLA not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $19,590 for california bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend University of California - Los Angeles.

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 student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Geology & Earth Sciences at UCLA

#11 in overall quality

University of California - Merced came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. University of California - Merced is a medium-sized school located in Merced, California that handed out 19 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Merced, the school also landed the #11 spot in our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $20,450 for california bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend UC Merced.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. 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 full report on Geology & Earth Sciences at UC Merced

#15

California State University - San Bernardino

San Bernardino, California
#22 in overall quality

California State University - San Bernardino came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. San Bernardino, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s geology degrees to 15 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at CSUSB, the school also landed the #22 spot in our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $13,611 for california bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend California State University - San Bernardino.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.

Read more about Geology & Earth Sciences at CSUSB

#25 in overall quality

With a ranking of #16, California State University - Stanislaus did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. Stan State is a public institution located in Turlock, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 9 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Stan State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #25 on our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $12,381 for California Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Stan State.

The low student loan default rate of 4.3% 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 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Geology & Earth Sciences at California State University - Stanislaus

#24 in overall quality

California State University - Fresno ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. This large school is located in Fresno, California, and it awarded 5 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

Fresno State also took the #24 spot in our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Fresno State is $11,819 for california bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $75-$110k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.7%, 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 87%.

Full Fresno State Geology & Earth Sciences Report

#9 in overall quality

University of California - Irvine came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. UC 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.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Irvine, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $19,851 for california bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend University of California - Irvine.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full University of California - Irvine Geology & Earth Sciences Report

#19

San Diego State University

San Diego, California
#15 in overall quality

San Diego State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #19. 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 also made our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #15. The estimated yearly cost for SDSU is $18,766 for California Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $75-$110k.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Geology & Earth Sciences at San Diego State University

#20

University of California - Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz, California
#7 in overall quality

With a ranking of #20, University of California - Santa Cruz did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. UC Santa Cruz is a fairly large public school situated in Santa Cruz, California. It awarded 66 bachelors’s geology 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 $22,739 for california bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend University of California - Santa Cruz.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. 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%.

Full UC Santa Cruz Geology & Earth Sciences Report

#21

San Francisco State University

San Francisco, California
#16 in overall quality

San Francisco State University ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. San Francisco State University is located in San Francisco, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 1 bachelors’s geology degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $75-$110k list, SFSU has also earned the #16 rank in our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for San Francisco State University is $21,027 for california bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $75-$110k.

Read more about Geology & Earth Sciences at SFSU

#17 in overall quality

University of California - San Diego did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #22. This large school is located in La Jolla, California, and it awarded 19 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

UCSD also made our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #17. It costs about $20,205 for california bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend UCSD.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full University of California - San Diego Geology & Earth Sciences Report

#23 in overall quality

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 $75-$110k list. Hayward, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s geology degrees to 4 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Cal State East Bay, the school also landed the #23 spot in our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Cal State East Bay is $17,710 for California Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $75-$110k.

Read more about Geology & Earth Sciences at California State University - East Bay

#19 in overall quality

California State University - Chico ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. California State University - Chico is located in Chico, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 4 bachelors’s geology degrees to qualified students.

Chico State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #19 on our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Chico is $19,444 for california bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $75-$110k.

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%.

Read more about Geology & Earth Sciences at California State University - Chico

#25

Humboldt State University

Arcata, California
#21 in overall quality

Humboldt State University landed the #25 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Humboldt State University is a public institution located in Arcata, California. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 22 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $75-$110k list, Humboldt State University has also earned the #21 rank in our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Humboldt State University is $20,170 for California Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $75-$110k.

Read more about Geology & Earth Sciences at Humboldt State University

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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.

Credits

  • Credit for the banner image above goes to Kelvinsong.

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