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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Geological & Earth Sciences (Income $0-$30k) in California

27 Ranked Colleges
699 Degrees Awarded
$7,000 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor's in California For Those Making $0-$30k

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 $0-$30k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

In 2019-2020, 8,918 people earned their degree in geological and earth sciences, making the major the 84th most popular in the United States. In 2017-2018, geological and earth sciences graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $35,533 and had an average of $23,531 in loans still to pay off.

Across California, there were 1,138 geological and earth sciences graduates with average earnings and debt of $34,160 and $19,278 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 699 geological 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 $0-$30k” ranking, we looked at 27 colleges that offer a degree in geological and earth sciences. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality geological and earth sciences programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the geological and earth sciences program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

More Ways to Rank Geological & Earth Sciences Schools

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

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. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.

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 Geological & Earth Sciences (Income $0-$30k) in California

#1

California Institute of Technology

Pasadena, California
#1 in overall quality

Out of the 27 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 Institute of Technology landed the #1 spot on the list. California Institute of Technology is a private not-for-profit institution located in Pasadena, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 3 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Caltech, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Caltech is $5,456 for california bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 3 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.

Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at California Institute of Technology

#2

Stanford University

Stanford, California
#2 in overall quality

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 University is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Stanford, California. It awarded 31 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

Stanford not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend 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 excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low 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%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read full report on Geological & 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 public institution located in Fullerton, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 38 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Cal State Fullerton also took the #13 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Cal State Fullerton is $4,291 for California Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $0-$30k.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Cal State Fullerton Geological & Earth Sciences Report

#21 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Los Angeles. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Los Angeles, California, this large public school handed out 10 degrees to qualified bachelors’s geology students in 2019-2020.

Cal State LA did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #21 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend Cal State LA is $1,379 for california bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $0-$30k.

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%.

Full Cal State LA Geological & Earth Sciences Report

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Long Beach. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. California State University - Long Beach is a public institution located in Long Beach, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 12 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

CSULB not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Long Beach is $6,364 for california bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, which is much lower than the national 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.

Full California State University - Long Beach Geological & Earth Sciences Report

With a ranking of #6, University of California - Berkeley did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Berkeley, California, and it awarded 21 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Berkeley also took the #4 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $8,392 for California Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of California - Berkeley.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. The low student loan default rate of 1.7% 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 - Berkeley Geological & Earth Sciences Report

University of California - Irvine ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Irvine, California, and it awarded 52 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Irvine also made our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #10. It costs about $9,558 for california bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of California - Irvine.

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

Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at University of California - Irvine

#19 in overall quality

California State University - Bakersfield came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. CSUB 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 took the #19 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $3,423 for California Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend California State University - Bakersfield.

Full California State University - Bakersfield Geological & Earth Sciences Report

#9

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California

With a ranking of #9, University of California - Los Angeles did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. UCLA is a large public school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 18 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

UCLA also made our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #7. 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 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 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full University of California - Los Angeles Geological & Earth Sciences Report

#10

University of California - Riverside

Riverside, California
#14 in overall quality

University of California - Riverside came in at #10 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 - Riverside is located in Riverside, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 16 bachelors’s geology degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $0-$30k list, UCR has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Geological & 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.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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%.

Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at University of California - Riverside

#11

University of California - Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara, California

University of California - Santa Barbara ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Santa Barbara, California, this large public school handed out 69 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s geology students in 2019-2020.

UCSB did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend UCSB is $10,316 for California Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $0-$30k.

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 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%.

Full University of California - Santa Barbara Geological & Earth Sciences Report

#12

San Diego State University

San Diego, California

San Diego State University came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. SDSU is located in San Diego, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 28 bachelors’s geology degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at SDSU, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend San Diego State University is $8,870 for california bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $0-$30k.

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

Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at SDSU

#6 in overall quality

University of California - Davis ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. UC Davis is a public institution located in Davis, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 29 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 Davis has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UC Davis is $9,842 for California Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%.

Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at UC Davis

California State University - Dominguez Hills ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. California State University - Dominguez Hills is a fairly large public school situated in Carson, California. It awarded 2 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Dominguez Hills is $2,455 for California Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full CSUDH Geological & Earth Sciences Report

With a ranking of #15, California State University - Sacramento did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Sacramento, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s geology degrees to 18 students in 2019-2020.

Sac State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend 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 more about Geological & Earth Sciences at Sac State

California State Polytechnic University - Pomona ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Pomona, California, and it awarded 22 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

Cal Poly Pomona did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for Cal Poly Pomona is $8,596 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 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at Cal Poly Pomona

#17

University of California - Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz, California

University of California - Santa Cruz came in at #17 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 - 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.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $0-$30k list, UC Santa Cruz has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UC Santa Cruz is $10,872 for California Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $0-$30k.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full University of California - Santa Cruz Geological & Earth Sciences Report

University of California - Merced came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Merced, California, and it awarded 19 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Merced also made our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #12. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Merced is $10,782 for california bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $0-$30k.

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 full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at University of California - Merced

#25 in overall quality

With a ranking of #19, California State University - Fresno did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Fresno, California, this large public school handed out 5 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s geology students in 2019-2020.

Fresno State also took the #25 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Fresno State is $3,264 for California Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 4.7% 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 Geological & Earth Sciences at California State University - Fresno

California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is a large school located in San Luis Obispo, California that handed out 37 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

Cal Poly San Luis Obispo did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $12,475 for California Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Cal Poly San Luis Obispo Geological & Earth Sciences Report

#21

California State University - San Bernardino

San Bernardino, California
#23 in overall quality

With a ranking of #21, 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. CSUSB is a fairly large public school situated in San Bernardino, California. It awarded 15 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

CSUSB not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #23 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for CSUSB is $5,077 for California Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at CSUSB

California State University - Stanislaus 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 #22. 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.

The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Stanislaus is $3,410 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 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%.

Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at California State University - Stanislaus

#18 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 $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #23. La Jolla, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s geology degrees to 19 students in 2019-2020.

UCSD also took the #18 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of California - San Diego is $9,280 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at University of California - San Diego

#24

San Francisco State University

San Francisco, California

San Francisco State University ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in San Francisco, California, this large public school handed out 11 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s geology students in 2019-2020.

SFSU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for SFSU is $11,123 for california bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at San Francisco State University

#24 in overall quality

California State University - East Bay 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 #25. This fairly large school is located in Hayward, California, and it awarded 4 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

Cal State East Bay also took the #24 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Cal State East Bay is $8,036 for California Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $0-$30k.

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

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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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