2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k
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 $30-$48k” 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.
This year’s “Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking analyzed 27 colleges that offered 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.
When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the geological and earth sciences program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
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When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k” list to help you make the college decision.
One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important 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 $30-$48k
The colleges and universities below are the best for california bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $30-$48k.
Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Geological & Earth Sciences (Income $30-$48k) in California
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Stanford University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k. Stanford is a fairly large school located in Stanford, California that handed out 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 $1,145 for california bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $30-$48k.
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 student loan default rate at the school is 0.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Out of the 27 schools in the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Fullerton landed the #2 spot on the list. Located in Fullerton, California, this large public school handed out 38 degrees to qualified bachelors’s geology students in 2019-2020.
Cal State Fullerton not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #13 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $6,100 for california bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend California State University - Fullerton.
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 2.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at California State University - Fullerton
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Los Angeles. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k. California State University - Los Angeles is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 10 bachelors’s geology degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $30-$48k list, Cal State LA has also earned the #21 rank in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Los Angeles is $2,117 for California Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $30-$48k.
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%.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Long Beach. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. This large school is located in Long Beach, California, and it awarded 12 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.
CSULB also made our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #9. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Long Beach is $7,595 for California Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $30-$48k.
With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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%.
Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at California State University - Long Beach
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California Institute of Technology. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k. Located in Pasadena, California, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 3 degrees to qualified bachelors’s geology students in 2019-2020.
Caltech did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $3,756 for California Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $30-$48k 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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.
University of California - Berkeley landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. University of California - Berkeley is a large school located in Berkeley, California that handed out 21 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Berkeley, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Berkeley is $9,130 for california bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $30-$48k.
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 school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
California State University - Bakersfield came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Bakersfield, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s geology degrees to 25 students 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 $3,880 for California Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend CSUB.
Full California State University - Bakersfield Geological & Earth Sciences Report
With a ranking of #8, University of California - Irvine did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. This large school is located in Irvine, California, and it awarded 52 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.
UC Irvine did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Irvine is $10,373 for California Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $30-$48k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
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 $30-$48k list. UCLA is a large school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 18 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCLA, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UCLA is $9,254 for california bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $30-$48k.
With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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%.
Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at University of California - Los Angeles
University of California - Santa Barbara ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Santa Barbara, California, this large public school handed out 69 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s geology students in 2019-2020.
UCSB also took the #3 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Santa Barbara is $11,895 for california bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $30-$48k.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.
Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at University of California - Santa Barbara
With a ranking of #11, University of California - Riverside did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Riverside, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s geology degrees to 16 students in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $30-$48k list, UCR has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $9,151 for California Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UCR.
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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
California State University - Dominguez Hills landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. CSUDH is located in Carson, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 2 bachelors’s geology degrees to qualified students.
The yearly cost to attend CSUDH is $3,115 for California Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $30-$48k.
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%.
Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at California State University - Dominguez Hills
University of California - Davis landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This large school is located in Davis, California, and it awarded 29 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.
UC Davis not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $10,769 for california bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UC Davis.
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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
California State University - Sacramento came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Sacramento, California, this large public school awarded 18 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s geology 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. It costs about $7,823 for california bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Sac State.
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 full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at Sac State
San Diego State University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. San Diego State University is a large public school situated in San Diego, California. It awarded 28 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.
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 estimated yearly cost for SDSU is $10,594 for California Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $30-$48k.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
Full San Diego State University Geological & Earth Sciences Report
University of California - Santa Cruz ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Santa Cruz, California, this fairly large public school awarded 66 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s geology students in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Santa Cruz, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $11,793 for california bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UC Santa Cruz.
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 freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
California State University - Fresno did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #17. Fresno, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s geology degrees to 5 students in 2019-2020.
Fresno State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #25 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $3,731 for California Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend California State University - Fresno.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%.
Full California State University - Fresno Geological & Earth Sciences Report
University of California - Merced came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. University of California - Merced is a medium-sized public school situated in Merced, California. It awarded 19 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.
UC Merced also took the #12 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UC Merced is $11,565 for California Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $30-$48k.
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 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%.
Full University of California - Merced Geological & Earth Sciences Report
California State University - San Bernardino came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. California State University - San Bernardino is a fairly large public school situated in San Bernardino, California. It awarded 15 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.
CSUSB also took the #23 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - San Bernardino is $5,869 for california bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $30-$48k.
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 Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in San Luis Obispo, California, this large public school awarded 37 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 $30-$48k list, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $14,680 for california bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.
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 1.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo
California State University - Stanislaus ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Turlock, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s geology degrees to 9 students in 2019-2020.
It costs about $3,958 for California Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Stan State.
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%.
California State Polytechnic University - Pomona ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. 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.
Cal Poly Pomona not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $9,630 for california bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend California State Polytechnic University - Pomona.
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%. 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 more about Geological & Earth Sciences at California State Polytechnic University - Pomona
University of California - San Diego landed the #23 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in La Jolla, California, this large public school awarded 19 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s geology students in 2019-2020.
UCSD also made our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #18. It costs about $9,974 for California Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of California - San Diego.
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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
San Francisco State University landed the #24 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. SFSU is a large school located in San Francisco, California that handed out 11 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.
SFSU also took the #17 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend SFSU is $12,517 for california bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $30-$48k.
California State University - East Bay did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #25. California State University - East Bay is located in Hayward, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 4 bachelors’s geology degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Cal State East Bay, the school also landed the #24 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Cal State East Bay is $8,891 for california bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $30-$48k.
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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