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2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k

27 Ranked Colleges
699 Degrees Awarded
$34,160 Avg Salary
Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor's in California For Those Making $48-$75k

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

Geological & Earth Sciences is the 84th most popular major in the country with 8,918 degrees awarded in 2019-2020. 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 $48-$75k” 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.

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.

More Ways to Rank Geological & Earth Sciences Schools

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 $48-$75k”.

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 $48-$75k

The colleges and universities below are the best for california bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $48-$75k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Geological & Earth Sciences (Income $48-$75k) in California

#1

Stanford University

Stanford, California
#2 in overall quality

Out of the 27 schools in the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, Stanford University landed the #1 spot on the list. Stanford 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 estimated yearly cost for Stanford is $1,959 for California Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $48-$75k.

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. 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.

Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at Stanford

#2

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 #2 on our 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. California Institute of Technology is located in Pasadena, California and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 3 bachelors’s geology degrees to qualified students.

Caltech also made our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #1. The estimated yearly cost for Caltech is $8,042 for california bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $48-$75k.

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. 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.

Full California Institute of Technology Geological & Earth Sciences Report

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Fullerton. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k. Cal State Fullerton is a large school located in Fullerton, California that handed out 38 bachelors’s geology 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 yearly cost to attend California State University - Fullerton is $9,427 for California Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $48-$75k.

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

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

#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 $48-$75k list. 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 also took the #21 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Los Angeles is $5,644 for california bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at Cal State LA

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 $48-$75k. California State University - Long Beach is a large public school situated in Long Beach, California. It awarded 12 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

CSULB did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $10,807 for California Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend California State University - Long Beach.

The low student loan default rate of 1.6% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%.

Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at CSULB

University of California - Berkeley ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. Berkeley, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s geology degrees to 21 students 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. It costs about $13,081 for California Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UC Berkeley.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. 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%.

Full University of California - Berkeley Geological & Earth Sciences Report

#19 in overall quality

California State University - Bakersfield ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. 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 did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #19 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for CSUB is $7,564 for california bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $48-$75k.

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

#8

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California

University of California - Los Angeles did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #8. This large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 18 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

UCLA also took the #7 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UCLA is $13,081 for California Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full UCLA Geological & Earth Sciences Report

#9

University of California - Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara, California

With a ranking of #9, University of California - Santa Barbara did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Santa Barbara, California, this large public school awarded 69 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s geology students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $48-$75k list, UCSB has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Santa Barbara is $15,343 for california bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full UCSB Geological & Earth Sciences Report

#6 in overall quality

University of California - Davis landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Davis, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s geology degrees to 29 students in 2019-2020.

UC Davis also made our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #6. The yearly cost to attend UC Davis is $13,578 for California Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $48-$75k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.9%, 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 93%.

Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at UC Davis

#11

University of California - Riverside

Riverside, California
#14 in overall quality

University of California - Riverside came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k 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.

UCR did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for UCR is $12,290 for California Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $48-$75k.

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

Full University of California - Riverside Geological & Earth Sciences Report

University of California - Irvine came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. UC Irvine is a large school located in Irvine, California that handed out 52 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Irvine also took the #10 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UC Irvine is $13,648 for california bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 1.3% 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 more about Geological & Earth Sciences at UC Irvine

California State University - Sacramento landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. California State University - Sacramento is a large public school situated in Sacramento, California. It awarded 18 bachelors’s geology degrees 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 estimated yearly cost for Sac State is $11,413 for california bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 Geological & Earth Sciences at Sac State

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 $48-$75k 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.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $48-$75k list, UC Merced has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $14,922 for california bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of California - Merced.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at UC Merced

California State University - Dominguez Hills landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Carson, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s geology degrees to 2 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend California State University - Dominguez Hills is $6,907 for california bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at CSUDH

#16

University of California - Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz, California

University of California - Santa Cruz did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #16. University of California - Santa Cruz is a fairly large public school situated in Santa Cruz, California. It awarded 66 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $48-$75k list, UC Santa Cruz has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $15,253 for california bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of California - Santa Cruz.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, 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 85%.

Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at University of California - Santa Cruz

California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in San Luis Obispo, California, this large public school handed out 37 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s geology students in 2019-2020.

Cal Poly San Luis Obispo also made our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #5. The yearly cost to attend Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is $19,407 for california bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low student loan default rate of 1.1% 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 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full Cal Poly San Luis Obispo Geological & Earth Sciences Report

California State Polytechnic University - Pomona did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #18. This large school is located in Pomona, California, and it awarded 22 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $48-$75k list, Cal Poly Pomona has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Cal Poly Pomona is $14,012 for California Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full California State Polytechnic University - Pomona Geological & Earth Sciences Report

#19

California State University - San Bernardino

San Bernardino, California
#23 in overall quality

California State University - San Bernardino did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #19. California State University - San Bernardino is a fairly large school located in San Bernardino, California that handed out 15 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at CSUSB, the school also landed the #23 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $8,924 for california bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend CSUSB.

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

#25 in overall quality

With a ranking of #20, California State University - Fresno did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. Fresno State is located in Fresno, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 5 bachelors’s geology degrees to qualified students.

Fresno State also made our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #25. It costs about $7,549 for California Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $48-$75k 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%.

Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at Fresno State

California State University - Stanislaus did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #21. California State University - Stanislaus is a fairly large public school situated in Turlock, California. It awarded 9 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Stanislaus is $7,772 for california bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%.

Full California State University - Stanislaus Geological & Earth Sciences Report

#22

San Diego State University

San Diego, California

San Diego State University landed the #22 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This large school is located in San Diego, California, and it awarded 28 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $48-$75k list, SDSU has also earned the #16 rank in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for San Diego State University is $14,730 for California Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%.

Full San Diego State University Geological & Earth Sciences Report

#18 in overall quality

With a ranking of #23, University of California - San Diego did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. University of California - San Diego is a large school located in La Jolla, California that handed out 19 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

UCSD did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - San Diego is $14,071 for california bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at UCSD

#24

San Francisco State University

San Francisco, California

San Francisco State University came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. SFSU is a large school located in San Francisco, California that handed out 11 bachelors’s geology degrees 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. It costs about $16,661 for california bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend SFSU.

Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at San Francisco State University

California State University - Chico did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #25. California State University - Chico is a fairly large school located in Chico, California that handed out 6 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

Chico State also made our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #20. It costs about $16,116 for California Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend California State University - Chico.

The low student loan default rate of 3.3% 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 - Chico

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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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