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2023 Best Value Colleges for Geography & Cartography (Income $48-$75k) in California

24 Ranked Colleges
1,251 Degrees Awarded
Best Value Geography Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Geography Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking - to help you make that decision.

Geography & Cartography is the 110th most popular major in the country with 8,526 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. In 2019-2020, geography and cartography graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $38,604 and had an average of $22,522 in loans still to pay off.

Across California, there were 1,251 geography and cartography graduates with average earnings and debt of $41,079 and $14,221 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Geography Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking, we looked at 24 colleges that offer a degree in geography and cartography. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent geography and cartography programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the geography and cartography 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.

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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 Geography Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k” list to help you make the college decision.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.

Best Value Geography Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Geography Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k.

Top 24 Best Value Colleges for Geography & Cartography (Income $48-$75k) in California

1

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Los Angeles. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Geography Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k. University of California - Los Angeles is a large public school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 155 ’s geography degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCLA, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Geography & Cartography Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Los Angeles is $12,644 for california geography students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Geography & Cartography at University of California - Los Angeles

2

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Santa Barbara. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Geography Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k. Located in Santa Barbara, California, this large public school awarded 119 diplomas to qualified ’s geography students in 2020-2021.

UCSB did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Geography & Cartography Schools in California” list. It costs about $14,583 for california geography students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of California - Santa Barbara.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Geography & Cartography at University of California - Santa Barbara

3

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Long Beach. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Geography Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k. Long Beach, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s geography degrees to 81 students in 2020-2021.

CSULB did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Geography & Cartography Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Long Beach is $11,189 for California Geography students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.4% 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%. 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 full report on Geography & Cartography at California State University - Long Beach

4

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Los Angeles. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Geography Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k. Cal State LA is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 12 ’s geography degrees to qualified students.

Cal State LA not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #18 on our “Best Geography & Cartography Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Los Angeles is $5,700 for California Geography students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Geography & Cartography at Cal State LA

5

Out of the 24 schools in the Best Value Geography Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Davis landed the #5 spot on the list. This large school is located in Davis, California, and it awarded 13 ’s geography degrees in 2020-2021.

UC Davis also took the #4 spot in our “Best Geography & Cartography Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $14,193 for California Geography students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UC Davis.

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

Full UC Davis Geography & Cartography Report

6

With a ranking of #6, California State University - Northridge did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Geography Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. Northridge, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s geography degrees to 45 students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at CSUN, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Geography & Cartography Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for CSUN is $10,780 for California Geography students whose families make $48-$75k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Geography & Cartography at CSUN

7
American River crest
American River College
Sacramento, California

With a ranking of #7, American River College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Geography Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. American River College is a large public school situated in Sacramento, California. It awarded 20 ’s geography degrees in 2020-2021.

American River also made our “Best Geography & Cartography Schools in California” list, coming in at #17. The yearly cost to attend American River is $7,806 for California Geography students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on Geography & Cartography at American River College

8

California State University - Fullerton ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Geography Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. Cal State Fullerton is a large public school situated in Fullerton, California. It awarded 39 ’s geography degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Cal State Fullerton, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Geography & Cartography Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $9,017 for california geography students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend California State University - Fullerton.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.5%, 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 full report on Geography & Cartography at Cal State Fullerton

9
USC crest
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California

University of Southern California did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Geography Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #9. This large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 63 ’s geography degrees in 2020-2021.

USC also took the #2 spot in our “Best Geography & Cartography Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Southern California is $22,826 for California Geography students whose families make $48-$75k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Geography & Cartography at University of Southern California

10

California State University - Sacramento landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Best Value Geography Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This large school is located in Sacramento, California, and it awarded 37 ’s geography degrees in 2020-2021.

Sac State also made our “Best Geography & Cartography Schools in California” list, coming in at #11. It costs about $12,602 for california geography students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend California State University - Sacramento.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Geography & Cartography at California State University - Sacramento

11

With a ranking of #11, California State University - Stanislaus did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Geography Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. Stan State is a public institution located in Turlock, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 9 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Stan State, the school also landed the #20 spot in our “Best Geography & Cartography Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $7,976 for California Geography students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Stan State.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Geography & Cartography at California State University - Stanislaus

12

With a ranking of #12, California State University - Fresno did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Geography Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. California State University - Fresno is located in Fresno, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 6 ’s geography degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our california geography students whose families make $48-$75k list, Fresno State has also earned the #21 rank in our “Best Geography & Cartography Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Fresno is $8,030 for California Geography students whose families make $48-$75k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Geography & Cartography at California State University - Fresno

13
SDSU crest
San Diego State University
San Diego, California

San Diego State University landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Best Value Geography Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. San Diego, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s geography degrees to 44 students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our california geography students whose families make $48-$75k list, SDSU has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best Geography & Cartography Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend SDSU is $14,698 for california geography students whose families make $48-$75k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, 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 full report on Geography & Cartography at SDSU

14

California State University - San Bernardino came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geography Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. California State University - San Bernardino is a fairly large public school situated in San Bernardino, California. It awarded 5 ’s geography degrees in 2020-2021.

CSUSB not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #22 on our “Best Geography & Cartography Schools in California” list. It costs about $9,854 for California Geography 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 undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.0% 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%.

Read full report on Geography & Cartography at CSUSB

15

California State University - Dominguez Hills ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Geography Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. CSUDH is a fairly large school located in Carson, California that handed out 15 ’s geography degrees in 2020-2021.

CSUDH not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #23 on our “Best Geography & Cartography Schools in California” list. It costs about $6,333 for california geography students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend California State University - Dominguez Hills.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Geography & Cartography at California State University - Dominguez Hills

16

California State University - East Bay ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Geography Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. Cal State East Bay is located in Hayward, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 9 ’s geography degrees to qualified students.

Cal State East Bay also made our “Best Geography & Cartography Schools in California” list, coming in at #15. The yearly cost to attend Cal State East Bay is $15,615 for california geography students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Geography & Cartography at California State University - East Bay

17

With a ranking of #17, California State Polytechnic University - Pomona did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Geography Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. Cal Poly Pomona is located in Pomona, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 24 ’s geography degrees to qualified students.

Cal Poly Pomona also made our “Best Geography & Cartography Schools in California” list, coming in at #13. It costs about $15,958 for California Geography students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Cal Poly Pomona.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.6%, 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 more about Geography & Cartography at Cal Poly Pomona

18
SFSU crest
San Francisco State University
San Francisco, California

With a ranking of #18, San Francisco State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Geography Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. San Francisco, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s geography degrees to 43 students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at SFSU, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best Geography & Cartography Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend SFSU is $16,065 for california geography students whose families make $48-$75k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Geography & Cartography at SFSU

19
SSU crest
Sonoma State University
Rohnert Park, California

Sonoma State University landed the #19 spot on the 2023 Best Value Geography Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. SSU is a medium-sized school located in Rohnert Park, California that handed out 45 ’s geography degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at SSU, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best Geography & Cartography Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend SSU is $17,985 for california geography students whose families make $48-$75k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Geography & Cartography at SSU

20

California State University - Chico landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Best Value Geography Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Chico State is a fairly large school located in Chico, California that handed out 13 ’s geography degrees in 2020-2021.

Chico State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best Geography & Cartography Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for Chico State is $16,738 for california geography students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Geography & Cartography at Chico State

21
San Jose State crest
San Jose State University
San Jose, California

San Jose State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Geography Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #21. This large school is located in San Jose, California, and it awarded 5 ’s geography degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at San Jose State, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best Geography & Cartography Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $17,338 for california geography students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend San Jose State University.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.

Full San Jose State University Geography & Cartography Report

22
Humboldt State University crest
Humboldt State University
Arcata, California

With a ranking of #22, Humboldt State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Geography Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. Arcata, California is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s geography degrees to 23 students in 2020-2021.

Humboldt State University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #19 on our “Best Geography & Cartography Schools in California” list. It costs about $16,716 for California Geography students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Humboldt State University.

Full Humboldt State University Geography & Cartography Report

23
East Los Angeles College crest
East Los Angeles College
Monterey Park, California

East Los Angeles College came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geography Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Monterey Park, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s geography degrees to 6 students in 2020-2021.

East Los Angeles College did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #24 on our “Best Geography & Cartography Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend East Los Angeles College is $13,088 for California Geography students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Geography & Cartography at East Los Angeles College

24
University of Redlands crest
University of Redlands
Redlands, California

University of Redlands landed the #24 spot on the 2023 Best Value Geography Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. University of Redlands is located in Redlands, California and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 22 ’s geography degrees to qualified students.

University of Redlands also took the #9 spot in our “Best Geography & Cartography Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $21,947 for california geography students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of Redlands.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Redlands Geography & Cartography Report

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