2026 Best Plant Sciences Schools in California
Plant Sciences is a field worth a close look when choosing where to study. While the number of schools offering the program varies, there are still top-quality ones to be found.
College Factual analyzed 19 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best plant sciences schools.
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Best Schools for Plant Sciences in California
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest overall plant sciences education in California.
Top Schools in Plant Sciences
California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo is one of the finest schools in the country for getting a degree in plant sciences. This very large public university is located in the suburb of San Luis Obispo. About 86% of students finish within six years. California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo awarded about 48 plant sciences degrees in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, plant sciences degree recipients from California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo generally make around $63,129. Typical student debt for the program is $16,666.
Get the full plant sciences details for California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo
California State University Fresno came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the best plant sciences schools. Set in the city of Fresno, California State University Fresno is a very large public institution. Roughly 57% of students complete a degree within six years here. There were roughly 69 plant sciences students who graduated with this degree at California State University Fresno in the most recent data year. Graduates of the plant sciences program make about $60,443 in their early career. California State University Fresno graduates carry a median of $13,000 in student loans.
See the full plant sciences program report for California State University Fresno
University Of California Davis came in at #3 on our 2026 list of the best plant sciences schools. Located in the suburb of Davis, University Of California Davis is a very large public university. University Of California Davis graduates 86% of students within six years. University Of California Davis awarded about 54 plant sciences degrees in the most recent data year. Graduates of the plant sciences program make about $43,873 in their early career. Students borrow a median of $14,404 to complete this degree.
More information about a degree in plant sciences from University Of California Davis
A rank of #4 makes University Of California Santa Cruz one of the top schools for plant sciences. Located in the city of Santa Cruz, University Of California Santa Cruz is a very large public university. About 75% of students finish within six years. University Of California Santa Cruz awarded about 10 plant sciences degrees in the most recent data year. Students who receive their plant sciences degree from University Of California Santa Cruz earn around $40,920 in the first couple years of their career. Students borrow a median of $18,559 to complete this degree.
Read more about the plant sciences program at University Of California Santa Cruz
California State University Chico is one of the finest schools in the country for a degree in plant sciences, ranking #5. This large public university is located in the city of Chico. Roughly 63% of students complete a degree within six years here. California State University Chico awarded about 31 plant sciences degrees in the most recent data year. Students who receive their plant sciences degree from California State University Chico earn around $43,944 in the first couple years of their career. Students borrow a median of $15,000 to complete this degree.
More information about a degree in plant sciences from California State University Chico
California State University Monterey Bay came in at #6 for plant sciences this year. This moderately-sized public university is located in the suburb of Seaside. Roughly 59% of students complete a degree within six years here. There were roughly 32 plant sciences students who graduated with this degree at California State University Monterey Bay in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, plant sciences degree recipients from California State University Monterey Bay generally make around $49,032. Students borrow a median of $14,622 to complete this degree.
See the full plant sciences program report for California State University Monterey Bay
California State Polytechnic University Pomona placed #7 among the best plant sciences schools. This very large public university is located in the suburb of Pomona. California State Polytechnic University Pomona graduates 68% of students within six years. There were roughly 26 plant sciences students who graduated with this degree at California State Polytechnic University Pomona in the most recent data year. Plant Sciences graduates of California State Polytechnic University Pomona earn a median of $46,152 early in their careers. Students borrow a median of $13,500 to complete this degree.
See the full plant sciences program report for California State Polytechnic University Pomona
Humboldt State University came in at #8 for plant sciences this year. Humboldt State University is a moderately-sized public school located in the town of Arcata. Humboldt State University graduates 49% of students within six years. About 12 plant sciences degrees were awarded at Humboldt State University in the most recent year. Soon after graduation, plant sciences degree recipients from Humboldt State University generally make around $44,038. Typical student debt for the program is $19,129.
See the full plant sciences program report for Humboldt State University
More Plant Sciences Rankings
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs graduation rate, post-graduation earnings, cost, and program quality, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Top Ranked · 19 schools evaluated.
- 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).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
