2026 Best Botany Schools in California
Botany is a field worth a close look when choosing where to study. The schools below stand out for the quality of their botany programs.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 9 schools to find the best for botany students.
What’s on this page:
Best Schools for Botany in California
If you are not interested in a particular degree level and want to know which schools are the overall best at delivering an education for the botany degrees they offer, see the list below.
Top Schools in Botany
University Of California Berkeley tops our 2026 ranking of the best botany schools. Located in the city of Berkeley, University Of California Berkeley is a very large public university. Roughly 93% of students complete a degree within six years here. About 26 botany degrees were awarded at University Of California Berkeley in the most recent year. Botany graduates of University Of California Berkeley earn a median of $70,847 early in their careers. University Of California Berkeley graduates carry a median of $14,238 in student loans.
Read more about the botany program at University Of California Berkeley
University Of California Riverside is one of the finest schools in the country for a degree in botany, ranking #2. Set in the city of Riverside, University Of California Riverside is a very large public institution. The six-year graduation rate is 76%. About 23 botany degrees were awarded at University Of California Riverside in the most recent year. Graduates of the botany program make about $40,040 in their early career. Typical student debt for the program is $19,187.
More information about a degree in botany from University Of California Riverside
University Of California Davis came in at #3 on our 2026 list of the best botany schools. University Of California Davis is a very large public school located in the suburb of Davis. The six-year graduation rate is 86%. There were roughly 30 botany students who graduated with this degree at University Of California Davis in the most recent data year. Students who receive their botany degree from University Of California Davis earn around $53,749 in the first couple years of their career. University Of California Davis graduates carry a median of $14,404 in student loans.
Read more about the botany program at University Of California Davis
A rank of #4 makes Humboldt State University one of the top schools for botany. Humboldt State University is a moderately-sized public school located in the town of Arcata. The six-year graduation rate is 49%. There were roughly 23 botany students who graduated with this degree at Humboldt State University in the most recent data year. Botany graduates of Humboldt State University earn a median of $30,713 early in their careers. Students borrow a median of $19,129 to complete this degree.
See the full botany program report for Humboldt State University
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published 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 · 9 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.
