2023 Best Value Ecology Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k
14
Ranked Colleges
731
Degrees Awarded
$9,100
Avg Net Price*
When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value Ecology Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking.
In 2020-2021, 7,247 people earned their degree in ecology, evolution and systematics biology, making the major the 103rd most popular in the United States. In 2019-2020, ecology, evolution and systematics biology graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $35,579 and had an average of $23,052 in loans still to pay off.
Across California, there were 731 ecology, evolution and systematics biology graduates with average earnings and debt of $30,808 and $18,961 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Ecology Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking looked at 14 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in ecology, evolution and systematics biology. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great ecology, evolution and systematics biology programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.
To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the ecology, evolution and systematics biology program at the school. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
More Ways to Rank Ecology, Evolution & Systematics Biology Schools
Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Ecology Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.
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. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.
Best Value Ecology Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Ecology Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k.
Top 14 Best Value Colleges for Ecology, Evolution & Systematics Biology (Income $0-$30k) 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 Ecology Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k. Stanford University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Stanford, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 31 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Stanford also took the #1 spot in our “Best Ecology, Evolution & Systematics Biology Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Stanford University is $1,233 for California Ecology students whose families make $0-$30k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Ecology, Evolution & Systematics Biology at Stanford University
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Berkeley. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Ecology Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k. UC Berkeley is a large school located in Berkeley, California that handed out 14 ’s ecology degrees in 2020-2021.
UC Berkeley also took the #4 spot in our “Best Ecology, Evolution & Systematics Biology Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Berkeley is $8,450 for california ecology students whose families make $0-$30k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.8% 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 UC Berkeley Ecology, Evolution & Systematics Biology Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Los Angeles. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Ecology Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k. This large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 59 ’s ecology degrees in 2020-2021.
UCLA not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Ecology, Evolution & Systematics Biology Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Los Angeles is $9,037 for California Ecology students whose families make $0-$30k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full University of California - Los Angeles Ecology, Evolution & Systematics Biology Report
Out of the 14 schools in the Best Value Ecology Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - San Diego landed the #4 spot on the list. Located in La Jolla, California, this large public school handed out 157 diplomas to qualified ’s ecology students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california ecology students whose families make $0-$30k list, UCSD has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best Ecology, Evolution & Systematics Biology Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $9,823 for california ecology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UCSD.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The low undergrad 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%.
Full UCSD Ecology, Evolution & Systematics Biology Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Davis. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Ecology Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k. Located in Davis, California, this large public school awarded 83 degrees to qualified ’s ecology students in 2020-2021.
UC Davis did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Ecology, Evolution & Systematics Biology Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Davis is $10,006 for california ecology students whose families make $0-$30k.
With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad 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%.
Read full report on Ecology, Evolution & Systematics Biology at UC Davis
University of California - Santa Barbara did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Ecology Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #6. UCSB is a public institution located in Santa Barbara, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 97 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
UCSB not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Ecology, Evolution & Systematics Biology Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for UCSB is $10,568 for california ecology students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.8% 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.
Full UCSB Ecology, Evolution & Systematics Biology Report
University of California - Santa Cruz did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Ecology Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #7. UC Santa Cruz is a fairly large public school situated in Santa Cruz, California. It awarded 155 ’s ecology degrees in 2020-2021.
UC Santa Cruz also took the #8 spot in our “Best Ecology, Evolution & Systematics Biology Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $11,038 for California Ecology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UC Santa Cruz.
The low undergrad 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 undergraduate students.
Read full report on Ecology, Evolution & Systematics Biology at UC Santa Cruz
With a ranking of #8, University of California - Irvine did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Ecology Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. UC Irvine is a large school located in Irvine, California that handed out 22 ’s ecology degrees in 2020-2021.
UC Irvine not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best Ecology, Evolution & Systematics Biology Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Irvine is $6,540 for california ecology students whose families make $0-$30k.
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 school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Ecology, Evolution & Systematics Biology at UC Irvine
University of Southern California came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Ecology Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of Southern California is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 9 ’s ecology degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at USC, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Ecology, Evolution & Systematics Biology Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $17,287 for california ecology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Southern California.
The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full University of Southern California Ecology, Evolution & Systematics Biology Report
San Diego State University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Ecology Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. SDSU is a large school located in San Diego, California that handed out 4 ’s ecology degrees in 2020-2021.
SDSU also made our “Best Ecology, Evolution & Systematics Biology Schools in California” list, coming in at #10. The yearly cost to attend SDSU is $7,169 for california ecology students whose families make $0-$30k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. 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%.
Full SDSU Ecology, Evolution & Systematics Biology Report
California State University - Long Beach ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Ecology Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Long Beach, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s ecology degrees to 25 students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california ecology students whose families make $0-$30k list, CSULB has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best Ecology, Evolution & Systematics Biology Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Long Beach is $6,663 for California Ecology students whose families make $0-$30k.
With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full California State University - Long Beach Ecology, Evolution & Systematics Biology Report
University of California - Riverside ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Ecology Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Riverside, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s ecology degrees to 8 students in 2020-2021.
UCR did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best Ecology, Evolution & Systematics Biology Schools in California” list. It costs about $6,810 for California Ecology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UCR.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.3% 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 Ecology, Evolution & Systematics Biology at UCR
California State Polytechnic University - Pomona ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Ecology Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Cal Poly Pomona is a public institution located in Pomona, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 30 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california ecology students whose families make $0-$30k list, Cal Poly Pomona has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Ecology, Evolution & Systematics Biology Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Cal Poly Pomona is $10,349 for california ecology students whose families make $0-$30k.
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 undergrad 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 full report on Ecology, Evolution & Systematics Biology at California State Polytechnic University - Pomona
San Jose State University came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Ecology Schools in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. San Jose, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s ecology degrees to 14 students in 2020-2021.
San Jose State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best Ecology, Evolution & Systematics Biology Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend San Jose State University is $12,158 for California Ecology students whose families make $0-$30k.
With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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 Ecology, Evolution & Systematics Biology at San Jose State
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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
- *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.
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