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2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k

25 Ranked Colleges
572 Degrees Awarded
$8,200 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor's in California For Those Making $30-$48k

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 Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking.

Geology & Earth Sciences is the 101st most popular major in the country with 7,036 degrees awarded in 2019-2020.

Across California, there were 848 geology and earth sciences graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 572 geology and earth sciences graduates with average earnings and debt of $37,907 and $21,546 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking looked at 25 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in geology and earth sciences. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality geology and earth sciences programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the geology and earth sciences program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

One Size Does Not Fit All

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 Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k” list to help you make the college decision.

One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to you. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k

The colleges and universities below are the best for california bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $30-$48k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Geology & Earth Sciences (Income $30-$48k) in California

#1

Stanford University

Stanford, California
#2 in overall quality

Out of the 25 schools in the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k 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 30 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

Stanford also made our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #2. The yearly cost to attend Stanford University is $1,145 for California Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Geology & Earth Sciences at Stanford University

#12 in overall quality

Out of the 25 schools in the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Fullerton landed the #2 spot on the list. California State University - Fullerton is a large school located in Fullerton, California that handed out 20 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Cal State Fullerton, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $6,100 for california bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Cal State Fullerton.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full California State University - Fullerton Geology & Earth Sciences Report

#20 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Los Angeles. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Los Angeles, California, this large public school awarded 10 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s geology students in 2019-2020.

Cal State LA not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #20 on our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Los Angeles is $2,117 for california bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 full report on Geology & Earth Sciences at California State University - Los Angeles

#8 in overall quality

Out of the 25 schools in the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Long Beach landed the #4 spot on the list. CSULB is a large public school situated in Long Beach, California. It awarded 10 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

CSULB also made our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #8. It costs about $7,595 for California Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend CSULB.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, 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 full report on Geology & Earth Sciences at California State University - Long Beach

#5

California Institute of Technology

Pasadena, California
#1 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California Institute of Technology. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k. Caltech is a private not-for-profit institution located in Pasadena, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 2 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Caltech also took the #1 spot in our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $3,756 for California Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend California Institute of Technology.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 3 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. 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%.

Read more about Geology & Earth Sciences at Caltech

#4 in overall quality

University of California - Berkeley came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Berkeley, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s geology degrees to 5 students in 2019-2020.

UC Berkeley did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $9,130 for California Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UC Berkeley.

The low student loan default rate of 1.7% 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%. 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 University of California - Berkeley Geology & Earth Sciences Report

#18 in overall quality

California State University - Bakersfield landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. 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 also made our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #18. It costs about $3,880 for California Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend California State University - Bakersfield.

Read full report on Geology & Earth Sciences at California State University - Bakersfield

#9 in overall quality

University of California - Irvine ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. UC Irvine is a large school located in Irvine, California that handed out 52 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $30-$48k list, UC Irvine has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Irvine is $10,373 for california bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $30-$48k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Geology & Earth Sciences at University of California - Irvine

#9

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California
#6 in overall quality

University of California - Los Angeles came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. UCLA is a large public school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 14 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

UCLA did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $9,254 for California Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of California - Los Angeles.

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

Full University of California - Los Angeles Geology & Earth Sciences Report

#10

University of California - Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara, California
#3 in overall quality

University of California - Santa Barbara ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. UCSB is a large school located in Santa Barbara, California that handed out 63 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

UCSB not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $11,895 for California Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UCSB.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, 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 - Santa Barbara Geology & Earth Sciences Report

#11

University of California - Riverside

Riverside, California
#13 in overall quality

University of California - Riverside landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. UCR is a large public school situated in Riverside, California. It awarded 14 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

UCR also took the #13 spot in our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $9,151 for California Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $30-$48k 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 student loan default rate of 2.1% 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%.

Read full report on Geology & Earth Sciences at UCR

#5 in overall quality

University of California - Davis ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of California - Davis is a public institution located in Davis, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 28 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Davis also took the #5 spot in our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Davis is $10,769 for california bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Geology & Earth Sciences at University of California - Davis

#14 in overall quality

With a ranking of #13, California State University - Sacramento did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Sac State is a large public school situated in Sacramento, California. It awarded 18 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

Sac State also took the #14 spot in our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Sacramento is $7,823 for California Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Sac State Geology & Earth Sciences Report

#14

San Diego State University

San Diego, California
#15 in overall quality

San Diego State University came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in San Diego, California, this large public school awarded 28 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s geology students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at SDSU, the school also landed the #15 spot in our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend San Diego State University is $10,594 for California Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low student loan default rate of 2.8% 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%.

Read full report on Geology & Earth Sciences at San Diego State University

#15

University of California - Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz, California
#7 in overall quality

University of California - Santa Cruz landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Santa Cruz, California, this fairly large public school handed out 66 degrees to qualified bachelors’s geology students in 2019-2020.

UC Santa Cruz did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend UC Santa Cruz is $11,793 for california bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. 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%.

Read more about Geology & Earth Sciences at University of California - Santa Cruz

#11 in overall quality

University of California - Merced did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #16. University of California - Merced is a medium-sized school located in Merced, California that handed out 19 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Merced also made our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #11. The estimated yearly cost for UC Merced is $11,565 for california bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $30-$48k.

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

Full University of California - Merced Geology & Earth Sciences Report

#24 in overall quality

California State University - Fresno came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Fresno State is a large public school situated in Fresno, California. It awarded 5 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $30-$48k list, Fresno State has also earned the #24 rank in our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $3,731 for california bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Fresno State.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Geology & Earth Sciences at Fresno State

#18

California State University - San Bernardino

San Bernardino, California
#22 in overall quality

California State University - San Bernardino landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. CSUSB is a public institution located in San Bernardino, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 15 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

CSUSB also made our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #22. It costs about $5,869 for California Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend CSUSB.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.

Read more about Geology & Earth Sciences at CSUSB

#25 in overall quality

California State University - Stanislaus did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #19. Located in Turlock, California, this fairly large public school handed out 9 degrees to qualified bachelors’s geology students in 2019-2020.

Stan State also took the #25 spot in our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $3,958 for California Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Stan State.

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 4.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Geology & Earth Sciences at Stan State

#10 in overall quality

California State Polytechnic University - Pomona landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. California State Polytechnic University - Pomona is a large school located in Pomona, California that handed out 22 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $30-$48k list, Cal Poly Pomona has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Cal Poly Pomona is $9,630 for california bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%. 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 full report on Geology & Earth Sciences at California State Polytechnic University - Pomona

#17 in overall quality

University of California - San Diego landed the #21 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. UCSD is a large public school situated in La Jolla, California. It awarded 19 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

UCSD also made our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #17. The yearly cost to attend University of California - San Diego is $9,974 for california bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $30-$48k.

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

Read more about Geology & Earth Sciences at University of California - San Diego

#22

San Francisco State University

San Francisco, California
#16 in overall quality

With a ranking of #22, San Francisco State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in San Francisco, California, this large public school handed out 1 degrees to qualified bachelors’s geology students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at SFSU, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $12,517 for california bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend SFSU.

Read full report on Geology & Earth Sciences at SFSU

#23 in overall quality

California State University - East Bay ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. California State University - East Bay is a public institution located in Hayward, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 4 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $30-$48k list, Cal State East Bay has also earned the #23 rank in our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - East Bay is $8,891 for California Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Geology & Earth Sciences at Cal State East Bay

#19 in overall quality

With a ranking of #24, California State University - Chico did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. California State University - Chico is located in Chico, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 4 bachelors’s geology degrees to qualified students.

Chico State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #19 on our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $11,576 for California Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $30-$48k 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 more about Geology & Earth Sciences at California State University - Chico

#25

Humboldt State University

Arcata, California
#21 in overall quality

Humboldt State University ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Humboldt State University is located in Arcata, California and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 22 bachelors’s geology degrees to qualified students.

Humboldt State University also made our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #21. The yearly cost to attend Humboldt State University is $12,775 for California Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full Humboldt State University Geology & Earth Sciences Report

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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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