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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Geology & Earth Sciences in California (With Aid)

25 Ranked Colleges
572 Degrees Awarded
$12,300 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor's in California For Those Getting Aid

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

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 Getting Aid” 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. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

More Ways to Rank Geology & Earth Sciences Schools

The geology school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid”.

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. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid

The colleges and universities below are the best for california bachelor’s degree geology students with aid.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Geology & Earth Sciences in California (With Aid)

#20 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Los Angeles. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid. California State University - Los Angeles is a large school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 10 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree geology students with aid list, Cal State LA has also earned the #20 rank in our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Los Angeles is $2,768 for California Bachelor’s Degree Geology students with aid.

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 more about Geology & Earth Sciences at Cal State LA

#12 in overall quality

Out of the 25 schools in the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Fullerton landed the #2 spot on the list. This large school is located in Fullerton, California, and it awarded 20 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

Cal State Fullerton did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Fullerton is $7,991 for California Bachelor’s Degree Geology students with aid.

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%. 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 Geology & Earth Sciences at California State University - Fullerton

#8 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Long Beach. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. Long Beach, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s geology degrees to 10 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at CSULB, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $9,622 for California Bachelor’s Degree Geology students with aid per year to attend California State University - Long Beach.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The 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 full report on Geology & Earth Sciences at CSULB

#18 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Bakersfield. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. This fairly large school is located in Bakersfield, California, and it awarded 25 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

CSUB did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $5,318 for california bachelor’s degree geology students with aid per year to attend California State University - Bakersfield.

Full CSUB Geology & Earth Sciences Report

#9 in overall quality

Out of the 25 schools in the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Irvine landed the #5 spot on the list. Irvine, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s geology degrees to 52 students in 2019-2020.

UC Irvine did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Irvine is $14,783 for California Bachelor’s Degree Geology students with aid.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national 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 full report on Geology & Earth Sciences at UC Irvine

#14 in overall quality

California State University - Sacramento landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. California State University - Sacramento is a public institution located in Sacramento, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 18 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Sac State also took the #14 spot in our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $9,979 for California Bachelor’s Degree Geology students with aid per year to attend Sac State.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Geology & Earth Sciences at Sac State

#11 in overall quality

With a ranking of #7, University of California - Merced did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. 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 took the #11 spot in our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $13,896 for California Bachelor’s Degree Geology students with aid per year to attend University of California - Merced.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full UC Merced Geology & Earth Sciences Report

#13 in overall quality

With a ranking of #8, University of California - Riverside did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. This large school is located in Riverside, California, and it awarded 14 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

UCR not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #13 on our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $12,871 for california bachelor’s degree geology students with aid per year to attend UCR.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.1%, 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 students.

Read more about Geology & Earth Sciences at UCR

#10 in overall quality

With a ranking of #9, California State Polytechnic University - Pomona did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. This large school is located in Pomona, California, and it awarded 22 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree geology students with aid list, Cal Poly Pomona has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $12,734 for California Bachelor’s Degree Geology students with aid per year to attend Cal Poly Pomona.

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 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Geology & Earth Sciences at Cal Poly Pomona

#10

University of California - Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara, California
#3 in overall quality

University of California - Santa Barbara did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #10. Located in Santa Barbara, California, this large public school awarded 63 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s geology students 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 $15,884 for California Bachelor’s Degree Geology students with aid per year to attend University of California - Santa Barbara.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, 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 1.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

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

#11

California State University - San Bernardino

San Bernardino, California
#22 in overall quality

California State University - San Bernardino ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. CSUSB is a fairly large public school situated in San Bernardino, California. It awarded 15 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

CSUSB not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #22 on our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend CSUSB is $7,342 for California Bachelor’s Degree Geology students with aid.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Geology & Earth Sciences at CSUSB

#12

Stanford University

Stanford, California
#2 in overall quality

Stanford University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #12. Located in Stanford, California, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 30 degrees to qualified bachelors’s geology students in 2019-2020.

Stanford not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for Stanford is $11,496 for California Bachelor’s Degree Geology students with aid.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, 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 0.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read more about Geology & Earth Sciences at Stanford

#13

San Diego State University

San Diego, California
#15 in overall quality

San Diego State University landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. San Diego State University is located in San Diego, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 28 bachelors’s geology degrees to qualified students.

SDSU also made our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #15. It costs about $14,788 for California Bachelor’s Degree Geology students with aid per year to attend SDSU.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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%.

Full San Diego State University Geology & Earth Sciences Report

#24 in overall quality

With a ranking of #14, California State University - Fresno did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. This large school is located in Fresno, California, and it awarded 5 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

Fresno State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #24 on our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $5,464 for California Bachelor’s Degree Geology students with aid per year to attend California State University - Fresno.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default 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.

Full Fresno State Geology & Earth Sciences Report

#15

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California
#6 in overall quality

With a ranking of #15, University of California - Los Angeles did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Los Angeles, California, this large public school handed out 14 degrees to qualified bachelors’s geology students in 2019-2020.

UCLA also made our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #6. It costs about $14,279 for california bachelor’s degree geology students with aid per year to attend University of California - Los Angeles.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, 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 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

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

#5 in overall quality

University of California - Davis ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. UC Davis is a large school located in Davis, California that handed out 28 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree geology students with aid list, UC Davis has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Davis is $14,669 for California Bachelor’s Degree Geology students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.9%, 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 93%.

Full UC Davis Geology & Earth Sciences Report

#25 in overall quality

With a ranking of #17, California State University - Stanislaus did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. California State University - Stanislaus is a fairly large public school situated in Turlock, California. It awarded 9 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

Stan State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #25 on our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Stanislaus is $6,019 for California Bachelor’s Degree Geology students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, 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 87%.

Read more about Geology & Earth Sciences at Stan State

#18

University of California - Berkeley

Berkeley, California
#4 in overall quality

University of California - Berkeley did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #18. University of California - Berkeley is a public institution located in Berkeley, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 5 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Berkeley also made our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #4. The estimated yearly cost for UC Berkeley is $15,329 for california bachelor’s degree geology students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Geology & Earth Sciences at UC Berkeley

#19

San Francisco State University

San Francisco, California
#16 in overall quality

San Francisco State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #19. This large school is located in San Francisco, California, and it awarded 1 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

SFSU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend San Francisco State University is $15,113 for california bachelor’s degree geology students with aid.

Read full report on Geology & Earth Sciences at SFSU

#20

University of California - Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz, California
#7 in overall quality

University of California - Santa Cruz landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. UC Santa Cruz is a fairly large school located in Santa Cruz, California that handed out 66 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Santa Cruz, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UC Santa Cruz is $18,186 for California Bachelor’s Degree Geology students with aid.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

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

#17 in overall quality

University of California - San Diego did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #21. University of California - San Diego is a large school located in La Jolla, California that handed out 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 $14,232 for California Bachelor’s Degree Geology students with aid.

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

Full UCSD Geology & Earth Sciences Report

#23 in overall quality

California State University - East Bay did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #22. Cal State 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.

Cal State East Bay not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #23 on our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $11,116 for California Bachelor’s Degree Geology students with aid per year to attend California State University - East Bay.

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

#23

California Institute of Technology

Pasadena, California
#1 in overall quality

California Institute of Technology did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #23. Caltech is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Pasadena, California. It awarded 2 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree geology students with aid list, Caltech has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California Institute of Technology is $24,274 for california bachelor’s degree geology students with aid.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 3 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Full Caltech Geology & Earth Sciences Report

#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 Getting Aid list. Located in Chico, California, this fairly large public school awarded 4 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s geology students in 2019-2020.

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. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Chico is $15,017 for california bachelor’s degree geology students with aid.

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 full report on 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 Getting Aid list. Located in Arcata, California, this medium-sized public school handed out 22 degrees to qualified bachelors’s geology students in 2019-2020.

Humboldt State University also made our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #21. It costs about $14,692 for california bachelor’s degree geology students with aid per year to attend Humboldt State University.

Read more about Geology & Earth Sciences at Humboldt State University

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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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