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2023 Best Value Colleges for Geophysics & Seismology (Income $30-$48k) in California

6 Ranked Colleges
54 Degrees Awarded
$8,500 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Geophysics Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value Geophysics Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking.

In 2020-2021, 243 people earned their degree in geophysics and seismology, making the major the 757th most popular in the United States.

Across California, there were 54 geophysics and seismology graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Geophysics Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking, we looked at 6 colleges that offer a degree in geophysics and seismology. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality geophysics and seismology programs that also have a lower cost than 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 geophysics and seismology program at the school. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

More Ways to Rank Geophysics & Seismology Schools

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Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Geophysics Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.

Best Value Geophysics Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k

The colleges and universities below are the best for california geophysics students whose families make $30-$48k.

Top 6 Best Value Colleges for Geophysics & Seismology (Income $30-$48k) in California

1
Stanford crest
Stanford University
Stanford, California

Out of the 6 schools in the Best Value Geophysics Schools 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 located in Stanford, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 13 ’s geophysics degrees to qualified students.

Stanford also made our “Best Geophysics & Seismology Schools in California” list, coming in at #1. It costs about $1,581 for California Geophysics students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Stanford.

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%. 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 impressive undergraduate 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.

Full Stanford University Geophysics & Seismology Report

2

Out of the 6 schools in the Best Value Geophysics Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, California Institute of Technology landed the #2 spot on the list. This small school is located in Pasadena, California, and it awarded 9 ’s geophysics degrees in 2020-2021.

Caltech did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Geophysics & Seismology Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend Caltech is $12,190 for california geophysics students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 3 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read full report on Geophysics & Seismology at California Institute of Technology

3

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Berkeley. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Geophysics Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k. UC Berkeley is a large school located in Berkeley, California that handed out 13 ’s geophysics degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our california geophysics students whose families make $30-$48k list, UC Berkeley has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Geophysics & Seismology Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Berkeley is $9,999 for california geophysics students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 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.

Read full report on Geophysics & Seismology at University of California - Berkeley

4

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Los Angeles. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Geophysics Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. This large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 13 ’s geophysics degrees in 2020-2021.

UCLA also made our “Best Geophysics & Seismology Schools in California” list, coming in at #4. It costs about $9,891 for California Geophysics students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of California - Los Angeles.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.6% 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 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Geophysics & Seismology at UCLA

5

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Riverside. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Geophysics Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of California - Riverside is a public institution located in Riverside, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 3 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

UCR not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Geophysics & Seismology Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Riverside is $8,193 for California Geophysics students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Geophysics & Seismology at University of California - Riverside

6
SDSU crest
San Diego State University
San Diego, California

San Diego State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Geophysics Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #6. San Diego, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s geophysics degrees to 2 students in 2020-2021.

SDSU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best Geophysics & Seismology Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend San Diego State University is $9,274 for California Geophysics students whose families make $30-$48k.

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

Full San Diego State University Geophysics & Seismology Report

Notes and References

References

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