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2023 Best Value Geology Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k

21 Ranked Colleges
994 Degrees Awarded
Best Value Geology Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. 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 in California For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking.

Geological & Earth Sciences is the 95th most popular major in the country with 7,821 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. In 2019-2020, geological and earth sciences graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $38,705 and had an average of $23,383 in loans still to pay off.

Across California, there were 994 geological and earth sciences graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,206 and $19,545 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Geology Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking analyzed 21 colleges that offered a degree in geological and earth sciences. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality geological and earth sciences 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 geological and earth sciences program at the school. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

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Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Geology Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.

Best Value Geology Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k

The colleges and universities below are the best for california geology students whose families make $48-$75k.

Top 21 Best Value Colleges for Geological & Earth Sciences (Income $48-$75k) in California

1
Stanford crest
Stanford University
Stanford, 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 Geology Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k. Stanford University is a fairly large school located in Stanford, California that handed out 100 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.

Stanford also made our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in California” list, coming in at #1. The yearly cost to attend Stanford University is $7,081 for california geology students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad 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 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.

Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at Stanford University

2

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California Institute of Technology. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Geology Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k. Pasadena, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s geology degrees to 31 students in 2020-2021.

Caltech also made our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in California” list, coming in at #4. It costs about $9,755 for california geology students whose families make $48-$75k 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%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 3 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at Caltech

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 Geology Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k. Located in Berkeley, California, this large public school handed out 49 diplomas to qualified ’s geology students in 2020-2021.

UC Berkeley also took the #2 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Berkeley is $13,423 for california geology students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 more about Geological & Earth Sciences at University of California - Berkeley

4

Out of the 21 schools in the Best Value Geology Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Los Angeles landed the #4 spot on the list. This large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 31 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.

UCLA also made our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in California” list, coming in at #6. It costs about $12,644 for California Geology students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UCLA.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at UCLA

5

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Santa Barbara. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Geology Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k. University of California - Santa Barbara is a public institution located in Santa Barbara, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 53 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

UCSB also took the #3 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UCSB is $14,583 for California Geology students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 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%.

Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at UCSB

6

University of California - San Diego did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Geology Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #6. University of California - San Diego is located in La Jolla, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 75 ’s geology degrees to qualified students.

UCSD also took the #5 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $14,310 for california geology students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UCSD.

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 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 Geological & Earth Sciences Report

7

California State University - Los Angeles came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geology Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 19 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.

Cal State LA also made our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in California” list, coming in at #18. The yearly cost to attend Cal State LA is $5,700 for california geology students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at Cal State LA

8

With a ranking of #8, University of California - Davis did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Geology Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. This large school is located in Davis, California, and it awarded 43 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.

UC Davis also took the #7 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UC Davis is $14,193 for California Geology students whose families make $48-$75k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full University of California - Davis Geological & Earth Sciences Report

9

California State University - Long Beach ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. This large school is located in Long Beach, California, and it awarded 18 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our california geology students whose families make $48-$75k list, CSULB has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $11,189 for california geology students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend CSULB.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at California State University - Long Beach

10

University of California - Irvine came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geology Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. UC Irvine is located in Irvine, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 70 ’s geology degrees to qualified students.

UC Irvine also made our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in California” list, coming in at #8. It costs about $13,275 for California Geology students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of California - Irvine.

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 low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.4% 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 Irvine Geological & Earth Sciences Report

11

California State University - Fullerton landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Best Value Geology Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. California State University - Fullerton is located in Fullerton, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 26 ’s geology degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our california geology students whose families make $48-$75k list, Cal State Fullerton has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $9,017 for California Geology students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend California State University - Fullerton.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%.

Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at Cal State Fullerton

12

University of California - Riverside landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Best Value Geology Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This large school is located in Riverside, California, and it awarded 30 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCR, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Riverside is $11,126 for california geology students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at University of California - Riverside

13

University of California - Santa Cruz ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. University of California - Santa Cruz is a fairly large school located in Santa Cruz, California that handed out 65 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.

UC Santa Cruz also made our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in California” list, coming in at #9. It costs about $15,567 for California Geology students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of California - Santa Cruz.

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

Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at UC Santa Cruz

14

California State Polytechnic University - Pomona did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Geology Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #14. California State Polytechnic University - Pomona is located in Pomona, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 28 ’s geology degrees to qualified students.

Cal Poly Pomona did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend California State Polytechnic University - Pomona is $15,958 for California Geology students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Cal Poly Pomona Geological & Earth Sciences Report

15

California State University - Sacramento did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Geology Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #15. Sac State is a large school located in Sacramento, California that handed out 20 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Sac State, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Sacramento is $12,602 for california geology students whose families make $48-$75k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at California State University - Sacramento

16

California State University - Stanislaus came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geology Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Stan State is a public institution located in Turlock, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 12 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Stan State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #21 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in California” list. It costs about $7,976 for california geology students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Stan State.

The low undergrad 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%.

Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at Stan State

17
SDSU crest
San Diego State University
San Diego, California

San Diego State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Geology Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #17. SDSU is a large school located in San Diego, California that handed out 29 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at SDSU, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend San Diego State University is $14,698 for California Geology students whose families make $48-$75k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full San Diego State University Geological & Earth Sciences Report

18

California State University - Northridge did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Geology Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #18. This large school is located in Northridge, California, and it awarded 16 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.

CSUN did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #20 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Northridge is $10,780 for California Geology students whose families make $48-$75k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at California State University - Northridge

19

University of California - Merced landed the #19 spot on the 2023 Best Value Geology Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. UC Merced is a medium-sized public school situated in Merced, California. It awarded 13 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.

UC Merced did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in California” list. It costs about $14,261 for California Geology students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UC Merced.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full UC Merced Geological & Earth Sciences Report

20

California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Geology Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #20. California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo is a public institution located in San Luis Obispo, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 39 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our california geology students whose families make $48-$75k list, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is $17,340 for California Geology students whose families make $48-$75k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, 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.

Full California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo Geological & Earth Sciences Report

21
Humboldt State University crest
Humboldt State University
Arcata, California

With a ranking of #21, Humboldt State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Geology Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. Humboldt State University is a medium-sized school located in Arcata, California that handed out 24 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.

Humboldt State University also took the #19 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Humboldt State University is $16,716 for California Geology students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at Humboldt State University

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