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2023 Best Value Geology Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k

21 Ranked Colleges
994 Degrees Awarded
$18,100 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Geology Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k

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 Geology Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k” ranking.

In 2020-2021, 7,821 people earned their degree in geological and earth sciences, making the major the 95th most popular in the United States. 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.

For this year’s “Best Value Geology Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k” ranking, we looked at 21 colleges that offer 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.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the geological 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.

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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 in California For Those Making $75-$110k” list to help you make the college decision.

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. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.

Best Value Geology Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Geology Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k.

Top 21 Best Value Colleges for Geological & Earth Sciences (Income $75-$110k) in California

1
Stanford crest
Stanford University
Stanford, California

Out of the 21 schools in the Best Value Geology Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k that were part of this year’s ranking, Stanford University landed the #1 spot on the list. Stanford University is a fairly large school located in Stanford, California that handed out 100 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our california geology students whose families make $75-$110k list, Stanford has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $13,623 for California Geology students whose families make $75-$110k 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.

Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at Stanford

2

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California Institute of Technology. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Geology Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. California Institute of Technology is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Pasadena, California. It awarded 31 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.

Caltech not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for California Institute of Technology is $20,010 for California Geology students whose families make $75-$110k.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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 more about Geological & Earth Sciences at Caltech

3

Out of the 21 schools in the Best Value Geology Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Davis landed the #3 spot on the list. Davis, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s geology degrees to 43 students 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 University of California - Davis is $18,728 for california geology students whose families make $75-$110k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at UC Davis

4

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Los Angeles. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Geology Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. California State University - Los Angeles is a large public school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 19 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Cal State LA, the school also landed the #18 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $10,011 for California Geology students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend California State University - Los Angeles.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at Cal State LA

5

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Berkeley. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Geology Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k. UC Berkeley is located in Berkeley, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 49 ’s geology degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our california geology students whose families make $75-$110k list, UC Berkeley has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $21,601 for california geology students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend UC Berkeley.

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 undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at UC Berkeley

6

California State University - Long Beach ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. Long Beach, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s geology degrees to 18 students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our california geology students whose families make $75-$110k list, CSULB has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Long Beach is $15,101 for California Geology students whose families make $75-$110k.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%.

Full California State University - Long Beach Geological & Earth Sciences Report

7

With a ranking of #7, California State University - Fullerton did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Geology Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. This large school is located in Fullerton, California, and it awarded 26 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.

Cal State Fullerton also took the #15 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Fullerton is $12,977 for california geology students whose families make $75-$110k.

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 2.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full California State University - Fullerton Geological & Earth Sciences Report

8

University of California - Los Angeles did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Geology Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #8. This large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 31 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.

UCLA also took the #6 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $20,697 for California Geology students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend University of California - Los Angeles.

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

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

9

University of California - San Diego came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geology Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. La Jolla, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s geology degrees to 75 students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCSD, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $20,906 for california geology students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend UCSD.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, 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 94%.

Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at UCSD

10

University of California - Santa Barbara came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geology Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. This large school is located in Santa Barbara, California, and it awarded 53 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.

UCSB did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend UCSB is $21,581 for California Geology students whose families make $75-$110k.

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 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full UCSB Geological & Earth Sciences Report

11

University of California - Irvine ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. This large school is located in Irvine, California, and it awarded 70 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.

UC Irvine not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Irvine is $20,567 for california geology students whose families make $75-$110k.

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

12

California State Polytechnic University - Pomona landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Best Value Geology Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. This large school is located in Pomona, California, and it awarded 28 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.

Cal Poly Pomona also made our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in California” list, coming in at #11. The estimated yearly cost for Cal Poly Pomona is $18,166 for california geology students whose families make $75-$110k.

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%.

Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at Cal Poly Pomona

13

University of California - Riverside ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. UCR is a large school located in Riverside, California that handed out 30 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.

UCR did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Riverside is $16,887 for California Geology students whose families make $75-$110k.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.

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

14

California State University - Sacramento ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. This large school is located in Sacramento, California, and it awarded 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. It costs about $16,925 for California Geology students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend California State University - Sacramento.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

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

15
SDSU crest
San Diego State University
San Diego, California

San Diego State University ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. San Diego State University is a public institution located in San Diego, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 29 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our california geology students whose families make $75-$110k list, SDSU has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for SDSU is $18,957 for california geology students whose families make $75-$110k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.2% 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 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full SDSU Geological & Earth Sciences Report

16

California State University - Stanislaus landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Best Value Geology Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Located in Turlock, California, this fairly large public school handed out 12 degrees to qualified ’s geology students 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 $12,642 for California Geology students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend California State University - Stanislaus.

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 3.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

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

17

University of California - Santa Cruz landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Best Value Geology Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Santa Cruz, California, and it awarded 65 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.

UC Santa Cruz also took the #9 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $22,380 for california geology students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend University of California - Santa Cruz.

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

Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at University of California - Santa Cruz

18

California State University - Northridge ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. Located in Northridge, California, this large public school handed out 16 diplomas to qualified ’s geology students in 2020-2021.

CSUN also made our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in California” list, coming in at #20. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Northridge is $15,380 for California Geology students whose families make $75-$110k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

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

19

California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k list. 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.

Cal Poly San Luis Obispo also took the #12 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $22,744 for California Geology students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.

Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo

20

University of California - Merced landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Best Value Geology Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. University of California - 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. The estimated yearly cost for UC Merced is $19,795 for California Geology students whose families make $75-$110k.

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 2.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at University of California - Merced

21
Humboldt State University crest
Humboldt State University
Arcata, California

Humboldt State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Geology Schools in California For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #21. Located in Arcata, California, this medium-sized public school awarded 24 diplomas to qualified ’s geology students in 2020-2021.

Humboldt State University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #19 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend Humboldt State University is $20,326 for california geology students whose families make $75-$110k.

Full Humboldt State University Geological & Earth Sciences Report

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