2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Geological & Earth Sciences in California
With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California” ranking is part of that endeavor.
In 2019-2020, 8,918 people earned their degree in geological and earth sciences, making the major the 84th most popular in the United States. In 2017-2018, geological and earth sciences graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $35,533 and had an average of $23,531 in loans still to pay off.
Across California, there were 1,138 geological and earth sciences graduates with average earnings and debt of $34,160 and $19,278 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 699 geological 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” ranking analyzed 27 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 the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California” list, to help you choose the best school for you.
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Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California.
Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Geological & Earth Sciences in California
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Long Beach. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. California State University - Long Beach is located in Long Beach, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 12 bachelors’s geology degrees to qualified students.
CSULB also took the #9 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for CSULB is $9,622 for california bachelor’s degree geology students.
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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California. Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is a large school located in San Luis Obispo, California that handed out 37 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.
Cal Poly San Luis Obispo not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo is $21,595 for california bachelor’s degree geology students.
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 1.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo
Out of the 27 schools in the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California that were part of this year’s ranking, California State Polytechnic University - Pomona landed the #3 spot on the list. Located in Pomona, California, this large public school handed out 22 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s geology students in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree geology students list, Cal Poly Pomona has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $12,734 for california bachelor’s degree geology students per year to attend California State Polytechnic University - 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 student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at Cal Poly Pomona
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Fullerton. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. California State University - Fullerton is a large school located in Fullerton, California that handed out 38 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.
Cal State Fullerton also made our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #13. It costs about $7,991 for california bachelor’s degree geology students per year to attend Cal State Fullerton.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.7%, 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 - Fullerton Geological & Earth Sciences Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Bakersfield. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California. CSUB is a public institution located in Bakersfield, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 25 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
CSUB also took the #19 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for CSUB is $5,318 for california bachelor’s degree geology students.
University of California - Santa Barbara landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. UCSB is located in Santa Barbara, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 69 bachelors’s geology degrees to qualified students.
UCSB also took the #3 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Santa Barbara is $15,884 for California Bachelor’s Degree Geology students.
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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at University of California - Santa Barbara
California State University - Sacramento landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. Sacramento, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s geology degrees to 18 students in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree geology students list, Sac State has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Sacramento is $9,979 for California Bachelor’s Degree Geology students.
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 California State University - Sacramento Geological & Earth Sciences Report
San Francisco State University ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. San Francisco State University is a public institution located in San Francisco, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 11 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
SFSU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #17 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for San Francisco State University is $15,113 for california bachelor’s degree geology students.
Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at San Francisco State University
San Diego State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking, coming in at #9. SDSU 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.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at SDSU, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend SDSU is $14,788 for california bachelor’s degree geology students.
The student loan default rate at the school is 2.8%, 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 more about Geological & Earth Sciences at San Diego State University
University of California - Los Angeles did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking, coming in at #10. UCLA is a public institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 18 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
UCLA also made our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #7. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Los Angeles is $14,279 for california bachelor’s degree geology students.
With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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%.
California State University - Chico landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. Chico, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s geology degrees to 6 students in 2019-2020.
Chico State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #20 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $15,017 for California Bachelor’s Degree Geology students per year to attend California State University - Chico.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at California State University - Chico
University of California - Davis landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. This large school is located in Davis, California, and it awarded 29 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Davis, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Davis is $14,669 for california bachelor’s degree geology students.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at University of California - Davis
University of California - Irvine came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. Located in Irvine, California, this large public school awarded 52 degrees to qualified bachelors’s geology students in 2019-2020.
UC Irvine not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $14,783 for California Bachelor’s Degree Geology students per year to attend UC Irvine.
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%. 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 University of California - Irvine
California State University - San Bernardino ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. California State University - San Bernardino 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 did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #23 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $7,342 for California Bachelor’s Degree Geology students per year to attend California State University - San Bernardino.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.
University of California - Merced came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Merced, California, and it awarded 19 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.
UC Merced also took the #12 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Merced is $13,896 for California Bachelor’s Degree Geology students.
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 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at University of California - Merced
University of California - Berkeley ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. UC Berkeley is located in Berkeley, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 21 bachelors’s geology degrees to qualified students.
UC Berkeley also made our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #4. It costs about $15,329 for california bachelor’s degree geology students per year to attend UC Berkeley.
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 1.7% 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%.
Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at University of California - Berkeley
University of California - Santa Cruz did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking, coming in at #17. University of California - Santa Cruz is located in Santa Cruz, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 66 bachelors’s geology degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Santa Cruz, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $18,186 for California Bachelor’s Degree Geology students per year to attend UC Santa Cruz.
With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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%.
Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at University of California - Santa Cruz
California State University - Los Angeles ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. California State University - Los Angeles is a large public school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 10 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Cal State LA, the school also landed the #21 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $2,768 for california bachelor’s degree geology students per year to attend Cal State LA.
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%.
Full California State University - Los Angeles Geological & Earth Sciences Report
With a ranking of #19, Humboldt State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. Arcata, California is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s geology degrees to 36 students in 2019-2020.
Humboldt State University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #22 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend Humboldt State University is $14,692 for california bachelor’s degree geology students.
Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at Humboldt State University
University of California - Riverside ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. UCR is located in Riverside, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 16 bachelors’s geology degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCR, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $12,871 for california bachelor’s degree geology students per year to attend UCR.
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 2.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at University of California - Riverside
California State University - Fresno came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. Fresno, 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.
Fresno State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #25 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $5,464 for california bachelor’s degree geology students per year to attend California State University - Fresno.
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 student loan default rate at the school is 4.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at California State University - Fresno
California State University - East Bay did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking, coming in at #22. Hayward, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s geology degrees to 4 students in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Cal State East Bay, the school also landed the #24 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Cal State East Bay is $11,116 for California Bachelor’s Degree Geology students.
Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at Cal State East Bay
University of California - San Diego ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. University of California - San Diego is located in La Jolla, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 19 bachelors’s geology degrees to qualified students.
UCSD not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #18 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend University of California - San Diego is $14,232 for California Bachelor’s Degree Geology students.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. 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%.
California State University - Stanislaus landed the #24 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. California State University - Stanislaus is a public institution located in Turlock, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 9 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend California State University - Stanislaus is $6,019 for california bachelor’s degree geology students.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%.
California State University - Dominguez Hills landed the #25 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. CSUDH is located in Carson, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 2 bachelors’s geology degrees to qualified students.
The estimated yearly cost for CSUDH is $4,215 for California Bachelor’s Degree Geology students.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
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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.
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