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2023 Best Geological & Earth Sciences Colleges for Veterans in California

20 Ranked Colleges
994 Degrees Awarded
$32,300 Avg Cost*
Most Veteran Friendly in California for Geology

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, veterans have many different options to choose from. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Most Veteran Friendly in California for Geology” ranking is part of that endeavor.

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.

For this year’s “Most Veteran Friendly in California for Geology” ranking, we looked at 20 colleges that offer a degree in geological and earth sciences. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great geological and earth sciences programs and a strong support system for veterans and active service members.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the geological and earth sciences program at the school, veteran affordability, and veteran population. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

One Size Does Not Fit All

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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 “Most Veteran Friendly in California for Geology” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

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. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.

Most Veteran Friendly in California for Geology

The colleges and universities below are the best for california vets studying geology.

Top 20 Best Geological & Earth Sciences Colleges for Veterans in California

1

Out of the 20 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in California for Geology that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - San Diego landed the #1 spot on the list. Located in La Jolla, California, this large public school awarded 75 degrees to qualified ’s geology students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCSD, the school also landed the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Of the 39,576 students enrolled at University of California - San Diego, 112 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 54 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $1,596. During this same period, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read More…

2

Out of the 20 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in California for Geology that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Los Angeles landed the #2 spot on the list. University of California - Los Angeles is a large school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 31 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.

UCLA did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Among the 44,589 students enrolled at UCLA, 7 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 4 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $8,071. To help with additional expenses, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program.

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 [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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 UCLA Veteran Student Life Report

3
Stanford crest
Stanford University
Stanford, California

Out of the 20 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in California for Geology that were part of this year’s ranking, Stanford University landed the #3 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.

Stanford not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Our most recent data shows that 188 of the 15,953 students enrolled at Stanford University were GI Bill® students, of which 118 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $18,909. On top of their other funding sources, 61 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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 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 full report on veteran student life at Stanford University]](/colleges/stanford-university/student-life/veterans/)

4

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Irvine. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in California for Geology list. This large school is located in Irvine, California, and it awarded 70 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.

UC Irvine also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].Of the 36,303 students enrolled at UC Irvine, 8 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 5 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $3,620. To help with additional expenses, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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 94%.

Read More…

5

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Long Beach. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in California for Geology list. CSULB is located in Long Beach, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 18 ’s geology degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our california vets studying geology list, CSULB has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 822 of the 40,069 students enrolled at CSULB were GI Bill® students, of which 310 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $3,845. To help with additional expenses, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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 California State University - Long Beach Veteran Student Life Report

6
SDSU crest
San Diego State University
San Diego, California

San Diego State University came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in California for Geology ranking. San Diego, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s geology degrees to 29 students in 2020-2021.

SDSU also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].Of the 36,334 students enrolled at San Diego State University, 1,433 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 853 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $4,806. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, 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.

[Read full report on veteran student life at SDSU]](/colleges/san-diego-state-university/student-life/veterans/)

7

With a ranking of #7, University of California - Santa Barbara did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in California for Geology list. UCSB is a large public school situated in Santa Barbara, California. It awarded 53 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.

UCSB not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Of the 26,179 students enrolled at University of California - Santa Barbara, 286 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 128 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $9,510. To help with additional expenses, 3 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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 school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read More…

8

California State Polytechnic University - Pomona landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in California for Geology ranking. Pomona, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s geology degrees to 28 students in 2020-2021.

Cal Poly Pomona also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.According to our most recent data, Cal Poly Pomona supports 30,014 students, and 34 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 17 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $4,486. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Cal Poly Pomona offers credit for military training for eligible students.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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…

9

University of California - Davis came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in California for Geology ranking. UC Davis is a public institution located in Davis, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 43 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

UC Davis also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].Among the 39,074 students enrolled at UC Davis, 31 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 23 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $6,489. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read More…

10

University of California - Riverside came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in California for Geology ranking. University of California - Riverside is a large public school situated in Riverside, California. It awarded 30 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our california vets studying geology list, UCR has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Among the 26,434 students enrolled at UCR, 11 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 5 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $2,182. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, 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…

11

University of California - Santa Cruz did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in California for Geology ranking, coming in at #11. Located in Santa Cruz, California, this fairly large public school awarded 65 degrees to qualified ’s geology students in 2020-2021.

UC Santa Cruz also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].According to our most recent data, University of California - Santa Cruz supports 19,161 students, and 273 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 114 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $8,631. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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 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…

12

California State University - Sacramento did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in California for Geology ranking, coming in at #12. California State University - Sacramento is a large school located in Sacramento, California that handed out 20 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.

Sac State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Of the 32,293 students enrolled at Sac State, 34 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 23 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $4,555. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Sac State does offer credit for military training for eligible students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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…

13

With a ranking of #13, California State University - Fullerton did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in California for Geology list. Located in Fullerton, California, this large public school handed out 26 diplomas to qualified ’s geology students in 2020-2021.

Cal State Fullerton did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Of the 42,051 students enrolled at California State University - Fullerton, 748 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 342 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $4,729. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full California State University - Fullerton Veteran Student Life Report

14

With a ranking of #14, California State University - Northridge did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in California for Geology list. CSUN is a large school located in Northridge, California that handed out 16 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.

CSUN also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].According to our most recent data, California State University - Northridge supports 40,381 students, and 680 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 336 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $4,745. To help with additional expenses, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. California State University - Northridge offers credit for military training for eligible students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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 CSUN Veteran Student Life Report

15

California State University - Los Angeles came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in California for Geology ranking. Cal State LA is a large public school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 19 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.

Cal State LA did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Among the 26,745 students enrolled at California State University - Los Angeles, 3 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 1 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $2,700. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

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

Full Cal State LA Veteran Student Life Report

16

California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in California for Geology ranking. This large school is located in San Luis Obispo, California, and it awarded 39 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.

Cal Poly San Luis Obispo not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Of the 22,440 students enrolled at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, 268 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 128 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $6,027. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo Veteran Student Life Report

17
Humboldt State University crest
Humboldt State University
Arcata, California

Humboldt State University ranked #17 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in California for Geology list. Humboldt State University is a medium-sized school located in Arcata, California that handed out 24 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our california vets studying geology list, Humboldt State University has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 177 of the 6,612 students enrolled at Humboldt State University were GI Bill® students, of which 68 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $3,772. To help with additional expenses, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

Read More…

18

California Institute of Technology ranked #18 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in California for Geology list. California Institute of Technology is a private not-for-profit institution located in Pasadena, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 31 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Caltech, the school also landed the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.According to our most recent data, Caltech supports 2,240 students, and 4 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 1 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $67,154. During this same period, 1 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 3 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.

Full California Institute of Technology Veteran Student Life Report

19

California State University - Stanislaus ranked #19 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in California for Geology list. 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 #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Our most recent data shows that 163 of the 11,163 students enrolled at California State University - Stanislaus were GI Bill® students, of which 67 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $5,287. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, 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%.

Read More…

20

University of California - Merced did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in California for Geology ranking, coming in at #20. UC Merced is a public institution located in Merced, California. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 13 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

UC Merced not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Among the 9,018 students enrolled at UC Merced, 87 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 21 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $6,314. To help with additional expenses, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program.

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 low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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 veteran student life at University of California - Merced]](/colleges/university-of-california-merced/student-life/veterans/)

Notes and References

References

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