2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Geography (Income $0-$30k) in California
Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. 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 Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is part of that endeavor.
In 2019-2020, 5,476 people earned their degree in geography, making the major the 144th most popular in the United States.
Across California, there were 854 geography graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 497 geography graduates with average earnings and debt of $37,907 and $21,546 respectively.
For this year’s “Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, we looked at 18 colleges that offer a degree in geography. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great geography programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.
Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the geography program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
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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 Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k” list to help you make the college decision.
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Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k
The colleges and universities below are the best for california bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make $0-$30k.
Top 18 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Geography (Income $0-$30k) in California
Out of the 18 schools in the Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Los Angeles landed the #1 spot on the list. This large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 85 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.
UCLA did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Geography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for UCLA is $8,553 for california bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make $0-$30k.
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%.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Los Angeles. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k. Cal State LA is a large school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 14 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.
Cal State LA not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #13 on our “Best Geography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend Cal State LA is $1,379 for california bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make $0-$30k.
The student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full California State University - Los Angeles Geography Report
Out of the 18 schools in the Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Fullerton landed the #3 spot on the list. California State University - Fullerton is located in Fullerton, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 37 bachelors’s geography degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make $0-$30k list, Cal State Fullerton has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best Geography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Cal State Fullerton is $4,291 for california bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make $0-$30k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The low student loan default rate of 2.7% 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 more about Geography at California State University - Fullerton
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Santa Barbara. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of California - Santa Barbara is a public institution located in Santa Barbara, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 19 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCSB, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Geography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UCSB is $10,316 for california bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make $0-$30k.
With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full University of California - Santa Barbara Geography Report
Out of the 18 schools in the Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Long Beach landed the #5 spot on the list. This large school is located in Long Beach, California, and it awarded 56 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.
CSULB also took the #3 spot in our “Best Geography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend CSULB is $6,364 for california bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make $0-$30k.
The student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, 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 89%.
With a ranking of #6, San Diego State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in San Diego, California, this large public school handed out 32 degrees to qualified bachelors’s geography students in 2019-2020.
SDSU also took the #4 spot in our “Best Geography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for SDSU is $8,870 for California Bachelor’s Degree Geography students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low student loan default rate of 2.8% 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%.
California State University - Fresno came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Fresno, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s geography degrees to 9 students in 2019-2020.
Fresno State also made our “Best Geography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #14. It costs about $3,264 for california bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Fresno State.
The low student loan default rate of 4.7% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%.
With a ranking of #8, California State University - Northridge did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. California State University - Northridge is a public institution located in Northridge, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 33 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at CSUN, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Geography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $5,945 for california bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend CSUN.
The low student loan default rate of 2.0% 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%.
Read more about Geography at California State University - Northridge
With a ranking of #9, California State University - Stanislaus did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. California State University - Stanislaus is located in Turlock, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 12 bachelors’s geography degrees to qualified students.
Stan State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best Geography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $3,410 for California Bachelor’s Degree Geography students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Stan State.
The low student loan default rate of 4.3% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
With a ranking of #10, California State University - Sacramento did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Sac State is a large public school situated in Sacramento, California. It awarded 46 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.
Sac State also made our “Best Geography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #6. The estimated yearly cost for Sac State is $6,819 for california bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make $0-$30k.
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%.
California State University - San Bernardino did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #11. CSUSB is located in San Bernardino, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 12 bachelors’s geography degrees to qualified students.
CSUSB also made our “Best Geography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #17. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - San Bernardino is $5,077 for California Bachelor’s Degree Geography students whose families make $0-$30k.
With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
With a ranking of #12, California State Polytechnic University - Pomona did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Pomona, California, and it awarded 27 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Cal Poly Pomona, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Geography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California State Polytechnic University - Pomona is $8,596 for California Bachelor’s Degree Geography students whose families make $0-$30k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. 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 more about Geography at California State Polytechnic University - Pomona
San Francisco State University ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in San Francisco, California, this large public school handed out 39 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s geography students in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at SFSU, the school also landed the #11 spot in our “Best Geography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $11,123 for California Bachelor’s Degree Geography students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend San Francisco State University.
San Jose State University came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. San Jose, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s geography degrees to 8 students in 2019-2020.
San Jose State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Geography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for San Jose State is $10,940 for california bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make $0-$30k.
With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
California State University - East Bay came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Cal State East Bay is a fairly large public school situated in Hayward, California. It awarded 4 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.
Cal State East Bay did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best Geography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $8,036 for California Bachelor’s Degree Geography students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend California State University - East Bay.
California State University - Chico came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Chico State is a fairly large public school situated in Chico, California. It awarded 21 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make $0-$30k list, Chico State has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Geography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Chico is $10,260 for california bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make $0-$30k.
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%.
Sonoma State University ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Sonoma State University is a medium-sized school located in Rohnert Park, California that handed out 23 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make $0-$30k list, SSU has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Geography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Sonoma State University is $12,263 for california bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make $0-$30k.
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%.
Humboldt State University came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Arcata, California, this medium-sized public school handed out 20 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s geography students in 2019-2020.
Humboldt State University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best Geography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend Humboldt State University is $11,263 for California Bachelor’s Degree Geography students whose families make $0-$30k.
- Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Geography (Income $0-$30k) in the Far Western US Region
- Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Geography (Income $0-$30k)
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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.
Credits
- Credit for the banner image above goes to Couleur.
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