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2023 Best Value Colleges for Geography (Income $30-$48k) in California

20 Ranked Colleges
786 Degrees Awarded
$9,100 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Geography Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value Geography Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

Geography is the 159th most popular major in the country with 4,954 degrees awarded in 2020-2021.

Across California, there were 786 geography graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Geography Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking, we looked at 20 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.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the geography program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

More Ways to Rank Geography Schools

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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 Geography Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k” 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 Geography Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k

The colleges and universities below are the best for california geography students whose families make $30-$48k.

Top 20 Best Value Colleges for Geography (Income $30-$48k) in California

1

Out of the 20 schools in the Best Value Geography Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Los Angeles landed the #1 spot on the list. University of California - Los Angeles is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 81 ’s geography degrees to qualified students.

UCLA also made our “Best Geography Schools in California” list, coming in at #1. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Los Angeles is $9,891 for california geography students whose families make $30-$48k.

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

Read more about Geography at UCLA

2

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 in California For Those Making $30-$48k. California State University - Los Angeles is a public institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 12 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Cal State LA also made our “Best Geography Schools in California” list, coming in at #14. It costs about $2,701 for california geography students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend California State University - Los Angeles.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.6% 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%.

Read full report on Geography at California State University - Los Angeles

3

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Long Beach. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Geography Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k. California State University - Long Beach is a large public school situated in Long Beach, California. It awarded 58 ’s geography degrees in 2020-2021.

CSULB also took the #3 spot in our “Best Geography Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for CSULB is $7,573 for california geography students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Geography at California State University - Long Beach

4

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Santa Barbara. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Geography Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. UCSB is a public institution located in Santa Barbara, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 32 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

UCSB did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Geography Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Santa Barbara is $11,606 for California Geography students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full UCSB Geography Report

5

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Northridge. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Geography Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k. CSUN is a large public school situated in Northridge, California. It awarded 44 ’s geography degrees in 2020-2021.

CSUN did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Geography Schools in California” list. It costs about $7,103 for California Geography students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend CSUN.

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 more about Geography at CSUN

6

California State University - Fullerton ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Geography Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Fullerton, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s geography degrees to 39 students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Cal State Fullerton, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Geography Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Cal State Fullerton is $5,821 for California Geography students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Geography at Cal State Fullerton

7

California State University - Stanislaus did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Geography Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #7. Located in Turlock, California, this fairly large public school awarded 9 degrees to qualified ’s geography students in 2020-2021.

Stan State also made our “Best Geography Schools in California” list, coming in at #16. The estimated yearly cost for Stan State is $4,903 for California Geography students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 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.

Read full report on Geography at Stan State

8

California State University - Fresno did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Geography Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #8. Fresno, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s geography degrees to 6 students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Fresno State, the school also landed the #17 spot in our “Best Geography Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $4,655 for california geography students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Fresno State.

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 low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.2% 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%.

Read full report on Geography at California State University - Fresno

9

California State University - Sacramento did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Geography Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #9. Located in Sacramento, California, this large public school handed out 37 degrees to qualified ’s geography students in 2020-2021.

Sac State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Geography Schools in California” list. It costs about $9,055 for California Geography students whose families make $30-$48k 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%.

Full Sac State Geography Report

10
SDSU crest
San Diego State University
San Diego, California

With a ranking of #10, San Diego State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Geography Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. San Diego State University is a public institution located in San Diego, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 44 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

SDSU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Geography Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend San Diego State University is $9,274 for california geography students whose families make $30-$48k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, 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 Geography at San Diego State University

11

With a ranking of #11, California State University - Dominguez Hills did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Geography Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. California State University - Dominguez Hills is a fairly large school located in Carson, California that handed out 15 ’s geography degrees in 2020-2021.

CSUDH did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #19 on our “Best Geography Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend CSUDH is $3,329 for california geography students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.1% 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 California State University - Dominguez Hills Geography Report

12

California State University - San Bernardino came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geography Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. California State University - San Bernardino is a fairly large school located in San Bernardino, California that handed out 5 ’s geography degrees in 2020-2021.

CSUSB did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best Geography Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for CSUSB is $6,613 for california geography students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full CSUSB Geography Report

13

California State University - East Bay came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geography Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. California State University - East Bay is located in Hayward, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 9 ’s geography degrees to qualified students.

Cal State East Bay did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best Geography Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend Cal State East Bay is $11,025 for california geography students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.4% 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%.

Read more about Geography at California State University - East Bay

14

California State Polytechnic University - Pomona did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Geography Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #14. Pomona, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s geography degrees to 24 students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Cal Poly Pomona, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best Geography Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California State Polytechnic University - Pomona is $12,992 for california geography students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 2.6% 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 Cal Poly Pomona Geography Report

15
SFSU crest
San Francisco State University
San Francisco, California

San Francisco State University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geography Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. San Francisco, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s geography degrees to 41 students in 2020-2021.

SFSU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Geography Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for SFSU is $11,862 for California Geography students whose families make $30-$48k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Geography at San Francisco State University

16

California State University - Chico did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Geography Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #16. California State University - Chico is a fairly large school located in Chico, California that handed out 13 ’s geography degrees in 2020-2021.

Chico State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best Geography Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend Chico State is $13,040 for California Geography students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.0% 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 - Chico

17
SSU crest
Sonoma State University
Rohnert Park, California

Sonoma State University ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Geography Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Sonoma State University is a medium-sized public school situated in Rohnert Park, California. It awarded 45 ’s geography degrees in 2020-2021.

SSU also made our “Best Geography Schools in California” list, coming in at #7. The yearly cost to attend Sonoma State University is $13,983 for california geography students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Geography at Sonoma State University

18
San Jose State crest
San Jose State University
San Jose, California

San Jose State University ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Geography Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. This large school is located in San Jose, California, and it awarded 5 ’s geography degrees in 2020-2021.

San Jose State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #13 on our “Best Geography Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend San Jose State is $13,378 for California Geography students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, 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 86%.

Read more about Geography at San Jose State University

19
Humboldt State University crest
Humboldt State University
Arcata, California

Humboldt State University ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Geography Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. This medium-sized school is located in Arcata, California, and it awarded 23 ’s geography degrees in 2020-2021.

Humboldt State University also made our “Best Geography Schools in California” list, coming in at #15. It costs about $12,298 for California Geography students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Humboldt State University.

Read full report on Geography at Humboldt State University

20
East Los Angeles College crest
East Los Angeles College
Monterey Park, California

East Los Angeles College ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Geography Schools in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. This large school is located in Monterey Park, California, and it awarded 6 ’s geography degrees in 2020-2021.

East Los Angeles College also took the #20 spot in our “Best Geography Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend East Los Angeles College is $10,950 for california geography students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Geography at East Los Angeles College

Notes and References

References

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