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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Geography (Income $48-$75k) in California

18 Ranked Colleges
497 Degrees Awarded
Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor's in California For Those Making $48-$75k

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking.

Geography is the 144th most popular major in the country with 5,476 degrees awarded in 2019-2020.

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.

This year’s “Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking analyzed 18 colleges that offered a degree in geography. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality geography programs that also have a lower cost than 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. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.

Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k

The colleges and universities below are the best for california bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make $48-$75k.

Top 18 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Geography (Income $48-$75k) in California

#1

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California
#1 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Los Angeles. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. UCLA is a large school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 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. It costs about $13,081 for California Bachelor’s Degree Geography students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UCLA.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Geography at UCLA

#2

University of California - Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara, California
#2 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Santa Barbara. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. Santa Barbara, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s geography degrees to 19 students in 2019-2020.

UCSB also made our “Best Geography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #2. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Santa Barbara is $15,343 for California Bachelor’s Degree Geography students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Geography at University of California - Santa Barbara

#13 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Los Angeles. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k. Cal State LA is a large school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 14 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make $48-$75k list, Cal State LA has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best Geography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $5,644 for california bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend California State University - Los Angeles.

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%.

Read more about Geography at Cal State LA

#7 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Fullerton. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. Fullerton, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s geography degrees to 37 students in 2019-2020.

Cal State Fullerton did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best Geography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for Cal State Fullerton is $9,427 for california bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%.

Read full report on Geography at California State University - Fullerton

#3 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Long Beach. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k. CSULB is a large school located in Long Beach, California that handed out 56 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at CSULB, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Geography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $10,807 for california bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend California State University - Long Beach.

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 student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full CSULB Geography Report

#14 in overall quality

California State University - Fresno came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. California State University - Fresno is located in Fresno, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 9 bachelors’s geography degrees to qualified students.

Fresno State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best Geography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $7,549 for California Bachelor’s Degree Geography students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend California State University - Fresno.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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%.

Read more about Geography at California State University - Fresno

#16 in overall quality

California State University - Stanislaus came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Stan State 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.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Stan State, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best Geography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $7,772 for California Bachelor’s Degree Geography students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Stan State.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default 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 in overall quality

California State University - Northridge came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. CSUN is a large school located in Northridge, California that handed out 33 bachelors’s geography 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. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Northridge is $10,783 for California Bachelor’s Degree Geography students whose families make $48-$75k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full CSUN Geography Report

#6 in overall quality

With a ranking of #9, California State University - Sacramento did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. This large school is located in Sacramento, California, and it awarded 46 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make $48-$75k list, Sac State has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Geography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Sacramento is $11,413 for california bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make $48-$75k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Geography at California State University - Sacramento

#10

California State University - San Bernardino

San Bernardino, California
#17 in overall quality

With a ranking of #10, California State University - San Bernardino did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. California State University - San Bernardino is a fairly large public school situated in San Bernardino, California. It awarded 12 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.

CSUSB did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best Geography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $8,924 for california bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make $48-$75k 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%.

Read more about Geography at CSUSB

#11

San Diego State University

San Diego, California
#4 in overall quality

San Diego State University ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in San Diego, California, this large public school handed out 32 degrees to qualified bachelors’s geography students in 2019-2020.

SDSU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Geography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend San Diego State University is $14,730 for California Bachelor’s Degree Geography students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.8%, 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.

Read more about Geography at SDSU

#5 in overall quality

California State Polytechnic University - Pomona came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Pomona, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s geography degrees to 27 students in 2019-2020.

Cal Poly Pomona also made our “Best Geography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #5. The yearly cost to attend California State Polytechnic University - Pomona is $14,012 for california bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Cal Poly Pomona Geography Report

#13

San Francisco State University

San Francisco, California
#11 in overall quality

San Francisco State University landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. San Francisco State University is located in San Francisco, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 39 bachelors’s geography degrees to qualified students.

SFSU also made our “Best Geography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #11. The yearly cost to attend SFSU is $16,661 for California Bachelor’s Degree Geography students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full SFSU Geography Report

#14

San Jose State University

San Jose, California
#9 in overall quality

San Jose State University landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. San Jose State University is located in San Jose, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 8 bachelors’s geography degrees to qualified students.

San Jose State also made our “Best Geography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #9. The estimated yearly cost for San Jose State is $16,397 for california bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Geography at San Jose State

#12 in overall quality

California State University - Chico ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. California State University - Chico 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 $48-$75k list, Chico State has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Geography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $16,116 for california bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend California State University - Chico.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full California State University - Chico Geography Report

#15 in overall quality

With a ranking of #16, California State University - East Bay did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. California State University - 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 not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #15 on our “Best Geography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend California State University - East Bay is $13,048 for California Bachelor’s Degree Geography students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on Geography at California State University - East Bay

#17

Sonoma State University

Rohnert Park, California
#10 in overall quality

Sonoma State University landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. SSU is a public institution located in Rohnert Park, California. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 23 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

SSU also made our “Best Geography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #10. It costs about $17,644 for california bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend SSU.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Geography at Sonoma State University

#18

Humboldt State University

Arcata, California
#18 in overall quality

With a ranking of #18, Humboldt State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Arcata, California, this medium-sized public school awarded 20 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s geography students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make $48-$75k list, Humboldt State University has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best Geography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Humboldt State University is $15,723 for california bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Geography at Humboldt State University

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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