College Factual  by our College Data Analytics Team
       Unbiased Factual Guarantee

2023 Best Value Geography Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k

20 Ranked Colleges
786 Degrees Awarded
Best Value Geography Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Geography Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking - to help you make that decision.

In 2020-2021, 4,954 people earned their degree in geography, making the major the 159th most popular in the United States.

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 $48-$75k” ranking, we looked at 20 colleges that offer 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

Rankings by Degree Other Award Levels
Rankings by Location Check Out Other Locales
More Geography Rankings Other Ranking Categories

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 $48-$75k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. 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 in California For Those Making $48-$75k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Geography Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k.

Top 20 Best Value Colleges for Geography (Income $48-$75k) in California

1

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Los Angeles. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Geography Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k. University of California - Los Angeles is a public institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 81 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCLA, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Geography Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UCLA is $12,644 for california geography students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 - Long Beach. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Geography Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k. California State University - Long Beach is a large school located in Long Beach, California that handed out 58 ’s geography degrees in 2020-2021.

CSULB also took the #3 spot in our “Best Geography Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend CSULB is $11,189 for california geography students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full California State University - Long Beach Geography Report

3

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Santa Barbara. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Geography Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Santa Barbara, California, this large public school handed out 32 diplomas to qualified ’s geography students in 2020-2021.

UCSB not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Geography Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Santa Barbara is $14,583 for california geography students whose families make $48-$75k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Geography at University of California - Santa Barbara

4

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Los Angeles. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Geography Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k. Cal State LA is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 12 ’s geography degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our california geography students whose families make $48-$75k list, Cal State LA has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Geography Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Cal State LA is $5,700 for california geography students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Geography at California State University - Los Angeles

5

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Northridge. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Geography Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Northridge, California, this large public school handed out 44 diplomas to qualified ’s geography students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our california geography students whose families make $48-$75k list, CSUN has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Geography Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Northridge is $10,780 for California Geography students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.7% 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%.

Full CSUN Geography Report

6

California State University - Fullerton landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Best Value Geography Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. 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.

Cal State Fullerton did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Geography Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Fullerton is $9,017 for California Geography students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.5% 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 - Fullerton Geography Report

7

California State University - Sacramento ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Geography Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. 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. The estimated yearly cost for Sac State is $12,602 for california geography students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%.

Read full report on Geography at California State University - Sacramento

8

With a ranking of #8, California State University - Stanislaus did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Geography Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. Turlock, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s geography degrees to 9 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 $7,976 for california 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 undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Geography at Stan State

9

California State University - Fresno came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geography Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This large school is located in Fresno, California, and it awarded 6 ’s geography degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our california geography students whose families make $48-$75k list, Fresno State has also earned the #17 rank in our “Best Geography Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $8,030 for California 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 undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Geography at Fresno State

10
SDSU crest
San Diego State University
San Diego, California

San Diego State University ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Geography Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. SDSU is a large school located in San Diego, California that handed out 44 ’s geography degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at SDSU, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Geography Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend SDSU is $14,698 for California Geography students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%.

Read full report on Geography at San Diego State University

11

California State University - San Bernardino landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Best Value Geography Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in San Bernardino, California, this fairly large public school handed out 5 degrees to qualified ’s geography students in 2020-2021.

CSUSB also made our “Best Geography Schools in California” list, coming in at #18. The yearly cost to attend California State University - San Bernardino is $9,854 for california geography students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Geography at California State University - San Bernardino

12

California State University - Dominguez Hills ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Geography Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Carson, California, this fairly large public school awarded 15 diplomas to qualified ’s geography students in 2020-2021.

CSUDH also made our “Best Geography Schools in California” list, coming in at #19. The yearly cost to attend CSUDH is $6,333 for California Geography students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 CSUDH Geography Report

13

California State University - East Bay ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Geography Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. 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.

In addition to being on our california geography students whose families make $48-$75k list, Cal State East Bay has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Geography Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Cal State East Bay is $15,615 for California Geography students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Geography at Cal State East Bay

14

California State Polytechnic University - Pomona did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Geography Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #14. Cal Poly Pomona is located in Pomona, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 24 ’s geography degrees to qualified students.

Cal Poly Pomona not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Geography Schools in California” list. It costs about $15,958 for California Geography students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend California State Polytechnic University - Pomona.

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

Read full report on Geography at California State Polytechnic University - Pomona

15
SFSU crest
San Francisco State University
San Francisco, California

San Francisco State University landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Best Value Geography Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. SFSU is a large public school situated in San Francisco, California. It awarded 41 ’s geography degrees in 2020-2021.

SFSU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Geography Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend San Francisco State University is $16,065 for California Geography students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Geography at San Francisco State University

16
SSU crest
Sonoma State University
Rohnert Park, California

Sonoma State University ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Geography Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. SSU 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 estimated yearly cost for Sonoma State University is $17,985 for california geography students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low undergrad 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 full report on Geography at Sonoma State University

17

California State University - Chico ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Geography Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. California State University - Chico is a public institution located in Chico, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 13 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Chico State, the school also landed the #11 spot in our “Best Geography Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Chico State is $16,738 for california geography students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 full report on Geography at Chico State

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 $48-$75k list. San Jose State is a public institution located in San Jose, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 5 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our california geography students whose families make $48-$75k list, San Jose State has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best Geography Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $17,338 for California Geography students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend San Jose State.

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 undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full San Jose State University Geography Report

19
Humboldt State University crest
Humboldt State University
Arcata, California

Humboldt State University landed the #19 spot on the 2023 Best Value Geography Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in Arcata, California, this medium-sized public school handed out 23 degrees to qualified ’s geography students in 2020-2021.

Humboldt State University also made our “Best Geography Schools in California” list, coming in at #15. The yearly cost to attend Humboldt State University is $16,716 for California Geography students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Geography at Humboldt State University

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

With a ranking of #20, East Los Angeles College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Geography Schools in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. East Los Angeles College is located in Monterey Park, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 6 ’s geography degrees to qualified students.

East Los Angeles College did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #20 on our “Best Geography Schools in California” list. It costs about $13,088 for California Geography students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend East Los Angeles College.

Read more about Geography at East Los Angeles College

Notes and References

References

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

Credits

Popular Reports

College Rankings
Best by Location
Degree Guides by Major
Graduate Programs

Compare Your School Options