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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Geography & Cartography (Income $30-$48k) in California

19 Ranked Colleges
656 Degrees Awarded
$9,100 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor's in California For Those Making $30-$48k

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking - to help you make that decision.

In 2019-2020, 8,936 people earned their degree in geography and cartography, making the major the 107th most popular in the United States. In 2017-2018, geography and cartography graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $36,126 and had an average of $23,577 in loans still to pay off.

Across California, there were 1,304 geography and cartography graduates with average earnings and debt of $34,818 and $24,713 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 656 geography and cartography 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 $30-$48k” ranking looked at 19 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in geography and cartography. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent geography and cartography programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the geography and cartography program at the school. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

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 $30-$48k” 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. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k.

Top 19 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Geography & Cartography (Income $30-$48k) in California

#1

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California

Out of the 19 schools in the Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s 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. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s geography degrees to 152 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make $30-$48k list, UCLA has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Los Angeles is $9,254 for california bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 1.0% 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 & Cartography at University of California - Los Angeles

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Los Angeles. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Cal State LA is a large public school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 14 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.

Cal State LA did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $2,117 for california bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Cal State LA.

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 & Cartography at Cal State LA

#3

University of California - Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara, California

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Santa Barbara. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k. This large school is located in Santa Barbara, California, and it awarded 98 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.

UCSB also took the #3 spot in our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UCSB is $11,895 for California Bachelor’s Degree Geography students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. 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%.

Read full report on Geography & Cartography at University of California - Santa Barbara

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Fullerton. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k. This large school is located in Fullerton, California, and it awarded 37 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.

Cal State Fullerton did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $6,100 for California Bachelor’s Degree Geography students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Cal State Fullerton.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.7%, 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 full report on Geography & Cartography at Cal State Fullerton

Out of the 19 schools in the Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k 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 #4 spot in our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $7,595 for California Bachelor’s Degree Geography students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend CSULB.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full California State University - Long Beach Geography & Cartography Report

#15 in overall quality

California State University - Fresno landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Fresno State is a large public school situated in Fresno, California. It awarded 9 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.

Fresno State also made our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #15. It costs about $3,731 for california bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Fresno State.

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%.

Full Fresno State Geography & Cartography Report

California State University - Northridge came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Northridge, California, this large public school handed out 33 degrees to qualified bachelors’s geography students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make $30-$48k list, CSUN has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for CSUN is $6,883 for california bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full CSUN Geography & Cartography Report

#17 in overall quality

California State University - Stanislaus landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Turlock, California, and it awarded 12 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.

Stan State also took the #17 spot in our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Stan State is $3,958 for california bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%.

Read full report on Geography & Cartography at Stan State

#9

San Diego State University

San Diego, California

San Diego State University landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. SDSU is a large school located in San Diego, California that handed out 32 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.

SDSU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend San Diego State University is $10,594 for California Bachelor’s Degree Geography students whose families make $30-$48k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.8%, 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.

Full San Diego State University Geography & Cartography Report

California State University - Sacramento did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #10. Sacramento, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s geography degrees to 46 students in 2019-2020.

Sac State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Sacramento is $7,823 for California Bachelor’s Degree Geography students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%.

Full California State University - Sacramento Geography & Cartography Report

#11

California State University - San Bernardino

San Bernardino, California
#18 in overall quality

California State University - San Bernardino came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in San Bernardino, California, this fairly large public school handed out 12 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s geography students in 2019-2020.

CSUSB also took the #18 spot in our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California State University - San Bernardino is $5,869 for California Bachelor’s Degree Geography students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 about Geography & Cartography at California State University - San Bernardino

#12

University of Southern California

Los Angeles, California
#2 in overall quality

University of Southern California landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. USC is a private not-for-profit institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 13 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

USC also made our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #2. It costs about $16,252 for California Bachelor’s Degree Geography students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Southern California.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The low student loan default rate of 1.2% 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%. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 9 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 Geography & Cartography at University of Southern California

#13

San Francisco State University

San Francisco, California

San Francisco State University ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. San Francisco State University is a large public school situated in San Francisco, California. It awarded 39 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make $30-$48k list, SFSU has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend SFSU is $12,517 for california bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Geography & Cartography at SFSU

California State Polytechnic University - Pomona ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Cal Poly Pomona is a large school located in Pomona, California that handed out 27 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.

Cal Poly Pomona did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $9,630 for California Bachelor’s Degree Geography students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Cal Poly Pomona.

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 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 full report on Geography & Cartography at California State Polytechnic University - Pomona

#16 in overall quality

California State University - East Bay landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Hayward, California, and it awarded 4 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.

Cal State East Bay also took the #16 spot in our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Cal State East Bay is $8,891 for California Bachelor’s Degree Geography students whose families make $30-$48k.

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

#16

San Jose State University

San Jose, California
#10 in overall quality

San Jose State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #16. San Jose State is a large public school situated in San Jose, California. It awarded 8 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.

San Jose State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for San Jose State is $11,752 for california bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.

Full San Jose State Geography & Cartography Report

#13 in overall quality

With a ranking of #17, California State University - Chico did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Chico State is a public institution located in Chico, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 21 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Chico State also took the #13 spot in our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Chico is $11,576 for California Bachelor’s Degree Geography students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%.

Read full report on Geography & Cartography at Chico State

#18

Sonoma State University

Rohnert Park, California

Sonoma State University ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Sonoma State University is a medium-sized public school situated in Rohnert Park, California. It awarded 23 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.

SSU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $13,248 for California Bachelor’s Degree Geography students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend SSU.

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%.

Read more about Geography & Cartography at SSU

#19

Humboldt State University

Arcata, California

Humboldt State University ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. Arcata, California is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s geography degrees to 20 students in 2019-2020.

Humboldt State University also took the #19 spot in our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $12,775 for California Bachelor’s Degree Geography students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Humboldt State University.

Full Humboldt State University Geography & Cartography Report

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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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