2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in California
Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. 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 for a Bachelor’s in California” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.
Geography & Cartography is the 107th most popular major in the country with 8,936 degrees awarded in 2019-2020. 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” 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.
Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the geography and cartography program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
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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 for a Bachelor’s in California” 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. 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
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in California.
Top 19 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Geography & Cartography in California
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Long Beach. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. Located in Long Beach, California, this large public school awarded 56 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s geography students in 2019-2020.
CSULB not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $9,622 for california bachelor’s degree geography students 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 school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Los Angeles. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. UCLA is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 152 bachelors’s geography degrees to qualified students.
UCLA did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $14,279 for california bachelor’s degree geography students per year to attend University of California - Los Angeles.
With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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%.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Santa Barbara. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. Santa Barbara, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s geography degrees to 98 students in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree geography students list, UCSB has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UCSB is $15,884 for California Bachelor’s Degree Geography students.
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 1.5% 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%.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Northridge. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. This large school is located in Northridge, California, and it awarded 33 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree geography students list, CSUN has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $8,414 for California Bachelor’s Degree Geography students 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 & Cartography at California State University - Northridge
Out of the 19 schools in the Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in California that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Sacramento landed the #5 spot on the list. Sac State is a large school located in Sacramento, California that handed out 46 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree geography students list, Sac State has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Sacramento is $9,979 for California Bachelor’s Degree Geography students.
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
San Diego State University came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. This large school is located in San Diego, California, and it awarded 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 SDSU is $14,788 for california bachelor’s degree geography students.
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.
Read full report on Geography & Cartography at San Diego State University
With a ranking of #7, California State Polytechnic University - Pomona did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. 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.
In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree geography students list, Cal Poly Pomona has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $12,734 for California Bachelor’s Degree Geography students per year to attend Cal Poly Pomona.
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%.
California State University - Fresno did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking, coming in at #8. This large school is located in Fresno, California, and it awarded 9 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.
Fresno State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #15 on our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Fresno is $5,464 for California Bachelor’s Degree Geography students.
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%. 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 & Cartography at California State University - Fresno
California State University - Fullerton landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. 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 #8 on our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Fullerton is $7,991 for California Bachelor’s Degree Geography students.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%.
Read more about Geography & Cartography at Cal State Fullerton
Sonoma State University landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in California 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 did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend SSU is $17,478 for california bachelor’s degree geography students.
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%.
California State University - Chico landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. California State University - Chico is a fairly large school located in Chico, California that handed out 21 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.
Chico State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #13 on our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $15,017 for california bachelor’s degree geography students per year to attend California State University - Chico.
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%.
Read more about Geography & Cartography at California State University - Chico
San Francisco State University came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. San Francisco, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s geography degrees to 39 students in 2019-2020.
SFSU also made our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #12. It costs about $15,113 for California Bachelor’s Degree Geography students per year to attend San Francisco State University.
Full San Francisco State University Geography & Cartography Report
San Jose State University landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. Located in San Jose, California, this large public school awarded 8 degrees to qualified bachelors’s geography students in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at San Jose State, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for San Jose State is $14,928 for california bachelor’s degree geography students.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.7%, 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 86%.
Read full report on Geography & Cartography at San Jose State University
California State University - Stanislaus came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. Turlock, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s geography degrees to 12 students in 2019-2020.
Stan State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #17 on our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Stanislaus is $6,019 for California Bachelor’s Degree Geography students.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.3%, 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 87%.
Full California State University - Stanislaus Geography & Cartography Report
California State University - San Bernardino ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. California State University - San Bernardino is a fairly large school located in San Bernardino, California that handed out 12 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at CSUSB, the school also landed the #18 spot in our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - San Bernardino is $7,342 for california bachelor’s degree geography students.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
California State University - East Bay ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. Cal State East Bay is located in Hayward, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 4 bachelors’s geography degrees to qualified students.
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 California State University - East Bay is $11,116 for california bachelor’s degree geography students.
Read more about Geography & Cartography at California State University - East Bay
With a ranking of #17, California State University - Los Angeles did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. California State University - Los Angeles is a public institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 14 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Cal State LA also took the #14 spot in our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Los Angeles is $2,768 for California Bachelor’s Degree Geography students.
The low student loan default rate of 1.4% 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 full report on Geography & Cartography at California State University - Los Angeles
Humboldt State University came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. 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 not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #19 on our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for Humboldt State University is $14,692 for california bachelor’s degree geography students.
Read more about Geography & Cartography at Humboldt State University
University of Southern California came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. Located in Los Angeles, California, this large private not-for-profit school awarded 13 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s geography students in 2019-2020.
USC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for USC is $29,528 for california bachelor’s degree geography students.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
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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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