Best Geography Programs in California (2026)
Updated
This page ranks the 12 Geography programs in California by the median earnings of Geography graduates four years after completing. California State University-Sacramento leads the list at $75,234, followed by California State University-Chico at $69,500 and California State University-Northridge at $69,323.
The median across the listed schools is $60,797, with figures ranging from $75,234 to $23,693.
All 12 institutions are 12 public universities. California State University-Los Angeles ranks 3rd on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions, the strongest showing on the page.
California State University-Los Angeles posts the lowest average net price at $3,967, while California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt reports the highest admission rate at 98%.
The ranked list
| Rank | School | Program Earnings | Average net price | Net price, families under $30K | Admission rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California State University-Sacramento · Sacramento, CA | $75,234 | $9,338 | $6,501 | 94.0% |
| California State University-Sacramento ranks 1st on this list, reporting $75,234 in median earnings for its Geography graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 2 | California State University-Chico · Chico, CA | $69,500 | $14,480 | $9,902 | 92.7% |
| With an admission rate of 93%, California State University-Chico posts median earnings of $69,500 for its Geography graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 3 | California State University-Northridge · Northridge, CA | $69,323 | $7,021 | $4,905 | 93.5% |
| California State University-Northridge reports an average net price of $7,021 and median earnings of $69,323 for its Geography graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 4 | University of California-Santa Barbara · Santa Barbara, CA | $67,521 | $16,109 | $9,231 | 33.0% |
| University of California-Santa Barbara admits 33% of applicants and its Geography graduates earned a median of $67,521 four years after completing. | |||||
| 5 | University of California-Los Angeles · Los Angeles, CA | $67,193 | $12,548 | $5,579 | 9.0% |
| Ranking 22nd on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions, University of California-Los Angeles reports median earnings of $67,193 for its Geography graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 6 | San Francisco State University · San Francisco, CA | $63,590 | $12,278 | $9,341 | 96.4% |
| San Francisco State University reports median federal debt of $16,359 among Geography completers who borrowed, alongside median earnings of $63,590 four years after completing. | |||||
| 7 | San Diego State University · San Diego, CA | $58,004 | $15,364 | $9,910 | 36.2% |
| Graduates of San Diego State University's Geography program earned a median of $58,004 four years after completing, and the school posts an average net price of $15,364. | |||||
| 8 | California State Polytechnic University-Pomona · Pomona, CA | $57,424 | $11,531 | $7,851 | 75.2% |
| California State Polytechnic University-Pomona reports median federal debt of $13,000 among Geography completers who borrowed, and its graduates earned a median of $57,424 four years after completing. | |||||
| 9 | California State University-Fullerton · Fullerton, CA | $48,979 | $6,555 | $3,315 | 90.5% |
| An average net price of $6,555 coincides with median earnings of $48,979 for California State University-Fullerton's Geography graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 10 | California State University-Long Beach · Long Beach, CA | $48,715 | $10,440 | $7,183 | 46.3% |
| California State University-Long Beach admits 46% of applicants and reports median federal debt of $18,000 among Geography completers who borrowed. | |||||
| 11 | California State University-Los Angeles · Los Angeles, CA | $33,993 | $3,967 | $2,877 | 91.3% |
| Posting an average net price of $3,967, the lowest on the page, California State University-Los Angeles reports median earnings of $33,993 for its Geography graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 12 | California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt · Arcata, CA | $23,693 | $13,171 | $8,483 | 98.2% |
| With an admission rate of 98%, California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt ranks 12th on this list and reports median earnings of $23,693 for its Geography graduates four years after completing. | |||||
How this list is ordered
Programs are ordered by the median earnings of their Geography graduates four years after completing, highest first. Only programs with a reported earnings cohort in California appear. The figure captures federally aided completers who were working and not enrolled, measured four years after they finished. For 2 of the 12 listed programs the figure is the two-year completion median rather than the four-year one. The metric does not adjust for graduate school enrollment, cost, or who enrolls, and it is not a measure of teaching quality. The gap between California State University-Sacramento and California State University-Chico is $5,734, and the spread from the top of the list to the bottom reaches $51,541.
Related rankings
- Best Geography Programs in the United States
- Best Colleges in California
- Best Geography Programs in Wisconsin
- Geography Programs in Colorado
- Geography Programs in Illinois
- Geography Programs in Michigan