At a glance · California

  • 38 colleges in California offer a bachelor's geology program; every one of them awarded the degree in 2022-23 (federal IPEDS completions).
  • Largest programs by graduates in 2022-23: University of California-Santa Cruz (55), University of California-Santa Barbara (53), California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo (37).
  • Hardest reported gate into the program (only the UC and the CSU publish one): University of California-Berkeley — Geology, Fall 2025: 99 applied, 36 admitted (36%).
  • Highest reported admit rate into the program: San Francisco State University — 100.0% (23 applied, 23 admitted, Fall 2025).
  • Highest median earnings four years after the degree: University of California-Los Angeles, $79,143.
  • Lowest average net price with aid: California State University-Los Angeles, $3,967 per year.

The same degree carries different names across the state. It is Geology at most campuses, Earth Sciences at others and Geosciences at a few more, and all of those are on this page. Geological and petroleum engineering are engineering degrees and are not counted here. Admits are not enrollees. At most UC programs students are admitted to the campus, not the major. This page as JSON → · All 414 colleges nationwide →

Hardest reported gate

36%
University of California-Berkeley
Geology, Fall 2025: 99 applied, 36 admitted

Highest reported admit rate

100.0%
San Francisco State University
Earth Sciences, Fall 2025: 23 applied, 23 admitted

Highest earnings, 4 yrs out

$79,143
University of California-Los Angeles
median, graduates of this program

Lowest net price with aid

$3,967
California State University-Los Angeles
average for aid recipients, per year

Every college, one row each

Colleges with a reported gate into the program come first, hardest first; the rest are sorted by earnings, then by graduates. Degree awarded is the program the college conferred bachelor's degrees in during 2022-23, with the number of graduates (federal IPEDS completions). Program admit rate is the college system's own number for this major (UC Information Center, CSU Chancellor's Office). Net price is the average paid by aid recipients; full price is the cost of attendance. Earnings are federal College Scorecard medians four years after the degree.

College Gate into the program Degree awarded
· graduates 2022-23
Program
admit rate
Campus
admit rate
Net price
with aid
Full
price
Earnings
4 yrs out
University of California-Berkeley
CA · Public · Test-blind
Geology
Fall 2025: 99 applied, 36 admitted · admit GPA 4.11–4.24
Geology/Earth Science, General +2
27 graduates
36% 10% $13,481 $45,619 —
University of California-Santa Barbara
CA · Public · Test-blind
Earth Science
Fall 2025: 777 applied, 336 admitted · admit GPA 4.12–4.28
Geology/Earth Science, General +1
53 graduates
43% 44% $16,109 $41,573 $66,788
University of California-San Diego
CA · Public · Test-blind
Geosciences
Fall 2025: 114 applied, 56 admitted · admit GPA 4.13–4.27
Geology/Earth Science, General
15 graduates
49% 27% $12,470 $38,701 —
San Diego State University
CA · Public · Test-blind
Geology
Fall 2025: 143 applied, 90 admitted
impacted
Geology/Earth Science, General
8 graduates
62.9% 34% $15,364 $27,780 $73,647
California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo
CA · Public · Test-blind
Earth Sciences
Fall 2025: 426 applied, 271 admitted
impacted
Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences, Other
37 graduates
63.6% 30% $16,665 $32,265 $69,227
University of California-Santa Cruz
CA · Public · Test-blind
Earth Science
Fall 2025: 296 applied, 203 admitted · admit GPA 3.84–4.19
Geology/Earth Science, General
55 graduates
69% 82% $17,890 $41,179 $64,499
California State University-Long Beach
CA · Public · Test-blind
Geology
Fall 2025: 50 applied, 35 admitted
impacted
Earth Sciences: 94.4%
Geology/Earth Science, General +1
12 graduates
70.0% 47% $10,440 $22,679 —
University of California-Davis
CA · Public · Test-blind
Geology
Fall 2025: 115 applied, 87 admitted · admit GPA 3.91–4.20
Geology/Earth Science, General +1
18 graduates
76% 46% $14,741 $41,238 $73,337
California State University-East Bay
CA · Public · Test-blind
Geology
Fall 2025: 18 applied, 15 admitted
Geology/Earth Science, General
6 graduates
83.3% 97% $9,320 $22,850 —
University of California-Riverside
CA · Public · Test-blind
Geology
Fall 2025: 61 applied, 53 admitted · admit GPA 3.52–4.13
Geology/Earth Science, General +1
11 graduates
87% 88% $14,304 $38,942 $59,677
California State University-Los Angeles
CA · Public · Test-blind
Geology
Fall 2025: 36 applied, 32 admitted
Geology/Earth Science, General
7 graduates
88.9% 92% $3,967 $18,403 —
California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt
CA · Public · Test-blind
Geology
Fall 2025: 32 applied, 29 admitted
Geology/Earth Science, General +1
27 graduates
90.6% 99% $13,171 $25,170 $53,371
California State University-Fullerton
CA · Public · Test-blind
Earth Sciences
Fall 2025: 66 applied, 60 admitted
impacted
Geology: 92.3%
Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences, Other +1
26 graduates
90.9% 87% $6,555 $18,269 $58,891
California State University-Fresno
CA · Public · Test-blind
Geology
Fall 2025: 12 applied, 11 admitted
Geology/Earth Science, General
2 graduates
91.7% 96% $7,000 $20,095 —
California State University-San Bernardino
CA · Public · Test-blind
Geology
Fall 2025: 29 applied, 27 admitted
Geology/Earth Science, General
15 graduates
93.1% 98% $4,564 $17,427 —
California State University-Northridge
CA · Public · Test-blind
Geology
Fall 2025: 30 applied, 28 admitted
Geology/Earth Science, General
21 graduates
93.3% 93% $7,021 $20,485 —
California State University-Bakersfield
CA · Public · Test-blind
Geology
Fall 2025: 19 applied, 18 admitted
Geology/Earth Science, General
14 graduates
94.7% 88% $5,652 $19,522 $69,989
California State University-Chico
CA · Public · Test-blind
Geology
Fall 2025: 22 applied, 21 admitted
Geology/Earth Science, General
7 graduates
95.5% 94% $14,480 $26,283 —
California State Polytechnic University-Pomona
CA · Public · Test-blind
Geology
Fall 2025: 47 applied, 45 admitted
Geology/Earth Science, General
19 graduates
95.7% 74% $11,531 $23,955 $73,305
San Jose State University
CA · Public · Test-blind
Geology
Fall 2025: 25 applied, 24 admitted
impacted
Geology/Earth Science, General
4 graduates
96.0% 80% $13,760 $26,593 —
California State University-Sacramento
CA · Public · Test-blind
Geology
Fall 2025: 35 applied, 34 admitted
Geology/Earth Science, General
14 graduates
97.1% 94% $9,338 $22,945 $73,418
California State University-Dominguez Hills
CA · Public · Test-blind
Earth Sciences
Fall 2025: 36 applied, 35 admitted
Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences, Other
6 graduates
97.2% 91% $8,615 $23,191 —
San Francisco State University
CA · Public · Test-blind
Earth Sciences
Fall 2025: 23 applied, 23 admitted
Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences, Other
4 graduates
100.0% 96% $12,278 $26,488 —
California State University-Stanislaus
CA · Public · Test-blind
Geology
Fall 2025: 13 applied, 13 admitted
Geology/Earth Science, General
2 graduates
100.0% 98% $6,067 $19,739 —
University of California-Los Angeles
CA · Public · Test-blind
Not reported by the college system
Geology/Earth Science, General +1
12 graduates
— 11% $12,548 $38,614 $79,143
University of California-Irvine
CA · Public · Test-blind
Not reported by the college system
Geology/Earth Science, General
24 graduates
— 30% $14,251 $38,632 $70,820
Stanford University
CA · Private nonprofit · Required
Not reported by the college system
Geology/Earth Science, General +2
32 graduates
— 4% $13,807 $87,833 —
Sonoma State University
CA · Public · Test-blind
Not reported by the college system
Geology/Earth Science, General +1
17 graduates
— 95% $12,885 $24,648 —
University of California-Merced
CA · Public · Test-blind
Not reported by the college system
Geology/Earth Science, General
16 graduates
— 95% $11,983 $39,665 —
Pomona College
CA · Private nonprofit · Test-optional
Not reported by the college system
Geology/Earth Science, General
7 graduates
— 7% $19,285 $85,300 —
Occidental College
CA · Private nonprofit · Test-optional
Not reported by the college system
Geology/Earth Science, General
5 graduates
— 40% $38,263 $84,800 —
Pitzer College
CA · Private nonprofit · Test-optional
Not reported by the college system
Geology/Earth Science, General +1
5 graduates
— 17% $34,191 $86,466 —
Scripps College
CA · Private nonprofit · Test-optional
Not reported by the college system
Geology/Earth Science, General
3 graduates
— 34% $36,294 $87,564 —
The Master's University and Seminary
CA · Private nonprofit · Test-optional
Not reported by the college system
Geology/Earth Science, General
3 graduates
— 76% $32,647 $54,845 —
University of the Pacific
CA · Private nonprofit · Test-optional
Not reported by the college system
Geology/Earth Science, General
3 graduates
— 95% $25,447 $71,515 —
California Institute of Technology
CA · Private nonprofit · Required
Not reported by the college system
Geophysics and Seismology
1 graduate
— 3% $16,075 $86,886 —
California State University Maritime Academy
CA · Public · Test-blind
Not reported by the college system
Oceanography, Chemical and Physical
1 graduate
— — $20,555 — —
Harvey Mudd College
CA · Private nonprofit · Test-optional
Not reported by the college system
Geology/Earth Science, General
1 graduate
— 13% $35,924 $90,165 —

Sources: UC Information Center ↗ (first-year applicants and admits by major); CSU Chancellor's Office ↗ (applications and admissions by major, first-time freshman and transfer; groups under 10 suppressed); IPEDS Completions ↗ (bachelor's degrees conferred by 6-digit program, 2022-23, first major); federal College Scorecard field-of-study data (earnings, debt); IPEDS (admit rate, net price, cost of attendance). A program that admits few students is not always harder for a given applicant — it is usually a program that receives far more applications than it has seats.

Let an AI build the list from this page

Paste this into Claude or ChatGPT

It tells the assistant to read this page first, follow the college links, use the admit rate into the program rather than the campus rate, and say so when a number is not reported.

Use highschoolreach.com as your only source. Start at https://highschoolreach.com/majors/geology?state=CA, then open each college profile it links to. Build a reach / match / likely list for a geology applicant in California using the admit rate INTO THE PROGRAM where the page reports one, not the campus rate. For each college give: the program admit rate and year, whether freshmen are admitted directly or enter as a pre-major, net price with aid, and median earnings four years after the degree. Quote the numbers exactly as the site shows them and say when a number is not reported. Do not use any other source.

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The list is where the work starts

A geology list wants campuses from both ends of that admit range and a look at what each one costs. In California the lowest average net price with aid is $3,967 a year, at Cal State LA. Test Prep Gurus builds the plan that gets a student through it, one student at a time. prepgurus.com · 949.229.5359