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Best Schools for Marine Sciences in California
If you are not interested in a particular degree level and want to know which schools are the overall best at delivering an education for the marine sciences degrees they offer, see the list below.
Top Schools in Marine Sciences
University Of California Davis tops our 2026 ranking of the best marine sciences schools. This very large public university is located in the suburb of Davis. About 86% of students finish within six years. About 19 marine sciences degrees were awarded at University Of California Davis in the most recent year. Marine Sciences graduates of University Of California Davis earn a median of $53,749 early in their careers. Students borrow a median of $14,404 to complete this degree.
More information about a degree in marine sciences from University Of California Davis
Students looking for a strong marine sciences program will find one at San Francisco State University, which ranked #2. San Francisco State University is a very large public school located in the city of San Francisco. San Francisco State University graduates 50% of students within six years. San Francisco State University awarded about 14 marine sciences degrees in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, marine sciences degree recipients from San Francisco State University generally make around $50,955. Typical student debt for the program is $17,024.
Get the full marine sciences details for San Francisco State University
Students looking for a strong marine sciences program will find one at California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo, which ranked #3. Set in the suburb of San Luis Obispo, California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo is a very large public institution. About 86% of students finish within six years. California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo awarded about 24 marine sciences degrees in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, marine sciences degree recipients from California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo generally make around $27,337. Typical student debt for the program is $19,273.
Read more about the marine sciences program at California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo
A rank of #4 makes California State University Monterey Bay one of the top schools for marine sciences. This moderately-sized public university is located in the suburb of Seaside. California State University Monterey Bay graduates 59% of students within six years. There were roughly 108 marine sciences students who graduated with this degree at California State University Monterey Bay in the most recent data year. Students who receive their marine sciences degree from California State University Monterey Bay earn around $27,268 in the first couple years of their career. Typical student debt for the program is $17,800.
See the full marine sciences program report for California State University Monterey Bay
Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs graduation rate, post-graduation earnings, cost, and program quality, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Top Ranked · 7 schools evaluated.
- 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).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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