2026 Best Value Other Atmospheric Sciences & Meteorology Schools in California

[Other Atmospheric Sciences & Meteorology](/majors/physical-sciences/atmospheric-sciences-meteorology/atmospheric-sciences-and-meteorology-other/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong other atmospheric sciences & meteorology education at a price that pays off.
College Factual analyzed 2 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best value other atmospheric sciences & meteorology schools.
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2026 Best Value Other Atmospheric Sciences & Meteorology Schools in California
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in other atmospheric sciences & meteorology, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Other Atmospheric Sciences & Meteorology Schools
University Of California San Diego tops our 2026 list of the best value other atmospheric sciences & meteorology schools in California. Set in the city of La Jolla, University Of California San Diego is a very large public institution. Students from in state pay about $15,788 in tuition and fees, compared with $47,676 for out-of-state students. Other Atmospheric Sciences & Meteorology graduates carry a median of $17,101 in student loans. Soon after graduation, other atmospheric sciences & meteorology degree recipients from University Of California San Diego generally make around $60,797. Set against $17,101 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. University Of California San Diego admits about 27% of applicants.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at University Of California Los Angeles earned it the #2 place for other atmospheric sciences & meteorology. Located in the city of Los Angeles, University Of California Los Angeles is a very large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $14,233, compared with $46,121 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for other atmospheric sciences & meteorology graduates is $16,097. Early-career other atmospheric sciences & meteorology graduates make about $63,833. That is a strong return on a $16,097 median debt. Roughly 9% of applicants are accepted.
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 2 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 1 ranked schools only.
- 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.