2027 Best Value Chemical & Physical Oceanography Schools in California
[Chemical & Physical Oceanography](/majors/physical-sciences/geological-and-earth-sciences/oceanography-chemical-and-physical/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
College Factual analyzed 4 schools to build this 2027 ranking of the best value chemical & physical oceanography schools.
What’s on this page:
2027 Best Value Chemical & Physical Oceanography Schools in California
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in chemical & physical oceanography, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Chemical & Physical Oceanography Schools
For return on investment in chemical & physical oceanography, no school beat University Of California San Diego this year. University Of California San Diego is a very large public school located in the city of La Jolla. Students from in state pay about $15,788 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $47,676. Students borrow a median of $17,101 to complete the chemical & physical oceanography program here. Chemical & Physical Oceanography graduates of University Of California San Diego earn a median of $79,645 early in their careers. Set against $17,101 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 27%.
A rank of #2 makes Humboldt State University one of the best values for chemical & physical oceanography. Humboldt State University is a moderately-sized public school located in the town of Arcata. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $8,397, while out-of-state students pay about $20,997. Students borrow a median of $20,526 to complete the chemical & physical oceanography program here. Soon after graduation, chemical & physical oceanography degree recipients from Humboldt State University generally make around $29,476. That is a strong return on a $20,526 median debt. Roughly 98% of applicants are accepted.
A rank of #3 makes University Of California Berkeley one of the best values for chemical & physical oceanography. Set in the city of Berkeley, University Of California Berkeley is a very large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $15,377, with out-of-state students paying around $47,265. Students borrow a median of $14,238 to complete the chemical & physical oceanography program here. Chemical & Physical Oceanography graduates of University Of California Berkeley earn a median of $70,847 early in their careers. Set against $14,238 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 11%.
A rank of #4 makes University Of California Santa Cruz one of the best values for chemical & physical oceanography. University Of California Santa Cruz is a very large public school located in the city of Santa Cruz. Students from in state pay about $15,035 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $46,923. Students borrow a median of $20,833 to complete the chemical & physical oceanography program here. Chemical & Physical Oceanography graduates of University Of California Santa Cruz earn a median of $40,920 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 66%.
More Chemical & Physical Oceanography Rankings
View All Chemical & Physical Oceanography Rankings >
Notes and References
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 4 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 4 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.
