Cheapest Geography and Cartography Colleges in California

California State University-Dominguez Hills offers the state's most affordable Geography and Cartography program at just $3,659 net cost annually, nearly $10,000 less than the next cheapest option. This remarkable affordability gap exists across California's 15 public programs, with costs spanning from under $4,000 to over $13,000 despite similar in-state tuition rates around $7,000. The variation stems largely from different financial aid packages and living costs across campus locations. Geography and cartography graduates enter California's solid geospatial industry, which serves the state's massive agriculture sector, urban planning needs for 40 million residents, and tech companies developing mapping technologies. Earnings data shows graduates typically start around $28,000-$33,000, with some programs like CSU Fresno reporting median earnings of $39,009. The field connects directly to California's economic drivers, from precision agriculture in the Central Valley to environmental monitoring along the coast and digital mapping services in Silicon Valley.

Programs

$3,659 – $31,927

Net Price Range

$31,738

Avg. Program Earnings

64.1%

Avg. Graduation Rate

22 Geography and Cartography Programs

Program rankings
#	School	Net Price	In-State Tuition	Graduation Rate	Acceptance Rate
1	California State University-Dominguez Hills Carson, California	$3,659	$7,064	46.9%	89.1%
2	California State University-Los Angeles Los Angeles, California	$4,113	$6,813	52.6%	86.9%
3	California State University-Fullerton Fullerton, California	$5,646	$7,073	69.2%	66.7%
4	California State University-Stanislaus Turlock, California	$5,671	$7,826	58.0%	96.6%
5	California State University-San Bernardino San Bernardino, California	$5,918	$7,675	54.7%	91.1%
6	California State University-Fresno Fresno, California	$6,480	$6,980	54.8%	95.4%
7	California State University-Northridge Northridge, California	$7,599	$7,095	56.2%	91.2%
8	California State University-Long Beach Long Beach, California	$8,931	$7,008	69.9%	40.0%
9	California State University-Sacramento Sacramento, California	$10,512	$7,602	55.8%	93.2%
10	California State University-East Bay Hayward, California	$11,276	$7,055	45.5%	96.2%
11	California State Polytechnic University-Pomona Pomona, California	$11,580	$7,439	66.7%	55.4%
12	San Francisco State University San Francisco, California	$12,882	$7,424	50.1%	94.2%
13	California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt Arcata, California	$13,167	$7,913	46.6%	98.2%
14	San Jose State University San Jose, California	$13,741	$7,992	64.7%	76.7%
15	Sonoma State University Rohnert Park, California	$13,801	$8,190	60.5%	94.0%
16	University of California-Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, California	$13,825	$14,965	85.3%	25.9%
17	University of California-Los Angeles Los Angeles, California	$14,013	$13,747	92.7%	8.6%
18	California State University-Chico Chico, California	$14,838	$8,064	63.6%	95.0%
19	University of California-Berkeley Berkeley, California	$14,979	$14,850	92.9%	11.3%
20	San Diego State University San Diego, California	$16,174	$8,290	78.3%	39.3%
21	Mount Saint Mary's University Los Angeles, California	$25,009	$48,132	53.4%	75.8%
22	University of Southern California Los Angeles, California	$31,927	$68,237	92.0%	12.0%

Frequently Asked Questions

What makes California State University-Dominguez Hills so much cheaper than other programs?

CSU Dominguez Hills reports a net cost of just $3,659, compared to $4,113 at the next cheapest option, CSU Los Angeles. The school's generous financial aid packages and lower living costs in Carson contribute to this affordability. Despite the low cost, the program maintains solid outcomes with a 46.9% graduation rate and 89.1% acceptance rate.

How do graduation rates vary among California's most affordable geography programs?

Graduation rates range dramatically from 45.5% at CSU East Bay to 69.9% at CSU Long Beach. Interestingly, cost doesn't predict success rates. CSU Fullerton achieves a strong 69.2% graduation rate at $5,646 net cost, while more expensive programs like San Francisco State show only 50.1% graduation rates at $12,882.

Does program cost correlate with graduate earnings in California geography programs?

The data reveals no clear correlation between cost and earnings potential. CSU Fresno graduates earn $39,009 annually at a net cost of $6,480, while CSU Long Beach graduates earn just $27,874 despite paying $8,931. The highest reported earnings come from moderately priced programs, not the most expensive ones.

Where do California geography graduates typically find employment?

California's geography graduates enter varied fields serving the state's $3.5 trillion economy. Agricultural mapping supports the Central Valley's $50 billion farming industry, while urban planners work on housing projects for California's growing population. Tech companies in Silicon Valley hire cartographers for digital mapping platforms, and environmental consulting firms need geographic analysis for wildfire risk assessment and coastal erosion studies.

What acceptance rates can students expect at affordable California geography programs?

Most affordable programs maintain high acceptance rates, with 12 of the 15 schools accepting over 86% of applicants. CSU Long Beach stands out as the most selective at 39.95% acceptance rate despite offering one of the better programs. Students have excellent admission chances at quality programs like CSU Stanislaus (96.61%) and Cal Poly Humboldt (98.18%).

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Net price reflects the average cost after grants and scholarships for first-time, full-time students. See our methodology for details.