CollegeCostWise

Bachelor's · Santa Barbara, California

Is Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences at University of California-Santa Barbara worth it?

Medium confidence Medium confidence: 40–99 graduates behind the earnings figures.

The verdict · all families, in-state, half paid with loans

Pays back in time: graduates typically recover the cost in about 4.3 years.

Earnings 1 year after graduating
$44,915
Treasury AY2020-21, AY2021-22 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars
Earnings 4 years after graduating
$71,738
Treasury AY2017-2018, AY2018-2019 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars
Typical federal debt at graduation
$16,500
NSLDS pooled AY2022-23, AY2023-24 cohort
Net cost to graduate, all families
$71k (likely $71k – $83k)
AcadYr 2024-25, reported in IPEDS DCY2025-26
Earnings bump, year 4
$32k a year vs high-school graduates aged 25–34 in CA
2023 ACS 5-year pooled, adjusted to 2024 dollars
Payback
4.3 years (likely 3.4–5.6)
Bump vs net cost plus loan interest
10-year net return
$40k (likely −$50k – $139k)
Today's dollars
20-year net return
$427k (likely $234k – $668k)
Today's dollars
Odds of finishing (school-wide)
84%
Fall 2019 or AcadYr 2019-20 cohort (differs by institutional calendar), reported in IPEDS DCY2025-26

Change income, residency or loans Compare Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences at other schools

🌱 Getting ready in high school

Students heading toward animals, plants & the planet majors like this one often take these classes. Every school offers a different mix, so check with your counselor.

AP classes

  • AP Biology
  • AP Environmental Science
  • AP Chemistry
  • AP Statistics

IB Higher Level

  • Biology HL
  • Environmental Systems and Societies

Build my roadmap 🗺️ Middle school to career, plus high schools near you that offer these classes.

Other majors at University of California-Santa Barbara

Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences at other schools in California