Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences at California State University-Los Angeles

Based on comparable geosciences programs across California, Cal State LA's offering suggests an estimated $17,896 in debt paired with first-year earnings around $40,078—a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.45 that should be manageable within the first year or two of work. That's considerably less debt than the national median of $24,757 for this major, which matters given that the estimated earnings track almost exactly with California's median for geosciences programs.

The context here is crucial: with 66% of students receiving Pell grants, Cal State LA serves a population where minimizing debt burden is particularly important. While peer programs at Cal Poly Pomona and San Luis Obispo show graduates earning in the high $40,000s, those stronger outcomes come with the tradeoff of more competitive admission. For students who gain entry to Cal State LA, the estimated debt load won't create the same financial pressure that geosciences graduates face nationally.

The limitation is that these figures reflect what similar California programs produce, not tracked outcomes for this specific program at Cal State LA. If you're serious about this school and major, contact the geology department directly to ask about graduate employment patterns and typical starting positions. A geosciences degree's value often depends heavily on whether students pursue graduate work or enter industry—factors these estimates can't capture.