Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences at University of California-Davis

UC Davis's geosciences program shows strong earning potential—$43,462 in year one climbing to $67,743 by year four—but the small graduate cohort means these figures could shift significantly year to year. That 56% earnings growth is notable, suggesting graduates either move into higher-paying roles or leverage advanced degrees effectively. Among California's 40 geosciences programs, this ranks solidly at the 60th percentile, though it trails Cal Poly SLO and Pomona by several thousand dollars initially.

The real attraction here is the debt picture: $16,416 is well below both the national median ($24,757) and California's ($17,896), giving graduates meaningful financial flexibility early in their careers. A 0.38 debt-to-earnings ratio means most graduates can handle payments comfortably while building savings. For a UC campus, this represents good in-state value, particularly given that 31% of Davis students receive Pell grants.

The small sample size is the critical caveat—with fewer than 30 graduates tracked, a couple of outliers could skew these numbers dramatically. If your child is seriously considering geosciences at Davis, talk to current students about actual career paths. The fundamentals look sound: reasonable debt, above-average starting pay, and strong growth trajectory. Just don't assume these exact numbers will hold for every graduating class.