46 Best colleges for Petrology and Geochemistry in California, US

Updated: March 15, 2026

Ranking by academic field

Below is a list of best universities in California ranked based on their research performance in Petrology and Geochemistry. A graph of 2.55M citations received by 45.8K academic papers made by 46 universities in California was used to calculate publications' ratings, which then were adjusted for release dates and added to final scores.

We don't distinguish between undergraduate and graduate programs nor do we adjust for current majors offered. You can find information about granted degrees on a university page but always double-check with the university website.

1. California Institute of Technology

Pasadena

For Petrology and Geochemistry

#2 in the United States

#2 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 3%
Net Price: $14,513
Receiving Aid: 70%
Average Aid: $72,373

2. Stanford University

Stanford

For Petrology and Geochemistry

#3 in the United States

#3 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 4%
Average SAT: 1545
Average ACT: 35
Net Price: $25,078

3. University of California - Berkeley

Berkeley

For Petrology and Geochemistry

#7 in the United States

#7 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 11%
Receiving Aid: 63%
Average Aid: $29,608
Enrollment: 45,882

4. University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles

For Petrology and Geochemistry

#8 in the United States

#8 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 9%
Receiving Aid: 59%
Average Aid: $25,627
Enrollment: 47,335

5. University of California-San Diego

San Diego

For Petrology and Geochemistry

#21 in the United States

#24 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 27%
Receiving Aid: 66%
Average Aid: $25,757
Enrollment: 44,256

6. University of California - Davis

Davis

For Petrology and Geochemistry

#22 in the United States

#25 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 42%
Receiving Aid: 65%
Average Aid: $24,591
Enrollment: 40,065

7. University of California - Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara

For Petrology and Geochemistry

#24 in the United States

#28 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 33%
Receiving Aid: 61%
Average Aid: $24,695
Enrollment: 26,133

8. University of Southern California

Los Angeles

For Petrology and Geochemistry

#34 in the United States

#38 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 10%
Average SAT: 1500
Average ACT: 34
Net Price: $43,412

9. University of California - Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz

For Petrology and Geochemistry

#49 in the United States

#58 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 66%
Receiving Aid: 64%
Average Aid: $22,774
Enrollment: 19,938

10. University of California - Riverside

Riverside

For Petrology and Geochemistry

#70 in the United States

#84 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 76%
Receiving Aid: 80%
Average Aid: $24,355
Enrollment: 26,384

11. University of California - Irvine

Irvine

For Petrology and Geochemistry

#113 in the United States

#140 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 29%
Receiving Aid: 61%
Average Aid: $23,110
Enrollment: 37,297

12. San Diego State University

San Diego

For Petrology and Geochemistry

#125 in the United States

#155 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 36%
Receiving Aid: 62%
Average Aid: $12,053
Enrollment: 41,137

13. University of California - San Francisco

San Francisco

For Petrology and Geochemistry

#126 in the United States

#156 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 13%
Enrollment: 3,007
Male:Female: 36:64
Founded: 1864

14. San Jose State University

San Jose

For Petrology and Geochemistry

#130 in the United States

#160 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 85%
Receiving Aid: 69%
Average Aid: $12,353
Enrollment: 37,661

15. California State University - Fullerton

Fullerton

For Petrology and Geochemistry

#177 in the United States

#213 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 91%
Receiving Aid: 83%
Average Aid: $11,234
Enrollment: 43,662

16. California State University - Fresno

Fresno

For Petrology and Geochemistry

#180 in the United States

#216 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 95%
Receiving Aid: 88%
Average Aid: $12,326
Enrollment: 24,427

17. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach

For Petrology and Geochemistry

#184 in the United States

#220 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 46%
Receiving Aid: 82%
Average Aid: $11,795
Enrollment: 42,003

18. Naval Postgraduate School

Monterey

For Petrology and Geochemistry

#185 in the United States

#221 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 23%
Enrollment: 2,441
Male:Female: 79:21
Founded: 1909

19. California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo

San Luis Obispo

For Petrology and Geochemistry

#196 in the United States

#233 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 31%
Receiving Aid: 62%
Average Aid: $14,338
Enrollment: 23,069

20. Pomona College

Claremont

For Petrology and Geochemistry

#206 in the United States

#246 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 7%
Average SAT: 1525
Average ACT: 34
Net Price: $19,938

21. California State University - Northridge

Los Angeles

For Petrology and Geochemistry

#231 in the United States

#274 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 93%
Receiving Aid: 86%
Average Aid: $12,825
Enrollment: 38,313

22. San Francisco State University

San Francisco

For Petrology and Geochemistry

#235 in the United States

#278 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 96%
Receiving Aid: 81%
Average Aid: $12,996
Enrollment: 22,563

23. Humboldt State University

Arcata

For Petrology and Geochemistry

#246 in the United States

#289 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 98%
Receiving Aid: 74%
Average Aid: $10,748
Enrollment: 6,237

24. University of California - Merced

Merced

For Petrology and Geochemistry

#270 in the United States

#313 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 91%
Receiving Aid: 91%
Average Aid: $27,292
Enrollment: 9,110

25. Santa Clara University

Santa Clara

For Petrology and Geochemistry

#274 in the United States

#318 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 48%
Average SAT: 1420
Average ACT: 32
Net Price: $53,883

26. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles

For Petrology and Geochemistry

#284 in the United States

#329 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 91%
Receiving Aid: 95%
Average Aid: $13,824
Enrollment: 23,163

27. Occidental College

Los Angeles

For Petrology and Geochemistry

#292 in the United States

#337 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 44%
Average SAT: 1450
Average ACT: 33
Net Price: $48,400

28. California State University - San Bernardino

San Bernardino

For Petrology and Geochemistry

#294 in the United States

#339 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 94%
Receiving Aid: 91%
Average Aid: $12,167
Enrollment: 18,492

29. Ashford University

San Diego

For Petrology and Geochemistry

#300 in the United States

#345 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 100%
Net Price: $32,265
Receiving Aid: 100%
Average Aid: $5,648

30. California State Polytechnic University - Pomona

Pomona

For Petrology and Geochemistry

#303 in the United States

#348 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 75%
Receiving Aid: 80%
Average Aid: $11,833
Enrollment: 27,636

31. California State University - Sacramento

Sacramento

For Petrology and Geochemistry

#305 in the United States

#350 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 94%
Receiving Aid: 86%
Average Aid: $12,767
Enrollment: 31,943

32. Loma Linda University

Loma Linda

For Petrology and Geochemistry

#327 in the United States

#372 in North America

Enrollment: 4,210
Male:Female: 34:66
Founded: 1905

33. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield

For Petrology and Geochemistry

#332 in the United States

#379 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 94%
Receiving Aid: 93%
Average Aid: $12,966
Enrollment: 10,419

34. University of San Diego

San Diego

For Petrology and Geochemistry

#337 in the United States

#384 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 52%
Net Price: $37,918
Receiving Aid: 87%
Average Aid: $40,965

35. Chapman University

Orange

For Petrology and Geochemistry

#348 in the United States

#397 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 65%
Average SAT: 1350
Average ACT: 30
Net Price: $47,902

36. California State University - Chico

Chico

For Petrology and Geochemistry

#353 in the United States

#402 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 93%
Receiving Aid: 75%
Average Aid: $11,509
Enrollment: 15,257

37. Sonoma State University

Rohnert Park

For Petrology and Geochemistry

#363 in the United States

#412 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 93%
Receiving Aid: 87%
Average Aid: $9,094
Enrollment: 5,891

38. University of San Francisco

San Francisco

For Petrology and Geochemistry

#403 in the United States

#454 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 62%
Average SAT: 1290
Average ACT: 28
Net Price: $45,443

39. Claremont McKenna College

Claremont

For Petrology and Geochemistry

#410 in the United States

#461 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 10%
Average SAT: 1515
Average ACT: 34
Net Price: $33,895

40. University of the West

Rosemead

For Petrology and Geochemistry

#415 in the United States

#466 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 100%
Net Price: $14,713
Receiving Aid: 100%
Average Aid: $9,445

41. California State University Maritime Academy

Vallejo

For Petrology and Geochemistry

#419 in the United States

#470 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 95%
Receiving Aid: 68%
Average Aid: $11,038
Enrollment: 837

42. Western University of Health Sciences

Pomona

For Petrology and Geochemistry

#429 in the United States

#480 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 8%
Enrollment: 3,665
Male:Female: 35:65
Founded: 1977

43. California State University - East Bay

Hayward

For Petrology and Geochemistry

#430 in the United States

#481 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 97%
Receiving Aid: 82%
Average Aid: $12,369
Enrollment: 12,326

44. California State University - Monterey Bay

Seaside

For Petrology and Geochemistry

#433 in the United States

#485 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 97%
Receiving Aid: 76%
Average Aid: $12,185
Enrollment: 7,713

45. Pepperdine University

Malibu

For Petrology and Geochemistry

#435 in the United States

#487 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 63%
Average SAT: 1370
Average ACT: 31
Net Price: $66,585

46. Master's University and Seminary

Santa Clarita

For Petrology and Geochemistry

#454 in the United States

#508 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 84%
Net Price: $37,919
Receiving Aid: 98%
Average Aid: $16,990

Closest to California states to learn Petrology and Geochemistry

State	Universities Unis	Best university country rank Best uni rank
Oregon	5	31
Utah	4	37
Arizona	3	6
Idaho	3	106
Washington	9	11
Colorado	9	27
New Mexico	4	40
Montana	3	124
South Dakota	4	145
Kansas	4	60
Texas	36	4
Oklahoma	3	55
North Dakota	2	168
Minnesota	6	14
Iowa	3	75
Missouri	8	58
Arkansas	3	118
Louisiana	5	44
Wisconsin	9	13
Illinois	17	15
Mississippi	4	134
Indiana	8	30
Michigan	11	5
Tennessee	8	45
Alabama	8	90
Kentucky	7	53
Ohio	20	29
Georgia	11	35
South Carolina	6	64
North Carolina	11	50
Virginia	11	25
Pennsylvania	22	9
Florida	16	33
District of Columbia	5	128
Maryland	11	23
New York	46	10
New Jersey	9	28
Vermont	3	148
Hawaii	2	42
Connecticut	6	20
Massachusetts	22	1
New Hampshire	3	78
Rhode Island	3	26
Maine	5	101