### SUMMARY

 Going to school for Gerontology is a valuable choice and ordinarily an essential first step for scholars endeavoring to pursue a career as a life enrichment coordinator, an ambulatory care coordinator, or a nursing home administrator. Interestingly, gerontology is a ​unique degree ranking as the 322nd most popular major. Last year alone, there were 298 gerontology diplomas received. In-state tuition for gerontology at private colleges is, on average, 3.8 times more costly than their public peers.

 With only 38 universities having programs for this degree you might have limited options as to the institutions which will have a degree program for you. If you're hoping to surround yourself with other gerontology undergraduates, look at schools in California which have the most undergrads admitted to gerontology annually. Zooming out, the best region to major in gerontology is in the Far West region with [California State University-Sacramento](/colleges/california-state-university-sacramento), [University of Southern California](/colleges/university-of-southern-california), and [Ashford University](/colleges/ashford-university) best representing the region. Interestingly, our pick of the top conference to major in gerontology is the Big Sky Conference with [California State University-Sacramento](/colleges/california-state-university-sacramento) representing the conference. From our comprehensive list of the [best colleges](/rankings/best-colleges), our belief is that the best school for gerontology is [University of Southern California](/colleges/university-of-southern-california).

 The objectively 'best' school is not necessarily the best school for every student. There are a bunch of perspectives to think about when selecting ​university. External stuff like campus amenities, transportation services, and food could change one's feelings of which college to attend. Here at authority.org, we weighed the pros and cons for you. If, as an example, you want to know which gerontology college has the top campus, the answer is [San Diego State University](/colleges/san-diego-state-university). If you are very interested in which university is home to the top campus, we have a whole page [dedicated to that](/rankings/best-college-campuses). We have carefully pored through student reviews, professor reviews, government databases, and more to compare every major in an unbiased and informative way. Here you can explore our well researched list for the colleges with the [best student life](/rankings/best-student-life)&nbspand from that list, our pick for the school with the best student life for gerontology is [University of Southern California](/colleges/university-of-southern-california). Curious why? Continue scrolling to find out more about Authority's top recommendations. Many of our picks might shock you.

 If expense is a primary factor in your decision on where to go to school, you might consider avoiding [University of Southern California](/colleges/university-of-southern-california). [University of Southern California](/colleges/university-of-southern-california)&nbspappears to be our most expensive college for gerontology, at least for out of state students. That being said, we have an entire page for the [most expensive](/rankings/most-expensive-colleges)&nbspcolleges that could put the price tag at [University of Southern California](/colleges/university-of-southern-california)&nbspinto perspective. You may also want to know that gerontology is the 370th most expensive major in the US, with an average cost of $17,600. On a broader scale, the most costly state for gerontology in the nation is North Carolina demonstrated by a tuition of $31,732 at the main university in the state Barton College. Even more broadly, the most costly region for gerontology is the Far West region which is best demonstrated with [San Diego State University](/colleges/san-diego-state-university) with a cost of $17,622, [University of Southern California](/colleges/university-of-southern-california) with a cost of $57,256, and [Western Oregon University](/colleges/western-oregon-university) with a cost of $25,830.

 Our cheapest region for gerontology is the Mid East region which is represented by [University of Maryland Global Campus](/colleges/university-of-maryland-global-campus) with a cost of $11,976, [CUNY York College](/colleges/cuny-york-college) with a cost of $14,880, and [California University of Pennsylvania](/colleges/california-university-of-pennsylvania) with a cost of $11,574. More optimistically, the most affordable school for gerontology is [California University of Pennsylvania](/colleges/california-university-of-pennsylvania). Authority.org's comprehensive list of the most affordable schools can be explored [here](/rankings/most-affordable-colleges).

 In-state attendees can anticipate paying about $9,100 for a degree in gerontology. The price grows dramatically to an average of $20,500 for the out-of-state public-school student. As such, you might be interested in our choice for the college representing the best value for gerontology: [University of Southern California](/colleges/university-of-southern-california). Through this link you will see our comprehensive list on the schools we see as being the [best value](/rankings/best-value-colleges)&nbspoverall. Do know, this discussion is based on being an out-of-state student. The value proposition changes when in-state tuition is considered, but as we do not know what state(s) you might qualify for in-state tuition, we are approaching this discussion through out-of-state tuition costs.

 Earnings for gerontology majors range widely, but within two years leaving college graduates will typically earn around $59,000. There is much variation in earnings; top earners can bring in up to $100,500. Straight out of university, the lowest earning positions within the gerontology field earn $33,900, which isn't that bad. The top earning grads for gerontology attended [University of Southern California](/colleges/university-of-southern-california)&nbspand if you are looking for colleges with all of the [highest earning graduates](/rankings/highest-earning-graduates), we have that too.

 The general diversity of gerontology ranks high, being within the 84th percentile of all majors. The college with the most composite diversity for gerontology is [University of Maryland Global Campus](/colleges/university-of-maryland-global-campus)&nbspand here you can find our general list for the colleges which have the [most diversity](/rankings/most-diverse-colleges). The financial diversity of the Gerontology major sits only in the 97th percentile of all majors. Racial diversity is actually above financial diversity, in the 98th percentile. White collegians compose the largest proportion at 43% of those majoring in gerontology. Additionally, 83% of students pursuing a gerontology degree are women.

 The median score for gerontology professors is 4.4 stars, a score which is 10% above the average across every major; this is a pretty good score. If you are interested in the most popular gerontology instructor in the nation, consider looking up Mario Garrett at [San Diego State University](/colleges/san-diego-state-university). It may surprise you, but the highest ranked professors of gerontology by student come from [University of South Florida-Main Campus](/colleges/university-of-south-florida-main-campus). If we incorporate data other than simply rankings it becomes clear that the college possessing comprehensively the best professors for gerontology is [University of Southern California](/colleges/university-of-southern-california). One will find an explanation of our ever evolving ranking methodology for the [best overall professors here](/rankings/best-professors), along with many of the top professors nationwide.

 Finally, the hardest college to get into for gerontology is [University of Southern California](/colleges/university-of-southern-california). While we think of this list more as a novelty, we have a comprehensive list for the [hardest colleges to get into](/rankings/hardest-colleges-to-get-into). That being said, we hope you understand that considering college from context primarily built on superlatives could cause problems. We encourage you to read our other pages on different colleges and read some of our insightful background pages on beneficial details to look for as your university search continues.



 ### POPULARITY

 Gerontology is the 322nd most popular degree in America, with 298 students receiving their bachelors degree last year. It just beat out #323 [Spanish Language Teacher Education](/rankings/best-colleges-for-spanish-language-teacher-education), and narrowly lost to #321 [Religious Music](/rankings/best-colleges-for-religious-music).

 The degree is offered at a total of 38 colleges across the nation, and is the 306th most widely offered degree. It is only offered at 2% of the Top 100 [Best Colleges](/rankings/best-colleges) in America.

 It is also worth noting that 69% of colleges offering gerontology are public making it a quite accessible field.

 The far west produces the most gerontology graduates, largely led by [California State University-Sacramento](/colleges/california-state-university-sacramento), while it’s the Big Sky Conference that leads conference totals. As far as states, California ranks highest, with particular help from [California State University-Sacramento](/colleges/california-state-university-sacramento) and [University of Southern California](/colleges/university-of-southern-california).

 All that being said, no individual school produces more gerontology graduates than [California State University-Fullerton](/colleges/california-state-university-fullerton), which graduated 73 students last year alone. Although size is critical, another important factor to consider is the program’s density (the percent of all students that study gerontology). More students studied gerontology as a percentage of total students at [Bethune-Cookman University](/colleges/bethune-cookman-university) than any other college.



 ### COST

 Gerontology is the 370th most expensive degree in the US, with a median cost of $17,622 for the top 50 programs.

 The Far West has the most expensive colleges with top 50 gerontology programs led by [San Diego State University](/colleges/san-diego-state-university) with an annual cost of $17,622. The most expensive state for gerontology is North Carolina led by [Barton College](/colleges/barton-college).

 Public schools with good programs typically charge 73.93% less than private schools for in-state students. However, when looking at out-of-state tuition, the median top 50 Public school charges 41.3% less than your average private school. So make sure to check out public shools in your state sooner rather than later.

 The most expensive option in the top 25 is [University of Southern California](/colleges/university-of-southern-california), which is the 14th most expensive college in the United States. The most affordable option in the top 100 is [California University of Pennsylvania](/colleges/california-university-of-pennsylvania). It costs just $11,574 per year, and it is its gerontology program is ranked #15. Another more affordable choice would be #17, [Ashford University](/colleges/ashford-university) in San Diego County, CA with a cost of $11,640 for in-state students and $11,640 for out-of-state students.



### SALARY

 College is a major investment for most. It's important to be assured you get a solid return on that investment. With that in mind, we hope the following income and career facts help you make an informed decision when picking your focus.

 The average Gerontology major makes a starting salary of $35,865 a year (close to national median 58th percentile). Further into their careers, they can draw as high as $100,459 down to $33,922, but average more or less $59,041. To put it in context, that's 53% greater than the U.S. average.

 The most popular job title for a Gerontology graduate is Licensed Practical Nurse, which commonly earn around $34,000; next are Account Executive and Certified Nursing Assistant, which normally earn close to $36,000 and $22,000 respectively.

 The best paid region for Gerontology graduates is The Mid East. The best paid state for Gerontology alumni is IA. The highest earning conference for Gerontology graduates is Missouri Valley Conference.



### PROFESSORS

 Fast Facts for Gerontology: Median Professor Rating: 4.4 / 5, which is Top 100.

 Instructors often have a meaningful impact your college experience, regardless of your primary focus. A thought-provoking teacher might provide inspiration and even make a difficult subject seem easy. Conversely, an ineffective professor can turn you off of a subject or even worse... flunk you!

 Professors of Gerontology boast a median student rating of 4.4 out of 5, which puts these professors in 51st place in the United States based on overall professor effectivness. For context that's 10% north of the national median professor rating for all subjects. Professors of Gerontology slightly edged-out those from ["Arabic Language and Literature"](/rankings/best-colleges-for-arabic-language-and-literature), whereas ["Ecology and Evolutionary Biology"](/rankings/best-colleges-for-ecology-and-evolutionary-biology)&nbspprofessors ranked one slot above Gerontology.

 Now for some statistics about Gerontology professors. Colleges located in small suburbs tend to have the best Gerontology professors. The Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference has the highest rated Gerontology professors. The Mid East region has the highest rated Gerontology professors. Private colleges tend to have higher rated Gerontology professors than public colleges. Finally, Pennsylvania has the highest rated Gerontology professors in the United States.

 Mario Garrett, professor at [San Diego State University](/colleges/san-diego-state-university)&nbspin San Diego, CA is the most popular Gerontology professor in America. Allison Ponzio, professor at [University of Southern California](/colleges/university-of-southern-california)&nbspin Los Angeles, CA is the highest rated Gerontology professor in the US, with a rating of 5 / 5.

 See which schools have the [Best Professors](/rankings/best-professors)!



### STUDENTS

 College is an especially constructive investment in one's life; it is an occasion for individual progress and development. Undergrads begin to find out their purpose and cultivate many of the crucial skills to become a prosperous adult. But learning isn't exclusively confined to a classroom environment - the campus dialogue, the nugget of wisdom gained from a tenured professor, the exposure to a different viewpoint. Therefore, attending a diverse college tremendously improves what you gain from your time spent at university.

 Gerontology is the 7th most diverse subject \*. 43% of the United States' Gerontology majors are white students, followed by students of other races\*\*(21%), latino students (13%), and asian students (12%). The most racially diverse college\* in the top 100 is [San Diego State University](/colleges/san-diego-state-university) located in San Diego, CA.

 Additionally, Gerontology very highly skews female, more so 87% of subjects. Just about 5 out of 6 students majoring in Gerontology identify as women. [Western Oregon University](/colleges/western-oregon-university) in Monmouth, OR has the most gender balanced student body in the top 100.

 Another significant type of diversity is class diversity. Gerontology is the 12th most socioeconomically diverse focus in the nation. 26% of its students come from households who take home under $30,000 a year, 17% are from households that bring in between $48,000 and $75,000 a year, and 24% grew up in families that make above $110,000 per year. [Western Oregon University](/colleges/western-oregon-university) is the most socioeconomically diverse college in the top 100.

 Considering each type of diversity, overall CA is the most diverse state for Gerontology. The Far West is the most diverse region, and the Mountain West Conference is the most diverse conference.

   \* diversity calculations and comparisons are based on [Simpson's Diversity Index](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diversity_index)   
  \*\* other races is used to refer to non asian, black, latino, or white

  #### Diversity Statistics

  ##### Racial Diversity

 * Asian: 12%
* Black: 11%
* Latino: 13%
* White: 43%
* Other: 21%
  ##### Gender Diversity

 * Male: 17%
* Female: 83%
  ##### Socioeconomic Diversity (By Household Income)

 * Under 30k: 26%
* 30k - 48k: 16%
* 48k - 75k: 17%
* 75k - 110k: 17%
* Over 110k: 24%
  ##### Geographic Diversity

 * In State: 77%
* Out of State: 19%
* International: 4%


2023 Gerontology Salary

There are about 3,087 students enrolled in Gerontology in the USA.

SALARY