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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Geology & Earth Sciences (Income $0-$30k) in the Far Western US Region

38 Ranked Colleges
956 Degrees Awarded
$7,100 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor's in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking - to help you make that decision.

Geology & Earth Sciences is the 101st most popular major in the country with 7,036 degrees awarded in 2019-2020.

Across the Far Western US region, there were 1,335 geology and earth sciences graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 956 geology and earth sciences graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,083 and $22,209 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking looked at 38 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in geology and earth sciences. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent geology and earth sciences programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the geology and earth sciences program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

More Ways to Rank Geology & Earth Sciences Schools

The geology school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k”.

We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.

Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k

The colleges and universities below are the best for far western us region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $0-$30k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Geology & Earth Sciences (Income $0-$30k) in the Far Western US Region

#1

California Institute of Technology

Pasadena, California
#1 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California Institute of Technology. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Pasadena, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s geology degrees to 2 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our far western us region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $0-$30k list, Caltech has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. It costs about $5,456 for far western us region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend California Institute of Technology.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 3 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The low student loan default rate of 1.0% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.

Read more about Geology & Earth Sciences at Caltech

#2

Stanford University

Stanford, California
#2 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Stanford University. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k. Stanford is located in Stanford, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 30 bachelors’s geology degrees to qualified students.

Stanford also made our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #2. It costs about $-1,387 for far western us region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Stanford University. When an average net price is negative, it usually means that the student will receive more financial aid than it costs to attend the school.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The student loan default rate at the school is 0.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Geology & Earth Sciences at Stanford

#6 in overall quality

Out of the 38 schools in the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Washington - Seattle Campus landed the #3 spot on the list. Located in Seattle, Washington, this large public school awarded 42 degrees to qualified bachelors’s geology students in 2019-2020.

UW Seattle not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. It costs about $7,850 for far western us region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UW Seattle.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The low student loan default rate of 2.2% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full UW Seattle Geology & Earth Sciences Report

#13 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Fullerton. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. California State University - Fullerton is located in Fullerton, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 20 bachelors’s geology degrees to qualified students.

Cal State Fullerton did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Fullerton is $4,291 for far western us region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low student loan default rate of 2.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full California State University - Fullerton Geology & Earth Sciences Report

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Los Angeles. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k. Cal State LA is a public institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 10 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Cal State LA is $1,379 for far western us region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Geology & Earth Sciences at Cal State LA

#9 in overall quality

With a ranking of #6, California State University - Long Beach did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. California State University - Long Beach is located in Long Beach, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 10 bachelors’s geology degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our far western us region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $0-$30k list, CSULB has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend CSULB is $6,364 for far western us region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full California State University - Long Beach Geology & Earth Sciences Report

#4 in overall quality

University of California - Berkeley ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. UC Berkeley is a large public school situated in Berkeley, California. It awarded 5 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Berkeley not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Berkeley is $8,392 for far western us region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 1.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full UC Berkeley Geology & Earth Sciences Report

#10 in overall quality

University of California - Irvine did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #8. Irvine, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s geology degrees to 52 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our far western us region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $0-$30k list, UC Irvine has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UC Irvine is $9,558 for far western us region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Geology & Earth Sciences at University of California - Irvine

#24 in overall quality

With a ranking of #9, California State University - Bakersfield did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Bakersfield, California, this fairly large public school awarded 25 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s geology students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at CSUB, the school also landed the #24 spot in our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. It costs about $3,423 for far western us region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend CSUB.

Full California State University - Bakersfield Geology & Earth Sciences Report

#10

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California
#7 in overall quality

University of California - Los Angeles did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #10. Located in Los Angeles, California, this large public school awarded 14 degrees to qualified bachelors’s geology students in 2019-2020.

UCLA did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UCLA is $8,553 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Geology & Earth Sciences at University of California - Los Angeles

#11

University of California - Riverside

Riverside, California
#19 in overall quality

University of California - Riverside landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Riverside, California, this large public school handed out 14 degrees to qualified bachelors’s geology students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCR, the school also landed the #19 spot in our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UCR is $8,366 for far western us region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.

Read more about Geology & Earth Sciences at UCR

#12

University of California - Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara, California
#3 in overall quality

University of California - Santa Barbara did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #12. Located in Santa Barbara, California, this large public school handed out 63 degrees to qualified bachelors’s geology students in 2019-2020.

UCSB also made our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #3. The estimated yearly cost for UCSB is $10,316 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Geology & Earth Sciences at University of California - Santa Barbara

#13

San Diego State University

San Diego, California
#21 in overall quality

San Diego State University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. SDSU is a large school located in San Diego, California that handed out 28 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

SDSU also took the #21 spot in our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend SDSU is $8,870 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Geology & Earth Sciences at San Diego State University

#5 in overall quality

University of California - Davis did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #14. Davis, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s geology degrees to 28 students in 2019-2020.

UC Davis also took the #5 spot in our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Davis is $9,842 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Geology & Earth Sciences at UC Davis

#15

Washington State University

Pullman, Washington
#18 in overall quality

Washington State University landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Pullman, Washington is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s geology degrees to 102 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Wazzu, the school also landed the #18 spot in our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. It costs about $9,334 for far western us region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Washington State University.

The low student loan default rate of 4.6% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about Geology & Earth Sciences at Washington State University

#20 in overall quality

California State University - Sacramento came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. California State University - Sacramento is a large public school situated in Sacramento, California. It awarded 18 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

Sac State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #20 on our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Sac State is $6,819 for far western us region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Geology & Earth Sciences at California State University - Sacramento

#15 in overall quality

With a ranking of #17, University of Nevada - Las Vegas did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Las Vegas, Nevada, this large public school handed out 41 degrees to qualified bachelors’s geology students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UNLV, the school also landed the #15 spot in our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UNLV is $9,378 for far western us region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Geology & Earth Sciences at UNLV

#11 in overall quality

With a ranking of #18, California State Polytechnic University - Pomona did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Pomona, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s geology degrees to 22 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Cal Poly Pomona, the school also landed the #11 spot in our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. It costs about $8,596 for far western us region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend California State Polytechnic University - Pomona.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Geology & Earth Sciences at Cal Poly Pomona

#19

University of California - Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz, California
#8 in overall quality

With a ranking of #19, University of California - Santa Cruz did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This fairly large school is located in Santa Cruz, California, and it awarded 66 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Santa Cruz, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UC Santa Cruz is $10,872 for far western us region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 2.9% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Geology & Earth Sciences at University of California - Santa Cruz

#12 in overall quality

University of California - Merced did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #20. Located in Merced, California, this medium-sized public school awarded 19 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s geology students in 2019-2020.

UC Merced also made our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #12. The estimated yearly cost for UC Merced is $10,782 for far western us region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low student loan default rate of 2.9% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full UC Merced Geology & Earth Sciences Report

With a ranking of #21, California State University - Fresno did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Fresno, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s geology degrees to 5 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Fresno State is $3,264 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 4.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%.

Read full report on Geology & Earth Sciences at Fresno State

#22

California State University - San Bernardino

San Bernardino, California

California State University - San Bernardino came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This fairly large school is located in San Bernardino, California, and it awarded 15 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $5,077 for far western us region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend CSUSB.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Geology & Earth Sciences at CSUSB

California State University - Stanislaus ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. California State University - Stanislaus is located in Turlock, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 9 bachelors’s geology degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend Stan State is $3,410 for far western us region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 4.3% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full Stan State Geology & Earth Sciences Report

#24

Western Washington University

Bellingham, Washington
#17 in overall quality

Western Washington University came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Western Washington University is located in Bellingham, Washington and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 40 bachelors’s geology degrees to qualified students.

WWU also made our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #17. The estimated yearly cost for Western Washington University is $9,743 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full WWU Geology & Earth Sciences Report

#25

Eastern Washington University

Cheney, Washington

With a ranking of #25, Eastern Washington University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Cheney, Washington is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s geology degrees to 11 students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $8,473 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend EWU.

Read full report on Geology & Earth Sciences at EWU

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Notes and References

References

  • The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of our data about colleges.
  • Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
  • Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

  • *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
  • Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.

Credits

  • Credit for the banner image above goes to Kelvinsong.

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