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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Geology & Earth Sciences (Income $30-$48k) in the Far Western US Region

38 Ranked Colleges
956 Degrees Awarded
$8,000 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor's in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k

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 $30-$48k” ranking - to help you make that decision.

In 2019-2020, 7,036 people earned their degree in geology and earth sciences, making the major the 101st most popular in the United States.

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.

For this year’s “Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking, we looked at 38 colleges that offer a degree 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.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the geology and earth sciences program at the school. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

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 $30-$48k”.

In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest 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 $30-$48k

The colleges and universities below are the best for far western us region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $30-$48k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Geology & Earth Sciences (Income $30-$48k) in the Far Western US Region

#1

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 #1 for the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k. This fairly large school is located in Stanford, California, and it awarded 30 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Stanford, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. It costs about $1,145 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Stanford.

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%. 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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.

Full Stanford Geology & Earth Sciences Report

#6 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Washington - Seattle Campus. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Seattle, Washington is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s geology degrees to 42 students in 2019-2020.

UW Seattle did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UW Seattle is $7,467 for far western us region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $30-$48k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Geology & Earth Sciences at UW Seattle

#13 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Fullerton. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k. Cal State Fullerton is a large public school situated in Fullerton, California. It awarded 20 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

Cal State Fullerton also made our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #13. The yearly cost to attend Cal State Fullerton is $6,100 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

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

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Los Angeles. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. California State University - Los Angeles is a large school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 10 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $2,117 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Cal State LA.

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%.

Full Cal State LA Geology & Earth Sciences Report

#9 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Long Beach. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. CSULB 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 $30-$48k 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 $7,595 for far western us region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. 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%.

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

#6

California Institute of Technology

Pasadena, California
#1 in overall quality

California Institute of Technology ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Pasadena, California, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 2 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s geology students in 2019-2020.

Caltech did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Caltech is $3,756 for far western us region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 3 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full California Institute of Technology Geology & Earth Sciences Report

#4 in overall quality

University of California - Berkeley came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. University of California - Berkeley is a public institution located in Berkeley, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 5 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Berkeley also took the #4 spot in our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Berkeley is $9,130 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

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

#24 in overall quality

California State University - Bakersfield landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. CSUB is a public institution located in Bakersfield, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 25 bachelors’s degrees 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. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Bakersfield is $3,880 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $30-$48k.

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

#10 in overall quality

University of California - Irvine ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of California - Irvine is a large school located in Irvine, California that handed out 52 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Irvine also took the #10 spot in our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Irvine is $10,373 for far western us region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low student loan default rate of 1.3% 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%. 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 University of California - Irvine

#10

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California
#7 in overall quality

University of California - Los Angeles ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of California - Los Angeles is a large school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 14 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCLA, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Los Angeles is $9,254 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Geology & Earth Sciences at UCLA

#11

University of California - Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara, California
#3 in overall quality

With a ranking of #11, University of California - Santa Barbara did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. UCSB is a large public school situated in Santa Barbara, California. It awarded 63 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

UCSB not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. It costs about $11,895 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UCSB.

The low student loan default rate of 1.5% 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 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Geology & Earth Sciences at UCSB

#12

University of California - Riverside

Riverside, California
#19 in overall quality

University of California - Riverside did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #12. Riverside, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s geology degrees to 14 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 yearly cost to attend University of California - Riverside is $9,151 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 2.1% 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 full report on Geology & Earth Sciences at UCR

#13

Washington State University

Pullman, Washington
#18 in overall quality

Washington 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 $30-$48k ranking. Washington State University is a large school located in Pullman, Washington that handed out 102 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our far western us region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $30-$48k list, Wazzu has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Washington State University is $11,337 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 full report on Geology & Earth Sciences at Wazzu

#5 in overall quality

University of California - Davis ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of California - Davis is a public institution located in Davis, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 28 bachelors’s degrees 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 UC Davis is $10,769 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%.

Full UC Davis Geology & Earth Sciences Report

#20 in overall quality

California State University - Sacramento did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #15. This large school is located in Sacramento, California, and it awarded 18 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

Sac State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #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 $7,823 for far western us region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $30-$48k.

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

#16

San Diego State University

San Diego, California
#21 in overall quality

San Diego State University 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 $30-$48k ranking. SDSU is a large school located in San Diego, California that handed out 28 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

SDSU also made our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #21. It costs about $10,594 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend SDSU.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

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

#15 in overall quality

University of Nevada - Las Vegas landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. University of Nevada - Las Vegas is a public institution located in Las Vegas, Nevada. The school has a large population, and it awarded 41 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UNLV also made our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #15. The estimated yearly cost for University of Nevada - Las Vegas is $9,880 for far western us region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Geology & Earth Sciences at UNLV

#18

University of California - Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz, California
#8 in overall quality

With a ranking of #18, 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 $30-$48k list. Located in Santa Cruz, California, this fairly large public school awarded 66 degrees to qualified bachelors’s geology students in 2019-2020.

UC Santa Cruz also took the #8 spot in our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. It costs about $11,793 for far western us region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of California - Santa Cruz.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, 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 85%.

Read full report on Geology & Earth Sciences at UC Santa Cruz

#12 in overall quality

University of California - Merced landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. University of California - Merced is a medium-sized public school situated in Merced, California. It awarded 19 bachelors’s geology degrees 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 yearly cost to attend UC Merced is $11,565 for far western us region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. 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 University of California - Merced Geology & Earth Sciences Report

California State University - Fresno landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. 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.

It costs about $3,731 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Fresno State.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 4.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full California State University - Fresno Geology & Earth Sciences Report

#21

California State University - San Bernardino

San Bernardino, California

California State University - San Bernardino ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. San Bernardino, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s geology degrees to 15 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend California State University - San Bernardino is $5,869 for far western us region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 #22 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. This fairly large school is located in Turlock, California, and it awarded 9 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Stan State is $3,958 for far western us region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Geology & Earth Sciences at Stan State

#23

Eastern Washington University

Cheney, Washington

Eastern Washington University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #23. EWU is a fairly large public school situated in Cheney, Washington. It awarded 11 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Eastern Washington University is $8,821 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full Eastern Washington University Geology & Earth Sciences Report

#24

Western Washington University

Bellingham, Washington
#17 in overall quality

Western Washington University landed the #24 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Western Washington University is a fairly large school located in Bellingham, Washington that handed out 40 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

WWU also took the #17 spot in our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for WWU is $11,228 for far western us region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%.

Read full report on Geology & Earth Sciences at WWU

#11 in overall quality

California State Polytechnic University - Pomona landed the #25 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. 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. The estimated yearly cost for Cal Poly Pomona is $9,630 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. 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 more about Geology & Earth Sciences at Cal Poly Pomona

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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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