2023 Best Value Colleges for Geology & Earth Sciences (Income $48-$75k)
181
Ranked Colleges
6,024
Degrees Awarded
When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Geology Schools For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.
In 2020-2021, 6,024 people earned their degree in geology and earth sciences, making the major the 125th most popular in the United States.
This year’s “Best Value Geology Schools For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking looked at 181 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in geology and earth sciences. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality geology and earth sciences programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.
When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the geology and earth sciences program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
One Size Does Not Fit All
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 Those Making $48-$75k”.
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. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.
Best Value Geology Schools For Those Making $48-$75k
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Geology Schools For Those Making $48-$75k.
Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Geology & Earth Sciences (Income $48-$75k)
Out of the 181 schools in the Best Value Geology Schools For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, Stanford University landed the #1 spot on the list. Stanford University is located in Stanford, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 64 ’s geology degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our geology students whose families make $48-$75k list, Stanford has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Schools” ranking. It costs about $7,081 for geology students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Stanford University.
With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.5% 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%.
Read full report on Geology & Earth Sciences at Stanford
Out of the 181 schools in the Best Value Geology Schools For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, Northwestern University landed the #2 spot on the list. Located in Evanston, Illinois, this large private not-for-profit school awarded 21 diplomas to qualified ’s geology students in 2020-2021.
Northwestern also made our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Schools” list, coming in at #2. It costs about $5,849 for geology students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Northwestern University.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.6%, 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 97%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
Read more about Geology & Earth Sciences at Northwestern
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Williams College. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Geology Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. Williams College is located in Williamstown, Massachusetts and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 11 ’s geology degrees to qualified students.
Williams also took the #16 spot in our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Williams College is $5,576 for geology students whose families make $48-$75k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.
Full Williams Geology & Earth Sciences Report
Out of the 181 schools in the Best Value Geology Schools For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, California Institute of Technology landed the #4 spot on the list. This small school is located in Pasadena, California, and it awarded 12 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.
Caltech also took the #11 spot in our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California Institute of Technology is $9,755 for geology students whose families make $48-$75k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 3 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
Read more about Geology & Earth Sciences at California Institute of Technology
Out of the 181 schools in the Best Value Geology Schools For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Washington - Seattle Campus landed the #5 spot on the list. UW Seattle is a public institution located in Seattle, Washington. The school has a large population, and it awarded 43 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
UW Seattle also made our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Schools” list, coming in at #6. The yearly cost to attend University of Washington - Seattle Campus is $8,393 for geology students whose families make $48-$75k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Geology & Earth Sciences at University of Washington - Seattle Campus
Johns Hopkins University ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. Johns Hopkins is a large school located in Baltimore, Maryland that handed out 18 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.
Johns Hopkins also made our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Schools” list, coming in at #12. It costs about $8,457 for geology students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Johns Hopkins.
The low undergrad 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%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Geology & Earth Sciences at Johns Hopkins University
University of Michigan - Ann Arbor ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. This large school is located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and it awarded 62 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.
U-M not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend U-M is $10,481 for Geology students whose families make $48-$75k.
The low undergrad 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Geology & Earth Sciences at U-M
University of Florida did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Geology Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #8. Gainesville, Florida is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s geology degrees to 32 students in 2020-2021.
UF did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #24 on our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Florida is $8,394 for geology students whose families make $48-$75k.
The low undergrad 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Geology & Earth Sciences at UF
University of California - Berkeley came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geology Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. UC Berkeley is located in Berkeley, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 24 ’s geology degrees to qualified students.
UC Berkeley not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Schools” list. It costs about $13,423 for Geology students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UC Berkeley.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, 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 96%.
Full UC Berkeley Geology & Earth Sciences Report
University of Wisconsin - Madison landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Best Value Geology Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This large school is located in Madison, Wisconsin, and it awarded 46 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our geology students whose families make $48-$75k list, UW - Madison has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UW - Madison is $10,364 for Geology students whose families make $48-$75k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.9% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%.
Full UW - Madison Geology & Earth Sciences Report
Cornell University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Geology Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #11. Cornell University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Ithaca, New York. The school has a large population, and it awarded 9 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Cornell not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #13 on our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Schools” list. It costs about $9,785 for geology students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Cornell.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Geology & Earth Sciences at Cornell
With a ranking of #12, University of Wyoming did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Geology Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. University of Wyoming is a fairly large school located in Laramie, Wyoming that handed out 27 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.
UW also took the #18 spot in our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Wyoming is $9,394 for Geology students whose families make $48-$75k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.5% 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%.
Read full report on Geology & Earth Sciences at University of Wyoming
University of Minnesota - Twin Cities did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Geology Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #13. Located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, this large public school awarded 28 degrees to qualified ’s geology students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our geology students whose families make $48-$75k list, UMN Twin Cities has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Schools” ranking. It costs about $12,911 for Geology students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UMN Twin Cities.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, 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 full report on Geology & Earth Sciences at University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
With a ranking of #14, Purdue University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Geology Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. Purdue University - Main Campus is a large public school situated in West Lafayette, Indiana. It awarded 34 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend Purdue is $8,450 for geology students whose families make $48-$75k.
The low undergrad 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 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Geology & Earth Sciences at Purdue
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Geology Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #15. UNC Chapel Hill is a large school located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina that handed out 20 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.
UNC Chapel Hill also claimed a top spot on our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Schools” list. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. It costs about $11,619 for geology students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on Geology & Earth Sciences at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
University of California - Los Angeles landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Best Value Geology Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. University of California - Los Angeles is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 14 ’s geology degrees to qualified students.
UCLA did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #19 on our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Los Angeles is $12,644 for Geology students whose families make $48-$75k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Geology & Earth Sciences at University of California - Los Angeles
Middlesex County College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Geology Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #17. Middlesex County College is a medium-sized public school situated in Edison, New Jersey. It awarded 5 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend Middlesex County College is $11,457 for Geology students whose families make $48-$75k.
Full Middlesex County College Geology & Earth Sciences Report
University of Houston did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Geology Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #18. UH is a large public school situated in Houston, Texas. It awarded 60 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, UH is also in the top of our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Schools” ranking. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. It costs about $13,382 for Geology students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UH.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full University of Houston Geology & Earth Sciences Report
University of South Florida - Main Campus landed the #19 spot on the 2023 Best Value Geology Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in Tampa, Florida, this large public school handed out 39 diplomas to qualified ’s geology students in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend University of South Florida - Main Campus is $9,669 for geology students whose families make $48-$75k.
With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full University of South Florida - Main Campus Geology & Earth Sciences Report
With a ranking of #20, The University of Texas at Austin did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Geology Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. UT Austin is a large public school situated in Austin, Texas. It awarded 50 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UT Austin, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UT Austin is $16,134 for Geology students whose families make $48-$75k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.3% 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 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Geology & Earth Sciences at The University of Texas at Austin
University of California - Santa Barbara came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geology Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. UCSB is a public institution located in Santa Barbara, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 48 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
UCSB did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for UCSB is $14,583 for geology students whose families make $48-$75k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.8% 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 University of California - Santa Barbara
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geology Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Champaign, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s geology degrees to 19 students in 2020-2021.
UIUC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #25 on our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend UIUC is $11,505 for geology students whose families make $48-$75k.
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 low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.3% 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%.
Read full report on Geology & Earth Sciences at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
California State University - Los Angeles did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Geology Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #23. Cal State LA is a large school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 19 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for Cal State LA is $5,700 for geology students whose families make $48-$75k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, 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
University of California - Davis came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geology Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. UC Davis is located in Davis, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 31 ’s geology degrees to qualified students.
UC Davis not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #22 on our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for UC Davis is $14,193 for geology students whose families make $48-$75k.
With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad 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%.
Full UC Davis Geology & Earth Sciences Report
University of Delaware did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Geology Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #25. University of Delaware is a large public school situated in Newark, Delaware. It awarded 19 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.
UD also took the #17 spot in our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Delaware is $17,260 for geology students whose families make $48-$75k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Geology & Earth Sciences at UD
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