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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Geology & Earth Sciences (Income $75-$110k)

249 Ranked Colleges
5,080 Degrees Awarded
$14,300 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor's For Those Making $75-$110k

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $75-$110k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this 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.

At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 5,080 geology and earth sciences graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,303 and $24,501 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $75-$110k” ranking looked at 249 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.

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.

More Ways to Rank Geology & Earth Sciences Schools

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $75-$110k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important 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 a Bachelor’s For Those Making $75-$110k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $75-$110k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Geology & Earth Sciences (Income $75-$110k)

#1

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Cambridge, Massachusetts
#2 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $75-$110k. This fairly large school is located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and it awarded 7 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

MIT also took the #2 spot in our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Massachusetts Institute of Technology is $14,381 for Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $75-$110k.

With a freshman retention rate of 98%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 1.1% 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%. The student-to-faculty ratio of 3 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read full report on Geology & Earth Sciences at MIT

#2

Dartmouth College

Hanover, New Hampshire
#1 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Dartmouth College. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $75-$110k. Dartmouth College is located in Hanover, New Hampshire and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 11 bachelors’s geology degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $75-$110k list, Dartmouth has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Dartmouth College is $14,238 for bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $75-$110k.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read full report on Geology & Earth Sciences at Dartmouth

#3

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois
#3 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Northwestern University. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $75-$110k. Northwestern is located in Evanston, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 10 bachelors’s geology degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Northwestern, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Northwestern is $16,784 for bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $75-$110k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The impressive 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. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Geology & Earth Sciences at Northwestern University

#4

Stanford University

Stanford, California
#8 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Stanford University. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $75-$110k. Stanford University is a fairly large school located in Stanford, California that handed out 30 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

Stanford also made our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #8. The yearly cost to attend Stanford University is $10,631 for Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $75-$110k.

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

Full Stanford Geology & Earth Sciences Report

#4 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Columbia University in the City of New York. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $75-$110k. Columbia is located in New York, New York and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 22 bachelors’s geology degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $75-$110k list, Columbia has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Columbia is $18,637 for Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $75-$110k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Geology & Earth Sciences at Columbia

#6

University of Florida

Gainesville, Florida
Top 15% in overall quality

University of Florida landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. UF is a public institution located in Gainesville, Florida. The school has a large population, and it awarded 36 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on this list, UF is in the top on our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The estimated yearly cost for University of Florida is $12,685 for Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $75-$110k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Geology & Earth Sciences at UF

#10 in overall quality

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, this large public school handed out 37 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s geology students in 2019-2020.

U-M also took the #10 spot in our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend U-M is $18,039 for Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $75-$110k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full University of Michigan - Ann Arbor Geology & Earth Sciences Report

#8

The City College of New York

New York, New York

The City College of New York came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Located in New York, New York, this fairly large public school handed out 11 degrees to qualified bachelors’s geology students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for The City College of New York is $9,546 for Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $75-$110k.

Full CCNY Geology & Earth Sciences Report

#9

Williams College

Williamstown, Massachusetts
#25 in overall quality

Williams College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #9. Williams is a private not-for-profit institution located in Williamstown, Massachusetts. The school has a small population, and it awarded 14 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $75-$110k list, Williams has also earned the #25 rank in our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $14,653 for Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Williams College.

The low 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%. The impressive 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 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Geology & Earth Sciences at Williams College

Brigham Young University - Idaho ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $75-$110k list. Located in Rexburg, Idaho, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 6 degrees to qualified bachelors’s geology students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for BYU - I is $9,850 for bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $75-$110k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Geology & Earth Sciences at Brigham Young University - Idaho

#11

University of Wyoming

Laramie, Wyoming
#24 in overall quality

University of Wyoming landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Laramie, Wyoming, and it awarded 22 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

UW also made our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #24. The estimated yearly cost for UW is $14,958 for Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $75-$110k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Geology & Earth Sciences at University of Wyoming

#12

Princeton University

Princeton, New Jersey
#9 in overall quality

With a ranking of #12, Princeton University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $75-$110k list. Princeton, New Jersey is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s geology degrees to 12 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $75-$110k list, Princeton has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $16,989 for Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Princeton.

The student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read more about Geology & Earth Sciences at Princeton University

California State University - Fullerton came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. This large school is located in Fullerton, California, and it awarded 20 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend California State University - Fullerton is $12,916 for bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $75-$110k.

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 2.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

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

#14

Beloit College

Beloit, Wisconsin

Beloit College landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Located in Beloit, Wisconsin, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 12 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s geology students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Beloit is $12,123 for bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $75-$110k.

The student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Geology & Earth Sciences at Beloit

Top 20% in overall quality

California State University - Long Beach came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. This large school is located in Long Beach, California, and it awarded 10 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

CSULB excels when it comes to geology quality. It’s in the top 20% of all schools in this category. It costs about $14,544 for bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend CSULB.

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

Read more about Geology & Earth Sciences at California State University - Long Beach

#16

California Institute of Technology

Pasadena, California
#6 in overall quality

California Institute of Technology came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. California Institute of Technology is a small school located in Pasadena, California that handed out 2 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

Caltech not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for California Institute of Technology is $12,788 for Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $75-$110k.

The student-to-faculty ratio of 3 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. 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 full report on Geology & Earth Sciences at Caltech

The University of Texas of the Permian Basin ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $75-$110k list. UT Permian Basin is a public institution located in Odessa, Texas. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 13 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend UT Permian Basin is $10,923 for bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $75-$110k.

Read more about Geology & Earth Sciences at UT Permian Basin

California State University - Los Angeles did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #18. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s geology degrees to 10 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend California State University - Los Angeles is $9,576 for bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $75-$110k.

The low student loan default rate of 1.4% 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 Cal State LA

#19

University of Georgia

Athens, Georgia
#14 in overall quality

University of Georgia did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #19. University of Georgia is located in Athens, Georgia and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 15 bachelors’s geology degrees to qualified students.

UGA also made our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #14. The yearly cost to attend UGA is $17,105 for Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $75-$110k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Georgia Geology & Earth Sciences Report

#20

Vanderbilt University

Nashville, Tennessee
Top 20% in overall quality

With a ranking of #20, Vanderbilt University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $75-$110k list. Vanderbilt is a private not-for-profit institution located in Nashville, Tennessee. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 10 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

On top of its placing in this ranking, Vanderbilt also did well on our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The yearly cost to attend Vanderbilt University is $14,890 for Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $75-$110k.

The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. 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 96%.

Read full report on Geology & Earth Sciences at Vanderbilt

Top 15% in overall quality

With a ranking of #21, University of Washington - Seattle Campus did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $75-$110k list. University of Washington - Seattle Campus is a large school located in Seattle, Washington that handed out 42 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, UW Seattle is also in the top of our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It’s in the top 15% of all schools in this category. It costs about $18,110 for Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend UW Seattle.

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 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Geology & Earth Sciences at UW Seattle

California State University - Bakersfield did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #22. California State University - Bakersfield is a fairly large public school situated in Bakersfield, California. It awarded 25 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend CSUB is $11,743 for bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $75-$110k.

Read more about Geology & Earth Sciences at CSUB

#23

University of Utah

Salt Lake City, Utah

University of Utah ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $75-$110k list. Located in Salt Lake City, Utah, this large public school handed out 34 degrees to qualified bachelors’s geology students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $17,718 for bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend University of Utah.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default 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 U of U

#24

Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, Maryland
#17 in overall quality

Johns Hopkins University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #24. Located in Baltimore, Maryland, this large private not-for-profit school awarded 4 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s geology students in 2019-2020.

Johns Hopkins also made our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #17. It costs about $19,177 for bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Johns Hopkins University.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The 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 Johns Hopkins Geology & Earth Sciences Report

University of Nevada - Las Vegas did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #25. Located in Las Vegas, Nevada, this large public school handed out 41 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s geology students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $15,165 for Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend University of Nevada - Las Vegas.

Full UNLV Geology & Earth Sciences Report

Rest of the Best 38 in Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $75-$110k

Not only did these schools make the top 38 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

#26

University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
#27

Northern Kentucky University

Highland Heights, Kentucky
#30

Purdue University - Main Campus

West Lafayette, Indiana
#32

University of Arizona

Tucson, Arizona
#34

West Virginia University

Morgantown, West Virginia
#35

University of Wisconsin - River Falls

River Falls, Wisconsin
#36

Florida State University

Tallahassee, Florida
#38

University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point

Stevens Point, Wisconsin

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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