Find Schools

Study Area & Zipcode

Find Schools Near

2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Geology & Earth Sciences in the Far Western US Region (With Aid)

38 Ranked Colleges
956 Degrees Awarded
$11,800 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor's in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking is part of that endeavor.

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 Getting Aid” ranking, we looked at 38 colleges that offer a degree 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.

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.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

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. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Geology & Earth Sciences in the Far Western US Region (With Aid)

#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 Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Washington - Seattle Campus landed the #1 spot on the 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 yearly cost to attend UW Seattle is $13,297 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students with aid.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%.

Read full report on Geology & Earth Sciences at UW Seattle

Out of the 38 schools in the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Los Angeles landed the #2 spot on the list. This large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 10 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Cal State LA is $2,768 for far western us region bachelor’s degree geology students with aid.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

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

#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 Getting Aid. California State University - Fullerton is a public institution located in Fullerton, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 20 bachelors’s 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 estimated yearly cost for California State University - Fullerton is $7,991 for far western us region bachelor’s degree geology students with aid.

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

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

#9 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Long Beach. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid. This large school is located in Long Beach, California, and it awarded 10 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

CSULB did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. It costs about $9,622 for far western us region bachelor’s degree geology students with aid per year to attend California State University - Long Beach.

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%.

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

#24 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Bakersfield. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Bakersfield, California, this fairly large public school awarded 25 degrees to qualified bachelors’s geology students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our far western us region bachelor’s degree geology students with aid list, CSUB has also earned the #24 rank in our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Bakersfield is $5,318 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students with aid.

Full CSUB Geology & Earth Sciences Report

#10 in overall quality

University of California - Irvine ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Irvine, California, this large public school awarded 52 degrees to qualified bachelors’s geology students in 2019-2020.

UC Irvine also made our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #10. It costs about $14,783 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students with aid per year to attend UC Irvine.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Geology & Earth Sciences at UC Irvine

#15 in overall quality

University of Nevada - Las Vegas 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 Getting Aid ranking. This large school is located in Las Vegas, Nevada, and it awarded 41 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

UNLV not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #15 on our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. It costs about $11,424 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students with aid per year to attend University of Nevada - Las Vegas.

Read full report on Geology & Earth Sciences at University of Nevada - Las Vegas

#20 in overall quality

With a ranking of #8, California State University - Sacramento did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid list. California State University - Sacramento is a large school located in Sacramento, California that handed out 18 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

Sac State also took the #20 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 - Sacramento is $9,979 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students with aid.

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%.

Full Sac State Geology & Earth Sciences Report

#12 in overall quality

University of California - Merced came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Merced, California, this medium-sized public school handed out 19 degrees to qualified bachelors’s geology students in 2019-2020.

UC Merced did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UC Merced is $13,896 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students with aid.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

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

#10

University of California - Riverside

Riverside, California
#19 in overall quality

University of California - Riverside landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid 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. It costs about $12,871 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students with aid per year to attend University of California - Riverside.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.

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

#11 in overall quality

With a ranking of #11, 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 Getting Aid list. Cal Poly Pomona is located in Pomona, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 22 bachelors’s geology degrees to qualified students.

Cal Poly Pomona also took 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 $12,734 for far western us region bachelor’s degree geology students with aid.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Geology & Earth Sciences at California State Polytechnic University - Pomona

#12

University of California - Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara, California
#3 in overall quality

University of California - Santa Barbara landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. 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. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Santa Barbara is $15,884 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students with aid.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full University of California - Santa Barbara Geology & Earth Sciences Report

#13

California State University - San Bernardino

San Bernardino, California

California State University - San Bernardino ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid list. California State University - San Bernardino is a fairly large school located in San Bernardino, California that handed out 15 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend CSUSB is $7,342 for far western us region bachelor’s degree geology students with aid.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.

Full CSUSB Geology & Earth Sciences Report

#14

Stanford University

Stanford, California
#2 in overall quality

Stanford University landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. 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. The estimated yearly cost for Stanford University is $11,496 for far western us region bachelor’s degree geology students with aid.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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 Stanford University

#15

San Diego State University

San Diego, California
#21 in overall quality

With a ranking of #15, San Diego State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid list. San Diego State University is a large school located in San Diego, California that handed out 28 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

SDSU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #21 on our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. It costs about $14,788 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students with aid per year to attend SDSU.

The low student loan default rate of 2.8% 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%. 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 San Diego State University

California State University - Fresno ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid list. California State University - Fresno is a large school located in Fresno, California that handed out 5 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $5,464 for far western us region bachelor’s degree geology students with aid per year to attend Fresno State.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. 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%.

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

#17

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California
#7 in overall quality

With a ranking of #17, University of California - Los Angeles did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid list. UCLA is a large public school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 14 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

UCLA also made our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #7. It costs about $14,279 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students with aid per year to attend University of California - Los Angeles.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full University of California - Los Angeles Geology & Earth Sciences Report

#5 in overall quality

With a ranking of #18, University of California - Davis did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid list. University of California - Davis is a large school located in Davis, California that handed out 28 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Davis also made our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #5. The estimated yearly cost for UC Davis is $14,669 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students with aid.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

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

California State University - Stanislaus did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #19. Turlock, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s geology degrees to 9 students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $6,019 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students with aid per year to attend California State University - Stanislaus.

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 4.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Stan State Geology & Earth Sciences Report

#20

University of California - Berkeley

Berkeley, California
#4 in overall quality

With a ranking of #20, University of California - Berkeley did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid list. Berkeley, 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.

UC Berkeley did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. It costs about $15,329 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students with aid per year to attend UC Berkeley.

With a freshman retention rate of 96%, 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%.

Full UC Berkeley Geology & Earth Sciences Report

#21

San Francisco State University

San Francisco, California
#22 in overall quality

With a ranking of #21, San Francisco State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid list. San Francisco, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s geology degrees to 1 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at SFSU, the school also landed the #22 spot in our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend San Francisco State University is $15,113 for far western us region bachelor’s degree geology students with aid.

Full San Francisco State University Geology & Earth Sciences Report

#22

University of California - Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz, California
#8 in overall quality

University of California - Santa Cruz landed the #22 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. University of California - Santa Cruz is a fairly large school located in Santa Cruz, California that handed out 66 bachelors’s geology degrees 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. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Santa Cruz is $18,186 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students with aid.

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%.

Full UC Santa Cruz Geology & Earth Sciences Report

#23

Portland State University

Portland, Oregon

Portland State University landed the #23 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. This large school is located in Portland, Oregon, and it awarded 30 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Portland State University is $13,040 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students with aid.

Full Portland State University Geology & Earth Sciences Report

#24

Eastern Washington University

Cheney, Washington

Eastern Washington University ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid 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.

The estimated yearly cost for Eastern Washington University is $12,607 for far western us region bachelor’s degree geology students with aid.

Read more about Geology & Earth Sciences at EWU

#14 in overall quality

University of Nevada - Reno landed the #25 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. This large school is located in Reno, Nevada, and it awarded 9 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

UNR did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The yearly cost to attend UNR is $15,081 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students with aid.

Read more about Geology & Earth Sciences at University of Nevada - Reno

Switch to a Different Ranking Method

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.

Featured Physical Sciences Schools

Find Schools Near You