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2022 Best Value Geophysics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k

16 Ranked Colleges
96 Degrees Awarded
Best Value Geophysics Schools for a Bachelor's For Those Making $48-$75k

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Geophysics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

In 2019-2020, 251 people earned their degree in geophysics and seismology, making the major the 674th most popular in the United States.

At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 96 geophysics and seismology graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,303 and $24,501 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Geophysics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking analyzed 16 colleges that offered a degree in geophysics and seismology. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality geophysics and seismology 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 geophysics and seismology program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

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 Geophysics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

Best Value Geophysics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Geophysics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k.

Top 16 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Geophysics & Seismology (Income $48-$75k)

#1

University of Chicago

Chicago, Illinois
#1 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Chicago. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Geophysics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k. UChicago is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 6 bachelors’s geophysics degrees to qualified students.

UChicago did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Geophysics & Seismology Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Chicago is $7,934 for bachelor’s degree geophysics students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low student loan default rate of 0.6% 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%. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 100%.

Read more about Geophysics & Seismology at University of Chicago

#2

California Institute of Technology

Pasadena, California
#2 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California Institute of Technology. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Geophysics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k. Located in Pasadena, California, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 1 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s geophysics students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree geophysics students whose families make $48-$75k list, Caltech has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Geophysics & Seismology Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $8,042 for Bachelor’s Degree Geophysics students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend California Institute of Technology.

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 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 student-to-faculty ratio of 3 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read full report on Geophysics & Seismology at Caltech

#7 in overall quality

Out of the 16 schools in the Best Value Geophysics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Washington - Seattle Campus landed the #3 spot on the list. University of Washington - Seattle Campus is a large public school situated in Seattle, Washington. It awarded 15 bachelors’s geophysics degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree geophysics students whose families make $48-$75k list, UW Seattle has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best Geophysics & Seismology Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Washington - Seattle Campus is $9,694 for bachelor’s degree geophysics students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 more about Geophysics & Seismology at UW Seattle

#4

Brown University

Providence, Rhode Island
#6 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Brown University. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Geophysics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. Brown is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Providence, Rhode Island. It awarded 6 bachelors’s geophysics degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree geophysics students whose families make $48-$75k list, Brown has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Geophysics & Seismology Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Brown is $11,689 for Bachelor’s Degree Geophysics students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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.

Read more about Geophysics & Seismology at Brown

#5 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Berkeley. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Geophysics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. UC Berkeley is a public institution located in Berkeley, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 7 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree geophysics students whose families make $48-$75k list, UC Berkeley has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Geophysics & Seismology Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $13,081 for Bachelor’s Degree Geophysics students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of California - Berkeley.

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

Read more about Geophysics & Seismology at University of California - Berkeley

#6

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California
#9 in overall quality

University of California - Los Angeles landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geophysics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 4 bachelors’s geophysics degrees in 2019-2020.

UCLA not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best Geophysics & Seismology Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Los Angeles is $13,081 for Bachelor’s Degree Geophysics students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 more about Geophysics & Seismology at UCLA

#7

University of Houston

Houston, Texas
#8 in overall quality

University of Houston came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geophysics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. UH is located in Houston, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 9 bachelors’s geophysics degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UH, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Geophysics & Seismology Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UH is $12,505 for bachelor’s degree geophysics students whose families make $48-$75k.

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

Read more about Geophysics & Seismology at University of Houston

#3 in overall quality

With a ranking of #8, Texas A&M University - College Station did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geophysics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. Texas A&M College Station is a large school located in College Station, Texas that handed out 14 bachelors’s geophysics degrees in 2019-2020.

Texas A&M College Station also took the #3 spot in our “Best Geophysics & Seismology Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Texas A&M University - College Station is $18,810 for Bachelor’s Degree Geophysics 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 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%.

Read full report on Geophysics & Seismology at Texas A&M College Station

#4 in overall quality

The University of Texas at Austin came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geophysics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. The University of Texas at Austin is a large school located in Austin, Texas that handed out 5 bachelors’s geophysics degrees in 2019-2020.

UT Austin also made our “Best Geophysics & Seismology Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #4. The estimated yearly cost for The University of Texas at Austin is $15,757 for bachelor’s degree geophysics students whose families make $48-$75k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Geophysics & Seismology at The University of Texas at Austin

#10

University of California - Riverside

Riverside, California
#15 in overall quality

University of California - Riverside landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geophysics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. UCR is a public institution located in Riverside, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 2 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCR, the school also landed the #15 spot in our “Best Geophysics & Seismology Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UCR is $12,290 for bachelor’s degree geophysics students whose families make $48-$75k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full University of California - Riverside Geophysics & Seismology Report

#12 in overall quality

University of Nevada - Reno landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geophysics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. University of Nevada - Reno is a large public school situated in Reno, Nevada. It awarded 3 bachelors’s geophysics degrees in 2019-2020.

UNR not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best Geophysics & Seismology Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend UNR is $14,947 for bachelor’s degree geophysics students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on Geophysics & Seismology at UNR

#12

Western Washington University

Bellingham, Washington
#14 in overall quality

With a ranking of #12, Western Washington University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geophysics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. Bellingham, Washington is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s geophysics degrees to 6 students in 2019-2020.

WWU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best Geophysics & Seismology Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $16,398 for bachelor’s degree geophysics students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend WWU.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Geophysics & Seismology at Western Washington University

#13

Western Michigan University

Kalamazoo, Michigan
#11 in overall quality

Western Michigan University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Geophysics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #13. Western Michigan University is a fairly large school located in Kalamazoo, Michigan that handed out 2 bachelors’s geophysics degrees in 2019-2020.

WMU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Geophysics & Seismology Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for WMU is $19,841 for bachelor’s degree geophysics students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on Geophysics & Seismology at WMU

#14

University of South Carolina - Columbia

Columbia, South Carolina
#16 in overall quality

University of South Carolina - Columbia came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geophysics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. University of South Carolina - Columbia is a large school located in Columbia, South Carolina that handed out 3 bachelors’s geophysics degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UofSC, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best Geophysics & Seismology Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of South Carolina - Columbia is $20,783 for bachelor’s degree geophysics students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, 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 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Geophysics & Seismology at University of South Carolina - Columbia

#13 in overall quality

University of Oklahoma Norman Campus did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Geophysics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #15. University of Oklahoma is a large school located in Norman, Oklahoma that handed out 1 bachelors’s geophysics degrees in 2019-2020.

University of Oklahoma also made our “Best Geophysics & Seismology Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #13. The yearly cost to attend University of Oklahoma is $21,812 for bachelor’s degree geophysics students whose families make $48-$75k.

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

Read full report on Geophysics & Seismology at University of Oklahoma Norman Campus

#16

Baylor University

Waco, Texas
#10 in overall quality

Baylor University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Geophysics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #16. This fairly large school is located in Waco, Texas, and it awarded 2 bachelors’s geophysics degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree geophysics students whose families make $48-$75k list, Baylor has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Geophysics & Seismology Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Baylor is $31,343 for bachelor’s degree geophysics students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Baylor Geophysics & Seismology Report

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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