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2022 Best Value Geophysics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid

16 Ranked Colleges
96 Degrees Awarded
$19,700 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Geophysics Schools for a Bachelor's For Those Getting Aid

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value Geophysics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

Geophysics & Seismology is the 674th most popular major in the country with 251 degrees awarded in 2019-2020.

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.

For this year’s “Best Value Geophysics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid” ranking, we looked at 16 colleges that offer 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. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

More Ways to Rank Geophysics & Seismology Schools

The geophysics 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 Geophysics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid”.

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

Best Value Geophysics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Geophysics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid.

Top 16 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Geophysics & Seismology (With Aid)

#7 in overall quality

Out of the 16 schools in the Best Value Geophysics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Washington - Seattle Campus landed the #1 spot on the list. Located in Seattle, Washington, this large public school awarded 15 degrees to qualified bachelors’s geophysics students in 2019-2020.

UW Seattle not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Geophysics & Seismology Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Washington - Seattle Campus is $13,297 for bachelor’s degree geophysics students with aid.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, which is much lower than the national 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 Geophysics & Seismology at UW Seattle

#4 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend The University of Texas at Austin. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Geophysics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid. UT Austin is a public institution located in Austin, Texas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 5 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UT Austin, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Geophysics & Seismology Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for The University of Texas at Austin is $18,023 for Bachelor’s Degree Geophysics students with aid.

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 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 Geophysics & Seismology at UT Austin

#3

University of Houston

Houston, Texas
#8 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Houston. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Geophysics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. University of Houston is a large school located in Houston, Texas that handed out 9 bachelors’s geophysics degrees in 2019-2020.

UH did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Geophysics & Seismology Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend UH is $12,838 for bachelor’s degree geophysics students with aid.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full UH Geophysics & Seismology Report

#15 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Riverside. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Geophysics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid. 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 estimated yearly cost for UCR is $12,871 for Bachelor’s Degree Geophysics students with aid.

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

Read more about Geophysics & Seismology at UCR

#3 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Texas A&M University - College Station. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Geophysics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid. This large school is located in College Station, Texas, and it awarded 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. It costs about $19,057 for bachelor’s degree geophysics students with aid per year to attend Texas A&M University - College Station.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Texas A&M University - College Station Geophysics & Seismology Report

#6

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California
#9 in overall quality

With a ranking of #6, University of California - Los Angeles did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geophysics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. UCLA is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 4 bachelors’s geophysics degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCLA, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Geophysics & Seismology Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Los Angeles is $14,279 for Bachelor’s Degree Geophysics students with aid.

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

Full UCLA Geophysics & Seismology Report

#5 in overall quality

University of California - Berkeley ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Geophysics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. Berkeley, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s geophysics degrees to 7 students in 2019-2020.

UC Berkeley did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Geophysics & Seismology Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Berkeley is $15,329 for Bachelor’s Degree Geophysics 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Geophysics & Seismology at UC Berkeley

#12 in overall quality

University of Nevada - Reno landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geophysics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. UNR is a large school located in Reno, Nevada that handed out 3 bachelors’s geophysics degrees in 2019-2020.

UNR also took the #12 spot in our “Best Geophysics & Seismology Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Nevada - Reno is $15,081 for bachelor’s degree geophysics students with aid.

Read full report on Geophysics & Seismology at University of Nevada - Reno

#9

Western Michigan University

Kalamazoo, Michigan
#11 in overall quality

With a ranking of #9, Western Michigan University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geophysics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. WMU is located in Kalamazoo, Michigan and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 2 bachelors’s geophysics degrees to qualified students.

WMU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best Geophysics & Seismology Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend WMU is $19,433 for Bachelor’s Degree Geophysics students with aid.

Full WMU Geophysics & Seismology Report

#10

Western Washington University

Bellingham, Washington
#14 in overall quality

Western Washington University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Geophysics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #10. Western Washington University is a fairly large public school situated in Bellingham, Washington. It awarded 6 bachelors’s geophysics degrees in 2019-2020.

WWU also took the #14 spot in our “Best Geophysics & Seismology Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend WWU is $16,529 for bachelor’s degree geophysics students with aid.

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%.

Full WWU Geophysics & Seismology Report

#11

California Institute of Technology

Pasadena, California
#2 in overall quality

California Institute of Technology came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geophysics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. Caltech is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Pasadena, California. It awarded 1 bachelors’s geophysics degrees in 2019-2020.

Caltech also made our “Best Geophysics & Seismology Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #2. It costs about $24,274 for Bachelor’s Degree Geophysics students with aid per year to attend Caltech.

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. 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 student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full California Institute of Technology Geophysics & Seismology Report

#13 in overall quality

University of Oklahoma Norman Campus ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Geophysics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. University of Oklahoma Norman Campus is located in Norman, Oklahoma and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 1 bachelors’s geophysics degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree geophysics students with aid list, University of Oklahoma has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best Geophysics & Seismology Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Oklahoma is $21,145 for bachelor’s degree geophysics students with aid.

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 more about Geophysics & Seismology at University of Oklahoma

#13

University of South Carolina - Columbia

Columbia, South Carolina
#16 in overall quality

University of South Carolina - Columbia did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Geophysics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #13. Located in Columbia, South Carolina, this large public school awarded 3 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s geophysics students in 2019-2020.

UofSC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best Geophysics & Seismology Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend UofSC is $20,509 for Bachelor’s Degree Geophysics students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.3%, 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 90%.

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

#14

Brown University

Providence, Rhode Island
#6 in overall quality

Brown University ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Geophysics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Providence, Rhode Island, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school awarded 6 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s geophysics students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Brown, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best Geophysics & Seismology Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Brown is $29,392 for bachelor’s degree geophysics students with aid.

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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%. The low student loan default rate of 2.1% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about Geophysics & Seismology at Brown

#15

University of Chicago

Chicago, Illinois
#1 in overall quality

University of Chicago landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geophysics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. University of Chicago is a fairly large school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 6 bachelors’s geophysics degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree geophysics students with aid list, UChicago has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Geophysics & Seismology Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Chicago is $27,315 for bachelor’s degree geophysics students with aid.

With a freshman retention rate of 100%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Full UChicago Geophysics & Seismology Report

#16

Baylor University

Waco, Texas
#10 in overall quality

Baylor University ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Geophysics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. Baylor is a fairly large school located in Waco, Texas that handed out 2 bachelors’s geophysics degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Baylor, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best Geophysics & Seismology Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Baylor is $36,039 for bachelor’s degree geophysics students with aid.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default 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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