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2022 Best Value Geophysics Schools for a Bachelor’s

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

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Geophysics Schools for a Bachelor’s” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

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” ranking, we looked at 16 colleges that offer a degree in geophysics and seismology. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent geophysics and seismology programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the geophysics and seismology program at the school. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

More Ways to Rank Geophysics & Seismology Schools

When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Best Value Geophysics Schools for a Bachelor’s” list to help you make the college 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. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.

Best Value Geophysics Schools for a Bachelor’s

The colleges and universities below are the best for bachelor’s degree geophysics students.

Top 16 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Geophysics & Seismology

#1

Western Michigan University

Kalamazoo, Michigan
#11 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Western Michigan University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Geophysics Schools for a Bachelor’s. Kalamazoo, Michigan is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s geophysics degrees to 2 students in 2019-2020.

WMU also made our “Best Geophysics & Seismology Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #11. It costs about $19,433 for bachelor’s degree geophysics students per year to attend Western Michigan University.

Full WMU Geophysics & Seismology Report

#2

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 #2 on our 2022 Best Value Geophysics Schools for a Bachelor’s list. UH is a large public school situated in Houston, Texas. It awarded 9 bachelors’s geophysics degrees in 2019-2020.

UH also took the #8 spot in our “Best Geophysics & Seismology Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UH is $12,838 for Bachelor’s Degree Geophysics students.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full University of Houston Geophysics & Seismology Report

#13 in overall quality

Out of the 16 schools in the Best Value Geophysics Schools for a Bachelor’s that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Oklahoma Norman Campus landed the #3 spot on the list. University of Oklahoma 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 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 Norman Campus is $21,145 for Bachelor’s Degree Geophysics students.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Geophysics & Seismology at University of Oklahoma Norman Campus

#12 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Nevada - Reno. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Geophysics Schools for a Bachelor’s. University of Nevada - Reno is a public institution located in Reno, Nevada. The school has a large population, and it awarded 3 bachelors’s 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.

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

#5

Western Washington University

Bellingham, Washington
#14 in overall quality

Out of the 16 schools in the Best Value Geophysics Schools for a Bachelor’s that were part of this year’s ranking, Western Washington University landed the #5 spot on the list. Western Washington University is a fairly large public school situated in Bellingham, Washington. It awarded 6 bachelors’s geophysics degrees in 2019-2020.

WWU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best Geophysics & Seismology Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for WWU is $16,529 for bachelor’s degree geophysics students.

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%.

Full Western Washington University Geophysics & Seismology Report

#3 in overall quality

With a ranking of #6, Texas A&M University - College Station did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geophysics Schools for a Bachelor’s list. Located in College Station, Texas, this large public school handed out 14 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s geophysics students in 2019-2020.

Texas A&M College Station also made our “Best Geophysics & Seismology Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #3. The yearly cost to attend Texas A&M University - College Station is $19,057 for Bachelor’s Degree Geophysics students.

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 2.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Texas A&M College Station Geophysics & Seismology Report

#7

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 ranking, coming in at #7. Located in Columbia, South Carolina, this large public school handed out 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 estimated yearly cost for University of South Carolina - Columbia is $20,509 for bachelor’s degree geophysics students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%. 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 more about Geophysics & Seismology at UofSC

#4 in overall quality

The University of Texas at Austin came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geophysics Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking. The University of Texas at 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.

UT Austin also made our “Best Geophysics & Seismology Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #4. It costs about $18,023 for bachelor’s degree geophysics students per year to attend The University of Texas at Austin.

With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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 full report on Geophysics & Seismology at UT Austin

#7 in overall quality

With a ranking of #9, University of Washington - Seattle Campus did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geophysics Schools for a Bachelor’s 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.

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 UW Seattle is $13,297 for Bachelor’s Degree Geophysics students.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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 University of Washington - Seattle Campus

#10

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California
#9 in overall quality

University of California - Los Angeles came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geophysics Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking. UCLA is a large public school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 4 bachelors’s geophysics degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree geophysics students list, UCLA has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Geophysics & Seismology Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $14,279 for bachelor’s degree geophysics students per year to attend UCLA.

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

Full UCLA Geophysics & Seismology Report

#11

University of California - Riverside

Riverside, California
#15 in overall quality

With a ranking of #11, University of California - Riverside did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geophysics Schools for a Bachelor’s list. UCR is a large public school situated in Riverside, California. It awarded 2 bachelors’s geophysics degrees in 2019-2020.

UCR did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best Geophysics & Seismology Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Riverside is $12,871 for Bachelor’s Degree Geophysics students.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

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

#12

Baylor University

Waco, Texas
#10 in overall quality

With a ranking of #12, Baylor University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geophysics Schools for a Bachelor’s list. Baylor University is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Waco, Texas. It awarded 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 estimated yearly cost for Baylor is $36,039 for bachelor’s degree geophysics students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The low student loan default rate of 3.7% 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%.

Full Baylor Geophysics & Seismology Report

#13

University of California - Berkeley

Berkeley, California
#5 in overall quality

University of California - Berkeley ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Geophysics Schools for a Bachelor’s 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.

UC Berkeley not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #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.

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 full report on Geophysics & Seismology at University of California - Berkeley

#14

California Institute of Technology

Pasadena, California
#2 in overall quality

California Institute of Technology did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Geophysics Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #14. Pasadena, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s geophysics degrees to 1 students in 2019-2020.

Caltech also made our “Best Geophysics & Seismology Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #2. The yearly cost to attend Caltech is $24,274 for bachelor’s degree geophysics students.

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%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 3 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full Caltech Geophysics & Seismology Report

#15

University of Chicago

Chicago, Illinois
#1 in overall quality

University of Chicago ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Geophysics Schools for a Bachelor’s list. University of Chicago is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 6 bachelors’s geophysics degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UChicago, the school also landed the #1 spot 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.

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 school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 100%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Full University of Chicago Geophysics & Seismology Report

#16

Brown University

Providence, Rhode Island
#6 in overall quality

Brown University came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geophysics Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking. Brown University is located in Providence, Rhode Island and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 6 bachelors’s geophysics degrees to qualified students.

Brown not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best Geophysics & Seismology Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $29,392 for bachelor’s degree geophysics students per year to attend Brown.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Full Brown 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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