2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Geophysics Major
33
Ranked Colleges
89
Degrees Awarded
$34,100
Avg Cost*
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 “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Geophysics Major” ranking is part of that endeavor.
Geophysics & Seismology is the 757th most popular major in the country with 243 degrees awarded in 2020-2021.
At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 89 geophysics and seismology graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,682 and $26,217 respectively.
This year’s “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Geophysics Major” ranking analyzed 33 colleges that offered a degree in geophysics and seismology. This a ranking of the schools where the largest percentage of students has enrolled in geophysics and seismology.
For more information, check out our ranking methodology.
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 “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Geophysics Major” 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. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.
Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Geophysics Major
The following schools top our list of the Best “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Geophysics Major”.
Top 33 Most Focused Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Geophysics & Seismology
Out of the 33 schools in the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Geophysics Major that were part of this year’s ranking, California Institute of Technology landed the #1 spot on the list. Located in Pasadena, California, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 1 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s geophysics students in 2020-2021.
With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. With a undergrad 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
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Brown University. The school came in at #2 for the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Geophysics Major. Providence, Rhode Island is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s geophysics degrees to 4 students in 2020-2021.
The impressive undergraduate 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 excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.8% 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%.
Read full report on Geophysics & Seismology at Brown
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Washington - Seattle Campus. The school came in at #3 for the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Geophysics Major. University of Washington - Seattle Campus is located in Seattle, Washington and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 17 bachelors’s geophysics degrees to qualified students.
With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Geophysics & Seismology at University of Washington - Seattle Campus
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Houston. The school came in at #4 for the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Geophysics Major. UH is a public institution located in Houston, Texas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 11 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.4% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Geophysics & Seismology at University of Houston
Out of the 33 schools in the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Geophysics Major that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Berkeley landed the #5 spot on the list. University of California - Berkeley is a large school located in Berkeley, California that handed out 13 bachelors’s geophysics degrees in 2020-2021.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.8% 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%.
Full UC Berkeley Geophysics & Seismology Report
University of Chicago did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Geophysics Major ranking, coming in at #6. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 6 degrees to qualified bachelors’s geophysics students in 2020-2021.
With a freshman retention rate of 100%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate 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.
Read full report on Geophysics & Seismology at University of Chicago
SUNY Geneseo landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Geophysics Major ranking. SUNY Geneseo is a small school located in Geneseo, New York that handed out 1 bachelors’s geophysics degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, 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 85%.
Full SUNY Geneseo Geophysics & Seismology Report
University of Oklahoma Norman Campus came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Geophysics Major ranking. University of Oklahoma Norman Campus is a public institution located in Norman, Oklahoma. The school has a large population, and it awarded 5 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.3%, 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 undergraduate students.
Full University of Oklahoma Norman Campus Geophysics & Seismology Report
Michigan Technological University landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Geophysics Major ranking. Michigan Technological University is a public institution located in Houghton, Michigan. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 1 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.9%, 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 86%.
Read full report on Geophysics & Seismology at Michigan Technological University
Western Washington University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Geophysics Major ranking. WWU is a fairly large school located in Bellingham, Washington that handed out 2 bachelors’s geophysics degrees in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Geophysics & Seismology at Western Washington University
University of California - Los Angeles did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Geophysics Major ranking, coming in at #11. UCLA is a public institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 6 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.6% 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%.
Read more about Geophysics & Seismology at University of California - Los Angeles
With a ranking of #12, University of California - Riverside did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Geophysics Major list. University of California - Riverside is a large public school situated in Riverside, California. It awarded 3 bachelors’s geophysics degrees in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad 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 school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Geophysics & Seismology at UCR
Texas A&M University - College Station did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Geophysics Major ranking, coming in at #13. This large school is located in College Station, Texas, and it awarded 8 bachelors’s geophysics degrees in 2020-2021.
With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.2% 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 Texas A&M University - College Station Geophysics & Seismology Report
With a ranking of #14, University of Nevada - Reno did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Geophysics Major list. This large school is located in Reno, Nevada, and it awarded 2 bachelors’s geophysics degrees in 2020-2021.
The undergrad 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 University of Nevada - Reno Geophysics & Seismology Report
Washington University in St Louis landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Geophysics Major ranking. WUSTL is a private not-for-profit institution located in Saint Louis, Missouri. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 2 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. 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 undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Geophysics & Seismology at WUSTL
University of South Carolina - Columbia ranked #16 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Geophysics Major list. University of South Carolina - Columbia is located in Columbia, South Carolina and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 3 bachelors’s geophysics degrees to qualified students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.1% 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 school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Geophysics & Seismology at University of South Carolina - Columbia
Southern Methodist University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Geophysics Major ranking, coming in at #17. Located in Dallas, Texas, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 1 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s geophysics students in 2020-2021.
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 low undergrad 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 full report on Geophysics & Seismology at Southern Methodist University
Western Michigan University landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Geophysics Major ranking. Kalamazoo, Michigan is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s geophysics degrees to 1 students in 2020-2021.
Full Western Michigan University Geophysics & Seismology Report
The University of Texas at Austin did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Geophysics Major ranking, coming in at #19. UT Austin is a large school located in Austin, Texas that handed out 2 bachelors’s geophysics degrees in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.3%, 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 97%.
Read more about Geophysics & Seismology at The University of Texas at Austin
With a ranking of #20, The University of Texas at El Paso did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Geophysics Major list. UTEP is a large public school situated in El Paso, Texas. It awarded 3 bachelors’s geophysics degrees in 2020-2021.
Read full report on Geophysics & Seismology at UTEP
Saint Louis University came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Geophysics Major ranking. SLU is a private not-for-profit institution located in Saint Louis, Missouri. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 3 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The low undergrad 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%.
Full Saint Louis University Geophysics & Seismology Report
With a ranking of #20, St Lawrence University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Geophysics Major list. Canton, New York is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s geophysics degrees to 0 students in 2020-2021.
The undergraduate 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 undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on Geophysics & Seismology at St. Lawrence
Stanford University ranked #20 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Geophysics Major list. Stanford, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s geophysics degrees to 13 students in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The impressive undergraduate 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.
Full Stanford University Geophysics & Seismology Report
University of California - Santa Barbara landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Geophysics Major ranking. UCSB is a large public school situated in Santa Barbara, California. It awarded 0 bachelors’s geophysics degrees in 2020-2021.
With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.8% 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%.
Read full report on Geophysics & Seismology at University of California - Santa Barbara
Boston University came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Geophysics Major ranking. Located in Boston, Massachusetts, this large private not-for-profit school awarded 0 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s geophysics students in 2020-2021.
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 low undergrad 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%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.
Read full report on Geophysics & Seismology at Boston University
With a ranking of #20, Swarthmore College did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Geophysics Major list. Swarthmore, Pennsylvania is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s geophysics degrees to 0 students in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.7% 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%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on Geophysics & Seismology at Swarthmore College
SUNY Fredonia came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Geophysics Major ranking. Fredonia, New York is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s geophysics degrees to 0 students in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.5% 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%.
Read more about Geophysics & Seismology at SUNY Fredonia
Millsaps College landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Geophysics Major ranking. Jackson, Mississippi is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s geophysics degrees to 0 students in 2020-2021.
The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.2% 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 Millsaps College
Oklahoma State University - Main Campus ranked #20 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Geophysics Major list. Oklahoma State University - Main Campus is a public institution located in Stillwater, Oklahoma. The school has a large population, and it awarded 0 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad 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 Oklahoma State University - Main Campus
University of Tulsa did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Geophysics Major ranking, coming in at #20. Located in Tulsa, Oklahoma, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 5 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s geophysics students in 2020-2021.
The undergraduate 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 undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Geophysics & Seismology at University of Tulsa
Baylor University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Geophysics Major ranking, coming in at #20. Baylor University is located in Waco, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 0 bachelors’s geophysics degrees to qualified students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.2% 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 Geophysics & Seismology at Baylor University
With a ranking of #20, University of Akron Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Geophysics Major list. University of Akron Main Campus is located in Akron, Ohio and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 0 bachelors’s geophysics degrees to qualified students.
Read full report on Geophysics & Seismology at University of Akron Main Campus
University of California - San Diego did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Geophysics Major ranking, coming in at #20. Located in La Jolla, California, this large public school handed out 1 degrees to qualified bachelors’s geophysics students in 2020-2021.
With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Geophysics & Seismology at UCSD
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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
- *Avg Salary and Avg 4-Year Grad Rate 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.