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2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k

41 Ranked Colleges
1,228 Degrees Awarded
$6,900 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor's in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking - to help you make that decision.

In 2019-2020, 8,918 people earned their degree in geological and earth sciences, making the major the 84th most popular in the United States. In 2017-2018, geological and earth sciences graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $35,533 and had an average of $23,531 in loans still to pay off.

Across the Far Western US region, there were 1,851 geological and earth sciences graduates with average earnings and debt of $35,136 and $22,606 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,228 geological and earth sciences graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,083 and $22,209 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking looked at 41 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in geological and earth sciences. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality geological and earth sciences programs that also have a lower cost than 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 geological and earth sciences program at the school. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

More Ways to Rank Geological & Earth Sciences Schools

The geology 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 Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k”.

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. 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 Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k

The colleges and universities below are the best for far western us region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $0-$30k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Geological & Earth Sciences (Income $0-$30k) in the Far Western US Region

#1

California Institute of Technology

Pasadena, California
#1 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 #1 for the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k. This small school is located in Pasadena, California, and it awarded 3 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Caltech, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Caltech is $5,456 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, 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%. 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.

Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at California Institute of Technology

#2

Stanford University

Stanford, California
#2 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Stanford University. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Stanford University is located in Stanford, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 31 bachelors’s geology degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Stanford, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Stanford is $-1,387 for far western us region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $0-$30k. A negative average net price may seem strange, but it generally means that financial aid will more than cover the cost to attend the school.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. 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%.

Full Stanford Geological & Earth Sciences Report

Out of the 41 schools in the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Washington - Seattle Campus landed the #3 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 116 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW Seattle, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Washington - Seattle Campus is $7,850 for far western us region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $0-$30k.

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

Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at University of Washington - Seattle Campus

Out of the 41 schools in the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Fullerton landed the #4 spot on the list. This large school is located in Fullerton, California, and it awarded 38 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

Cal State Fullerton not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Fullerton is $4,291 for far western us region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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 Geological & Earth Sciences at Cal State Fullerton

Out of the 41 schools in the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Los Angeles landed the #5 spot on the list. Cal State LA is a large public school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 10 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Cal State LA is $1,379 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $0-$30k.

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 more about Geological & Earth Sciences at Cal State LA

With a ranking of #6, California State University - Long Beach did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Long Beach, California, this large public school handed out 12 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s geology students in 2019-2020.

CSULB did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The yearly cost to attend CSULB is $6,364 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at California State University - Long Beach

University of California - Berkeley did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #7. University of California - Berkeley is a public institution located in Berkeley, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 21 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Berkeley also made our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #4. It costs about $8,392 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UC Berkeley.

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 school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at University of California - Berkeley

University of California - Irvine did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #8. UC Irvine is a large school located in Irvine, California that handed out 52 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Irvine, the school also landed the #11 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Irvine is $9,558 for far western us region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $0-$30k.

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 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at University of California - Irvine

California State University - Bakersfield ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Bakersfield, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s geology degrees to 25 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend California State University - Bakersfield is $3,423 for far western us region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at California State University - Bakersfield

#10

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California

University of California - Los Angeles came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s geology degrees to 18 students in 2019-2020.

UCLA not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UCLA is $8,553 for far western us region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $0-$30k.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%.

Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at UCLA

#11

University of California - Riverside

Riverside, California
#20 in overall quality

University of California - Riverside ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Riverside, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s geology degrees to 16 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCR, the school also landed the #20 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UCR is $8,366 for far western us region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $0-$30k.

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

Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at UCR

#12

University of California - Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara, California

University of California - Santa Barbara did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #12. UCSB is a large school located in Santa Barbara, California that handed out 69 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCSB, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UCSB is $10,316 for far western us region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at University of California - Santa Barbara

#13

San Diego State University

San Diego, California

San Diego State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #13. Located in San Diego, California, this large public school handed out 28 degrees to qualified bachelors’s geology students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at SDSU, the school also landed the #22 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for SDSU is $8,870 for far western us region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%.

Full SDSU Geological & Earth Sciences Report

#6 in overall quality

With a ranking of #14, 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 Making $0-$30k list. UC Davis is located in Davis, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 29 bachelors’s geology degrees to qualified students.

UC Davis also took the #6 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Davis is $9,842 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $0-$30k.

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 1.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

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

#15

Washington State University

Pullman, Washington

With a ranking of #15, Washington State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Pullman, Washington is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s geology degrees to 102 students in 2019-2020.

Wazzu also made our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #19. The estimated yearly cost for Wazzu is $9,334 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 4.6% 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 Geological & Earth Sciences at Washington State University

California State University - Dominguez Hills ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. CSUDH is a fairly large school located in Carson, California that handed out 2 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for CSUDH is $2,455 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at California State University - Dominguez Hills

California State University - Sacramento did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #17. Sac State is a public institution located in Sacramento, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 18 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our far western us region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $0-$30k list, Sac State has also earned the #21 rank in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. It costs about $6,819 for far western us region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Sac State.

The low student loan default rate of 4.6% 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%.

Full California State University - Sacramento Geological & Earth Sciences Report

University of Nevada - Las Vegas landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of Nevada - Las Vegas is a public institution located in Las Vegas, Nevada. The school has a large population, and it awarded 41 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UNLV also took the #16 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UNLV is $9,378 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at University of Nevada - Las Vegas

With a ranking of #19, 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 Making $0-$30k list. Cal Poly Pomona is a large public school situated in Pomona, California. It awarded 22 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our far western us region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $0-$30k list, Cal Poly Pomona has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. It costs about $8,596 for far western us region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend California State Polytechnic University - Pomona.

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 low student loan default rate of 1.7% 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 Geological & Earth Sciences at California State Polytechnic University - Pomona

#20

University of California - Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz, California

University of California - Santa Cruz came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UC Santa Cruz is a fairly large school located in Santa Cruz, California that handed out 66 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Santa Cruz, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Santa Cruz is $10,872 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $0-$30k.

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 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at UC Santa Cruz

University of California - Merced landed the #21 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Merced, California is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s geology degrees to 19 students in 2019-2020.

UC Merced also took the #13 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Merced is $10,782 for far western us region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. 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 more about Geological & Earth Sciences at University of California - Merced

California State University - Fresno came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Fresno, California, this large public school awarded 5 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s geology students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $3,264 for far western us region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Fresno State.

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

Full California State University - Fresno Geological & Earth Sciences Report

California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in San Luis Obispo, California, this large public school handed out 37 degrees to qualified bachelors’s geology students in 2019-2020.

Cal Poly San Luis Obispo not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The yearly cost to attend California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo is $12,475 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 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 California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo Geological & Earth Sciences Report

#24

California State University - San Bernardino

San Bernardino, California

With a ranking of #24, California State University - San Bernardino did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k 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.

It costs about $5,077 for far western us region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend CSUSB.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at California State University - San Bernardino

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 Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #25. Stan State is a fairly large public school situated in Turlock, California. It awarded 9 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $3,410 for far western us region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $0-$30k 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 low student loan default rate of 4.3% 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%.

Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at Stan State

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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

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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