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2023 Best Value Geology Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k

31 Ranked Colleges
1,632 Degrees Awarded
$7,700 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Geology Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. 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 Geology Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

In 2020-2021, 7,821 people earned their degree in geological and earth sciences, making the major the 95th most popular in the United States. In 2019-2020, geological and earth sciences graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $38,705 and had an average of $23,383 in loans still to pay off.

Across the Far Western US region, there were 1,632 geological and earth sciences graduates with average earnings and debt of $37,732 and $20,537 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Geology Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking looked at 31 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in geological and earth sciences. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great geological and earth sciences programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the geological and earth sciences program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

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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 in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k”.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.

Best Value Geology Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k

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

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

1
Stanford crest
Stanford University
Stanford, California

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Stanford University. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value Geology Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Stanford is located in Stanford, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 100 ’s geology degrees to qualified students.

Stanford did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Stanford is $1,233 for Far Western US Region Geology students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. 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%.

Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at Stanford University

2

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 Geology Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k. Pasadena, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s geology degrees to 31 students in 2020-2021.

Caltech also made our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #5. It costs about $-539 for Far Western US Region Geology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend California Institute of Technology. When an average net price is negative, it usually means that the student will receive more financial aid than it costs to attend the school.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergraduate 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 full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at Caltech

3

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Berkeley. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Geology Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k. This large school is located in Berkeley, California, and it awarded 49 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Berkeley, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Berkeley is $8,450 for far western us region geology students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.8%, 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%.

Full UC Berkeley Geological & Earth Sciences Report

4

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Washington - Seattle Campus. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Geology Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k. Located in Seattle, Washington, this large public school awarded 127 degrees to qualified ’s geology students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our far western us region geology students whose families make $0-$30k list, UW Seattle has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UW Seattle is $5,194 for far western us region geology students whose families make $0-$30k.

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 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 more about Geological & Earth Sciences at UW Seattle

5

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Los Angeles. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Geology Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of California - Los Angeles is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 31 ’s geology degrees to qualified students.

UCLA also took the #7 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UCLA is $9,037 for Far Western US Region Geology students whose families make $0-$30k.

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 undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full UCLA Geological & Earth Sciences Report

6

With a ranking of #6, University of California - Santa Barbara did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Geology Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. UCSB is a large school located in Santa Barbara, California that handed out 53 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.

UCSB also made our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #4. The yearly cost to attend UCSB is $10,568 for Far Western US Region Geology students whose families make $0-$30k.

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%. 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 University of California - Santa Barbara

7

University of California - San Diego ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of California - San Diego is a large school located in La Jolla, California that handed out 75 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our far western us region geology students whose families make $0-$30k list, UCSD has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. It costs about $9,823 for Far Western US Region Geology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UCSD.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. 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%.

Full University of California - San Diego Geological & Earth Sciences Report

8

With a ranking of #8, California State University - Los Angeles did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Geology Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 19 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend California State University - Los Angeles is $1,887 for Far Western US Region Geology students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at Cal State LA

9

University of California - Davis did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Geology Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #9. This large school is located in Davis, California, and it awarded 43 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Davis, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. It costs about $10,006 for far western us region geology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UC Davis.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, 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 93%.

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

10

California State University - Long Beach ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. CSULB is a large public school situated in Long Beach, California. It awarded 18 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at CSULB, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Long Beach is $6,663 for far western us region 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 undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

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

11

With a ranking of #11, California State University - Fullerton did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Geology Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Fullerton, California, and it awarded 26 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Cal State Fullerton, the school also landed the #22 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Cal State Fullerton is $4,590 for Far Western US Region Geology students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at Cal State Fullerton

12

University of California - Irvine landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Best Value Geology Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in Irvine, California, and it awarded 70 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Irvine, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Irvine is $6,540 for Far Western US Region Geology students whose families make $0-$30k.

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 school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

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

13

University of California - Riverside came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geology Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in Riverside, California, and it awarded 30 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCR, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Riverside is $6,810 for far western us region geology students whose families make $0-$30k.

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

Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at UCR

14

University of California - Santa Cruz came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geology Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Santa Cruz, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s geology degrees to 65 students in 2020-2021.

UC Santa Cruz also made our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #10. The estimated yearly cost for UC Santa Cruz is $11,038 for Far Western US Region Geology students whose families make $0-$30k.

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 undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, 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 - Santa Cruz

15

California State Polytechnic University - Pomona came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geology Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in Pomona, California, and it awarded 28 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Cal Poly Pomona, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Cal Poly Pomona is $10,349 for Far Western US Region Geology students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.6% 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 Cal Poly Pomona

16

University of Nevada - Reno landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Best Value Geology Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UNR is a public institution located in Reno, Nevada. The school has a large population, and it awarded 33 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

UNR not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Nevada - Reno is $11,795 for Far Western US Region Geology students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low undergrad 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%.

Full University of Nevada - Reno Geological & Earth Sciences Report

17
SDSU crest
San Diego State University
San Diego, California

San Diego State University ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in San Diego, California, this large public school handed out 29 degrees to qualified ’s geology students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at SDSU, the school also landed the #20 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for SDSU is $7,169 for Far Western US Region Geology students whose families make $0-$30k.

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

Full San Diego State University Geological & Earth Sciences Report

18

University of Nevada - Las Vegas did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Geology Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #18. This large school is located in Las Vegas, Nevada, and it awarded 34 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.

UNLV not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #17 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UNLV is $8,991 for Far Western US Region Geology students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

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

19
Wazzu crest
Washington State University
Pullman, Washington

Washington State University ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Washington State University is a large public school situated in Pullman, Washington. It awarded 130 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.

Wazzu also took the #18 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. It costs about $7,689 for Far Western US Region Geology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Wazzu.

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%.

Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at Wazzu

20

California State University - Sacramento landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Best Value Geology Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. California State University - Sacramento is a large public school situated in Sacramento, California. It awarded 20 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.

Sac State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #24 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. It costs about $8,163 for far western us region geology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend California State University - Sacramento.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at Sac State

21
WWU crest
Western Washington University
Bellingham, Washington

Western Washington University landed the #21 spot on the 2023 Best Value Geology Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Bellingham, Washington is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s geology degrees to 55 students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our far western us region geology students whose families make $0-$30k list, WWU has also earned the #19 rank in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for WWU is $9,979 for far western us region geology students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low undergrad 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%.

Full WWU Geological & Earth Sciences Report

22

With a ranking of #22, California State University - Stanislaus did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Geology Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Turlock, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s geology degrees to 12 students in 2020-2021.

It costs about $4,122 for Far Western US Region Geology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Stan State.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. 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%.

Full California State University - Stanislaus Geological & Earth Sciences Report

23

California State University - Northridge landed the #23 spot on the 2023 Best Value Geology Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. CSUN is a public institution located in Northridge, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 16 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for CSUN is $6,266 for far western us region geology students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

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

24

California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo is located in San Luis Obispo, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 39 ’s geology degrees to qualified students.

Cal Poly San Luis Obispo also made our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #15. It costs about $12,173 for Far Western US Region Geology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.

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 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo

25
Oregon State crest
Oregon State University
Corvallis, Oregon

Oregon State University landed the #25 spot on the 2023 Best Value Geology Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Oregon State University is a public institution located in Corvallis, Oregon. The school has a large population, and it awarded 74 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Oregon State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Oregon State is $15,242 for far western us region geology students whose families make $0-$30k.

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

Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at Oregon State

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