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2023 Best Value Geology Schools in Virginia For Those Making $30-$48k

4 Ranked Colleges
144 Degrees Awarded
$13,100 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Geology Schools in Virginia For Those Making $30-$48k

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Geology Schools in Virginia For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking - to help you make that decision.

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 Virginia, there were 144 geological and earth sciences graduates with average earnings and debt of $32,567 and $23,195 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Geology Schools in Virginia For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking looked at 4 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.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the geological and earth sciences program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

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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 Geology Schools in Virginia For Those Making $30-$48k” list to help you make the college decision.

In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.

Best Value Geology Schools in Virginia For Those Making $30-$48k

The colleges and universities below are the best for virginia geology students whose families make $30-$48k.

Top 4 Best Value Colleges for Geological & Earth Sciences (Income $30-$48k) in Virginia

1
William & Mary crest
William & Mary
Williamsburg, Virginia

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend William & Mary. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value Geology Schools in Virginia For Those Making $30-$48k list. William & Mary is located in Williamsburg, Virginia and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 27 ’s geology degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at William & Mary, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in Virginia” ranking. The yearly cost to attend William & Mary is $7,507 for virginia geology students whose families make $30-$48k.

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

Full William & Mary Geological & Earth Sciences Report

2
Virginia Tech crest
Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, Virginia

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Virginia Tech. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Geology Schools in Virginia For Those Making $30-$48k. Virginia Tech is a large school located in Blacksburg, Virginia that handed out 26 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.

Virginia Tech not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in Virginia” list. The estimated yearly cost for Virginia Tech is $14,003 for virginia geology students whose families make $30-$48k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.2%, 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 Virginia Tech

3
JMU crest
James Madison University
Harrisonburg, Virginia

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend James Madison University. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Geology Schools in Virginia For Those Making $30-$48k list. Harrisonburg, Virginia is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s geology degrees to 34 students in 2020-2021.

JMU also made our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in Virginia” list, coming in at #4. The estimated yearly cost for James Madison University is $14,985 for virginia geology students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.0%, 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 89%.

Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at James Madison University

4
GMU crest
George Mason University
Fairfax, Virginia

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend George Mason University. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Geology Schools in Virginia For Those Making $30-$48k list. GMU is a large public school situated in Fairfax, Virginia. It awarded 19 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.

GMU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in Virginia” list. It costs about $15,979 for Virginia Geology students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend George Mason University.

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

Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at GMU

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