2023 Best Value Colleges for Geological & Earth Sciences (Income $48-$75k)
184
Ranked Colleges
7,821
Degrees Awarded
When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value Geology Schools For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking.
Geological & Earth Sciences is the 95th most popular major in the country with 7,821 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. 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.
For this year’s “Best Value Geology Schools For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking, we looked at 184 colleges that offer a degree in geological and earth sciences. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent geological and earth sciences programs, but they also 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. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
One Size Does Not Fit All
Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Geology Schools For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that 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.
Best Value Geology Schools For Those Making $48-$75k
The colleges and universities below are the best for geology students whose families make $48-$75k.
Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Geological & Earth Sciences (Income $48-$75k)
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Stanford University. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value Geology Schools For Those Making $48-$75k 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.
In addition to being on our geology students whose families make $48-$75k list, Stanford has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Stanford is $7,081 for Geology students whose families make $48-$75k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. 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.
Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at Stanford
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Northwestern University. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Geology Schools For Those Making $48-$75k. Located in Evanston, Illinois, this large private not-for-profit school awarded 21 degrees to qualified ’s geology students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Northwestern, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Northwestern is $5,849 for Geology students whose families make $48-$75k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at Northwestern
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Chicago. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Geology Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. University of Chicago is a fairly large school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 17 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.
UChicago did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools” list. It costs about $8,375 for geology students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UChicago.
The low undergrad 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 100%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 5 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 UChicago
Out of the 184 schools in the Best Value Geology Schools For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, Williams College landed the #4 spot on the list. Williams is located in Williamstown, Massachusetts and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 11 ’s geology degrees to qualified students.
Williams also made our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools” list, coming in at #17. It costs about $5,576 for geology students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Williams College.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 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 Williams College
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California Institute of Technology. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Geology Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. Caltech is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Pasadena, California. It awarded 31 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.
Caltech also took the #13 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Caltech is $9,755 for geology students whose families make $48-$75k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 3 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 Geological & Earth Sciences at California Institute of Technology
With a ranking of #6, University of Washington - Seattle Campus did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Geology Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Seattle, Washington, this large public school handed out 127 degrees to qualified ’s geology students in 2020-2021.
UW Seattle also took the #7 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Washington - Seattle Campus is $8,393 for geology students whose families make $48-$75k.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at UW Seattle
Johns Hopkins University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geology Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Johns Hopkins is a private not-for-profit institution located in Baltimore, Maryland. The school has a large population, and it awarded 18 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Johns Hopkins also took the #14 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools” ranking. It costs about $8,457 for Geology students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Johns Hopkins University.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 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 1.3% 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 Johns Hopkins Geological & Earth Sciences Report
University of Michigan - Ann Arbor came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geology Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is located in Ann Arbor, Michigan and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 62 ’s geology degrees to qualified students.
U-M also took the #9 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools” ranking. It costs about $10,481 for Geology students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor.
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 1.3% 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 full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
With a ranking of #9, University of Florida did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Geology Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. University of Florida is a public institution located in Gainesville, Florida. The school has a large population, and it awarded 32 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our geology students whose families make $48-$75k list, UF has also earned the #25 rank in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools” ranking. It costs about $8,394 for Geology students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UF.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, 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 97%.
Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at UF
University of California - Berkeley landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Best Value Geology Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. UC Berkeley is a large school located in Berkeley, California that handed out 49 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Berkeley, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools” ranking. It costs about $13,423 for geology students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UC Berkeley.
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 96%.
Full UC Berkeley Geological & Earth Sciences Report
Cornell University came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geology Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Cornell is a private not-for-profit institution located in Ithaca, New York. The school has a large population, and it awarded 24 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Cornell also took the #10 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Cornell University is $9,785 for Geology students whose families make $48-$75k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
Full Cornell University Geological & Earth Sciences Report
University of Wisconsin - Madison landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Best Value Geology Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. University of Wisconsin - Madison is located in Madison, Wisconsin and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 50 ’s geology degrees to qualified students.
UW - Madison not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools” list. It costs about $10,364 for geology students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.9% 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 UW - Madison
University of Wyoming landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Best Value Geology Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. UW is a public institution located in Laramie, Wyoming. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 45 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
UW not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #19 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Wyoming is $9,394 for geology students whose families make $48-$75k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.5% 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 full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at University of Wyoming
Brigham Young University - Idaho came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geology Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. BYU - I is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Rexburg, Idaho. It awarded 9 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend Brigham Young University - Idaho is $5,422 for Geology students whose families make $48-$75k.
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%.
Full Brigham Young University - Idaho Geological & Earth Sciences Report
University of Minnesota - Twin Cities did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Geology Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #15. Located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, this large public school awarded 40 degrees to qualified ’s geology students in 2020-2021.
UMN Twin Cities also made our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools” list, coming in at #16. It costs about $12,911 for geology students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UMN Twin Cities.
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 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 University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Purdue University - Main Campus landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Best Value Geology Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This large school is located in West Lafayette, Indiana, and it awarded 34 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for Purdue University - Main Campus is $8,450 for Geology students whose families make $48-$75k.
With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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 more about Geological & Earth Sciences at Purdue University - Main Campus
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 29 ’s geology degrees to qualified students.
On top of its placing in this ranking, UNC Chapel Hill also did well on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools” list. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. The estimated yearly cost for UNC Chapel Hill is $11,619 for Geology students whose families make $48-$75k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at UNC Chapel Hill
University of California - Los Angeles did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Geology Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #18. This large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 31 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.
UCLA also made our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools” list, coming in at #21. The yearly cost to attend UCLA is $12,644 for geology students whose families make $48-$75k.
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 1.6% 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 full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at University of California - Los Angeles
With a ranking of #19, University of Houston did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Geology Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. Houston, Texas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s geology degrees to 102 students in 2020-2021.
UH excels when it comes to geology quality. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The estimated yearly cost for UH is $13,382 for geology students whose families make $48-$75k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at UH
University of South Florida - Main Campus did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Geology Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #20. Tampa, Florida is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s geology degrees to 50 students in 2020-2021.
It costs about $9,669 for Geology students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend USF Tampa.
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 3.3% 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 South Florida - Main Campus Geological & Earth Sciences Report
The University of Texas at Austin did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Geology Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #21. The University of Texas at Austin is located in Austin, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 54 ’s geology degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our geology students whose families make $48-$75k list, UT Austin has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend The University of Texas at Austin is $16,134 for geology students whose families make $48-$75k.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at UT Austin
With a ranking of #22, University of California - Santa Barbara did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Geology Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. UCSB is a large public school situated in Santa Barbara, California. It awarded 53 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our geology students whose families make $48-$75k list, UCSB has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Santa Barbara is $14,583 for Geology students whose families make $48-$75k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, 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 1.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full UCSB Geological & Earth Sciences Report
University of California - San Diego landed the #23 spot on the 2023 Best Value Geology Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in La Jolla, California, this large public school awarded 75 degrees to qualified ’s geology students in 2020-2021.
UCSD also made our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools” list, coming in at #20. The yearly cost to attend UCSD is $14,310 for Geology students whose families make $48-$75k.
The low undergrad 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at University of California - San Diego
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geology Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. UIUC is located in Champaign, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 19 ’s geology degrees to qualified students.
UIUC also claimed a top spot on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools” list. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. It costs about $11,505 for Geology students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UIUC.
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 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at UIUC
California State University - Los Angeles came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geology Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Cal State LA is a large public school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 19 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for Cal State LA is $5,700 for geology students whose families make $48-$75k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.6% 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 - Los Angeles Geological & Earth Sciences Report
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