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2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k

41 Ranked Colleges
1,228 Degrees Awarded
$32,750 Avg Salary
Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor's in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

Geological & Earth Sciences is the 84th most popular major in the country with 8,918 degrees awarded in 2019-2020. 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 $48-$75k” ranking looked at 41 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s 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. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

More Ways to Rank Geological & Earth Sciences 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 “Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k” 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. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k

The colleges and universities below are the best for far western us region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $48-$75k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Geological & Earth Sciences (Income $48-$75k) in the Far Western US Region

#1

Stanford University

Stanford, California
#2 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Stanford University. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Stanford, California, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 31 degrees to qualified bachelors’s geology students in 2019-2020.

Stanford also made our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #2. It costs about $1,959 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Stanford University.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. 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%. The impressive 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.

Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at Stanford

#2

California Institute of Technology

Pasadena, California
#1 in overall quality

Out of the 41 schools in the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, California Institute of Technology landed the #2 spot on the list. Located in Pasadena, California, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 3 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s geology students in 2019-2020.

Caltech also took 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 $8,042 for far western us region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. With a 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 Geological & Earth Sciences at Caltech

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 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k. UW Seattle is a public institution located in Seattle, Washington. The school has a large population, and it awarded 116 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UW Seattle also made our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #7. It costs about $9,694 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UW Seattle.

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 school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full UW Seattle Geological & Earth Sciences Report

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Fullerton. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k. Cal State Fullerton is a public institution located in Fullerton, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 38 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our far western us region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $48-$75k list, Cal State Fullerton has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Cal State Fullerton is $9,427 for far western us region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $48-$75k.

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

Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at Cal State Fullerton

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Los Angeles. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k. California State University - Los Angeles is a public institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 10 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $5,644 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend California State University - Los Angeles.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Cal State LA Geological & Earth Sciences Report

California State University - Long Beach did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #6. CSULB is a large school located in Long Beach, California that handed out 12 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

CSULB also took the #10 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend CSULB is $10,807 for far western us region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full CSULB Geological & Earth Sciences Report

University of California - Berkeley ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. UC 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 $13,081 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of California - Berkeley.

With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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%.

Full University of California - Berkeley Geological & Earth Sciences Report

California State University - Bakersfield ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. CSUB is located in Bakersfield, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 25 bachelors’s geology degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for CSUB is $7,564 for far western us region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full California State University - Bakersfield Geological & Earth Sciences Report

#9

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California

University of California - Los Angeles ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. University of California - Los Angeles is a large school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 18 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 $48-$75k list, UCLA has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. It costs about $13,081 for far western us region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of California - Los Angeles.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. The 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 - Los Angeles Geological & Earth Sciences Report

#10

University of California - Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara, California

University of California - Santa Barbara 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 $48-$75k ranking. University of California - Santa Barbara is located in Santa Barbara, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 69 bachelors’s geology degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our far western us region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $48-$75k list, UCSB has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. It costs about $15,343 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UCSB.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 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 Geological & Earth Sciences at UCSB

#6 in overall quality

University of California - Davis came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. University of California - Davis is a large school located in Davis, California that handed out 29 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Davis, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. It costs about $13,578 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UC Davis.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full University of California - Davis Geological & Earth Sciences Report

#12

University of California - Riverside

Riverside, California
#20 in overall quality

University of California - Riverside landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. UCR is a large school located in Riverside, California that handed out 16 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

UCR also took 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 University of California - Riverside is $12,290 for far western us region bachelor’s degree 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 student loan default rate. It’s only 2.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at UCR

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 $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #13. Located in Irvine, California, this large public school awarded 52 degrees to qualified bachelors’s geology students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our far western us region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $48-$75k list, UC Irvine has also earned the #11 rank 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 - Irvine is $13,648 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree 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 school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

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

University of Nevada - Las Vegas did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #14. Las Vegas, Nevada is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s geology degrees to 41 students in 2019-2020.

UNLV also made our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #16. It costs about $12,470 for far western us region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UNLV.

Full UNLV Geological & Earth Sciences Report

California State University - Sacramento ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Sacramento, California, this large public school handed out 18 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s geology students in 2019-2020.

Sac State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #21 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. It costs about $11,413 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Sac State.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at Sac State

With a ranking of #16, University of California - Merced did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. UC Merced is located in Merced, California and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 19 bachelors’s geology degrees to qualified students.

UC Merced did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Merced is $14,922 for far western us region bachelor’s degree 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 student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full UC Merced Geological & Earth Sciences Report

California State University - Dominguez Hills landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. CSUDH is a public institution located in Carson, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 2 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend California State University - Dominguez Hills is $6,907 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 CSUDH

#18

University of California - Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz, California

University of California - Santa Cruz landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. UC Santa Cruz is a public institution located in Santa Cruz, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 66 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Santa Cruz not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. It costs about $15,253 for far western us region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UC Santa Cruz.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The 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 more about Geological & Earth Sciences at University of California - Santa Cruz

California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is located in San Luis Obispo, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 37 bachelors’s geology degrees to qualified students.

Cal Poly San Luis Obispo also made our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #5. The yearly cost to attend California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo is $19,407 for far western us region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $48-$75k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo

California State Polytechnic University - Pomona ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. This large school is located in Pomona, California, and it awarded 22 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

Cal Poly Pomona also took the #12 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. It costs about $14,012 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend California State Polytechnic University - Pomona.

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

Full Cal Poly Pomona Geological & Earth Sciences Report

#21

California State University - San Bernardino

San Bernardino, California

California State University - San Bernardino did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #21. CSUSB is a fairly large public school situated in San Bernardino, California. It awarded 15 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for CSUSB is $8,924 for far western us region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full California State University - San Bernardino Geological & Earth Sciences Report

#22

Washington State University

Pullman, Washington

Washington State University 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 $48-$75k ranking. Wazzu is located in Pullman, Washington and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 102 bachelors’s geology degrees to qualified students.

Wazzu also took the #19 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Wazzu is $15,548 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at Washington State University

University of Nevada - Reno came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. University of Nevada - Reno is located in Reno, Nevada and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 20 bachelors’s geology degrees to qualified students.

UNR not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #15 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. It costs about $14,947 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of Nevada - Reno.

Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at UNR

California State University - Fresno came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. California State University - Fresno is a large public school situated in Fresno, California. It awarded 5 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $7,549 for far western us region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend California State University - Fresno.

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

Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at Fresno State

California State University - Stanislaus landed the #25 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in Turlock, California, this fairly large public school awarded 9 degrees to qualified bachelors’s geology students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Stanislaus is $7,772 for far western us region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $48-$75k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 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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