2023 Best Value Colleges for Geological & Earth Sciences (Income $75-$110k) in the Far Western US Region
31
Ranked Colleges
1,632
Degrees Awarded
$18,000
Avg Net Price*
When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Geology Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $75-$110k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this 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 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.
For this year’s “Best Value Geology Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $75-$110k” ranking, we looked at 31 colleges that offer a degree 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.
One Size Does Not Fit All
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 the Far Western US Region For Those Making $75-$110k” list to help you make the college decision.
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 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 $75-$110k
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Geology Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $75-$110k.
Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Geological & Earth Sciences (Income $75-$110k) in the Far Western US Region
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 $75-$110k list. Located in Stanford, California, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 100 degrees to qualified ’s geology students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Stanford, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. It costs about $13,623 for far western us region geology students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Stanford.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.5% 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 more about Geological & Earth Sciences at Stanford University
Out of the 31 schools in the Best Value Geology Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $75-$110k that were part of this year’s ranking, California Institute of Technology landed the #2 spot on the list. California Institute of Technology is a private not-for-profit institution located in Pasadena, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 31 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Caltech also took the #5 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Caltech is $20,010 for far western us region geology students whose families make $75-$110k.
With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 3 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Full California Institute of Technology Geological & Earth Sciences Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Washington - Seattle Campus. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Geology Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. University of Washington - Seattle Campus is a large school located in Seattle, Washington that handed out 127 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.
UW Seattle not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. It costs about $16,894 for far western us region geology students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend UW Seattle.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. 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
Out of the 31 schools in the Best Value Geology Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $75-$110k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Davis landed the #4 spot on the list. University of California - Davis is a public institution located in Davis, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 43 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our far western us region geology students whose families make $75-$110k list, UC Davis has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. It costs about $18,728 for Far Western US Region Geology students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend University of California - 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full University of California - Davis Geological & Earth Sciences Report
Out of the 31 schools in the Best Value Geology Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $75-$110k that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Los Angeles landed the #5 spot on the list. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s geology degrees to 19 students in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Los Angeles is $10,011 for far western us region geology students whose families make $75-$110k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at California State University - Los Angeles
University of California - Berkeley ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. UC Berkeley is a large school located in Berkeley, California that handed out 49 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our far western us region geology students whose families make $75-$110k list, UC Berkeley has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UC Berkeley is $21,601 for Far Western US Region Geology students whose families make $75-$110k.
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 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at UC Berkeley
California State University - Long Beach came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geology Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Long Beach, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s geology degrees to 18 students 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 CSULB is $15,101 for far western us region geology students whose families make $75-$110k.
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%. 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 CSULB Geological & Earth Sciences Report
California State University - Fullerton came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geology Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. This large school is located in Fullerton, California, and it awarded 26 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.
Cal State Fullerton did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #22 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. It costs about $12,977 for Far Western US Region Geology students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Cal State Fullerton.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.5% 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%. 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 full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at California State University - Fullerton
University of Nevada - Las Vegas landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Best Value Geology Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. This large school is located in Las Vegas, Nevada, and it awarded 34 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our far western us region geology students whose families make $75-$110k list, UNLV has also earned the #17 rank in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Nevada - Las Vegas is $15,316 for far western us region geology students whose families make $75-$110k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full University of Nevada - Las Vegas Geological & Earth Sciences Report
University of California - Los Angeles ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. University of California - Los Angeles is a public institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 31 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
UCLA did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Los Angeles is $20,697 for Far Western US Region Geology students whose families make $75-$110k.
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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full UCLA Geological & Earth Sciences Report
University of Nevada - Reno ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. University of Nevada - Reno is a large school located in Reno, Nevada that handed out 33 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.
UNR also made our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #11. It costs about $17,907 for far western us region geology students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend UNR.
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 UNR Geological & Earth Sciences Report
University of California - San Diego landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Best Value Geology Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. UCSD is a large public school situated in La Jolla, California. It awarded 75 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.
UCSD did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. It costs about $20,906 for Far Western US Region Geology students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend University of California - San Diego.
With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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 UCSD Geological & Earth Sciences Report
University of California - Santa Barbara landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Best Value Geology Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Santa Barbara, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s geology degrees to 53 students in 2020-2021.
UCSB also took the #4 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UCSB is $21,581 for Far Western US Region Geology students whose families make $75-$110k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, 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
With a ranking of #14, University of California - Irvine did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Geology Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. 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 yearly cost to attend University of California - Irvine is $20,567 for far western us region geology students whose families make $75-$110k.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at University of California - Irvine
California State Polytechnic University - Pomona did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Geology Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #15. Located in Pomona, California, this large public school awarded 28 diplomas to qualified ’s geology students in 2020-2021.
Cal Poly Pomona did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Cal Poly Pomona is $18,166 for Far Western US Region Geology students whose families make $75-$110k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. 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 California State Polytechnic University - Pomona
With a ranking of #16, University of California - Riverside did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Geology Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. This large school is located in Riverside, California, and it awarded 30 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.
UCR did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The yearly cost to attend UCR is $16,887 for far western us region geology students whose families make $75-$110k.
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 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%.
Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at University of California - Riverside
California State University - Sacramento landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Best Value Geology Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Sac State is located in Sacramento, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 20 ’s geology degrees to qualified students.
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. The yearly cost to attend Sac State is $16,925 for far western us region geology students whose families make $75-$110k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.9%, 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 - Sacramento
San Diego State University came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geology Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. San Diego State University is a public institution located in San Diego, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 29 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
SDSU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #20 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. It costs about $18,957 for Far Western US Region Geology students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend San Diego State University.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, 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 89%.
Full San Diego State University Geological & Earth Sciences Report
California State University - Stanislaus came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geology Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Stan State is a fairly large school located in Turlock, California that handed out 12 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $12,642 for far western us region geology students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend California State University - Stanislaus.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at Stan State
University of California - Santa Cruz did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Geology Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #20. This fairly large school is located in Santa Cruz, California, and it awarded 65 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our far western us region geology students whose families make $75-$110k list, UC Santa Cruz has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Santa Cruz is $22,380 for far western us region geology students whose families make $75-$110k.
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 low undergrad 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%.
Full UC Santa Cruz Geological & Earth Sciences Report
Portland State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Geology Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #21. Portland, Oregon is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s geology degrees to 28 students in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for Portland State University is $16,102 for far western us region geology students whose families make $75-$110k.
The low undergrad 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 Portland State University
California State University - Northridge did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Geology Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #22. This large school is located in Northridge, California, and it awarded 16 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend CSUN is $15,380 for far western us region geology students whose families make $75-$110k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.7% 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 University - Northridge
Western Washington University came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geology Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. WWU is a public institution located in Bellingham, Washington. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 55 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at WWU, the school also landed the #19 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend WWU is $21,763 for Far Western US Region Geology students whose families make $75-$110k.
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 full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at WWU
Oregon State University came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geology Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Oregon State University is a large public school situated in Corvallis, Oregon. It awarded 74 ’s geology 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 University is $24,916 for far western us region geology students whose families make $75-$110k.
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 school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at Oregon State
With a ranking of #25, Washington State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Geology Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. Wazzu is a large public school situated in Pullman, Washington. It awarded 130 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.
Wazzu also made our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #18. The yearly cost to attend Washington State University is $21,163 for far western us region geology students whose families make $75-$110k.
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%.
Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at Wazzu
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