2023 Best Value Colleges for Geological & Earth Sciences (With Aid)
184
Ranked Colleges
7,821
Degrees Awarded
$11,800
Avg Net Price*
When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Geology Schools For Those Getting Aid” ranking - to help you make that decision.
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.
This year’s “Best Value Geology Schools For Those Getting Aid” ranking looked at 184 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.
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. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
More Ways to Rank Geological & Earth Sciences Schools
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 Getting Aid” 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 when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.
Best Value Geology Schools For Those Getting Aid
The colleges and universities below are the best for geology students with aid.
Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Geological & Earth Sciences (With Aid)
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 Getting Aid list. Located in Stanford, California, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 100 degrees to qualified ’s geology students in 2020-2021.
Stanford did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Stanford University is $12,894 for geology students with aid.
The impressive undergraduate 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. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.
Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at Stanford University
Out of the 184 schools in the Best Value Geology Schools For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Washington - Seattle Campus landed the #2 spot on the list. UW Seattle is located in Seattle, Washington and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 127 ’s geology degrees to qualified students.
UW Seattle not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools” list. It costs about $12,017 for Geology students with aid 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 full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at UW Seattle
Out of the 184 schools in the Best Value Geology Schools For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Florida landed the #3 spot on the list. This large school is located in Gainesville, Florida, and it awarded 32 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.
UF not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #25 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Florida is $5,135 for Geology students with aid.
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 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%.
Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at UF
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Geology Schools For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, this large public school awarded 29 diplomas to qualified ’s geology students in 2020-2021.
UNC Chapel Hill 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. The yearly cost to attend University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is $12,469 for Geology students with aid.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%.
Full UNC Chapel Hill Geological & Earth Sciences Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wyoming. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Geology Schools For Those Getting Aid list. UW is a fairly large school located in Laramie, Wyoming that handed out 45 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our geology students with aid list, UW has also earned the #19 rank in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UW is $11,085 for geology students with aid.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full University of Wyoming Geological & Earth Sciences Report
With a ranking of #6, California State University - Los Angeles did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Geology Schools For Those Getting Aid 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 Cal State LA is $3,302 for Geology students with aid.
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%.
Full Cal State LA Geological & Earth Sciences Report
With a ranking of #7, The University of Texas at Austin did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Geology Schools For Those Getting Aid list. UT Austin is a large school located in Austin, Texas that handed out 54 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.
UT Austin did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools” list. It costs about $18,350 for geology students with aid per year to attend The University of Texas at Austin.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, 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 The University of Texas at Austin
University of Wisconsin - Madison came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geology Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. Madison, Wisconsin is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s geology degrees to 50 students in 2020-2021.
UW - Madison also took the #6 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools” ranking. It costs about $17,234 for Geology students with aid per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison.
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%. 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 full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at UW - Madison
With a ranking of #9, Brigham Young University - Idaho did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Geology Schools For Those Getting Aid list. BYU - I is a private not-for-profit institution located in Rexburg, Idaho. The school has a large population, and it awarded 9 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend BYU - I is $6,698 for geology students with aid.
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%.
Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at Brigham Young University - Idaho
With a ranking of #10, University of Houston did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Geology Schools For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Houston, Texas, this large public school handed out 102 diplomas to qualified ’s geology students in 2020-2021.
UH excels when it comes to geology quality. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend UH is $13,721 for geology students with aid.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.4% 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 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
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 Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #11. USF Tampa is a large school located in Tampa, Florida that handed out 50 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $8,346 for geology students with aid 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 school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at USF Tampa
California State University - Long Beach came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geology Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. California State University - Long Beach is a public institution located in Long Beach, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 18 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Long Beach is $10,054 for geology students with aid.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national 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 CSULB
With a ranking of #13, University of California - San Diego did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Geology Schools For Those Getting Aid list. UCSD is a large public school situated in La Jolla, California. It awarded 75 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.
UCSD also made our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools” list, coming in at #20. It costs about $15,240 for Geology students with aid per year to attend UCSD.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. 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%.
Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at University of California - San Diego
With a ranking of #14, University of California - Santa Barbara did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Geology Schools For Those Getting Aid list. UCSB is a large public school situated in Santa Barbara, California. It awarded 53 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.
UCSB did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools” list. It costs about $16,252 for Geology students with aid per year to attend University of California - Santa Barbara.
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 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at UCSB
University of Michigan - Ann Arbor came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geology Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. U-M is a public institution located in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The school has a large population, and it awarded 62 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
U-M did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is $14,878 for geology students with aid.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, 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.
Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
University of California - Berkeley landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Best Value Geology Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. UC Berkeley is a large school located in Berkeley, California that handed out 49 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.
UC Berkeley also made our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools” list, coming in at #5. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Berkeley is $16,032 for Geology students with aid.
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%. 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 UC Berkeley Geological & Earth Sciences Report
California State University - Fullerton came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geology Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. California State University - Fullerton is a large public school situated in Fullerton, California. It awarded 26 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Fullerton is $8,003 for geology students with aid.
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 2.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full California State University - Fullerton Geological & Earth Sciences Report
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Best Value Geology Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Champaign, Illinois, this large public school awarded 19 degrees to qualified ’s geology students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, UIUC is also in the top of our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools” ranking. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The estimated yearly cost for University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is $14,321 for geology students with aid.
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 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at UIUC
Purdue University - Main Campus did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Geology Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #19. Purdue University - Main Campus is a large public school situated in West Lafayette, Indiana. It awarded 34 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend Purdue is $13,377 for geology students with aid.
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 full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at Purdue University - Main Campus
Texas A&M University - College Station ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools For Those Getting Aid list. Texas A&M College Station is a large school located in College Station, Texas that handed out 144 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Texas A&M College Station, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Texas A&M College Station is $18,919 for Geology students with aid.
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 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full Texas A&M College Station Geological & Earth Sciences Report
The City College of New York landed the #21 spot on the 2023 Best Value Geology Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in New York, New York, this fairly large public school handed out 10 degrees to qualified ’s geology students in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend The City College of New York is $2,805 for Geology students with aid.
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%.
Full The City College of New York Geological & Earth Sciences Report
University of California - Los Angeles landed the #22 spot on the 2023 Best Value Geology Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. UCLA is a public institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 31 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our geology students with aid list, UCLA has also earned the #21 rank in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools” ranking. It costs about $15,023 for Geology students with aid per year to attend UCLA.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, 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%.
Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at UCLA
Iowa State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Geology Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #23. Iowa State is located in Ames, Iowa and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 21 ’s geology degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on this list, Iowa State is in the top on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Iowa State is $16,002 for geology students with aid.
With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at Iowa State University
Lehman College landed the #24 spot on the 2023 Best Value Geology Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. Lehman College is located in Bronx, New York and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 7 ’s geology degrees to qualified students.
It costs about $2,614 for geology students with aid per year to attend Lehman College.
Full Lehman Geological & Earth Sciences Report
Florida Atlantic University landed the #25 spot on the 2023 Best Value Geology Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. Boca Raton, Florida 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 Florida Atlantic University is $10,735 for Geology students with aid.
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 FAU
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