2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Geological & Earth Sciences in the Far Western US Region
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 a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region” ranking - to help you make that 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” ranking analyzed 41 colleges that offered 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.
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.
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One Size Does Not Fit All
The geology school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region”.
To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most 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 a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region.
Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Geological & Earth Sciences in the Far Western US Region
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Long Beach. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region. California State University - Long Beach is located in Long Beach, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 12 bachelors’s geology degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at CSULB, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. It costs about $9,622 for far western us region bachelor’s degree geology students per year to attend CSULB.
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 student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full California State University - Long Beach Geological & Earth Sciences Report
Out of the 41 schools in the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region that were part of this year’s ranking, California State Polytechnic University - Pomona landed the #2 spot on the 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. The yearly cost to attend California State Polytechnic University - Pomona is $12,734 for far western us region bachelor’s degree geology students.
The school has an impressive 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 87%.
Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at Cal Poly Pomona
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Bakersfield. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region list. CSUB is a fairly large school located in Bakersfield, California that handed out 25 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend CSUB is $5,318 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students.
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. California State University - Fullerton is a large public school situated in Fullerton, California. It awarded 38 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Cal State Fullerton, the school also landed the #14 spot 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 $7,991 for far western us region bachelor’s degree geology students.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.7%, 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 89%.
Full California State University - Fullerton Geological & Earth Sciences Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Nevada - Las Vegas. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region. 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 not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Nevada - Las Vegas is $11,424 for far western us region bachelor’s degree geology students.
California State University - Sacramento ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region 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 $9,979 for far western us region bachelor’s degree geology students 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%.
San Francisco State University ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region list. Located in San Francisco, California, this large public school awarded 11 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s geology students in 2019-2020.
SFSU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #24 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The yearly cost to attend SFSU is $15,113 for far western us region bachelor’s degree geology students.
Full San Francisco State University Geological & Earth Sciences Report
With a ranking of #8, University of Nevada - Reno did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region list. This large school is located in Reno, Nevada, and it awarded 20 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.
UNR did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. It costs about $15,081 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students per year to attend UNR.
With a ranking of #9, California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region list. Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is a large public school situated in San Luis Obispo, California. It awarded 37 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.
Cal Poly San Luis Obispo also took the #5 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is $21,595 for far western us region bachelor’s degree geology students.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 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 Cal Poly San Luis Obispo Geological & Earth Sciences Report
California State University - Chico ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region list. California State University - Chico is a fairly large school located in Chico, California that handed out 6 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $15,017 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students per year to attend Chico State.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Western Washington University ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region list. Western Washington University is a fairly large public school situated in Bellingham, Washington. It awarded 46 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.
WWU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #18 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for WWU is $16,529 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students.
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%.
San Diego State University ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region list. Located in San Diego, California, this large public school handed out 28 degrees to qualified bachelors’s geology students in 2019-2020.
SDSU also took the #22 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for SDSU is $14,788 for far western us region bachelor’s degree geology students.
The low student loan default rate of 2.8% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at San Diego State University
California State University - San Bernardino ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region list. CSUSB is a public institution located in San Bernardino, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 15 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $7,342 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students per year to attend CSUSB.
With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at California State University - San Bernardino
Washington State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region ranking, coming in at #14. Washington State University is a large school located in Pullman, Washington that handed out 102 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our far western us region bachelor’s degree geology students list, Wazzu has also earned the #19 rank in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Wazzu is $16,358 for far western us region bachelor’s degree geology students.
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%.
Full Washington State University Geological & Earth Sciences Report
With a ranking of #15, Humboldt State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region list. Located in Arcata, California, this medium-sized public school handed out 36 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s geology students in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for Humboldt State University is $14,692 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students.
Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at Humboldt State University
California State University - Los Angeles came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region ranking. This large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 10 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend California State University - Los Angeles is $2,768 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students.
The low student loan default rate of 1.4% 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%.
With a ranking of #17, California State University - Fresno did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region list. California State University - Fresno is a public institution located in Fresno, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 5 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend Fresno State is $5,464 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%.
California State University - East Bay ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region list. Cal State East Bay is a public institution located in Hayward, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 4 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $11,116 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students per year to attend California State University - East Bay.
Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at California State University - East Bay
Central Washington University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region ranking, coming in at #19. CWU is a fairly large school located in Ellensburg, Washington that handed out 14 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend CWU is $15,397 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students.
California State University - Stanislaus landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region ranking. This fairly large school is located in Turlock, California, and it awarded 9 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend California State University - Stanislaus is $6,019 for far western us region bachelor’s degree geology students.
The low 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at California State University - Stanislaus
Eastern Washington University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region ranking, coming in at #21. EWU is a public institution located in Cheney, Washington. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 11 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $12,607 for far western us region bachelor’s degree geology students per year to attend Eastern Washington University.
California State University - Dominguez Hills ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region list. Carson, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s geology degrees to 2 students in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Dominguez Hills is $4,215 for far western us region bachelor’s degree geology students.
The student loan default rate at the school is 2.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Portland State University landed the #23 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region ranking. Portland State University is a large public school situated in Portland, Oregon. It awarded 30 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $13,040 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students per year to attend Portland State University.
Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at Portland State University
Oregon State University ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region list. Oregon State is a large public school situated in Corvallis, Oregon. It awarded 42 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.
Oregon State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #23 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. It costs about $20,016 for far western us region bachelor’s degree geology students per year to attend Oregon State University.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, 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 85%.
Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at Oregon State
Western Oregon University came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region ranking. Monmouth, Oregon is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s geology degrees to 7 students in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for Western Oregon University is $19,315 for far western us region bachelor’s degree geology students.
Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at Western Oregon University
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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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