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2023 Most Focused Doctor’s Degree Colleges for Geological & Earth Sciences in the Far Western US Region

22 Ranked Colleges
183 Degrees Awarded
$57,418 Avg Salary
Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Geology Major in the Far Western US Region

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Geology Major in the Far Western US Region” ranking.

Geological & Earth Sciences is the 95th most popular major in the country with 7,821 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. In 2019-2020, geological and earth sciences graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $38,705 and had an average of $23,383 in loans still to pay off.

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. At the doctor’s degree level specifically, there were 183 geological and earth sciences graduates with average earnings and debt of $75,423 and $0 respectively.

This year’s “Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Geology Major in the Far Western US Region” ranking looked at 22 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in geological and earth sciences. The colleges and universities that top this list are recognized because their geological and earth sciences program is one of the largest majors offered at the school.

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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 “Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Geology Major in the Far Western US Region”.

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. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.

Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Geology Major in the Far Western US Region

The following schools top our list of the Best “Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Geology Major in the Far Western US Region”.

Top 22 Most Focused Doctor’s Degree Colleges for Geological & Earth Sciences in the Far Western US Region

1

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California Institute of Technology. The school came in at #1 for the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Geology Major in the Far Western US Region. California Institute of Technology is located in Pasadena, California and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 14 doctorate’s geology degrees to qualified 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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.

Full California Institute of Technology Geological & Earth Sciences Report

2
Stanford crest
Stanford University
Stanford, California

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Stanford University. The school came in at #2 for the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Geology Major in the Far Western US Region. Stanford, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out doctorate’s geology degrees to 29 students in 2020-2021.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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.

Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at Stanford University

3

Out of the 22 schools in the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Geology Major in the Far Western US Region that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Alaska Fairbanks landed the #3 spot on the list. This medium-sized school is located in Fairbanks, Alaska, and it awarded 7 doctorate’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.

Full University of Alaska Fairbanks Geological & Earth Sciences Report

4

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - San Diego. The school came in at #4 for the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Geology Major in the Far Western US Region. Located in La Jolla, California, this large public school awarded 22 diplomas to qualified doctorate’s geology students in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

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

5

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Hawaii at Manoa. The school came in at #5 for the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Geology Major in the Far Western US Region. University of Hawaii at Manoa is a fairly large public school situated in Honolulu, Hawaii. It awarded 8 doctorate’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.5% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full UH Manoa Geological & Earth Sciences Report

6

University of California - Santa Cruz did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Geology Major in the Far Western US Region ranking, coming in at #6. Santa Cruz, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out doctorate’s geology degrees to 10 students in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

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

7

University of Nevada - Reno did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Geology Major in the Far Western US Region ranking, coming in at #7. UNR is located in Reno, Nevada and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 8 doctorate’s geology degrees to qualified students.

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 University of Nevada - Reno Geological & Earth Sciences Report

8
UO crest
University of Oregon
Eugene, Oregon

University of Oregon landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Geology Major in the Far Western US Region ranking. Located in Eugene, Oregon, this large public school awarded 8 diplomas to qualified doctorate’s geology students in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full UO Geological & Earth Sciences Report

9

University of Washington - Seattle Campus landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Geology Major in the Far Western US Region ranking. UW Seattle is a large school located in Seattle, Washington that handed out 16 doctorate’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at UW Seattle

10
Oregon State crest
Oregon State University
Corvallis, Oregon

Oregon State University landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Geology Major in the Far Western US Region ranking. Oregon State University is a large school located in Corvallis, Oregon that handed out 7 doctorate’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at Oregon State

11

With a ranking of #11, University of California - Davis did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Geology Major in the Far Western US Region list. UC Davis is a large public school situated in Davis, California. It awarded 9 doctorate’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. 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%.

Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at UC Davis

12

University of California - Irvine came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Geology Major in the Far Western US Region ranking. University of California - Irvine is a public institution located in Irvine, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 9 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.

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 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%.

Full University of California - Irvine Geological & Earth Sciences Report

13

University of California - Berkeley came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Geology Major in the Far Western US Region ranking. Berkeley, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out doctorate’s geology degrees to 10 students in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. 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%.

Full UC Berkeley Geological & Earth Sciences Report

14
USC crest
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California

University of Southern California came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Geology Major in the Far Western US Region ranking. University of Southern California is a private not-for-profit institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 9 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. 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 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at USC

15

University of Nevada - Las Vegas did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Geology Major in the Far Western US Region ranking, coming in at #15. UNLV is a public institution located in Las Vegas, Nevada. The school has a large population, and it awarded 3 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at University of Nevada - Las Vegas

16
Naval Postgraduate School crest
Naval Postgraduate School
Monterey, California

Naval Postgraduate School ranked #16 on this year’s Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Geology Major in the Far Western US Region list. Naval Postgraduate School is a public institution located in Monterey, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 1 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Full Naval Postgraduate School Geological & Earth Sciences Report

17

University of California - Santa Barbara did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Geology Major in the Far Western US Region ranking, coming in at #17. Located in Santa Barbara, California, this large public school handed out 3 diplomas to qualified doctorate’s geology students in 2020-2021.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.

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

18

With a ranking of #18, University of California - Los Angeles did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Geology Major in the Far Western US Region list. This large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 5 doctorate’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.6% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at UCLA

19

University of California - Riverside ranked #19 on this year’s Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Geology Major in the Far Western US Region list. University of California - Riverside is a public institution located in Riverside, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 2 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at University of California - Riverside

20
SDSU crest
San Diego State University
San Diego, California

San Diego State University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Geology Major in the Far Western US Region ranking, coming in at #20. Located in San Diego, California, this large public school awarded 2 diplomas to qualified doctorate’s geology students in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full SDSU Geological & Earth Sciences Report

21
Wazzu crest
Washington State University
Pullman, Washington

Washington State University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Geology Major in the Far Western US Region ranking, coming in at #21. Located in Pullman, Washington, this large public school awarded 1 diplomas to qualified doctorate’s geology students in 2020-2021.

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 Washington State University

22
Loma Linda University crest
Loma Linda University
Loma Linda, California

Loma Linda University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Geology Major in the Far Western US Region ranking, coming in at #22. Loma Linda University is located in Loma Linda, California and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 0 doctorate’s geology degrees to qualified students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a undergrad 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 Loma Linda University

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