College Factual  by our College Data Analytics Team
       Unbiased Factual Guarantee

2023 Most Focused Colleges for Geological & Earth Sciences in Virginia

7 Ranked Colleges
144 Degrees Awarded
$34,200 Avg Cost*
Schools Highly Focused on Geology Major in Virginia

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Schools Highly Focused on Geology Major in Virginia” ranking is part of that endeavor.

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 Virginia, there were 144 geological and earth sciences graduates with average earnings and debt of $32,567 and $23,195 respectively.

For this year’s “Schools Highly Focused on Geology Major in Virginia” ranking, we looked at 7 colleges that offer a degree in geological and earth sciences. This a ranking of the schools where the largest percentage of students has enrolled in geological and earth sciences.

See our ranking methodology to learn more.

More Ways to Rank Geological & Earth Sciences Schools

Rankings by Degree Other Award Levels
Rankings by Location Check Out Other Locales
More Geology Rankings Other Ranking Categories

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 Highly Focused on Geology Major in Virginia”.

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. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Schools Highly Focused on Geology Major in Virginia

The following schools top our list of the Best “Schools Highly Focused on Geology Major in Virginia”.

Top 7 Most Focused Colleges for Geological & Earth Sciences in Virginia

1
Washington and Lee crest
Washington and Lee University
Lexington, Virginia

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Washington and Lee University. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Geology Major in Virginia list. Located in Lexington, Virginia, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 14 diplomas to qualified ’s geology students in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 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 97%.

Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at Washington and Lee University

2
William & Mary crest
William & Mary
Williamsburg, Virginia

Out of the 7 schools in the Schools Highly Focused on Geology Major in Virginia that were part of this year’s ranking, William & Mary landed the #2 spot on the list. Williamsburg, Virginia is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s geology degrees to 27 students in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.7% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at William & Mary

3
JMU crest
James Madison University
Harrisonburg, Virginia

Out of the 7 schools in the Schools Highly Focused on Geology Major in Virginia that were part of this year’s ranking, James Madison University landed the #3 spot on the list. JMU is a public institution located in Harrisonburg, Virginia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 34 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.0%, 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 James Madison University

4
Old Dominion crest
Old Dominion University
Norfolk, Virginia

Out of the 7 schools in the Schools Highly Focused on Geology Major in Virginia that were part of this year’s ranking, Old Dominion University landed the #4 spot on the list. Old Dominion is a large public school situated in Norfolk, Virginia. It awarded 17 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.

Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at Old Dominion University

5
Radford crest
Radford University
Radford, Virginia

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Radford University. The school came in at #5 for the Schools Highly Focused on Geology Major in Virginia. Located in Radford, Virginia, this medium-sized public school awarded 6 diplomas to qualified ’s geology students in 2020-2021.

Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at Radford

6
Virginia Tech crest
Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, Virginia

Virginia Tech did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Geology Major in Virginia ranking, coming in at #6. Virginia Tech is a large school located in Blacksburg, Virginia that handed out 26 ’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 1.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Virginia Tech Geological & Earth Sciences Report

7
GMU crest
George Mason University
Fairfax, Virginia

George Mason University ranked #7 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Geology Major in Virginia list. This large school is located in Fairfax, Virginia, and it awarded 19 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.5%, 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.

Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at GMU

Notes and References

References

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

Credits

Popular Reports

College Rankings
Best by Location
Degree Guides by Major
Graduate Programs

Compare Your School Options