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

22 Ranked Colleges
183 Degrees Awarded
$57,418 Avg Salary
Most Well Attended Geology Major in the Far Western US Region for a Doctorate

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Most Well Attended Geology Major in the Far Western US Region for a Doctorate” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

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. 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 “Most Well Attended Geology Major in the Far Western US Region for a Doctorate” ranking analyzed 22 colleges that offered a degree in geological and earth sciences. To top this list, a school must have a successful geological and earth sciences program that graduates more students in the field than other colleges that offer the same major.

See our ranking methodology to learn more.

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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 “Most Well Attended Geology Major in the Far Western US Region for a Doctorate”.

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. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.

Most Well Attended Geology Major in the Far Western US Region for a Doctorate

The colleges and universities below are the best for far western us region doctor’s degree geology students.

1
Stanford crest
Stanford University
Stanford, California

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Stanford University. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Geology Major in the Far Western US Region for a Doctorate list. This fairly large school is located in Stanford, California, and it awarded 29 doctorate’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.

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%. 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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.

Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at Stanford University

2

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - San Diego. The school came in at #2 for the Most Well Attended Geology Major in the Far Western US Region for a Doctorate. This large school is located in La Jolla, California, and it awarded 22 doctorate’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.

Full University of California - San Diego Geological & Earth Sciences Report

3

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Washington - Seattle Campus. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Geology Major in the Far Western US Region for a Doctorate list. UW Seattle is a public institution located in Seattle, Washington. The school has a large population, and it awarded 16 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at UW Seattle

4

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California Institute of Technology. The school came in at #4 for the Most Well Attended Geology Major in the Far Western US Region for a Doctorate. Caltech is a small school located in Pasadena, California that handed out 14 doctorate’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.

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. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full Caltech Geological & Earth Sciences Report

5

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Berkeley. The school came in at #5 for the Most Well Attended Geology Major in the Far Western US Region for a Doctorate. Located in Berkeley, California, this large public school awarded 10 degrees to qualified doctorate’s geology students in 2020-2021.

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 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%.

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

5

Out of the 22 schools in the Most Well Attended Geology Major in the Far Western US Region for a Doctorate that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Santa Cruz landed the #5 spot on the list. UC Santa Cruz is a fairly large school located in Santa Cruz, California that handed out 10 doctorate’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full UC Santa Cruz Geological & Earth Sciences Report

7
USC crest
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California

University of Southern California landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Geology Major in the Far Western US Region for a Doctorate ranking. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out doctorate’s geology degrees to 9 students in 2020-2021.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. 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 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%.

Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at University of Southern California

7

With a ranking of #7, University of California - Davis did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Geology Major in the Far Western US Region for a Doctorate list. This large school is located in Davis, California, and it awarded 9 doctorate’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.5% 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 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

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

7

University of California - Irvine landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Geology Major in the Far Western US Region for a Doctorate ranking. This large school is located in Irvine, California, and it awarded 9 doctorate’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

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

10
UO crest
University of Oregon
Eugene, Oregon

University of Oregon did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Geology Major in the Far Western US Region for a Doctorate ranking, coming in at #10. UO is a large public school situated in Eugene, Oregon. It awarded 8 doctorate’s geology degrees 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%.

Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at UO

10

University of Nevada - Reno ranked #10 on this year’s Most Well Attended Geology Major in the Far Western US Region for a Doctorate list. This large school is located in Reno, Nevada, and it awarded 8 doctorate’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at University of Nevada - Reno

10

University of Hawaii at Manoa did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Geology Major in the Far Western US Region for a Doctorate ranking, coming in at #10. UH Manoa is a fairly large school located in Honolulu, Hawaii that handed out 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%.

Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at UH Manoa

13
Oregon State crest
Oregon State University
Corvallis, Oregon

With a ranking of #13, Oregon State University did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Geology Major in the Far Western US Region for a Doctorate list. Oregon State University is a large public school situated in Corvallis, Oregon. It awarded 7 doctorate’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at Oregon State

13

University of Alaska Fairbanks came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Geology Major in the Far Western US Region for a Doctorate ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Fairbanks, Alaska, and it awarded 7 doctorate’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.

Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at UAF

15

University of California - Los Angeles ranked #15 on this year’s Most Well Attended Geology Major in the Far Western US Region for a Doctorate list. UCLA is a public institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 5 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.

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%. 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

16

University of California - Santa Barbara landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Geology Major in the Far Western US Region for a Doctorate ranking. This large school is located in Santa Barbara, California, and it awarded 3 doctorate’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.8% 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%. 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

16

University of Nevada - Las Vegas landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Geology Major in the Far Western US Region for a Doctorate ranking. University of Nevada - Las Vegas is located in Las Vegas, Nevada and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 3 doctorate’s geology degrees to qualified students.

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 full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at University of Nevada - Las Vegas

18

University of California - Riverside ranked #18 on this year’s Most Well Attended Geology Major in the Far Western US Region for a Doctorate 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.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.3% 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 more about Geological & Earth Sciences at University of California - Riverside

18
SDSU crest
San Diego State University
San Diego, California

San Diego State University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Geology Major in the Far Western US Region for a Doctorate ranking, coming in at #18. Located in San Diego, California, this large public school awarded 2 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 89%. 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%.

Full San Diego State University Geological & Earth Sciences Report

20
Wazzu crest
Washington State University
Pullman, Washington

Washington State University landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Geology Major in the Far Western US Region for a Doctorate ranking. Located in Pullman, Washington, this large public school awarded 1 degrees 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%.

Full Wazzu Geological & Earth Sciences Report

20
Naval Postgraduate School crest
Naval Postgraduate School
Monterey, California

Naval Postgraduate School did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Geology Major in the Far Western US Region for a Doctorate ranking, coming in at #20. Naval Postgraduate School is a small school located in Monterey, California that handed out 1 doctorate’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.

Full Naval Postgraduate School Geological & Earth Sciences Report

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

Loma Linda University came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Geology Major in the Far Western US Region for a Doctorate ranking. 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 low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.6% 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 undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 3 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Full Loma Linda University Geological & Earth Sciences Report

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