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2023 Most Focused Colleges for Geological & Earth Sciences

576 Ranked Colleges
$32,000 Avg Cost*
Schools Highly Focused on Geology Major

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Schools Highly Focused on Geology Major” ranking - to help you make that decision.

In 2021-2022, 8,124 people earned their degree in geological & earth sciences, making the major the 95th most popular in the United States. In , geological & earth sciences graduates who were awarded their degree in , earned an average of $38,869 and had an average of $22,278 in loans still to pay off.

For this year’s “Schools Highly Focused on Geology Major” ranking, we looked at 576 colleges that offer a degree in geological & earth sciences. The colleges and universities that top this list are recognized because their geological & earth sciences program is one of the largest majors offered at the school.

Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

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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 Highly Focused on Geology Major”.

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. 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 Highly Focused on Geology Major

The colleges and universities below are the best for geology students.

Top 25 Most Focused Colleges for Geological & Earth Sciences

1
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United States Coast Guard Academy
New London, Connecticut

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend United States Coast Guard Academy. The school came in at #1 for the Schools Highly Focused on Geology Major. United States Coast Guard Academy is a public institution located in New London, Connecticut. The school has a small population, and it awarded 39 ’s degrees in 2021-2022.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 7 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 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at United States Coast Guard Academy

2
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Northland College
Ashland, Wisconsin

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Northland College. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Geology Major list. Ashland, Wisconsin is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s geology degrees to 10 students in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at Northland College

3

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California Institute of Technology. The school came in at #3 for the Schools Highly Focused on Geology Major. Pasadena, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s geology degrees to 26 students in 2021-2022.

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. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 99%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at California Institute of Technology

4

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Geology Major list. New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology is located in Socorro, New Mexico and, has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 19 ’s geology degrees to qualified students.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. 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 New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology

5
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Carleton College
Northfield, Minnesota

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Carleton College. The school came in at #5 for the Schools Highly Focused on Geology Major. Northfield, Minnesota is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s geology degrees to 18 students in 2021-2022.

With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at Carleton College

6

Blackfeet Community College did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Geology Major ranking, coming in at #6. Blackfeet Community College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Browning, Montana. The school has a small population, and it awarded 7 ’s degrees in 2021-2022.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at BCC

7
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Colorado School of Mines
Golden, Colorado

Colorado School of Mines landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Geology Major ranking. Colorado School of Mines is a medium-sized school located in Golden, Colorado that handed out 53 ’s geology degrees in 2021-2022.

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

Full Colorado School of Mines Geological & Earth Sciences Report

8
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Mississippi State University
Mississippi State, Mississippi

Mississippi State University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Geology Major ranking. Located in Mississippi State, Mississippi, this large public school handed out 175 degrees to qualified ’s geology students in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.0% 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 Mississippi State University

9
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Colorado College
Colorado Springs, Colorado

Colorado College came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Geology Major ranking. Colorado College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The school has a small population, and it awarded 5 ’s degrees in 2021-2022.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.4% 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%.

Full Colorado College Geological & Earth Sciences Report

10
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United States Naval Academy
Annapolis, Maryland

With a ranking of #10, United States Naval Academy did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Geology Major list. This small school is located in Annapolis, Maryland, and it awarded 47 ’s geology degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 98%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at United States Naval Academy

11
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Bowdoin College
Brunswick, Maine

Bowdoin College did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Geology Major ranking, coming in at #11. Bowdoin College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Brunswick, Maine. The school has a small population, and it awarded 21 ’s degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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.

Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at Bowdoin College

12
13

University of Pittsburgh - Johnstown came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Geology Major ranking. Johnstown, Pennsylvania is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s geology degrees to 19 students in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.3% 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 Pitt Johnstown

14
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Susquehanna University
Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania

Susquehanna University came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Geology Major ranking. Susquehanna University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania. It awarded 7 ’s geology degrees in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 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 Susquehanna

15

Hobart and William Smith Colleges landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Geology Major ranking. Geneva, New York is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s geology degrees to 15 students in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 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 The Colleges

16

University of Pittsburgh - Bradford came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Geology Major ranking. University of Pittsburgh - Bradford is a public institution located in Bradford, Pennsylvania. The school has a small population, and it awarded 4 ’s degrees in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.3% 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 Pitt Bradford Geological & Earth Sciences Report

17
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Beloit College
Beloit, Wisconsin

Beloit College came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Geology Major ranking. Beloit College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Beloit, Wisconsin. The school has a small population, and it awarded 7 ’s degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. 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%.

Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at Beloit

18

South Dakota School of Mines and Technology landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Geology Major ranking. SD Mines is a small school located in Rapid City, South Dakota that handed out 16 ’s geology degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at South Dakota School of Mines and Technology

19

Montana Technological University landed the #19 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Geology Major ranking. Located in Butte, Montana, this small public school awarded 9 diplomas to qualified ’s geology students in 2021-2022.

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%.

Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at Montana Tech

20
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Bates College
Lewiston, Maine

Bates College landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Geology Major ranking. Bates College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Lewiston, Maine. The school has a small population, and it awarded 14 ’s degrees in 2021-2022.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%.

Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at Bates

21
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University of Florida-Online
Gainesville, Florida

University of Florida-Online ranked #21 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Geology Major list. Located in Gainesville, Florida, this medium-sized public school handed out 22 degrees to qualified ’s geology students in 2021-2022.

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

Full UF Online Geological & Earth Sciences Report

22
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Stanford University
Stanford, California

Stanford University landed the #22 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Geology Major ranking. Stanford University is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Stanford, California. It awarded 98 ’s geology degrees in 2021-2022.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 5 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 0.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 98%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at Stanford University

23

Washington and Lee University did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Geology Major ranking, coming in at #23. Washington and Lee University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Lexington, Virginia. The school has a small population, and it awarded 7 ’s degrees in 2021-2022.

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

Full Washington and Lee Geological & Earth Sciences Report

24

University of Alaska Fairbanks did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Geology Major ranking, coming in at #24. Located in Fairbanks, Alaska, this medium-sized public school handed out 18 degrees to qualified ’s geology students in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.7% 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 more about Geological & Earth Sciences at UAF

25
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Occidental College
Los Angeles, California

Occidental College ranked #25 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Geology Major list. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s geology degrees to 7 students in 2021-2022.

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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at Occidental College

Rest of the Best 50 in Schools Highly Focused on Geology Major

Not only did these schools make the top 50 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

26
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Union College New York
Schenectady, NY
27
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Smith College
Northampton, MA
28
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Marietta College
Marietta, OH
29
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Whitman College
Walla Walla, WA
30
31
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Allegheny College
Meadville, PA
32
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Juniata College
Huntingdon, PA
33
34
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Williams College
Williamstown, MA
35
36
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SUNY Geneseo
Geneseo, NY
37
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39
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Hamilton College
Clinton, NY
40
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45
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Macalester College
Saint Paul, MN
46
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50
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Albion College
Albion, MI

Rest of the Top 15% Colleges in Schools Highly Focused on Geology Major

While not in the ’top 50’, these schools make the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

RankCollegeLocation
51Lake Superior State UniversitySault Ste Marie, MI
52University of Minnesota - MorrisMorris, MN
53Lehigh UniversityBethlehem, PA
54Saint Norbert CollegeDe Pere, WI
55Middlebury CollegeMiddlebury, VT
56Centenary College of LouisianaShreveport, LA
57Lafayette CollegeEaston, PA
58Humboldt State UniversityArcata, CA
59Guilford CollegeGreensboro, NC
60Earlham CollegeRichmond, IN
61Wright State University - Main CampusDayton, OH
62Hanover CollegeHanover, IN
63Mount Holyoke CollegeSouth Hadley, MA
64Trinity UniversitySan Antonio, TX
65SUNY PotsdamPotsdam, NY
RankCollegeLocation
66University of California - Santa CruzSanta Cruz, CA
67Eastern Connecticut State UniversityWillimantic, CT
68Brown UniversityProvidence, RI
69Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical CollegeBaton Rouge, LA
70Rice UniversityHouston, TX
71Dartmouth CollegeHanover, NH
72University of New OrleansNew Orleans, LA
73Oberlin CollegeOberlin, OH
74MSU TexasWichita Falls, TX
75SUNY New PaltzNew Paltz, NY
76Franklin and Marshall CollegeLancaster, PA
77Western Colorado UniversityGunnison, CO
78Cornell CollegeMount Vernon, IA
79Binghamton UniversityVestal, NY
80University of North Carolina at WilmingtonWilmington, NC
81East Tennessee State UniversityJohnson City, TN
82University of Hawaii at HiloHilo, HI
83Rocky Mountain CollegeBillings, MT
84William & MaryWilliamsburg, VA
85University of Southern MississippiHattiesburg, MS
86Westminster College UtahSalt Lake City, UT
87Sul Ross State UniversityAlpine, TX

Notes and References

References

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