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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Geology & Earth Sciences (Income $0-$30k)

249 Ranked Colleges
5,080 Degrees Awarded
$4,300 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor's For Those Making $0-$30k

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 “Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

Geology & Earth Sciences is the 101st most popular major in the country with 7,036 degrees awarded in 2019-2020.

At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 5,080 geology and earth sciences graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,303 and $24,501 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking looked at 249 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in geology and earth sciences. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality geology and earth sciences programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the geology and earth sciences program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. 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.

Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Geology & Earth Sciences (Income $0-$30k)

#1

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois
#3 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Northwestern University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k. This large school is located in Evanston, Illinois, and it awarded 10 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

Northwestern also took the #3 spot in our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $1,866 for Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Northwestern University.

The student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The low student loan default rate of 0.8% 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 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Geology & Earth Sciences at Northwestern

#2

California Institute of Technology

Pasadena, California
#6 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California Institute of Technology. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k. Caltech is a small school located in Pasadena, California that handed out 2 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

Caltech also made our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #6. The yearly cost to attend California Institute of Technology is $5,456 for Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default 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. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 3 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read more about Geology & Earth Sciences at Caltech

#3

University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
#11 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Pennsylvania. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 22 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

UPenn not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Pennsylvania is $3,181 for Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Geology & Earth Sciences at University of Pennsylvania

#4

Stanford University

Stanford, California
#8 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Stanford University. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. This fairly large school is located in Stanford, California, and it awarded 30 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

Stanford did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Stanford is $-1,387 for bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $0-$30k. The negative number means the student will receive more financial aid on average than it costs to attend the school.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Geology & Earth Sciences at Stanford University

#5

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Cambridge, Massachusetts
#2 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k. Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a private not-for-profit institution located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 7 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

MIT did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $4,535 for bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend MIT.

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 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 impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 3 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Full Massachusetts Institute of Technology Geology & Earth Sciences Report

#6

Dartmouth College

Hanover, New Hampshire
#1 in overall quality

With a ranking of #6, Dartmouth College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Dartmouth is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Hanover, New Hampshire. It awarded 11 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

Dartmouth also made our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #1. The yearly cost to attend Dartmouth is $12,052 for Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read more about Geology & Earth Sciences at Dartmouth College

#10 in overall quality

With a ranking of #7, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and it awarded 37 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at U-M, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is $3,166 for Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Geology & Earth Sciences at U-M

#8

University of Florida

Gainesville, Florida
Top 15% in overall quality

University of Florida landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Gainesville, Florida is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s geology degrees to 36 students in 2019-2020.

UF also claimed a top spot on our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Florida is $1,994 for Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full University of Florida Geology & Earth Sciences Report

#9

Princeton University

Princeton, New Jersey
#9 in overall quality

Princeton University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Princeton, New Jersey, and it awarded 12 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

Princeton also took the #9 spot in our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Princeton University is $1,386 for Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The impressive 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 full report on Geology & Earth Sciences at Princeton University

#5 in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - Madison came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Madison, Wisconsin is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s geology degrees to 43 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW - Madison, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $4,367 for bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Geology & Earth Sciences at UW - Madison

#11

Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, Maryland
#17 in overall quality

Johns Hopkins University ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Baltimore, Maryland, and it awarded 4 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

Johns Hopkins did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Johns Hopkins University is $3,526 for Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, 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 97%.

Read more about Geology & Earth Sciences at Johns Hopkins

#12

Williams College

Williamstown, Massachusetts
#25 in overall quality

Williams College ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Williams College is a small school located in Williamstown, Massachusetts that handed out 14 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

Williams also took the #25 spot in our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Williams College is $2,498 for bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Geology & Earth Sciences at Williams College

#13

Brown University

Providence, Rhode Island
Top 15% in overall quality

Brown University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #13. Brown is a private not-for-profit institution located in Providence, Rhode Island. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 14 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

On top of its placing in this ranking, Brown also did well on our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools in this category. The yearly cost to attend Brown is $201 for bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 2.1% 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 92%. The student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read more about Geology & Earth Sciences at Brown University

#14

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Top 15% in overall quality

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #14. This large school is located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and it awarded 23 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

UNC Chapel Hill also claimed a top spot on our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools in this category. The estimated yearly cost for UNC Chapel Hill is $4,026 for bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Geology & Earth Sciences at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

#15

Vanderbilt University

Nashville, Tennessee
Top 20% in overall quality

With a ranking of #15, Vanderbilt University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. This fairly large school is located in Nashville, Tennessee, and it awarded 10 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

Vanderbilt also claimed a top spot on our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Vanderbilt is $3,156 for Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Vanderbilt Geology & Earth Sciences Report

#4 in overall quality

Columbia University in the City of New York came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Columbia University in the City of New York is located in New York, New York and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 22 bachelors’s geology degrees to qualified students.

Columbia also made our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #4. The yearly cost to attend Columbia University in the City of New York is $8,916 for Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The low student loan default rate of 2.1% 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 95%.

Read more about Geology & Earth Sciences at Columbia

Top 15% in overall quality

With a ranking of #17, University of Washington - Seattle Campus did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. UW Seattle is located in Seattle, Washington and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 42 bachelors’s geology degrees to qualified students.

UW Seattle also claimed a top spot on our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend UW Seattle is $7,850 for Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Geology & Earth Sciences at UW Seattle

#18

University of Maryland - College Park

College Park, Maryland
#20 in overall quality

With a ranking of #18, University of Maryland - College Park did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in College Park, Maryland, this large public school awarded 20 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s geology students in 2019-2020.

UMCP did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #20 on our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Maryland - College Park is $8,054 for Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Geology & Earth Sciences at University of Maryland - College Park

Top 20% in overall quality

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UIUC is a large school located in Champaign, Illinois that handed out 15 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

On top of its placing in this ranking, UIUC also did well on our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The estimated yearly cost for UIUC is $5,477 for bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Geology & Earth Sciences Report

#20

William & Mary

Williamsburg, Virginia
Top 15% in overall quality

With a ranking of #20, William & Mary did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. This medium-sized school is located in Williamsburg, Virginia, and it awarded 22 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

William & Mary also claimed a top spot on our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools in this category. The estimated yearly cost for William & Mary is $4,711 for bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $0-$30k.

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

Full William & Mary Geology & Earth Sciences Report

#21

The City College of New York

New York, New York

The City College of New York came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. The City College of New York is a fairly large school located in New York, New York that handed out 11 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend CCNY is $704 for Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full The City College of New York Geology & Earth Sciences Report

Brigham Young University - Idaho landed the #22 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Rexburg, Idaho, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 6 degrees to qualified bachelors’s geology students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for BYU - I is $2,637 for Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 3.2% 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 Geology & Earth Sciences at Brigham Young University - Idaho

California State University - Fullerton ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. California State University - Fullerton is a large public school situated in Fullerton, California. It awarded 20 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Fullerton is $4,291 for Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $0-$30k.

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%.

Read more about Geology & Earth Sciences at Cal State Fullerton

#24

University of Wyoming

Laramie, Wyoming
#24 in overall quality

University of Wyoming did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #24. University of Wyoming is a fairly large public school situated in Laramie, Wyoming. It awarded 22 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

UW also took the #24 spot in our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UW is $8,231 for bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 4.5% 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 University of Wyoming Geology & Earth Sciences Report

#25

Purdue University - Main Campus

West Lafayette, Indiana
Top 25% in overall quality

With a ranking of #25, Purdue University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Purdue University - Main Campus is a large school located in West Lafayette, Indiana that handed out 28 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Purdue is $5,483 for Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, 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 93%.

Read full report on Geology & Earth Sciences at Purdue

Rest of the Best 38 in Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k

Not only did these schools make the top 38 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

#27

University of Georgia

Athens, Georgia
#29

University of California - Berkeley

Berkeley, California
#32

Texas A&M University - College Station

College Station, Texas
#33

Florida State University

Tallahassee, Florida
#34

North Carolina State University

Raleigh, North Carolina
#36

Oberlin College

Oberlin, Ohio
#37

Michigan State University

East Lansing, Michigan

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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