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2023 Best Value Geology Schools For Those Making $30-$48k

181 Ranked Colleges
6,024 Degrees Awarded
$6,800 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Geology Schools For Those Making $30-$48k

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Geology Schools For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking - to help you make that decision.

In 2020-2021, 6,024 people earned their degree in geology and earth sciences, making the major the 125th most popular in the United States.

This year’s “Best Value Geology Schools For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking analyzed 181 colleges that offered a degree in geology and earth sciences. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great geology and earth sciences programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the geology and earth sciences program at the school. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

More Ways to Rank Geology & Earth Sciences Schools

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When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Best Value Geology Schools For Those Making $30-$48k” list to help you make the college decision.

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. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

Best Value Geology Schools For Those Making $30-$48k

The colleges and universities below are the best for geology students whose families make $30-$48k.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Geology & Earth Sciences (Income $30-$48k)

1
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 #1 for the Best Value Geology Schools For Those Making $30-$48k. Stanford, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s geology degrees to 64 students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our geology students whose families make $30-$48k list, Stanford has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Stanford University is $1,581 for geology students whose families make $30-$48k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The undergraduate 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. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Geology & Earth Sciences at Stanford University

2
Northwestern crest
Northwestern University
Evanston, Illinois

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Northwestern University. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Geology Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Northwestern is a large school located in Evanston, Illinois that handed out 21 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.

Northwestern not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Schools” list. It costs about $917 for geology students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Northwestern.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.6%, 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. The undergraduate 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.

Full Northwestern University Geology & Earth Sciences Report

3
Williams crest
Williams College
Williamstown, Massachusetts

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Williams College. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Geology Schools For Those Making $30-$48k. Williamstown, Massachusetts is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s geology degrees to 11 students in 2020-2021.

Williams not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Williams College is $5,480 for geology students whose families make $30-$48k.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Geology & Earth Sciences at Williams College

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 Best Value Geology Schools For Those Making $30-$48k. This small school is located in Pasadena, California, and it awarded 12 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.

Caltech did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for California Institute of Technology is $12,190 for Geology students whose families make $30-$48k.

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

Read more about Geology & Earth Sciences at Caltech

5

Out of the 181 schools in the Best Value Geology Schools For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor landed the #5 spot on the list. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is a large school located in Ann Arbor, Michigan that handed out 62 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.

U-M not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is $5,670 for Geology students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Geology & Earth Sciences at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

6
UF crest
University of Florida
Gainesville, Florida

University of Florida did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Geology Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #6. UF is a large school located in Gainesville, Florida that handed out 32 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.

UF not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #24 on our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for UF is $2,857 for geology students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, 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 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full UF Geology & Earth Sciences Report

7

University of Wisconsin - Madison landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Best Value Geology Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. University of Wisconsin - Madison is a public institution located in Madison, Wisconsin. The school has a large population, and it awarded 46 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

UW - Madison also took the #5 spot in our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Madison is $4,788 for geology students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, 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 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Geology & Earth Sciences at University of Wisconsin - Madison

8

With a ranking of #8, University of Washington - Seattle Campus did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Geology Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Seattle, Washington, this large public school awarded 43 degrees to qualified ’s geology students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our geology students whose families make $30-$48k list, UW Seattle has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Schools” ranking. It costs about $6,399 for geology students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UW Seattle.

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 full report on Geology & Earth Sciences at University of Washington - Seattle Campus

9
Cornell crest
Cornell University
Ithaca, New York

Cornell University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Geology Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #9. Cornell is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Ithaca, New York. It awarded 9 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Cornell, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Cornell is $5,133 for Geology students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 0.9%, 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.

Read full report on Geology & Earth Sciences at Cornell

10

University of California - Berkeley came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geology Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Berkeley, California, this large public school awarded 24 diplomas to qualified ’s geology students in 2020-2021.

UC Berkeley did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Schools” list. It costs about $9,999 for geology students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UC Berkeley.

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

Read more about Geology & Earth Sciences at UC Berkeley

11
Johns Hopkins crest
Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, Maryland

Johns Hopkins University ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Johns Hopkins University is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Baltimore, Maryland. It awarded 18 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.

Johns Hopkins did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Johns Hopkins University is $4,859 for Geology students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 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%.

Read more about Geology & Earth Sciences at Johns Hopkins

12

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Best Value Geology Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a public institution located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. The school has a large population, and it awarded 20 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on this list, UNC Chapel Hill is in the top on our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Schools” list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The estimated yearly cost for University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is $5,729 for Geology students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%.

Read full report on Geology & Earth Sciences at UNC Chapel Hill

13

With a ranking of #13, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Geology Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities is a large public school situated in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It awarded 28 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.

UMN Twin Cities also took the #15 spot in our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Schools” ranking. It costs about $8,609 for Geology students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UMN Twin Cities.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Geology & Earth Sciences at UMN Twin Cities

14
Purdue crest
Purdue University - Main Campus
West Lafayette, Indiana

Purdue University - Main Campus landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Best Value Geology Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in West Lafayette, Indiana, this large public school awarded 34 diplomas to qualified ’s geology students in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Purdue University - Main Campus is $5,853 for geology students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, 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 93%.

Read more about Geology & Earth Sciences at Purdue

15
William & Mary crest
William & Mary
Williamsburg, Virginia

William & Mary did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Geology Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #15. This medium-sized school is located in Williamsburg, Virginia, and it awarded 27 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for William & Mary is $7,507 for Geology students whose families make $30-$48k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full William & Mary Geology & Earth Sciences Report

16

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Geology Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #16. Champaign, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s geology degrees to 19 students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our geology students whose families make $30-$48k list, UIUC has also earned the #25 rank in our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UIUC is $8,036 for geology students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. 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 full report on Geology & Earth Sciences at UIUC

17

University of South Florida - Main Campus came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geology Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This large school is located in Tampa, Florida, and it awarded 39 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend USF Tampa is $5,632 for geology students whose families make $30-$48k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Geology & Earth Sciences at USF Tampa

18
UW crest
University of Wyoming
Laramie, Wyoming

University of Wyoming did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Geology Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #18. This fairly large school is located in Laramie, Wyoming, and it awarded 27 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.

UW also made our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Schools” list, coming in at #18. The yearly cost to attend University of Wyoming is $6,776 for Geology students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Geology & Earth Sciences at University of Wyoming

19

University of California - Los Angeles ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. This large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 14 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.

UCLA did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #19 on our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend UCLA is $9,891 for Geology students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 1.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Geology & Earth Sciences at University of California - Los Angeles

20
IU Bloomington crest
Indiana University - Bloomington
Bloomington, Indiana

With a ranking of #20, Indiana University - Bloomington did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Geology Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Bloomington, Indiana is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s geology degrees to 16 students in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend IU Bloomington is $7,061 for Geology students whose families make $30-$48k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full Indiana University - Bloomington Geology & Earth Sciences Report

21

With a ranking of #21, California State University - Los Angeles did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Geology Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Los Angeles, California, this large public school handed out 19 diplomas to qualified ’s geology students in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Los Angeles is $2,701 for geology students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.6% 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%.

Full California State University - Los Angeles Geology & Earth Sciences Report

22
Florida State crest
Florida State University
Tallahassee, Florida

Florida State University came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geology Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Florida State is a large school located in Tallahassee, Florida that handed out 18 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Florida State is $7,349 for geology students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Florida State Geology & Earth Sciences Report

23

University of California - San Diego ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of California - San Diego is located in La Jolla, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 27 ’s geology degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCSD, the school also landed the #21 spot in our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UCSD is $11,176 for geology students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%.

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

24
Middlesex County College crest
Middlesex County College
Edison, New Jersey

Middlesex County College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Geology Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #24. Middlesex County College is a medium-sized public school situated in Edison, New Jersey. It awarded 5 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Middlesex County College is $9,877 for Geology students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full Middlesex County College Geology & Earth Sciences Report

25

With a ranking of #25, Texas A&M University - College Station did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Geology Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Texas A&M University - College Station is a large public school situated in College Station, Texas. It awarded 108 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Texas A&M College Station, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Texas A&M University - College Station is $12,949 for geology students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 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%.

Read full report on Geology & Earth Sciences at Texas A&M College Station

Rest of the Best 28 in Best Value Geology Schools For Those Making $30-$48k

Not only did these schools make the top 28 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

26
27
UH crest
University of Houston
Houston, Texas
28

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