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2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid

249 Ranked Colleges
5,080 Degrees Awarded
$11,500 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor's For Those Getting Aid

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. 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 Getting Aid” 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 Getting Aid” 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. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

More Ways to Rank Geology & Earth Sciences Schools

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 a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid” 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. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.

Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid

The colleges and universities below are the best for bachelor’s degree geology students with aid.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Geology & Earth Sciences (With Aid)

#5 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Wisconsin - Madison. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid. UW - Madison is a large school located in Madison, Wisconsin that handed out 43 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

UW - Madison also made our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #5. The estimated yearly cost for UW - Madison is $17,708 for bachelor’s degree geology students with aid.

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%. 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 UW - Madison

Top 15% in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Washington - Seattle Campus. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid. Located in Seattle, Washington, this large public school awarded 42 degrees to qualified bachelors’s geology students in 2019-2020.

UW Seattle excels when it comes to geology quality. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The yearly cost to attend UW Seattle is $13,297 for bachelor’s degree geology students with aid.

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 low student loan default rate of 2.2% 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 University of Washington - Seattle Campus

#3

University of Florida

Gainesville, Florida
Top 15% in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Florida. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid. Located in Gainesville, Florida, this large public school handed out 36 degrees to qualified bachelors’s geology students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, UF is also in the top of our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It’s in the top 15% of all schools in this category. The yearly cost to attend University of Florida is $6,302 for bachelor’s degree geology students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 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 UF

Out of the 249 schools in the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, The University of Texas of the Permian Basin landed the #4 spot on the list. The University of Texas of the Permian Basin is a medium-sized public school situated in Odessa, Texas. It awarded 13 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend UT Permian Basin is $10,092 for Bachelor’s Degree Geology students with aid.

Full The University of Texas of the Permian Basin Geology & Earth Sciences Report

#5

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Top 15% in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid. 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 reviewed in that analysis. The yearly cost to attend University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is $12,352 for bachelor’s degree geology students with aid.

With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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%.

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

California State University - Los Angeles ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s geology degrees to 10 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Los Angeles is $2,768 for Bachelor’s Degree Geology students with aid.

The low student loan default rate of 1.4% 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%.

Read full report on Geology & Earth Sciences at Cal State LA

#7

The City College of New York

New York, New York

The City College of New York did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #7. This fairly large school is located in New York, New York, and it awarded 11 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend CCNY is $2,385 for Bachelor’s Degree Geology students with aid.

Read full report on Geology & Earth Sciences at The City College of New York

With a ranking of #8, California State University - Fullerton did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. Cal State Fullerton is a large school located in Fullerton, California that handed out 20 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $7,991 for bachelor’s degree geology students with aid per year to attend Cal State Fullerton.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low 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%.

Full Cal State Fullerton Geology & Earth Sciences Report

Top 20% in overall quality

California State University - Long Beach did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #9. Located in Long Beach, California, this large public school awarded 10 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s geology students in 2019-2020.

CSULB excels when it comes to geology quality. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Long Beach is $9,622 for bachelor’s degree geology students with aid.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The low student loan default rate of 1.6% 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%.

Read more about Geology & Earth Sciences at CSULB

California State University - Bakersfield landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. Bakersfield, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s geology degrees to 25 students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $5,318 for Bachelor’s Degree Geology students with aid per year to attend California State University - Bakersfield.

Read full report on Geology & Earth Sciences at California State University - Bakersfield

#11

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Cambridge, Massachusetts
#2 in overall quality

With a ranking of #11, Massachusetts Institute of Technology did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a fairly large school located in Cambridge, Massachusetts that handed out 7 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

MIT not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Massachusetts Institute of Technology is $16,636 for Bachelor’s Degree Geology students with aid.

The low student loan default rate of 1.1% 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%. 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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 98%.

Read full report on Geology & Earth Sciences at Massachusetts Institute of Technology

#12

University of Wyoming

Laramie, Wyoming
#24 in overall quality

With a ranking of #12, University of Wyoming did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. UW is located in Laramie, Wyoming and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 22 bachelors’s geology degrees to qualified students.

UW not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #24 on our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Wyoming is $12,159 for Bachelor’s Degree Geology students with aid.

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 UW Geology & Earth Sciences Report

Brigham Young University - Idaho came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. Rexburg, Idaho is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s geology degrees to 6 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend BYU - I is $7,167 for Bachelor’s Degree Geology students with aid.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full BYU - I Geology & Earth Sciences Report

#14

Appalachian State University

Boone, North Carolina

With a ranking of #14, Appalachian State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. Boone, North Carolina is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s geology degrees to 33 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Appalachian State University is $13,920 for Bachelor’s Degree Geology students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Geology & Earth Sciences at Appalachian State University

#15

Purdue University - Main Campus

West Lafayette, Indiana
Top 25% in overall quality

Purdue University - Main Campus ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. This large school is located in West Lafayette, Indiana, and it awarded 28 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $13,986 for Bachelor’s Degree Geology students with aid per year to attend Purdue.

The low student loan default rate of 2.2% 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%. 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 Geology & Earth Sciences at Purdue

The University of Texas at Dallas came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Richardson, Texas, this large public school handed out 15 degrees to qualified bachelors’s geology students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend The University of Texas at Dallas is $15,232 for Bachelor’s Degree Geology students with aid.

The low student loan default rate of 4.9% 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 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full The University of Texas at Dallas Geology & Earth Sciences Report

University of South Florida - Main Campus came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Tampa, Florida, this large public school awarded 28 degrees to qualified bachelors’s geology students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend University of South Florida - Main Campus is $8,355 for Bachelor’s Degree Geology students with aid.

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%. 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 more about Geology & Earth Sciences at University of South Florida - Main Campus

#18

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, Michigan
#10 in overall quality

With a ranking of #18, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. U-M is a large public school situated in Ann Arbor, Michigan. It awarded 37 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

U-M did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend U-M is $15,336 for bachelor’s degree geology students with aid.

The low student loan default rate of 1.2% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%.

Read more about Geology & Earth Sciences at U-M

Top 25% in overall quality

University of California - Irvine came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. University of California - Irvine is a large school located in Irvine, California that handed out 52 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Irvine is $14,783 for Bachelor’s Degree Geology students with aid.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low 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 University of California - Irvine Geology & Earth Sciences Report

#12 in overall quality

With a ranking of #20, The University of Texas at Austin did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Austin, Texas, this large public school awarded 28 degrees to qualified bachelors’s geology students in 2019-2020.

UT Austin did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend The University of Texas at Austin is $18,023 for bachelor’s degree geology students with aid.

With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Geology & Earth Sciences at The University of Texas at Austin

#21

University of Houston

Houston, Texas
Top 15% in overall quality

University of Houston ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Houston, Texas, this large public school handed out 41 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s geology students in 2019-2020.

UH excels when it comes to geology quality. It’s in the top 15% of all schools in this category. The yearly cost to attend UH is $12,838 for Bachelor’s Degree Geology students with aid.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Geology & Earth Sciences at University of Houston

Top 20% in overall quality

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Champaign, Illinois, this large public school awarded 15 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s geology students 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 ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is $15,880 for bachelor’s degree geology students with aid.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The low student loan default rate of 2.4% 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%.

Read more about Geology & Earth Sciences at UIUC

University of Nevada - Las Vegas came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. University of Nevada - Las Vegas is a large public school situated in Las Vegas, Nevada. It awarded 41 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend University of Nevada - Las Vegas is $11,424 for bachelor’s degree geology students with aid.

Full UNLV Geology & Earth Sciences Report

With a ranking of #24, California State University - Sacramento did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. Sacramento, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s geology degrees to 18 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Sac State is $9,979 for Bachelor’s Degree Geology students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full California State University - Sacramento Geology & Earth Sciences Report

#25

University of Utah

Salt Lake City, Utah

University of Utah came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. U of U is a large public school situated in Salt Lake City, Utah. It awarded 34 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $14,773 for Bachelor’s Degree Geology students with aid per year to attend U of U.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.6%, 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 full report on Geology & Earth Sciences at University of Utah

Rest of the Best 38 in Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid

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

#27

Princeton University

Princeton, New Jersey
#28

University of Arizona

Tucson, Arizona
#30

University of California - Riverside

Riverside, California
#31

University of Georgia

Athens, Georgia
#32

West Virginia University

Morgantown, West Virginia
#33

Texas Tech University

Lubbock, Texas
#34

North Carolina State University

Raleigh, North Carolina
#35

MSU Texas

Wichita Falls, Texas
#36

University of Wisconsin - Green Bay

Green Bay, Wisconsin
#38

University of Wisconsin - River Falls

River Falls, Wisconsin

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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