2023 Best Value Colleges for Geophysics & Seismology (With Aid)
22
Ranked Colleges
243
Degrees Awarded
$16,900
Avg Net Price*
When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Geophysics Schools For Those Getting Aid” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.
In 2020-2021, 243 people earned their degree in geophysics and seismology, making the major the 757th most popular in the United States.
This year’s “Best Value Geophysics Schools For Those Getting Aid” ranking analyzed 22 colleges that offered a degree in geophysics and seismology. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent geophysics and seismology programs, but they also 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 geophysics and seismology program at the school. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
More Ways to Rank Geophysics & Seismology Schools
The geophysics 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 “Best Value Geophysics Schools For Those Getting Aid”.
To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.
Best Value Geophysics Schools For Those Getting Aid
The colleges and universities below are the best for geophysics students with aid.
Top 22 Best Value Colleges for Geophysics & Seismology (With Aid)
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Stanford University. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value Geophysics Schools For Those Getting Aid list. Stanford is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Stanford, California. It awarded 13 ’s geophysics degrees in 2020-2021.
Stanford also made our “Best Geophysics & Seismology Schools” list, coming in at #1. It costs about $12,894 for geophysics students with aid per year to attend Stanford.
With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 4 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 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.5% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Read more about Geophysics & Seismology at Stanford
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 Geophysics Schools For Those Getting Aid. Seattle, Washington is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s geophysics degrees to 17 students in 2020-2021.
UW Seattle not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Geophysics & Seismology Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend UW Seattle is $12,017 for Geophysics students with aid.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full UW Seattle Geophysics & Seismology Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wyoming. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Geophysics Schools For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Laramie, Wyoming, this fairly large public school awarded 3 diplomas to qualified ’s geophysics students in 2020-2021.
UW did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Geophysics & Seismology Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for UW is $11,085 for geophysics students with aid.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Geophysics & Seismology at UW
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend The University of Texas at Austin. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Geophysics Schools For Those Getting Aid. This large school is located in Austin, Texas, and it awarded 2 ’s geophysics degrees in 2020-2021.
UT Austin also made our “Best Geophysics & Seismology Schools” list, coming in at #7. The yearly cost to attend UT Austin is $18,350 for geophysics students with aid.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.3%, 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 97%.
Read more about Geophysics & Seismology at The University of Texas at Austin
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Houston. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Geophysics Schools For Those Getting Aid. University of Houston is located in Houston, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 42 ’s geophysics degrees to qualified students.
UH did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best Geophysics & Seismology Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for UH is $13,721 for Geophysics students with aid.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Geophysics & Seismology at University of Houston
University of California - Berkeley landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Best Value Geophysics Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. University of California - Berkeley is a large public school situated in Berkeley, California. It awarded 13 ’s geophysics degrees in 2020-2021.
UC Berkeley also made our “Best Geophysics & Seismology Schools” list, coming in at #3. It costs about $16,032 for geophysics students with aid per year to attend University of California - Berkeley.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default 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 Geophysics & Seismology at University of California - Berkeley
Texas A&M University - College Station did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Geophysics Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #7. Texas A&M University - College Station is located in College Station, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 10 ’s geophysics degrees to qualified students.
Texas A&M College Station did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Geophysics & Seismology Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Texas A&M College Station is $18,919 for Geophysics students with aid.
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 low undergrad 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 Geophysics & Seismology at Texas A&M College Station
University of California - Los Angeles ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Geophysics Schools For Those Getting Aid list. University of California - Los Angeles is a large public school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 13 ’s geophysics degrees in 2020-2021.
UCLA did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best Geophysics & Seismology Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Los Angeles is $15,023 for geophysics students with aid.
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 1.6% 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 full report on Geophysics & Seismology at UCLA
University of California - Riverside landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Best Value Geophysics Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. University of California - Riverside is a large school located in Riverside, California that handed out 3 ’s geophysics degrees in 2020-2021.
UCR did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best Geophysics & Seismology Schools” list. It costs about $11,822 for geophysics students with aid per year to attend UCR.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.3% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.
Read more about Geophysics & Seismology at University of California - Riverside
University of Utah ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Geophysics Schools For Those Getting Aid list. University of Utah is located in Salt Lake City, Utah and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 6 ’s geophysics degrees to qualified students.
U of U not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best Geophysics & Seismology Schools” list. It costs about $13,572 for geophysics students with aid per year to attend U of U.
With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Geophysics & Seismology at U of U
With a ranking of #11, University of Nevada - Reno did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Geophysics Schools For Those Getting Aid list. UNR is a large school located in Reno, Nevada that handed out 5 ’s geophysics degrees in 2020-2021.
UNR also made our “Best Geophysics & Seismology Schools” list, coming in at #13. It costs about $14,930 for geophysics students with aid per year to attend UNR.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Geophysics & Seismology at UNR
The University of Texas at El Paso landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Best Value Geophysics Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in El Paso, Texas, this large public school awarded 3 diplomas to qualified ’s geophysics students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UTEP, the school also landed the #22 spot in our “Best Geophysics & Seismology Schools” ranking. It costs about $9,000 for Geophysics students with aid per year to attend UTEP.
Full UTEP Geophysics & Seismology Report
Boise State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Geophysics Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #13. This large school is located in Boise, Idaho, and it awarded 4 ’s geophysics degrees in 2020-2021.
Boise State also took the #20 spot in our “Best Geophysics & Seismology Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Boise State University is $16,153 for geophysics students with aid.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.3% 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 Geophysics & Seismology at Boise State University
San Diego State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Geophysics Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #14. Located in San Diego, California, this large public school awarded 2 degrees to qualified ’s geophysics students in 2020-2021.
SDSU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #19 on our “Best Geophysics & Seismology Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend SDSU is $13,845 for Geophysics students with aid.
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 undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Geophysics & Seismology at SDSU
Texas A&M University - Kingsville ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Geophysics Schools For Those Getting Aid list. Texas A&M University - Kingsville is located in Kingsville, Texas and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 5 ’s geophysics degrees to qualified students.
Texas A&M Kingsville did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #21 on our “Best Geophysics & Seismology Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Texas A&M University - Kingsville is $13,027 for geophysics students with aid.
Read more about Geophysics & Seismology at Texas A&M Kingsville
Western Washington University landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Best Value Geophysics Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. Western Washington University is a fairly large public school situated in Bellingham, Washington. It awarded 2 ’s geophysics degrees in 2020-2021.
WWU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best Geophysics & Seismology Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for WWU is $17,070 for geophysics students with aid.
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%.
Read full report on Geophysics & Seismology at WWU
With a ranking of #17, University of Colorado Boulder did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Geophysics Schools For Those Getting Aid list. This large school is located in Boulder, Colorado, and it awarded 5 ’s geophysics degrees in 2020-2021.
CU - Boulder not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Geophysics & Seismology Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Colorado Boulder is $20,967 for geophysics students with aid.
The low undergrad 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Geophysics & Seismology at University of Colorado Boulder
Colorado School of Mines did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Geophysics Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #18. This medium-sized school is located in Golden, Colorado, and it awarded 14 ’s geophysics degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Mines, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best Geophysics & Seismology Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Mines is $27,114 for geophysics students with aid.
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 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full Colorado School of Mines Geophysics & Seismology Report
University of Oklahoma Norman Campus did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Geophysics Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #19. University of Oklahoma is a large public school situated in Norman, Oklahoma. It awarded 16 ’s geophysics degrees in 2020-2021.
University of Oklahoma not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #17 on our “Best Geophysics & Seismology Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Oklahoma is $21,122 for Geophysics students with aid.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, 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 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full University of Oklahoma Norman Campus Geophysics & Seismology Report
California Institute of Technology landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Best Value Geophysics Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. California Institute of Technology is a small school located in Pasadena, California that handed out 9 ’s geophysics degrees in 2020-2021.
Caltech did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Geophysics & Seismology Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Caltech is $26,542 for geophysics students with aid.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 3 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Geophysics & Seismology at Caltech
University of South Carolina - Columbia did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Geophysics Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #21. UofSC is located in Columbia, South Carolina and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 3 ’s geophysics degrees to qualified students.
UofSC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #18 on our “Best Geophysics & Seismology Schools” list. It costs about $20,559 for geophysics students with aid per year to attend UofSC.
With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.1% 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%.
Full University of South Carolina - Columbia Geophysics & Seismology Report
With a ranking of #22, University of Chicago did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Geophysics Schools For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 17 diplomas to qualified ’s geophysics students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our geophysics students with aid list, UChicago has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Geophysics & Seismology Schools” ranking. It costs about $28,517 for Geophysics students with aid per year to attend UChicago.
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 undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, 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 100%.
Read more about Geophysics & Seismology at University of Chicago
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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
- *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.
