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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Geophysics & Seismology (Income $30-$48k)

16 Ranked Colleges
96 Degrees Awarded
$11,700 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Geophysics Schools for a Bachelor's For Those Making $30-$48k

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 Geophysics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

In 2019-2020, 251 people earned their degree in geophysics and seismology, making the major the 674th most popular in the United States.

At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 96 geophysics and seismology graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,303 and $24,501 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Geophysics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking, we looked at 16 colleges that offer 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.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the geophysics and seismology 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

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 Geophysics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k” list to help you make the college decision.

In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest 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 Geophysics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Geophysics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k.

Top 16 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Geophysics & Seismology (Income $30-$48k)

#1

University of Chicago

Chicago, Illinois
#1 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Chicago. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Geophysics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s geophysics degrees to 6 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UChicago, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Geophysics & Seismology Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $2,800 for bachelor’s degree geophysics students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Chicago.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 100%. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 5 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 0.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Chicago Geophysics & Seismology Report

#2

Brown University

Providence, Rhode Island
#6 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Brown University. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Geophysics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. This medium-sized school is located in Providence, Rhode Island, and it awarded 6 bachelors’s geophysics degrees in 2019-2020.

Brown also made our “Best Geophysics & Seismology Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #6. The yearly cost to attend Brown is $6,684 for Bachelor’s Degree Geophysics students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.1%, which is much lower than the national 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. 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.

Read full report on Geophysics & Seismology at Brown

#7 in overall quality

Out of the 16 schools in the Best Value Geophysics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Washington - Seattle Campus landed the #3 spot on the list. UW Seattle is a public institution located in Seattle, Washington. The school has a large population, and it awarded 15 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree geophysics students whose families make $30-$48k list, UW Seattle has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best Geophysics & Seismology Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $7,467 for Bachelor’s Degree Geophysics students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UW Seattle.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full University of Washington - Seattle Campus Geophysics & Seismology Report

#4

California Institute of Technology

Pasadena, California
#2 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 #4 for the Best Value Geophysics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k. Pasadena, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s geophysics degrees to 1 students in 2019-2020.

Caltech also took the #2 spot in our “Best Geophysics & Seismology Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $3,756 for Bachelor’s Degree Geophysics students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend California Institute of Technology.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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%. 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.

Read full report on Geophysics & Seismology at California Institute of Technology

#5 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Berkeley. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Geophysics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k. UC Berkeley is located in Berkeley, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 7 bachelors’s geophysics degrees to qualified students.

UC Berkeley also took the #5 spot in our “Best Geophysics & Seismology Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UC Berkeley is $9,130 for Bachelor’s Degree Geophysics students whose families make $30-$48k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, 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 Geophysics & Seismology at UC Berkeley

#3 in overall quality

Texas A&M University - College Station came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geophysics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Texas A&M College Station is a public institution located in College Station, Texas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 14 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree geophysics students whose families make $30-$48k list, Texas A&M College Station has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Geophysics & Seismology Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Texas A&M University - College Station is $13,270 for Bachelor’s Degree Geophysics students whose families make $30-$48k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, 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.

Read more about Geophysics & Seismology at Texas A&M College Station

#7

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California
#9 in overall quality

University of California - Los Angeles did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Geophysics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #7. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s geophysics degrees to 4 students in 2019-2020.

UCLA did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Geophysics & Seismology Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Los Angeles is $9,254 for Bachelor’s Degree Geophysics 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 student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Geophysics & Seismology at UCLA

#8

University of Houston

Houston, Texas
#8 in overall quality

With a ranking of #8, University of Houston did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geophysics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Houston, Texas, this large public school awarded 9 degrees to qualified bachelors’s geophysics students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree geophysics students whose families make $30-$48k list, UH has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Geophysics & Seismology Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $9,925 for bachelor’s degree geophysics students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UH.

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

Read full report on Geophysics & Seismology at University of Houston

#15 in overall quality

University of California - Riverside came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geophysics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Riverside, California, this large public school awarded 2 degrees to qualified bachelors’s geophysics students in 2019-2020.

UCR did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best Geophysics & Seismology Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for UCR is $9,151 for Bachelor’s Degree Geophysics students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Geophysics & Seismology at UCR

#4 in overall quality

The University of Texas at Austin landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geophysics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This large school is located in Austin, Texas, and it awarded 5 bachelors’s geophysics degrees in 2019-2020.

UT Austin did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Geophysics & Seismology Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $13,575 for Bachelor’s Degree Geophysics students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UT Austin.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. 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%.

Read full report on Geophysics & Seismology at The University of Texas at Austin

#11

Western Washington University

Bellingham, Washington
#14 in overall quality

Western Washington University ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Geophysics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Bellingham, Washington, this fairly large public school handed out 6 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s geophysics students in 2019-2020.

WWU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best Geophysics & Seismology Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend WWU is $11,228 for bachelor’s degree geophysics students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%.

Read more about Geophysics & Seismology at Western Washington University

#12 in overall quality

University of Nevada - Reno landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geophysics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. University of Nevada - Reno is a large public school situated in Reno, Nevada. It awarded 3 bachelors’s geophysics degrees in 2019-2020.

UNR also took the #12 spot in our “Best Geophysics & Seismology Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Nevada - Reno is $12,716 for Bachelor’s Degree Geophysics students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full UNR Geophysics & Seismology Report

#13

Western Michigan University

Kalamazoo, Michigan
#11 in overall quality

Western Michigan University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Geophysics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #13. This fairly large school is located in Kalamazoo, Michigan, and it awarded 2 bachelors’s geophysics degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree geophysics students whose families make $30-$48k list, WMU has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best Geophysics & Seismology Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Western Michigan University is $15,276 for Bachelor’s Degree Geophysics students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Geophysics & Seismology at WMU

#13 in overall quality

With a ranking of #14, University of Oklahoma Norman Campus did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geophysics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Norman, Oklahoma, this large public school handed out 1 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s geophysics students in 2019-2020.

University of Oklahoma not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #13 on our “Best Geophysics & Seismology Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $17,285 for Bachelor’s Degree Geophysics students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Oklahoma Norman Campus.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Geophysics & Seismology at University of Oklahoma

#15

University of South Carolina - Columbia

Columbia, South Carolina
#16 in overall quality

University of South Carolina - Columbia did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Geophysics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #15. Located in Columbia, South Carolina, this large public school handed out 3 degrees to qualified bachelors’s geophysics students in 2019-2020.

UofSC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best Geophysics & Seismology Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend UofSC is $16,111 for Bachelor’s Degree Geophysics students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%. The low student loan default rate of 3.3% 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 University of South Carolina - Columbia

#16

Baylor University

Waco, Texas
#10 in overall quality

Baylor University landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geophysics Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Waco, Texas is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s geophysics degrees to 2 students in 2019-2020.

Baylor did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best Geophysics & Seismology Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Baylor University is $29,849 for Bachelor’s Degree Geophysics students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Geophysics & Seismology at Baylor University

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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