2023 Best Value Colleges for Geophysics & Seismology (Income $75-$110k)
22
Ranked Colleges
243
Degrees Awarded
$20,000
Avg Net Price*
It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Geophysics Schools For Those Making $75-$110k” ranking - to help you make that decision.
Geophysics & Seismology is the 757th most popular major in the country with 243 degrees awarded in 2020-2021.
For this year’s “Best Value Geophysics Schools For Those Making $75-$110k” ranking, we looked at 22 colleges that offer a degree in geophysics and seismology. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality geophysics and seismology programs that also have a lower cost than 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
Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Geophysics Schools For Those Making $75-$110k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that 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. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.
Best Value Geophysics Schools For Those Making $75-$110k
The colleges and universities below are the best for geophysics students whose families make $75-$110k.
Top 22 Best Value Colleges for Geophysics & Seismology (Income $75-$110k)
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 Geophysics Schools For Those Making $75-$110k. Stanford, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s geophysics degrees to 13 students in 2020-2021.
Stanford also made our “Best Geophysics & Seismology Schools” list, coming in at #1. It costs about $13,623 for Geophysics students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Stanford University.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Geophysics & Seismology at Stanford University
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 Geophysics Schools For Those Making $75-$110k. California Institute of Technology is located in Pasadena, California and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 9 ’s geophysics degrees to qualified students.
Caltech also made our “Best Geophysics & Seismology Schools” list, coming in at #8. It costs about $20,010 for Geophysics students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Caltech.
The impressive undergraduate 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 94%.
Read full report on Geophysics & Seismology at California Institute of Technology
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Chicago. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Geophysics Schools For Those Making $75-$110k list. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 17 diplomas to qualified ’s geophysics students in 2020-2021.
UChicago not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Geophysics & Seismology Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Chicago is $19,895 for Geophysics students whose families make $75-$110k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate 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 school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 100%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full UChicago Geophysics & Seismology Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wyoming. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Geophysics Schools For Those Making $75-$110k list. Laramie, Wyoming is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s geophysics degrees to 3 students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our geophysics students whose families make $75-$110k list, UW has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Geophysics & Seismology Schools” ranking. It costs about $15,178 for Geophysics students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend University of Wyoming.
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%.
Full UW Geophysics & Seismology Report
Out of the 22 schools in the Best Value Geophysics Schools For Those Making $75-$110k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Washington - Seattle Campus landed the #5 spot on the list. UW Seattle is a large school located in Seattle, Washington that handed out 17 ’s geophysics degrees 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 University of Washington - Seattle Campus is $16,894 for geophysics students whose families make $75-$110k.
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%.
Full UW Seattle Geophysics & Seismology Report
University of California - Berkeley came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geophysics Schools For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. UC Berkeley is a public institution located in Berkeley, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 13 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Berkeley, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Geophysics & Seismology Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UC Berkeley is $21,601 for Geophysics students whose families make $75-$110k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.8%, 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 96%.
Read more about Geophysics & Seismology at University of California - Berkeley
The University of Texas at Austin did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Geophysics Schools For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #7. UT Austin is a large school located in Austin, Texas that handed out 2 ’s geophysics degrees in 2020-2021.
UT Austin also took the #7 spot in our “Best Geophysics & Seismology Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend The University of Texas at Austin is $20,425 for Geophysics students whose families make $75-$110k.
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
With a ranking of #8, University of Houston did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Geophysics Schools For Those Making $75-$110k list. Houston, Texas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s geophysics degrees to 42 students in 2020-2021.
UH did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best Geophysics & Seismology Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend UH is $19,533 for geophysics students whose families make $75-$110k.
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 school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Geophysics & Seismology at UH
With a ranking of #9, University of California - Los Angeles did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Geophysics Schools For Those Making $75-$110k list. Located in Los Angeles, California, this large public school awarded 13 diplomas to qualified ’s geophysics students in 2020-2021.
UCLA also made our “Best Geophysics & Seismology Schools” list, coming in at #10. It costs about $20,697 for geophysics students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend UCLA.
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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full UCLA Geophysics & Seismology Report
University of Nevada - Reno ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Geophysics Schools For Those Making $75-$110k list. Located in Reno, Nevada, this large public school handed out 5 diplomas to qualified ’s geophysics students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our geophysics students whose families make $75-$110k list, UNR has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best Geophysics & Seismology Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UNR is $17,907 for geophysics students whose families make $75-$110k.
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 full report on Geophysics & Seismology at University of Nevada - Reno
University of Utah came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geophysics Schools For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. U of U is a large public school situated in Salt Lake City, Utah. It awarded 6 ’s geophysics degrees in 2020-2021.
U of U also made our “Best Geophysics & Seismology Schools” list, coming in at #14. The yearly cost to attend U of U is $15,746 for geophysics students whose families make $75-$110k.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Geophysics & Seismology at U of U
University of California - Riverside came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geophysics Schools For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. UCR is a public institution located in Riverside, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 3 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our geophysics students whose families make $75-$110k list, UCR has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best Geophysics & Seismology Schools” ranking. It costs about $16,887 for Geophysics students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend University of California - Riverside.
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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full UCR Geophysics & Seismology Report
Texas A&M University - College Station ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Geophysics Schools For Those Making $75-$110k list. Texas A&M College Station is a public institution located in College Station, Texas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 10 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Texas A&M College Station not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Geophysics & Seismology Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Texas A&M College Station is $25,812 for Geophysics students whose families make $75-$110k.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Geophysics & Seismology at Texas A&M University - College Station
The University of Texas at El Paso landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Best Value Geophysics Schools For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. The University of Texas at El Paso is a large public school situated in El Paso, Texas. It awarded 3 ’s geophysics degrees in 2020-2021.
UTEP also took the #22 spot in our “Best Geophysics & Seismology Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UTEP is $13,058 for geophysics students whose families make $75-$110k.
Full The University of Texas at El Paso Geophysics & Seismology Report
With a ranking of #15, San Diego State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Geophysics Schools For Those Making $75-$110k list. San Diego State University is a large public school situated in San Diego, California. It awarded 2 ’s geophysics degrees in 2020-2021.
SDSU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #19 on our “Best Geophysics & Seismology Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for SDSU is $18,957 for Geophysics students whose families make $75-$110k.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%.
Read full report on Geophysics & Seismology at SDSU
With a ranking of #16, Western Washington University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Geophysics Schools For Those Making $75-$110k list. Bellingham, Washington is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s geophysics degrees to 2 students in 2020-2021.
WWU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best Geophysics & Seismology Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Western Washington University is $21,763 for Geophysics students whose families make $75-$110k.
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
Boise State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Geophysics Schools For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #17. This large school is located in Boise, Idaho, and it awarded 4 ’s geophysics degrees in 2020-2021.
Boise State also made our “Best Geophysics & Seismology Schools” list, coming in at #20. The estimated yearly cost for Boise State University is $18,867 for Geophysics students whose families make $75-$110k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full Boise State University Geophysics & Seismology Report
University of Colorado Boulder ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Geophysics Schools For Those Making $75-$110k list. This large school is located in Boulder, Colorado, and it awarded 5 ’s geophysics degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at CU - Boulder, the school also landed the #11 spot in our “Best Geophysics & Seismology Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Colorado Boulder is $25,326 for geophysics students whose families make $75-$110k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Geophysics & Seismology at CU - Boulder
University of South Carolina - Columbia came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geophysics Schools For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Located in Columbia, South Carolina, this large public school awarded 3 degrees to qualified ’s geophysics students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our geophysics students whose families make $75-$110k list, UofSC has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best Geophysics & Seismology Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UofSC is $22,517 for Geophysics students whose families make $75-$110k.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Geophysics & Seismology at UofSC
Texas A&M University - Kingsville ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Geophysics Schools For Those Making $75-$110k list. Texas A&M Kingsville is a medium-sized school located in Kingsville, Texas that handed out 5 ’s geophysics degrees in 2020-2021.
Texas A&M Kingsville not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #21 on our “Best Geophysics & Seismology Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Texas A&M University - Kingsville is $17,806 for Geophysics students whose families make $75-$110k.
Read full report on Geophysics & Seismology at Texas A&M Kingsville
University of Oklahoma Norman Campus landed the #21 spot on the 2023 Best Value Geophysics Schools For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. University of Oklahoma Norman Campus is located in Norman, Oklahoma and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 16 ’s geophysics degrees to qualified students.
University of Oklahoma not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #17 on our “Best Geophysics & Seismology Schools” list. It costs about $25,044 for Geophysics students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend University of Oklahoma.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. 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%.
Read full report on Geophysics & Seismology at University of Oklahoma
Colorado School of Mines did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Geophysics Schools For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #22. Colorado School of Mines is a medium-sized public school situated in Golden, Colorado. 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 Colorado School of Mines is $31,412 for Geophysics students whose families make $75-$110k.
With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Geophysics & Seismology at Colorado School of Mines
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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.
