2023 Most Focused Master’s Degree Colleges for Geophysics & Seismology
25
Ranked Colleges
65
Degrees Awarded
$32,900
Avg Cost*

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Geophysics Major” ranking.
In 2021-2022, 238 people earned their degree in geophysics & seismology, making the major the 757th most popular in the United States.
At the master’s degree level specifically, there were 65 geophysics & seismology graduates with average earnings and debt of $58,979 and $43,370 respectively.
This year’s “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Geophysics Major” ranking analyzed 25 colleges that offered a degree in geophysics & seismology. The colleges and universities that top this list are recognized because their geophysics & seismology program is one of the largest majors offered at the school.
See our ranking methodology to learn more.
One Size Does Not Fit All
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 “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Geophysics Major”.
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. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.
Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Geophysics Major
The colleges and universities below are the best for master’s degree geophysics students.
Top 25 Most Focused Master’s Degree Colleges for Geophysics & Seismology
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California Institute of Technology. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Geophysics Major list. California Institute of Technology is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Pasadena, California. It awarded 5 masters’s geophysics degrees in 2021-2022.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 99%. 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.
Read full report on Geophysics & Seismology at California Institute of Technology
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Colorado School of Mines. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Geophysics Major list. Mines is located in Golden, Colorado and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 11 masters’s geophysics degrees to qualified students.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full Colorado School of Mines Geophysics & Seismology Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Tulsa. The school came in at #3 for the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Geophysics Major. Located in Tulsa, Oklahoma, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 1 degrees to qualified masters’s geophysics students in 2021-2022.
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 full report on Geophysics & Seismology at University of Tulsa
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Geophysics Major list. New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology is a small school located in Socorro, New Mexico that handed out 2 masters’s geophysics degrees in 2021-2022.
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 undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
Read full report on Geophysics & Seismology at New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Texas A&M University - Kingsville. The school came in at #5 for the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Geophysics Major. This medium-sized school is located in Kingsville, Texas, and it awarded 1 masters’s geophysics degrees in 2021-2022.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.5% 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 full report on Geophysics & Seismology at Texas A&M Kingsville
Michigan Technological University ranked #6 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Geophysics Major list. Michigan Technological University is located in Houghton, Michigan and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 4 masters’s geophysics degrees to qualified students.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. 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%.
Full Michigan Tech Geophysics & Seismology Report
University of Houston landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Geophysics Major ranking. Houston, Texas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s geophysics degrees to 11 students in 2021-2022.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. 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%.
Read full report on Geophysics & Seismology at University of Houston
University of Alaska Fairbanks landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Geophysics Major ranking. UAF is a medium-sized school located in Fairbanks, Alaska that handed out 1 masters’s geophysics degrees in 2021-2022.
The undergrad 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 more about Geophysics & Seismology at UAF
Boise State University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Geophysics Major ranking. Boise State is a large public school situated in Boise, Idaho. It awarded 7 masters’s geophysics degrees in 2021-2022.
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%.
Full Boise State Geophysics & Seismology Report
University of Oklahoma Norman Campus ranked #10 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Geophysics Major list. Located in Norman, Oklahoma, this large public school awarded 4 degrees to qualified masters’s geophysics students in 2021-2022.
The low undergrad 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full University of Oklahoma Geophysics & Seismology Report
Saint Louis University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Geophysics Major ranking, coming in at #11. Saint Louis University is a fairly large school located in Saint Louis, Missouri that handed out 1 masters’s geophysics degrees in 2021-2022.
With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 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 89%, 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%.
Full Saint Louis University Geophysics & Seismology Report
The University of Texas at El Paso ranked #12 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Geophysics Major list. Located in El Paso, Texas, this large public school awarded 1 degrees to qualified masters’s geophysics students in 2021-2022.
The low undergrad 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 El Paso
University of California - Los Angeles landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Geophysics Major ranking. University of California - Los Angeles is a large public school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 3 masters’s geophysics degrees in 2021-2022.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.7% 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 University of California - Los Angeles
With a ranking of #14, University of Wyoming did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Geophysics Major list. University of Wyoming is located in Laramie, Wyoming and, has a fairly large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 3 masters’s geophysics degrees to qualified students.
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 more about Geophysics & Seismology at UW
With a ranking of #15, University of Chicago did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Geophysics Major list. UChicago is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 16 masters’s geophysics degrees in 2021-2022.
With a freshman retention rate of 99%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. 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%.
Read full report on Geophysics & Seismology at UChicago
University of Utah ranked #16 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Geophysics Major list. University of Utah is a large public school situated in Salt Lake City, Utah. It awarded 1 masters’s geophysics degrees in 2021-2022.
The low undergrad 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%. 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 more about Geophysics & Seismology at U of U
Stanford University landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Geophysics Major ranking. Located in Stanford, California, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 2 diplomas to qualified masters’s geophysics students in 2021-2022.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.2% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 98%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
Full Stanford Geophysics & Seismology Report
With a ranking of #18, Boston College did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Geophysics Major list. Boston College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 1 masters’s degrees in 2021-2022.
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 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%.
Read full report on Geophysics & Seismology at Boston College
With a ranking of #19, University of Nevada - Reno did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Geophysics Major list. Located in Reno, Nevada, this large public school awarded 3 diplomas to qualified masters’s geophysics students in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full UNR Geophysics & Seismology Report
Texas A&M University - College Station landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Geophysics Major ranking. Texas A&M University - College Station is located in College Station, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 1 masters’s geophysics degrees to qualified students.
With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.6% 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 Geophysics & Seismology at Texas A&M University - College Station
University of Akron Main Campus ranked #20 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Geophysics Major list. University of Akron Main Campus is a fairly large public school situated in Akron, Ohio. It awarded 0 masters’s geophysics degrees in 2021-2022.
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%.
Read full report on Geophysics & Seismology at University of Akron Main Campus
With a ranking of #20, Massachusetts Institute of Technology did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Geophysics Major list. Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It awarded 1 masters’s geophysics degrees in 2021-2022.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 99%. 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.
Read full report on Geophysics & Seismology at Massachusetts Institute of Technology
University of California - Santa Barbara did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Geophysics Major ranking, coming in at #20. UCSB is a large public school situated in Santa Barbara, California. It awarded 0 masters’s geophysics degrees in 2021-2022.
With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.
Read more about Geophysics & Seismology at UCSB
University of Washington - Seattle Campus ranked #20 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Geophysics Major list. This large school is located in Seattle, Washington, and it awarded 1 masters’s geophysics degrees in 2021-2022.
With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.7% 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 University of Washington - Seattle Campus
With a ranking of #20, Southern Methodist University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Geophysics Major list. Located in Dallas, Texas, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 1 diplomas to qualified masters’s geophysics students in 2021-2022.
With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full SMU Geophysics & Seismology Report