2023 Best Value Geology Schools For Those Making $0-$30k
184
Ranked Colleges
7,821
Degrees Awarded
$4,800
Avg Net Price*
With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Geology Schools For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking - to help you make that decision.
In 2020-2021, 7,821 people earned their degree in geological and earth sciences, making the major the 95th most popular in the United States. In 2019-2020, geological and earth sciences graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $38,705 and had an average of $23,383 in loans still to pay off.
This year’s “Best Value Geology Schools For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking analyzed 184 colleges that offered a degree in geological and earth sciences. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality geological 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 geological and earth sciences program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
More Ways to Rank Geological & Earth Sciences Schools
Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Geology Schools For Those Making $0-$30k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.
In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. 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 Geology Schools For Those Making $0-$30k
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Geology Schools For Those Making $0-$30k.
Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Geological & Earth Sciences (Income $0-$30k)
Out of the 184 schools in the Best Value Geology Schools For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Stanford University landed the #1 spot on the list. Stanford University is a fairly large school located in Stanford, California that handed out 100 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.
Stanford not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Stanford is $1,233 for Geology students whose families make $0-$30k.
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 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%. 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.
Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at Stanford University
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Northwestern University. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Geology Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Evanston, Illinois, this large private not-for-profit school awarded 21 diplomas to qualified ’s geology students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Northwestern, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools” ranking. It costs about $245 for geology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Northwestern University.
With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. 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 0.6% 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 Geological & Earth Sciences at Northwestern University
Out of the 184 schools in the Best Value Geology Schools For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Chicago landed the #3 spot on the list. University of Chicago is a fairly large school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 17 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our geology students whose families make $0-$30k list, UChicago has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UChicago is $2,500 for geology students whose families make $0-$30k.
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. 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 100%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at UChicago
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Geology Schools For Those Making $0-$30k. U-M is a large public school situated in Ann Arbor, Michigan. It awarded 62 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.
U-M not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend U-M is $2,670 for Geology students whose families make $0-$30k.
With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at U-M
Out of the 184 schools in the Best Value Geology Schools For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Wisconsin - Madison landed the #5 spot on the list. Located in Madison, Wisconsin, this large public school awarded 50 diplomas to qualified ’s geology students in 2020-2021.
UW - Madison also took the #6 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools” ranking. It costs about $3,981 for Geology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.9% 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%.
Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at University of Wisconsin - Madison
Williams College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Geology Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #6. Williams College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Williamstown, Massachusetts. It awarded 11 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Williams, the school also landed the #17 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools” ranking. It costs about $1,451 for geology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Williams College.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at Williams
With a ranking of #7, Johns Hopkins University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Geology Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Baltimore, Maryland is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s geology degrees to 18 students in 2020-2021.
Johns Hopkins also took the #14 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools” ranking. It costs about $2,084 for geology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Johns Hopkins.
The impressive undergraduate 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. The low undergrad 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at Johns Hopkins University
University of Florida came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geology Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in Gainesville, Florida, and it awarded 32 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our geology students whose families make $0-$30k list, UF has also earned the #25 rank in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UF is $65 for Geology students whose families make $0-$30k.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%.
Full UF Geological & Earth Sciences Report
California Institute of Technology did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Geology Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #9. Caltech is a private not-for-profit institution located in Pasadena, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 31 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Caltech did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for California Institute of Technology is $-539 for Geology students whose families make $0-$30k. A negative average net price may seem strange, but it generally means that financial aid will more than cover the cost to attend the school.
With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 3 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at California Institute of Technology
University of California - Berkeley ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Berkeley, California, and it awarded 49 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.
UC Berkeley not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools” list. It costs about $8,450 for geology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of California - Berkeley.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. 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%.
Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at University of California - Berkeley
University of Washington - Seattle Campus did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Geology Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #11. This large school is located in Seattle, Washington, and it awarded 127 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.
UW Seattle also took the #7 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UW Seattle is $5,194 for geology students whose families make $0-$30k.
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 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%.
Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at UW Seattle
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Geology Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #12. Chapel Hill, North Carolina is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s geology degrees to 29 students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, UNC Chapel Hill is also in the top of our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools” ranking. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for UNC Chapel Hill is $3,753 for geology students whose families make $0-$30k.
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 low undergrad 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%.
Full UNC Chapel Hill Geological & Earth Sciences Report
Cornell University landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Best Value Geology Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Cornell is a large school located in Ithaca, New York that handed out 24 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.
Cornell not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools” list. It costs about $5,244 for geology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Cornell.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, 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. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.
Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at Cornell University
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Champaign, Illinois, this large public school handed out 19 degrees to qualified ’s geology students in 2020-2021.
UIUC 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 UIUC is $4,858 for geology students whose families make $0-$30k.
With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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 Geological & Earth Sciences at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
University of Minnesota - Twin Cities landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Best Value Geology Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Minneapolis, Minnesota is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s geology degrees to 40 students in 2020-2021.
UMN Twin Cities also took the #16 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Minnesota - Twin Cities is $7,698 for Geology students whose families make $0-$30k.
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 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full University of Minnesota - Twin Cities Geological & Earth Sciences Report
Smith College ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Smith College is located in Northampton, Massachusetts and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 17 ’s geology degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on this list, Smith is in the top on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools” list. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. The yearly cost to attend Smith is $9,215 for Geology students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 7 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 1.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full Smith Geological & Earth Sciences Report
University of South Florida - Main Campus did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Geology Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #17. USF Tampa is a public institution located in Tampa, Florida. The school has a large population, and it awarded 50 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for University of South Florida - Main Campus is $4,176 for Geology students whose families make $0-$30k.
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 low undergrad 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%.
Full University of South Florida - Main Campus Geological & Earth Sciences Report
University of Wyoming landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Best Value Geology Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Laramie, Wyoming, this fairly large public school awarded 45 diplomas to qualified ’s geology students in 2020-2021.
UW also took the #19 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UW is $6,905 for geology students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.5% 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 Geological & Earth Sciences at UW
With a ranking of #19, Purdue University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Geology Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in West Lafayette, Indiana, this large public school awarded 34 diplomas to qualified ’s geology students in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend Purdue University - Main Campus is $5,995 for geology students whose families make $0-$30k.
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 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%.
Full Purdue University - Main Campus Geological & Earth Sciences Report
With a ranking of #20, Texas A&M University - College Station did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Geology Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Texas A&M College Station is a public institution located in College Station, Texas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 144 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Texas A&M College Station not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools” list. It costs about $11,220 for Geology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Texas A&M University - College Station.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. 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 Geological & Earth Sciences at Texas A&M College Station
Brigham Young University - Idaho did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Geology Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #21. Brigham Young University - Idaho is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Rexburg, Idaho. It awarded 9 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend Brigham Young University - Idaho is $2,073 for Geology students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at Brigham Young University - Idaho
Michigan State University landed the #22 spot on the 2023 Best Value Geology Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Michigan State is a large public school situated in East Lansing, Michigan. It awarded 34 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for Michigan State University is $6,927 for Geology students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at Michigan State
University of California - Los Angeles did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Geology Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #23. Located in Los Angeles, California, this large public school handed out 31 degrees to qualified ’s geology students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCLA, the school also landed the #21 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UCLA is $9,037 for Geology students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, 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 undergraduate students.
Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at University of California - Los Angeles
University of California - Santa Barbara ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Santa Barbara, California, and it awarded 53 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our geology students whose families make $0-$30k list, UCSB has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UCSB is $10,568 for Geology students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, 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 1.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at UCSB
University of Maryland - College Park came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geology Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UMCP is a large school located in College Park, Maryland that handed out 26 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.
UMCP also claimed a top spot on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools” list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The estimated yearly cost for UMCP is $6,067 for Geology students whose families make $0-$30k.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%.
Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at UMCP
