2023 Best Value Colleges for Geological & Earth Sciences (Income $0-$30k) in Virginia
4
Ranked Colleges
144
Degrees Awarded
$11,700
Avg Net Price*
It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value Geology Schools in Virginia For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.
Geological & Earth Sciences is the 95th most popular major in the country with 7,821 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. 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.
Across Virginia, there were 144 geological and earth sciences graduates with average earnings and debt of $32,567 and $23,195 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Geology Schools in Virginia For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking analyzed 4 colleges that offered a degree in geological and earth sciences. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great geological and earth sciences programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.
When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the geological and earth sciences program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.
One Size Does Not Fit All
The geology 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 Geology Schools in Virginia For Those Making $0-$30k”.
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. 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.
Best Value Geology Schools in Virginia For Those Making $0-$30k
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Geology Schools in Virginia For Those Making $0-$30k.
Top 4 Best Value Colleges for Geological & Earth Sciences (Income $0-$30k) in Virginia
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend William & Mary. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Geology Schools in Virginia For Those Making $0-$30k. William & Mary is a medium-sized school located in Williamsburg, Virginia that handed out 27 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our virginia geology students whose families make $0-$30k list, William & Mary has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in Virginia” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for William & Mary is $5,972 for Virginia Geology students whose families make $0-$30k.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%.
Full William & Mary Geological & Earth Sciences Report
Out of the 4 schools in the Best Value Geology Schools in Virginia For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Virginia Tech landed the #2 spot on the list. This large school is located in Blacksburg, Virginia, and it awarded 26 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.
Virginia Tech also made our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in Virginia” list, coming in at #1. The estimated yearly cost for Virginia Tech is $11,934 for Virginia 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 1.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full Virginia Tech Geological & Earth Sciences Report
Out of the 4 schools in the Best Value Geology Schools in Virginia For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, James Madison University landed the #3 spot on the list. James Madison University is a large school located in Harrisonburg, Virginia that handed out 34 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our virginia geology students whose families make $0-$30k list, JMU has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in Virginia” ranking. The yearly cost to attend JMU is $14,288 for Virginia Geology students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.0%, 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 full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at JMU
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend George Mason University. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Geology Schools in Virginia For Those Making $0-$30k list. GMU is located in Fairfax, Virginia and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 19 ’s geology degrees to qualified students.
GMU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in Virginia” list. The yearly cost to attend George Mason University is $14,781 for virginia geology students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.5%, 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 86%.
Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at George Mason University
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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
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