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2023 Best Value Geology Schools For Those Making $30-$48k

184 Ranked Colleges
7,821 Degrees Awarded
$6,200 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Geology Schools For Those Making $30-$48k

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value Geology Schools For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking.

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.

This year’s “Best Value Geology Schools For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking analyzed 184 colleges that offered a degree in geological and earth sciences. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent geological and earth sciences programs, but they also 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. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

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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 For Those Making $30-$48k”.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. 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 Geology Schools For Those Making $30-$48k

The colleges and universities below are the best for geology students whose families make $30-$48k.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Geological & Earth Sciences (Income $30-$48k)

1
Stanford crest
Stanford University
Stanford, California

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 Geology Schools For Those Making $30-$48k. Located in Stanford, California, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 100 diplomas to qualified ’s geology students in 2020-2021.

Stanford did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools” list. It costs about $1,581 for Geology students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Stanford University.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 4 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 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 0.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Stanford University Geological & Earth Sciences Report

2
UChicago crest
University of Chicago
Chicago, Illinois

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Chicago. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Geology Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. UChicago is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 17 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

UChicago also took the #3 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Chicago is $4,777 for Geology students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 5 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 100%.

Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at UChicago

3
Northwestern crest
Northwestern University
Evanston, Illinois

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Northwestern University. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Geology Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Northwestern is located in Evanston, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 21 ’s geology degrees to qualified students.

Northwestern did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Northwestern is $917 for Geology students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Full Northwestern University Geological & Earth Sciences Report

4
Williams crest
Williams College
Williamstown, Massachusetts

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Williams College. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Geology Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. This small school is located in Williamstown, Massachusetts, and it awarded 11 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our geology students whose families make $30-$48k list, Williams has also earned the #17 rank in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Williams is $5,480 for geology students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 90%.

Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at Williams

5

Out of the 184 schools in the Best Value Geology Schools For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, California Institute of Technology landed the #5 spot on the list. Located in Pasadena, California, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 31 degrees to qualified ’s geology students in 2020-2021.

Caltech not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #13 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend California Institute of Technology is $12,190 for geology students whose families make $30-$48k.

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.

Full California Institute of Technology Geological & Earth Sciences Report

6

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geology Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, this large public school awarded 62 diplomas to qualified ’s geology students in 2020-2021.

U-M also took the #9 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for U-M is $5,670 for Geology students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%. 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 U-M Geological & Earth Sciences Report

7
UF crest
University of Florida
Gainesville, Florida

With a ranking of #7, University of Florida did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Geology Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Gainesville, Florida, this large public school handed out 32 diplomas to qualified ’s geology students in 2020-2021.

UF also took the #25 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools” ranking. It costs about $2,857 for Geology students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Florida.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, 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 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at UF

8

University of Wisconsin - Madison landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Best Value Geology Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This large school is located in Madison, Wisconsin, and it awarded 50 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.

UW - Madison also took the #6 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools” ranking. It costs about $4,788 for Geology students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UW - Madison.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full University of Wisconsin - Madison Geological & Earth Sciences Report

9

University of Washington - Seattle Campus came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geology Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This large school is located in Seattle, Washington, and it awarded 127 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW Seattle, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools” ranking. It costs about $6,399 for geology students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UW Seattle.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%.

Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at UW Seattle

10
Cornell crest
Cornell University
Ithaca, New York

Cornell University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Geology Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #10. Cornell University is a large school located in Ithaca, New York that handed out 24 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Cornell, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Cornell University is $5,133 for Geology students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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 full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at Cornell

11

University of California - Berkeley did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Geology Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #11. UC Berkeley is located in Berkeley, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 49 ’s geology degrees to qualified students.

UC Berkeley also made our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools” list, coming in at #5. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Berkeley is $9,999 for Geology students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.8% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%.

Full University of California - Berkeley Geological & Earth Sciences Report

12
Johns Hopkins crest
Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, Maryland

Johns Hopkins University landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Best Value Geology Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. 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 did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools” list. It costs about $4,859 for geology students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Johns Hopkins University.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. 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 more about Geological & Earth Sciences at Johns Hopkins

13

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geology Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, this large public school handed out 29 degrees to qualified ’s geology students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on this list, UNC Chapel Hill is in the top on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools” list. 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 $5,729 for Geology students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Geological & Earth Sciences Report

14

With a ranking of #14, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Geology Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. UMN Twin Cities is located in Minneapolis, Minnesota and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 40 ’s geology degrees to qualified students.

UMN Twin Cities not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for UMN Twin Cities is $8,609 for geology students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 University of Minnesota - Twin Cities Geological & Earth Sciences Report

15
Purdue crest
Purdue University - Main Campus
West Lafayette, Indiana

With a ranking of #15, Purdue University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Geology Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in West Lafayette, Indiana, this large public school awarded 34 degrees to qualified ’s geology students in 2020-2021.

It costs about $5,853 for geology students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Purdue University - Main Campus.

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 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 Geological & Earth Sciences at Purdue University - Main Campus

16

With a ranking of #16, Brigham Young University - Idaho did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Geology Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. BYU - I 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 $3,357 for Geology students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%.

Full Brigham Young University - Idaho Geological & Earth Sciences Report

17
William & Mary crest
William & Mary
Williamsburg, Virginia

William & Mary ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. William & Mary is a medium-sized school located in Williamsburg, Virginia that handed out 27 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for William & Mary is $7,507 for geology students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, 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 Geological & Earth Sciences at William & Mary

18

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Best Value Geology Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a large school located in Champaign, Illinois that handed out 19 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, UIUC is also in the top of our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools” ranking. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. It costs about $8,036 for geology students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

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

Full UIUC Geological & Earth Sciences Report

19
UW crest
University of Wyoming
Laramie, Wyoming

University of Wyoming ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. UW is a fairly large public school situated in Laramie, Wyoming. It awarded 45 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.

UW did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #19 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools” list. It costs about $6,776 for Geology students whose families make $30-$48k 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 Geological & Earth Sciences Report

20

University of South Florida - Main Campus did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Geology Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #20. Located in Tampa, Florida, this large public school awarded 50 degrees to qualified ’s geology students in 2020-2021.

It costs about $5,632 for Geology students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend USF Tampa.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at University of South Florida - Main Campus

21

University of California - Los Angeles ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of California - Los Angeles is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 31 ’s geology degrees to qualified students.

UCLA did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #21 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools” list. It costs about $9,891 for Geology students whose families make $30-$48k 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%. 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

22
IU Bloomington crest
Indiana University - Bloomington
Bloomington, Indiana

Indiana University - Bloomington came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geology Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Indiana University - Bloomington is a large public school situated in Bloomington, Indiana. It awarded 16 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for IU Bloomington is $7,061 for Geology students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.4% 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 Indiana University - Bloomington Geological & Earth Sciences Report

23

California State University - Los Angeles landed the #23 spot on the 2023 Best Value Geology Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 19 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $2,701 for Geology students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend California State University - Los Angeles.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.6% 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 full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at Cal State LA

24

University of California - San Diego did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Geology Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #24. UCSD is a large school located in La Jolla, California that handed out 75 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.

UCSD did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #20 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend University of California - San Diego is $11,176 for Geology students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full University of California - San Diego Geological & Earth Sciences Report

25
Florida State crest
Florida State University
Tallahassee, Florida

Florida State University ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Tallahassee, Florida is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s geology degrees to 33 students in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Florida State University is $7,349 for Geology students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at Florida State

Rest of the Best 28 in Best Value Geology Schools For Those Making $30-$48k

Not only did these schools make the top 28 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

26
27
28
UH crest
University of Houston
Houston, Texas

Notes and References

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