2023 Best Value Colleges for Geological & Earth Sciences (Income $48-$75k) in the Far Western US Region
31
Ranked Colleges
1,632
Degrees Awarded
When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. 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 the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k” 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 the Far Western US region, there were 1,632 geological and earth sciences graduates with average earnings and debt of $37,732 and $20,537 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Geology Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking looked at 31 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s 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.
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. 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 the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k”.
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 Geology Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Geology Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k.
Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Geological & Earth Sciences (Income $48-$75k) in the Far Western US Region
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 in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k. This fairly large school is located in Stanford, California, and it awarded 100 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our far western us region geology students whose families make $48-$75k list, Stanford has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Stanford is $7,081 for far western us region geology students whose families make $48-$75k.
The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 4 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 impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at Stanford University
Out of the 31 schools in the Best Value Geology Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, California Institute of Technology landed the #2 spot on the list. Pasadena, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s geology degrees to 31 students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our far western us region geology students whose families make $48-$75k list, Caltech has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. It costs about $9,755 for Far Western US Region Geology students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend California Institute of Technology.
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. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at California Institute of Technology
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Washington - Seattle Campus. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Geology Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Seattle, Washington, this large public school awarded 127 diplomas to qualified ’s geology students in 2020-2021.
UW Seattle not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Washington - Seattle Campus is $8,393 for Far Western US Region Geology students whose families make $48-$75k.
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
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Berkeley. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Geology Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k. University of California - Berkeley is a large public school situated in Berkeley, California. It awarded 49 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.
UC Berkeley not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. It costs about $13,423 for Far Western US Region Geology students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UC Berkeley.
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 UC Berkeley Geological & Earth Sciences Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Los Angeles. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Geology Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s geology degrees to 31 students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our far western us region geology students whose families make $48-$75k list, UCLA has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Los Angeles is $12,644 for Far Western US Region Geology students whose families make $48-$75k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.6% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%.
Full University of California - Los Angeles Geological & Earth Sciences Report
University of California - Santa Barbara landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Best Value Geology Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. University of California - Santa Barbara is located in Santa Barbara, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 53 ’s geology degrees to qualified students.
UCSB also took the #4 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. It costs about $14,583 for Far Western US Region Geology students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UCSB.
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 91%.
Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at University of California - Santa Barbara
With a ranking of #7, University of California - San Diego did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Geology Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. La Jolla, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s geology degrees to 75 students in 2020-2021.
UCSD not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. It costs about $14,310 for far western us region geology students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of California - San Diego.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.
Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at UCSD
California State University - Los Angeles landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Best Value Geology Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. California State University - Los Angeles is a public institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 19 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Los Angeles is $5,700 for Far Western US Region Geology students whose families make $48-$75k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full Cal State LA Geological & Earth Sciences Report
With a ranking of #9, University of California - Davis did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Geology Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. University of California - Davis is a public institution located in Davis, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 43 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
UC Davis did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. It costs about $14,193 for Far Western US Region Geology students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of California - Davis.
With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at UC Davis
California State University - Long Beach ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Long Beach, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s geology degrees to 18 students in 2020-2021.
CSULB also took the #16 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. It costs about $11,189 for far western us region geology students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend California State University - Long Beach.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.4% 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 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at CSULB
University of California - Irvine landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Best Value Geology Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. UC Irvine is a large public school situated in Irvine, California. It awarded 70 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.
UC Irvine did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. It costs about $13,275 for Far Western US Region Geology students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UC Irvine.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, 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.
Full UC Irvine Geological & Earth Sciences Report
California State University - Fullerton landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Best Value Geology Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. California State University - Fullerton is a large public school situated in Fullerton, California. It awarded 26 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.
Cal State Fullerton did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #22 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. It costs about $9,017 for far western us region geology students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Cal State Fullerton.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. 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%.
Full Cal State Fullerton Geological & Earth Sciences Report
University of California - Riverside did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Geology Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #13. University of California - Riverside is located in Riverside, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 30 ’s geology degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our far western us region geology students whose families make $48-$75k list, UCR has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Riverside is $11,126 for far western us region geology students whose families make $48-$75k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, which is much lower than the national 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 University of California - Riverside
University of Nevada - Las Vegas ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. University of Nevada - Las Vegas is located in Las Vegas, Nevada and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 34 ’s geology degrees to qualified students.
UNLV also made our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #17. It costs about $11,929 for Far Western US Region Geology students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of Nevada - Las Vegas.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at University of Nevada - Las Vegas
University of Nevada - Reno came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geology Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Reno, Nevada is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s geology degrees to 33 students in 2020-2021.
UNR also made our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #11. The yearly cost to attend UNR is $15,106 for Far Western US Region Geology students whose families make $48-$75k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.3% 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 Nevada - Reno Geological & Earth Sciences Report
University of California - Santa Cruz ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Santa Cruz, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s geology degrees to 65 students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Santa Cruz, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. It costs about $15,567 for far western us region geology students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UC Santa Cruz.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at UC Santa Cruz
California State Polytechnic University - Pomona landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Best Value Geology Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Cal Poly Pomona is a public institution located in Pomona, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 28 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Cal Poly Pomona also made our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #14. It costs about $15,958 for Far Western US Region Geology students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Cal Poly Pomona.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%.
Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at California State Polytechnic University - Pomona
California State University - Sacramento did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Geology Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #18. This large school is located in Sacramento, California, and it awarded 20 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our far western us region geology students whose families make $48-$75k list, Sac State has also earned the #24 rank in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Sacramento is $12,602 for far western us region geology students whose families make $48-$75k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.9% 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%.
Full Sac State Geological & Earth Sciences Report
California State University - Stanislaus ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Stan State is a public institution located in Turlock, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 12 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Stanislaus is $7,976 for Far Western US Region Geology students whose families make $48-$75k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at California State University - Stanislaus
San Diego State University came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geology Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This large school is located in San Diego, California, and it awarded 29 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our far western us region geology students whose families make $48-$75k list, SDSU has also earned the #20 rank in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend San Diego State University is $14,698 for Far Western US Region Geology students whose families make $48-$75k.
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%. 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 San Diego State University Geological & Earth Sciences Report
Washington State University landed the #21 spot on the 2023 Best Value Geology Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in Pullman, Washington, this large public school handed out 130 diplomas to qualified ’s geology students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Wazzu, the school also landed the #18 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Wazzu is $14,233 for Far Western US Region Geology students whose families make $48-$75k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at Washington State University
California State University - Northridge came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geology Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in Northridge, California, this large public school handed out 16 degrees to qualified ’s geology students in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend California State University - Northridge is $10,780 for far western us region geology students whose families make $48-$75k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at CSUN
Western Washington University came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geology Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in Bellingham, Washington, this fairly large public school awarded 55 degrees to qualified ’s geology students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at WWU, the school also landed the #19 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. It costs about $16,819 for far western us region geology students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Western Washington University.
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%.
Full Western Washington University Geological & Earth Sciences Report
Portland State University came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geology Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Portland State University is a large public school situated in Portland, Oregon. It awarded 28 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for Portland State University is $12,964 for far western us region geology students whose families make $48-$75k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full Portland State University Geological & Earth Sciences Report
University of Oregon did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Geology Schools in the Far Western US Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #25. This large school is located in Eugene, Oregon, and it awarded 28 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UO, the school also landed the #23 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. It costs about $16,014 for Far Western US Region Geology students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of Oregon.
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%.
Full University of Oregon Geological & Earth Sciences Report
