2023 Best Value Colleges for Geological & Earth Sciences (Income $75-$110k)
184
Ranked Colleges
7,821
Degrees Awarded
$16,500
Avg Net Price*
When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Geology Schools For Those Making $75-$110k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.
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 $75-$110k” 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.
One Size Does Not Fit All
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 $75-$110k” 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. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.
Best Value Geology Schools For Those Making $75-$110k
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Geology Schools For Those Making $75-$110k.
Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Geological & Earth Sciences (Income $75-$110k)
Out of the 184 schools in the Best Value Geology Schools For Those Making $75-$110k that were part of this year’s ranking, Stanford University landed the #1 spot on the list. Stanford, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s geology degrees to 100 students in 2020-2021.
Stanford also took the #1 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Stanford University is $13,623 for Geology students whose families make $75-$110k.
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%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 4 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 86%.
Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at Stanford
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California Institute of Technology. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Geology Schools For Those Making $75-$110k list. California Institute of Technology is located in Pasadena, California and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 31 ’s geology degrees to qualified students.
Caltech also took the #13 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Caltech is $20,010 for geology students whose families make $75-$110k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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 Geological & Earth Sciences at Caltech
Out of the 184 schools in the Best Value Geology Schools For Those Making $75-$110k that were part of this year’s ranking, Northwestern University landed the #3 spot on the list. Northwestern University 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 not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Northwestern University is $15,686 for Geology students whose families make $75-$110k.
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. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.6%, 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 Northwestern University Geological & Earth Sciences Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Florida. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Geology Schools For Those Making $75-$110k list. University of Florida is a public institution located in Gainesville, Florida. The school has a large population, and it awarded 32 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our geology students whose families make $75-$110k list, UF has also earned the #25 rank in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UF is $12,874 for Geology students whose families make $75-$110k.
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 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at UF
Out of the 184 schools in the Best Value Geology Schools For Those Making $75-$110k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Chicago landed the #5 spot on the list. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s geology degrees to 17 students in 2020-2021.
UChicago did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for UChicago is $19,895 for geology students whose families make $75-$110k.
With a freshman retention rate of 100%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at UChicago
With a ranking of #6, Williams College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Geology Schools For Those Making $75-$110k list. Williams College is located in Williamstown, Massachusetts and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 11 ’s geology degrees to qualified students.
Williams not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #17 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools” list. It costs about $14,702 for geology students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Williams.
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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%.
Full Williams Geological & Earth Sciences Report
University of Wyoming landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Best Value Geology Schools For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Located in Laramie, Wyoming, this fairly large public school handed out 45 degrees to qualified ’s geology students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW, the school also landed the #19 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools” ranking. It costs about $15,178 for Geology students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend University of Wyoming.
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 more about Geological & Earth Sciences at University of Wyoming
Brigham Young University - Idaho landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Best Value Geology Schools For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Located in Rexburg, Idaho, this large private not-for-profit school awarded 9 diplomas to qualified ’s geology students in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend BYU - I is $9,843 for geology students whose families make $75-$110k.
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
With a ranking of #9, University of Washington - Seattle Campus did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Geology Schools For Those Making $75-$110k list. Seattle, Washington is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s geology degrees to 127 students in 2020-2021.
UW Seattle also took the #7 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UW Seattle is $16,894 for Geology students whose families make $75-$110k.
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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at UW Seattle
University of Michigan - Ann Arbor did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Geology Schools For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #10. Located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, this large public school handed out 62 diplomas to qualified ’s geology students in 2020-2021.
U-M did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools” list. It costs about $17,207 for Geology students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend U-M.
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 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Beloit College came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geology Schools For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Beloit College is a small school located in Beloit, Wisconsin that handed out 7 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend Beloit College is $12,822 for Geology students whose families make $75-$110k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 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 excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full Beloit College Geological & Earth Sciences Report
Johns Hopkins University landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Best Value Geology Schools For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. This large school is located in Baltimore, Maryland, and it awarded 18 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our geology students whose families make $75-$110k list, Johns Hopkins has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Johns Hopkins University is $18,951 for Geology students whose families make $75-$110k.
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%. 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. 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
Iowa State University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geology Schools For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Located in Ames, Iowa, this large public school awarded 21 diplomas to qualified ’s geology students in 2020-2021.
On top of its placing in this ranking, Iowa State also did well on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools” list. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. It costs about $17,806 for Geology students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Iowa State University.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at Iowa State
University of California - Davis did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Geology Schools For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #14. University of California - Davis is a large school located in Davis, California that handed out 43 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our geology students whose families make $75-$110k list, UC Davis has also earned the #24 rank in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Davis is $18,728 for geology students whose families make $75-$110k.
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 1.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at UC Davis
University of South Florida - Main Campus ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools For Those Making $75-$110k list. Tampa, Florida is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s geology degrees to 50 students in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend University of South Florida - Main Campus is $14,349 for Geology students whose families make $75-$110k.
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%.
Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at University of South Florida - Main Campus
California State University - Los Angeles ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools For Those Making $75-$110k list. This large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 19 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend California State University - Los Angeles is $10,011 for Geology students whose families make $75-$110k.
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%.
Full Cal State LA Geological & Earth Sciences Report
The University of Texas at Austin ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools For Those Making $75-$110k list. Located in Austin, Texas, this large public school awarded 54 degrees to qualified ’s geology students in 2020-2021.
UT Austin also took the #8 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UT Austin is $20,425 for Geology students whose families make $75-$110k.
With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at The University of Texas at Austin
University of California - Berkeley landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Best Value Geology Schools For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. This large school is located in Berkeley, California, and it awarded 49 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.
UC Berkeley did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Berkeley is $21,601 for Geology students whose families make $75-$110k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. 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%.
Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at University of California - Berkeley
University of Delaware landed the #19 spot on the 2023 Best Value Geology Schools For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. This large school is located in Newark, Delaware, and it awarded 22 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.
UD not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #18 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools” list. It costs about $22,093 for geology students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend UD.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.1%, 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 90%.
Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at University of Delaware
California State University - Long Beach ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools For Those Making $75-$110k list. Located in Long Beach, California, this large public school awarded 18 degrees to qualified ’s geology students in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend California State University - Long Beach is $15,101 for geology students whose families make $75-$110k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full California State University - Long Beach Geological & Earth Sciences Report
Florida State University landed the #21 spot on the 2023 Best Value Geology Schools For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Located in Tallahassee, Florida, this large public school awarded 33 diplomas to qualified ’s geology students in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for Florida State University is $15,203 for Geology students whose families make $75-$110k.
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%.
Full Florida State University Geological & Earth Sciences Report
California State University - Fullerton did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Geology Schools For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #22. California State University - Fullerton is a public institution located in Fullerton, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 26 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Fullerton is $12,977 for Geology students whose families make $75-$110k.
With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.
Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at Cal State Fullerton
With a ranking of #23, University of Nevada - Las Vegas did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Geology Schools For Those Making $75-$110k list. University of Nevada - Las Vegas is a public institution located in Las Vegas, Nevada. The school has a large population, and it awarded 34 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
It costs about $15,316 for geology students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend University of Nevada - Las Vegas.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at University of Nevada - Las Vegas
University of Minnesota - Twin Cities came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geology Schools For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. UMN Twin Cities is a large school located in Minneapolis, Minnesota that handed out 40 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our geology students whose families make $75-$110k list, UMN Twin Cities has also earned the #16 rank in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Minnesota - Twin Cities is $18,938 for Geology students whose families make $75-$110k.
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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full University of Minnesota - Twin Cities Geological & Earth Sciences Report
University of Wisconsin - Madison ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools For Those Making $75-$110k list. UW - Madison is a large public school situated in Madison, Wisconsin. It awarded 50 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our geology students whose families make $75-$110k list, UW - Madison has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison is $22,377 for Geology students whose families make $75-$110k.
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 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 Geological & Earth Sciences at University of Wisconsin - Madison
