2023 Best Value Geology Schools in the Far Western US Region
31
Ranked Colleges
1,632
Degrees Awarded
$13,700
Avg Net Price*
With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value Geology Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking is part of that endeavor.
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” ranking analyzed 31 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.
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
When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Best Value Geology Schools in the Far Western US Region” list to help you make the college decision.
To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.
Best Value Geology Schools in the Far Western US Region
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Geology Schools in the Far Western US Region.
Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Geological & Earth Sciences in the Far Western US Region
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Nevada - Reno. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value Geology Schools in the Far Western US Region list. University of Nevada - Reno is located in Reno, Nevada and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 33 ’s geology degrees to qualified students.
UNR also took the #11 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Nevada - Reno is $14,930 for Far Western US Region Geology students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at University of Nevada - Reno
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Long Beach. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Geology Schools in the Far Western US Region. California State University - Long Beach is located in Long Beach, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 18 ’s geology degrees to qualified students.
CSULB also made our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #16. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Long Beach is $10,054 for Far Western US Region Geology students.
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 full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at California State University - Long Beach
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State Polytechnic University - Pomona. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Geology Schools in the Far Western US Region. Pomona, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s geology degrees to 28 students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Cal Poly Pomona, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California State Polytechnic University - Pomona is $14,304 for far western us region geology students.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%.
Full Cal Poly Pomona Geological & Earth Sciences Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Nevada - Las Vegas. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Geology Schools in the Far Western US Region list. UNLV is a large public school situated in Las Vegas, Nevada. It awarded 34 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.
UNLV did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UNLV is $10,993 for Far Western US Region Geology students.
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 UNLV
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Fullerton. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Geology Schools in the Far Western US Region. Located in Fullerton, California, this large public school handed out 26 diplomas to qualified ’s geology students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Cal State Fullerton, the school also landed the #22 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. It costs about $8,003 for far western us region geology students per year to attend California State University - Fullerton.
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%. 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 full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at California State University - Fullerton
Western Washington University came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geology Schools in the Far Western US Region ranking. Located in Bellingham, Washington, this fairly large public school awarded 55 diplomas to qualified ’s geology students in 2020-2021.
WWU also took the #19 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend WWU is $17,070 for far western us region geology students.
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%.
Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at WWU
California State University - Sacramento ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools in the Far Western US Region list. Sac State is located in Sacramento, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 20 ’s geology degrees to qualified students.
Sac State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #24 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Sacramento is $11,178 for far western us region geology students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at California State University - Sacramento
San Diego State University ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools in the Far Western US Region list. This large school is located in San Diego, California, and it awarded 29 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.
SDSU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #20 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. It costs about $13,845 for far western us region geology students per year to attend SDSU.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, 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.
Full San Diego State University Geological & Earth Sciences Report
Washington State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Geology Schools in the Far Western US Region ranking, coming in at #9. Washington State University is a large public school situated in Pullman, Washington. It awarded 130 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.
Wazzu also took the #18 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Wazzu is $15,300 for far western us region geology students.
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 Washington State University Geological & Earth Sciences Report
California State University - Northridge ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools in the Far Western US Region list. California State University - Northridge is located in Northridge, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 16 ’s geology degrees to qualified students.
It costs about $8,523 for far western us region geology students per year to attend California State University - Northridge.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at California State University - Northridge
Humboldt State University landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Best Value Geology Schools in the Far Western US Region ranking. Humboldt State University is a medium-sized school located in Arcata, California that handed out 24 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for Humboldt State University is $14,956 for Far Western US Region Geology students.
Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at Humboldt State University
With a ranking of #12, Oregon State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Geology Schools in the Far Western US Region list. Oregon State is located in Corvallis, Oregon and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 74 ’s geology degrees to qualified students.
Oregon State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Oregon State is $21,508 for far western us region geology students.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.8% 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 Oregon State
University of California - San Diego landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Best Value Geology Schools in the Far Western US Region ranking. UCSD is located in La Jolla, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 75 ’s geology degrees to qualified students.
UCSD did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UCSD is $15,240 for far western us region geology students.
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 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at University of California - San Diego
California State University - Los Angeles did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Geology Schools in the Far Western US Region ranking, coming in at #14. Cal State LA is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 19 ’s geology degrees to qualified students.
The yearly cost to attend California State University - Los Angeles is $3,302 for Far Western US Region Geology students.
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%.
Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at California State University - Los Angeles
California State University - Stanislaus came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geology Schools in the Far Western US Region ranking. Turlock, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s geology degrees to 12 students in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for Stan State is $6,566 for Far Western US Region Geology students.
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 3.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at California State University - Stanislaus
Central Washington University came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geology Schools in the Far Western US Region ranking. Located in Ellensburg, Washington, this fairly large public school handed out 17 degrees to qualified ’s geology students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our far western us region geology students list, CWU has also earned the #25 rank in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Central Washington University is $16,514 for Far Western US Region Geology students.
Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at CWU
With a ranking of #17, California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Geology Schools in the Far Western US Region list. California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo is a public institution located in San Luis Obispo, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 39 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Cal Poly San Luis Obispo also made our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #15. It costs about $20,677 for far western us region geology students per year to attend California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, 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.
Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo
University of Washington - Seattle Campus did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Geology Schools in the Far Western US Region ranking, coming in at #18. University of Washington - Seattle Campus is a large public school situated in Seattle, Washington. 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 #3 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Washington - Seattle Campus is $12,017 for Far Western US Region Geology students.
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 2.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full University of Washington - Seattle Campus Geological & Earth Sciences Report
Portland State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Geology Schools in the Far Western US Region ranking, coming in at #19. Portland State University is located in Portland, Oregon and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 28 ’s geology degrees to qualified students.
It costs about $12,498 for far western us region geology students per year to attend Portland State University.
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%.
Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at Portland State University
University of California - Los Angeles came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geology Schools in the Far Western US Region ranking. This large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 31 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.
UCLA also took the #7 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. It costs about $15,023 for Far Western US Region Geology students per year to attend University of California - Los Angeles.
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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at UCLA
University of California - Davis did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Geology Schools in the Far Western US Region ranking, coming in at #21. University of California - Davis is located in Davis, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 43 ’s geology degrees to qualified students.
UC Davis also made our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #8. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Davis is $15,768 for far western us region geology students.
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 1.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at UC Davis
University of Oregon ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools in the Far Western US Region list. UO is a large public school situated in Eugene, Oregon. 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 $18,047 for Far Western US Region Geology students per year to attend UO.
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 more about Geological & Earth Sciences at University of Oregon
University of California - Irvine came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geology Schools in the Far Western US Region ranking. Irvine, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s geology degrees to 70 students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Irvine, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. It costs about $12,209 for Far Western US Region Geology students per year to attend University of California - 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.
Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at University of California - Irvine
University of California - Santa Barbara ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools in the Far Western US Region list. Santa Barbara, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s geology degrees to 53 students in 2020-2021.
UCSB not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Santa Barbara is $16,252 for far western us region geology students.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. 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 UCSB
University of California - Santa Cruz ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools in the Far Western US Region list. UC Santa Cruz is a fairly large public school situated in Santa Cruz, California. It awarded 65 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.
UC Santa Cruz also made our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #10. The estimated yearly cost for UC Santa Cruz is $17,930 for Far Western US Region Geology students.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, 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 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full UC Santa Cruz Geological & Earth Sciences Report
