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2025 Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in Virginia

5 Colleges in Virginia
145 Geology Degrees Awarded
$43,196 Avg Early-Career Salary
Geological & Earth Sciences is above average in terms of popularity with it being the #95 most popular degree program in the country. This means you won't have too much trouble finding schools that offer the degree.

For its 2025 ranking, College Factual looked at 5 schools in Virginia to determine which ones were the best for geological & earth sciences students pursuing a degree. Combined, these schools handed out 145 degrees in geological & earth sciences to qualified students.

Jump to one of the following sections: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great Geological & Earth Sciences School

Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in Virginia The geology program you select can have a big impact on your future. That's why we developed our collection of Best Schools for Geological & Earth Sciences rankings. We derive our Best Overall Geological & Earth Sciences School rankings by rolling up our degree-level rankings after weighting them by the number of degrees awarded at each school.

You may want to choose one of the degree levels below to find the schools of most interest to you.

Geological & Earth Sciences Rankings by Degree Level

Bachelor's Degrees in Geology
Master's Degrees in Geology
Doctor's Degrees in Geology

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 the Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in Virginia. You can also filter this list by location to find schools closer to you.

In addition to College Factual's rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don't forget it.

More information on how we come up with our rankings can be found here: College Factual's Data Methodology.

Best Schools for Geological & Earth Sciences in Virginia

Although we recommend filtering by degree level first, you can view the list below to see which schools give the educational experience for the geology degree levels they offer.

Top Virginia Schools in Geology

1
Virginia Tech crest
Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, VA
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
3rd Most Popular In VA
35 Geology Degrees Awarded

Virginia Tech is a wonderful decision for students interested in a degree in geological & earth sciences. Located in the small city of Blacksburg, Virginia Tech is a public school with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #58 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Virginia Tech is a great school overall.

There were approximately 35 geological & earth sciences students who graduated with this degree at Virginia Tech in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in geological & earth sciences from Virginia Tech

2
William & Mary crest
William & Mary
Williamsburg, VA
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
2nd Most Popular In VA
10.0% Growth in Graduates

Any student pursuing a degree in geological & earth sciences has to check out William & Mary. Located in the small suburb of Williamsburg, William & Mary is a public school with a moderately-sized student population. This school ranks 5th out of 57 colleges for overall quality in the state of Virginia.

There were about 30 geological & earth sciences students who graduated with this degree at William & Mary in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in geological & earth sciences from William & Mary

Sponsored
Bachelors Degree Type
BS in Geosciences Program Name

Gain the analytical, technical and science communications skills you need to begin your career with this specialized online bachelor's from Southern New Hampshire University.

More information about a degree in BS in Geosciences from Southern New Hampshire University

Related Programs

3
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
4th Most Popular In VA
32.1% Growth in Graduates

George Mason University is a great decision for students interested in a degree in geological & earth sciences. GMU is a fairly large public university located in the suburb of Fairfax. A Best Colleges rank of #92 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means GMU is a great university overall.

There were approximately 28 geological & earth sciences students who graduated with this degree at GMU in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in geological & earth sciences from George Mason University

4
JMU crest
James Madison University
Harrisonburg, VA
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
$48,118 Median Starting Salary

James Madison University is a wonderful option for students interested in a degree in geological & earth sciences. JMU is a very large public university located in the city of Harrisonburg. This university ranks 7th out of 57 schools for overall quality in the state of Virginia.

There were roughly 13 geological & earth sciences students who graduated with this degree at JMU in the most recent year we have data available. Geological & Earth Sciences degree recipients from James Madison University earn a boost of around $4,922 above the typical income of geological & earth sciences graduates.

More information about a degree in geological & earth sciences from James Madison University

5
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
5th Most Popular In VA
32.0% Growth in Graduates

Located in the city of Norfolk, Old Dominion is a public university with a very large student population. This university ranks 16th out of 57 colleges for overall quality in the state of Virginia.

There were roughly 25 geological & earth sciences students who graduated with this degree at Old Dominion in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in geological & earth sciences from Old Dominion University

Best Geological & Earth Sciences Colleges in the Southeast Region

Explore all the Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Southeast Area or other specific states within that region.

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Georgia 287 92
Florida 282 221
North Carolina 279 260
Tennessee 269 189
South Carolina 248 64
Kentucky 244 44
Louisiana 242 137
Mississippi 234 217
Arkansas 234 45
Alabama 233 38
West Virginia 207 61

View All Rankings >

Geological & Earth Sciences is one of 8 different types of Physical Sciences programs to choose from.

Geology Focus Areas

Major Annual Graduates
Geology & Earth Sciences 107
Other Geological & Earth Sciences/Geosciences 22
Chemical & Physical Oceanography 16

View All Geology Focus Areas >

Related Major Annual Graduates
Chemistry 657
Physics 419
General Physical Sciences 132
Other Physical Science 53
Atmospheric Sciences & Meteorology 34
Astronomy & Astrophysics 32
Materials Sciences 7

View All Geology Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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