2023 Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools
Finding the Best Geological & Earth Sciences School for You
In 2020-2021, 7,821 people earned a degree or certificate in geological and earth sciences, making the major the #96 most popular in the United States.
Today's students have lots of options to pick from when considering higher education opportunities. You're no longer limited to schools in your local area, either, since online programs are becoming more prevalent. Or you may find the programs at a trade school to be a better alternative for you.
To help you arm yourself with the information you need to make your decision, Course Advisor has developed this Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools ranking. Our analysis looked at 206 schools in the United States to see which programs offered the best educational experiences for students.
View our full ranking methodology.
2023 Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the United States
The colleges and universities below are the best for geology majors pursuing a .
Top 25 Top Schools in Geological & Earth Sciences
Our analysis found Stanford University to be the best school for geological and earth sciences students who want to pursue a degree in the United States. Located in the suburb of Stanford, Stanford is a private not-for-profit school with a fairly large student population.
Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at Stanford University
Request Information
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Northwestern University. The school came in at #2 on this year’s Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools list. Northwestern is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the small city of Evanston.
Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at Northwestern University
Request Information
A rank of #3 on this year’s list means The University of Texas at Austin is a great place for geological and earth sciences students. UT Austin is a fairly large public school located in the large city of Austin.
While working on their degree, geology majors at UT Austin accumulate an average of around $16,479 in student debt. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $171.
Request Information
The excellent programs at Middlesex County College helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of the best geological and earth sciences schools in the United States. Located in the suburb of Edison, Middlesex County College is a public school with a moderately-sized student population.
Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at Middlesex County College
Request Information
The excellent programs at University of Chicago helped the school earn the #5 place on this year’s ranking of the best geological and earth sciences schools in the United States. Located in the large city of Chicago, UChicago is a private not-for-profit school with a fairly large student population.
Request Information
Texas A&M University - College Station did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for geological and earth sciences students. It came in at #6 on the list. Located in the city of College Station, Texas A&M College Station is a public college with a very large student population.
The average amount in student loans that geology majors at Texas A&M College Station take out is $19,250. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $340, based on a 10-year repayment plan.
Full Geological & Earth Sciences at Texas A&M University - College Station Report
Request Information
University of Florida-Online ranked #7 on this year’s Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools list. Located in the medium-sized city of Gainesville, UF Online is a public college with a medium-sized student population.
The average amount in student loans that geology majors at UF Online take out is $15,337.
Full Geological & Earth Sciences at University of Florida-Online Report
Request Information
University of Wisconsin - River Falls did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for geological and earth sciences students. It came in at #8 on the list. UW - River Falls is a medium-sized public school located in the distant town of River Falls.
Request Information
With a ranking of #9, University of California - Berkeley did quite well on this year’s best schools for geological and earth sciences students. UC Berkeley is a very large public school located in the midsize city of Berkeley.
On average, geology graduates from UC Berkeley take out $11,000 in student loans while working on their degree.
Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at University of California - Berkeley
Request Information
With a ranking of #10, Williams College did quite well on this year’s best schools for geological and earth sciences students. Located in the fringe town of Williamstown, Williams is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.
Full Geological & Earth Sciences at Williams College Report
Request Information
Northeastern University ranked #11 on this year’s Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools list. Located in the city of Boston, Northeastern is a private not-for-profit college with a fairly large student population.
Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at Northeastern University
Request Information
University of Delaware ranked #12 on this year’s Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools list. UD is a fairly large public school located in the suburb of Newark.
Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at University of Delaware
Request Information
University of Wyoming came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools ranking. Located in the town of Laramie, UW is a public school with a fairly large student population.
While working on their degree, geology majors at UW accumulate an average of around $24,000 in student debt.
Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at University of Wyoming
Request Information
University of Wisconsin - Madison landed the #14 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best geological and earth sciences programs. UW - Madison is a fairly large public school located in the large city of Madison.
On average, geology graduates from UW - Madison take out $26,911 in student loans while working on their degree.
Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at University of Wisconsin - Madison
Request Information
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for geological and earth sciences students. It came in at #15 on the list. UIUC is a fairly large public school located in the city of Champaign.
On average, geology graduates from UIUC take out $23,250 in student loans while working on their degree.
Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Request Information
With a ranking of #16, University of Maryland - College Park did quite well on this year’s best schools for geological and earth sciences students. Located in the suburb of College Park, UMCP is a public college with a very large student population.
Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at University of Maryland - College Park
Request Information
With a ranking of #17, Union College New York did quite well on this year’s best schools for geological and earth sciences students. Union College is a small private not-for-profit school located in the small city of Schenectady.
Request Information
Iowa State University came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools ranking. Iowa State is a very large public school located in the city of Ames.
Geology majors at Iowa State take out an average of $25,400 in student loans while working on their egree.
Request Information
Cornell University landed the #19 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best geological and earth sciences programs. Cornell is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Ithaca.
Request Information
California State Polytechnic University - Pomona ranked #20 on this year’s Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools list. Located in the suburb of Pomona, Cal Poly Pomona is a public college with a very large student population.
After completing their degree, geology graduates from Cal Poly Pomona carry an average student debtload of $18,579.
Request Information
With a ranking of #21, Lock Haven University did quite well on this year’s best schools for geological and earth sciences students. Located in the town of Lock Haven, LHU is a public school with a small student population.
Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at Lock Haven University
Request Information
Texas A&M University - Kingsville did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for geological and earth sciences students. It came in at #22 on the list. Located in the distant town of Kingsville, Texas A&M Kingsville is a public college with a medium-sized student population.
Request Information
University of Houston landed the #23 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best geological and earth sciences programs. Located in the large city of Houston, UH is a public college with a very large student population.
On average, geology graduates from UH take out $21,550 in student loans while working on their degree.
Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at University of Houston
Request Information
California State University - Long Beach ranked #24 on this year’s Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools list. CSULB is a fairly large public school located in the city of Long Beach.
Request Information
University of California - Santa Barbara came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools ranking. UCSB is a very large public school located in the medium-sized suburb of Santa Barbara.
On average, geology graduates from UCSB take out $25,000 in student loans while working on their degree.
Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at University of California - Santa Barbara
Request InformationRest of the Top Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools
Honorable Mentions
These are some additional schools worth mentioning that are also great but just didn't quite make the cut to earn our top Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools award.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 31 | University of Florida | Gainesville, FL |
| 32 | North Carolina State University | Raleigh, NC |
| 33 | Smith College | Northampton, MA |
| 34 | Johns Hopkins University | Baltimore, MD |
| 35 | Millersville University of Pennsylvania | Millersville, PA |
| 36 | University of Minnesota - Twin Cities | Minneapolis, MN |
| 37 | East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania | East Stroudsburg, PA |
| 38 | Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania | Bloomsburg, PA |
| 39 | Temple University | Philadelphia, PA |
| 40 | University of Nevada - Reno | Reno, NV |
| 41 | University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus | Pittsburgh, PA |
Geological & Earth Sciences by Region
View the Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools for a specific region near you.
| Region |
|---|
| Southeast |
| New England |
| Rocky Mountains |
| Plains States |
| Middle Atlantic |
| Far Western US |
| Southwest |
| Great Lakes |
More Geological & Earth Sciences Rankings
Rankings in Majors Related to Geology
Geological & Earth Sciences is one of 8 different types of programs to choose from.
Majors Similar to Geology
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Chemistry | 21,239 |
| Physics | 13,674 |
| General Physical Sciences | 3,823 |
| Astronomy & Astrophysics | 1,375 |
| Atmospheric Sciences & Meteorology | 1,140 |
Notes and References
*These averages are for the top 25 schools only.
- Read more about our ranking methodology.
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of the rest of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
- Credit for the banner image above goes to Kelvinsong.
More about our data sources and methodologies.
Course Advisor provides higher-education, college and university, degree, program, career, salary, and other helpful information to students, faculty, institutions, and other internet audiences. Presented information and data are subject to change. Inclusion on this website does not imply or represent a direct relationship with the company, school, or brand. Information, though believed correct at time of publication, may not be correct, and no warranty is provided. Contact the schools to verify any information before relying on it. Financial aid may be available for those who qualify. The displayed options may include sponsored or recommended results, not necessarily based on your preferences.
© Course Advisor – All Rights Reserved.