2023 Best Value Geological & Earth Sciences Schools
Highlighting Quality Schools With More Affordable Pricing
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.
The Best Value Geological & Earth Sciences Schools ranking is one of many tools that Course Advisor has developed to help you make your educational decision. This report analyzed 206 schools in the United States to see which ones offered the best value programs for geology students. The goal was to highlight schools with more affordable prices than others offering similar quality experiences.
When determining this ranking, we place a high emphasis on the school's quality as well as its sticker price. Even though a college may be affordable, it may not offer value. Specifically, our score for quality is discounted by the published tuition and fees charged by the given college. This gives the cost per unit of quality for each college. The more quality your dollar buys, the better the value.
Our calculations use out-of-state tuition and fees in our nationwide and regional rankings. For statewide rankings, we use average in-state tuition and fees.
Featured Geology Programs
Learn about start dates, transferring credits, availability of financial aid, and more by contacting the universities below.
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Top 25 Best Schools for Affordable Quality in Geological & Earth Sciences
Our 2023 rankings named Brigham Young University - Idaho the best value school in the United States for geological and earth sciences students. BYU - I is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the distant town of Rexburg.
BYU - I undergraduate students pay an average of $4,416 in tuition and fees each year.
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The excellent programs at Middlesex County College helped the school earn the #2 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.
Middlesex County College undergraduate students pay an average of $7,992 in tuition and fees each year.
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Brigham Young University - Provo. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Geological & Earth Sciences Schools list. BYU is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Provo.
BYU undergraduate students pay an average of $6,120 in tuition and fees each year.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, BYU also is in the top 20% of our Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools ranking.
Full Geological & Earth Sciences at Brigham Young University - Provo Report
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Western Carolina University. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Geological & Earth Sciences Schools list. WCU is a fairly large public school located in the town of Cullowhee.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at WCU are $8,367 a year.
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Out of the 206 schools in the United States that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Wisconsin - River Falls landed the # 5 spot on the list. UW - River Falls is a moderately-sized public school located in the distant town of River Falls.
UW - River Falls undergraduate students pay an average of $15,661 in tuition and fees each year.
In addition to its great value ranking, UW - River Falls is in the top 10% of all schools on our Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools list.
Full Geological & Earth Sciences at University of Wisconsin - River Falls Report
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University of Florida-Online ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value 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.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at UF Online are $16,579 per year. The average amount in student loans that geology majors at UF Online take out is $15,337.
UF Online also claimed a spot on our Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools in this category.
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University of Wyoming came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geological & Earth Sciences Schools ranking. Located in the remote town of Laramie, UW is a public college with a fairly large student population.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at UW are $16,957 a year. While working on their degree, geology majors at UW accumulate an average of around $24,000 in student debt.
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With a ranking of #8, Illinois State University did quite well on this year’s best value schools for geological and earth sciences students. Located in the suburb of Normal, Illinois State is a public college with a fairly large student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Illinois State are $24,172 per year.
In addition to its great value ranking, Illinois State is in the top 10% of all schools on our Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools list.
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With a ranking of #9, Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania did quite well on this year’s best value schools for geological and earth sciences students. SRU is a medium-sized public school located in the town of Slippery Rock.
SRU undergraduate students pay an average of $14,615 in tuition and fees each year. Geology majors at SRU take out an average of $27,000 in student loans while working on their egree.
SRU excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools list.
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Edinboro University of Pennsylvania ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Geological & Earth Sciences Schools list. Edinboro is a small public school located in the fringe town of Edinboro.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Edinboro are $15,062 a year. The average amount in student loans that geology majors at Edinboro take out is $25,000.
Full Geological & Earth Sciences at Edinboro University of Pennsylvania Report
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University of Akron Main Campus landed the #11 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value geological and earth sciences programs. University of Akron Main Campus is a fairly large public school located in the medium-sized city of Akron.
University of Akron Main Campus undergraduate students pay an average of $11,880 in tuition and fees each year. Geology majors at University of Akron Main Campus take out an average of $22,000 in student loans while working on their egree.
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California State University - Long Beach ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Geological & Earth Sciences Schools list. CSULB is a fairly large public school located in the city of Long Beach.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at CSULB are $18,726 per year.
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California State Polytechnic University - Pomona ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Geological & Earth Sciences Schools list. Located in the suburb of Pomona, Cal Poly Pomona is a public college with a very large student population.
Cal Poly Pomona undergraduate students pay an average of $19,319 in tuition and fees each year. After completing their degree, geology graduates from Cal Poly Pomona carry an average student debtload of $18,579.
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Clarion University of Pennsylvania came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geological & Earth Sciences Schools ranking. Clarion University is a small public school located in the town of Clarion.
Clarion University undergraduate students pay an average of $16,052 in tuition and fees each year.
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Western Illinois University landed the #15 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value geological and earth sciences programs. WIU is a moderately-sized public school located in the remote town of Macomb.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at WIU are $13,297 a year.
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With a ranking of #16, East Tennessee State University did quite well on this year’s best value schools for geological and earth sciences students. Located in the city of Johnson City, ETSU is a public school with a fairly large student population.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at ETSU are $12,740 a year.
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Texas A&M University - Kingsville landed the #17 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value geological and earth sciences programs. Located in the distant town of Kingsville, Texas A&M Kingsville is a public college with a medium-sized student population.
Texas A&M Kingsville undergraduate students pay an average of $25,746 in tuition and fees each year.
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University of Houston landed the #18 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value geological and earth sciences programs. Located in the large city of Houston, UH is a public college with a very large student population.
UH undergraduate students pay an average of $21,891 in tuition and fees each year. On average, geology graduates from UH take out $21,550 in student loans while working on their degree.
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Lock Haven University landed the #19 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value geological and earth sciences programs. Located in the distant town of Lock Haven, LHU is a public college with a small student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at LHU are $20,702 per year.
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With a ranking of #20, The University of Texas at Austin did quite well on this year’s best value schools for geological and earth sciences students. UT Austin is a fairly large public school located in the large city of Austin.
UT Austin undergraduate students pay an average of $40,996 in tuition and fees each year. 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.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, UT Austin also is in the top 5% of our Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools ranking.
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With a ranking of #21, East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania did quite well on this year’s best value schools for geological and earth sciences students. East Stroudsburg University is a medium-sized public school located in the city of East Stroudsburg.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at East Stroudsburg University are $19,797 a year.
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With a ranking of #21, California State University - Sacramento did quite well on this year’s best value schools for geological and earth sciences students. Located in the city of Sacramento, Sac State is a public school with a very large student population.
Sac State undergraduate students pay an average of $19,272 in tuition and fees each year. The average amount in student loans that geology majors at Sac State take out is $17,487.
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California University of Pennsylvania did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for geological and earth sciences students. It came in at #23 on the list. Cal U is a medium-sized public school located in the small suburb of California.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Cal U are $15,726 per year.
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University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for geological and earth sciences students. It came in at #24 on the list. UW - Eau Claire is a fairly large public school located in the small city of Eau Claire.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at UW - Eau Claire are $17,149 per year. On average, geology graduates from UW - Eau Claire take out $19,500 in student loans while working on their degree.
UW - Eau Claire excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools list.
Full Geological & Earth Sciences at University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire Report
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With a ranking of #25, Missouri State University - Springfield did quite well on this year’s best value schools for geological and earth sciences students. Missouri State is a fairly large public school located in the medium-sized city of Springfield.
Missouri State undergraduate students pay an average of $16,498 in tuition and fees each year. While working on their degree, geology majors at Missouri State accumulate an average of around $27,000 in student debt.
Full Geological & Earth Sciences at Missouri State University - Springfield Report
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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 Value Geological & Earth Sciences Schools award.
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 31 | Northern Illinois University | Dekalb, IL |
| 32 | Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania | Bloomsburg, PA |
| 33 | Grand Valley State University | Allendale, MI |
| 34 | Florida Atlantic University | Boca Raton, FL |
| 35 | Austin Peay State University | Clarksville, TN |
| 36 | University of Delaware | Newark, DE |
| 37 | Oklahoma State University - Main Campus | Stillwater, OK |
| 37 | University of Houston - Downtown | Houston, TX |
| 39 | Iowa State University | Ames, IA |
| 40 | Stockton University | Galloway, NJ |
| 41 | University of Nevada - Reno | Reno, NV |
Geological & Earth Sciences by Region
View the Best Value 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
Geological & Earth Sciences Related Majors for 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.
- 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.
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