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Best Value Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in Virginia

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2023 Best Value Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in Virginia

Highlighting Quality Schools With More Affordable Pricing

5 Colleges
$15,057 Avg Tuition & Fees*
$32,567 Avg Salary

Finding the Best Geological & Earth Sciences School for You

With 144 degrees and certificates handed out in 2020-2021, geological and earth sciences is the #117 most popular major in Virginia.

It's not easy to decide which program to enroll in when you have so many options available. Along with traditional schools that require in-person attendence, you can attend one of many reputable online schools. Some programs even offer a hybrid experience. Alternatively, you may choose a trade school that prepares you to enter the workforce with knowledge in a specific field.

To assist you in seeing some of the education options that are available to you, Course Advisor has created its Best Value Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in Virginia ranking. This report analyzed 5 schools in Virginia 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.

Our ranking of value is based on the quality of a program as defined in our per sticker price dollar. 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.

In our regional and nationwide rankings, out-of-state tution and fees are used in our calculations. For statewide rankings, we use average in-state tuition and fees.

2023 Best Value Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in Virginia

The following schools top our list of the Best Value Geological & Earth Sciences Colleges.

Best Virginia Schools for Affordable Quality in Geological & Earth Sciences

#1

Radford University

Radford, VA
$11,542 Average Tuition & Fees

Our analysis found Radford University to be the best value school for geological and earth sciences students who want to pursue a degree in Virginia. Radford is a moderately-sized public school located in the small suburb of Radford.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Radford are $11,542 per year.

Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at Radford University

#2

James Madison University

Harrisonburg, VA
$12,638 Average Tuition & Fees

Out of the 5 schools in Virginia that were part of this year’s ranking, James Madison University landed the # 2 spot on the list. JMU is a fairly large public school located in the city of Harrisonburg.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at JMU are $12,638 per year. On average, geology graduates from JMU take out $19,606 in student loans while working on their degree.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, JMU also is in the top 10% of our Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in Virginia ranking.

Full Geological & Earth Sciences at James Madison University Report

#3

George Mason University

Fairfax, VA
$13,119 Average Tuition & Fees

The excellent programs at George Mason University helped the school earn the #3 place on this year’s ranking of the best geological and earth sciences schools in Virginia. Located in the large suburb of Fairfax, GMU is a public college with a very large student population.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at GMU are $13,119 per year. The average amount in student loans that geology majors at GMU take out is $19,916.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, GMU also is in the top 15% of our Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in Virginia ranking.

Full Geological & Earth Sciences at George Mason University Report

#4

Virginia Tech

Blacksburg, VA
$14,174 Average Tuition & Fees

The excellent programs at Virginia Tech helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of the best geological and earth sciences schools in Virginia. Located in the city of Blacksburg, Virginia Tech is a public college with a very large student population.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Virginia Tech are $14,174 a year. While working on their degree, geology majors at Virginia Tech accumulate an average of around $30,062 in student debt.

In addition to its best value ranking, and one of the reasons why the school is on the list, Virginia Tech is ranked #3 for overall quality for geology in Virginia.

Read More…

#5

William & Mary

Williamsburg, VA
$23,812 Average Tuition & Fees

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend William & Mary. The school came in at #5 on this year’s Best Value Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in Virginia list. Located in the small suburb of Williamsburg, William & Mary is a public school with a medium-sized student population.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at William & Mary are $23,812 per year.

William & Mary also took the #5 spot in our Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in Virginia rankings.

Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at William & Mary

Best Value Geological & Earth Sciences Colleges in the Southeast Region

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

State Degrees Awarded
Georgia 92
North Carolina 263
Florida 221
Tennessee 189
Kentucky 44
South Carolina 64
Louisiana 141
Arkansas 45
Alabama 38
Mississippi 217
West Virginia 61

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

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 5 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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