2026 Best Value Other Geological & Earth Sciences/Geosciences Schools in Virginia

[Other Geological & Earth Sciences/Geosciences](/majors/physical-sciences/geological-and-earth-sciences/geological-and-earth-sciences-geosciences-other/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 2 schools to find the best return on investment for other geological & earth sciences/geosciences students.
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2026 Best Value Other Geological & Earth Sciences/Geosciences Schools in Virginia
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the other geological & earth sciences/geosciences degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Other Geological & Earth Sciences/Geosciences Schools
Our analysis ranked Old Dominion University the best value for a degree in other geological & earth sciences/geosciences in Virginia. Located in the city of Norfolk, Old Dominion University is a very large public university. Students from in state pay about $12,750 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $33,780. Students borrow a median of $26,001 to complete the other geological & earth sciences/geosciences program here. Other Geological & Earth Sciences/geosciences graduates of Old Dominion University earn a median of $57,131 early in their careers. Set against $26,001 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 90% of applicants are accepted.
Students looking for strong value in other geological & earth sciences/geosciences will find it at George Mason University, which ranked #2. Set in the suburb of Fairfax, George Mason University is a very large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $14,220, with out-of-state students paying around $38,688. Typical student debt for other geological & earth sciences/geosciences graduates is $23,529. Other Geological & Earth Sciences/geosciences graduates of George Mason University earn a median of $63,131 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. George Mason University admits about 88% of applicants.
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 2 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 1 ranked 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 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).
More about our data sources and methodologies.