2023 Best Value Colleges for Geological & Geophysical Engineering (Income $30-$48k) in the Plains States Region

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Geological & Geophysical Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

In 2020-2021, 325 people earned their degree in geological and geophysical engineering, making the major the 726th most popular in the United States.

Across the Plains States region, there were 177 geological and geophysical engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Geological & Geophysical Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking looked at 3 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in geological and geophysical engineering. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great geological and geophysical engineering programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the geological and geophysical engineering program at the school. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Geological & Geophysical Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.

Best Value Geological & Geophysical Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Geological & Geophysical Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k.

Top 3 Best Value Colleges for Geological & Geophysical Engineering (Income $30-$48k) in the Plains States Region

1

Missouri University of Science and Technology
Rolla, Missouri

#1 in overall quality

$9,820 Average Net Price

$63,979 Average Early-Career Earnings

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Missouri University of Science and Technology. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Geological & Geophysical Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k. Located in Rolla, Missouri, this medium-sized public school awarded 140 diplomas to qualified ’s geological and geophysical engineering students in 2020-2021.

Missouri University of Science and Technology also took the #1 spot in our “Best Geological & Geophysical Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $9,820 for Plains States Region Geological & Geophysical Engineering students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Missouri University of Science and Technology.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full Missouri University of Science and Technology Geological & Geophysical Engineering Report

2

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Minneapolis, Minnesota

#3 in overall quality

$8,609 Average Net Price

$50,445 Average Early-Career Earnings

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Minnesota - Twin Cities. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Geological & Geophysical Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k. Minneapolis, Minnesota is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s geological and geophysical engineering degrees to 7 students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our plains states region geological & geophysical engineering students whose families make $30-$48k list, UMN Twin Cities has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Geological & Geophysical Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UMN Twin Cities is $8,609 for Plains States Region Geological & Geophysical Engineering students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Geological & Geophysical Engineering at University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

3

South Dakota School of Mines and Technology
Rapid City, South Dakota

#2 in overall quality

$16,736 Average Net Price

$64,929 Average Early-Career Earnings

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend South Dakota School of Mines and Technology. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Geological & Geophysical Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. SD Mines is located in Rapid City, South Dakota and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 25 ’s geological and geophysical engineering degrees to qualified students.

SD Mines not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Geological & Geophysical Engineering Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend South Dakota School of Mines and Technology is $16,736 for plains states region geological & geophysical engineering students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Geological & Geophysical Engineering at SD Mines

• Best Value Colleges for Geological & Geophysical Engineering (Income $30-$48k)

Notes and References

References

• 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).
• Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

• *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
• Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.