2023 Best Value Geological & Geophysical Engineering Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $48-$75k

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value Geological & Geophysical Engineering Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

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 Rocky Mountains region, there were 74 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 Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking looked at 3 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in geological and geophysical engineering. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality geological and geophysical engineering programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the geological and geophysical engineering program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

More Ways to Rank Geological & Geophysical Engineering Schools

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Geological & Geophysical Engineering Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $48-$75k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

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 Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $48-$75k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Geological & Geophysical Engineering Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $48-$75k.

Top 3 Best Value Colleges for Geological & Geophysical Engineering (Income $48-$75k) in the Rocky Mountains Region

1

Colorado School of Mines
Golden, Colorado

#1 in overall quality

$24,461 Average Net Price

$72,191 Average Early-Career Earnings

Out of the 3 schools in the Best Value Geological & Geophysical Engineering Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, Colorado School of Mines landed the #1 spot on the list. This medium-sized school is located in Golden, Colorado, and it awarded 59 ’s geological and geophysical engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

Mines not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Geological & Geophysical Engineering Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Mines is $24,461 for rocky mountains region geological & geophysical engineering students whose families make $48-$75k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Geological & Geophysical Engineering at Colorado School of Mines

2

University of Utah
Salt Lake City, Utah

#2 in overall quality

$13,842 Average Net Price

$51,388 Average Early-Career Earnings

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Utah. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Geological & Geophysical Engineering Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. University of Utah is a public institution located in Salt Lake City, Utah. The school has a large population, and it awarded 6 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

U of U did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Geological & Geophysical Engineering Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list. It costs about $13,842 for rocky mountains region geological & geophysical engineering students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend U of U.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full U of U Geological & Geophysical Engineering Report

3

Montana Technological University
Butte, Montana

#3 in overall quality

$16,499 Average Net Price

$63,042 Average Early-Career Earnings

Out of the 3 schools in the Best Value Geological & Geophysical Engineering Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, Montana Technological University landed the #3 spot on the list. Montana Technological University is a public institution located in Butte, Montana. The school has a small population, and it awarded 8 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Montana Tech not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Geological & Geophysical Engineering Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Montana Technological University is $16,499 for Rocky Mountains Region Geological & Geophysical Engineering students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Geological & Geophysical Engineering at Montana Technological University

• Best Value Colleges for Geological & Geophysical Engineering (Income $48-$75k)

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.