2023 Best Value Colleges for Geological & Geophysical Engineering (Income Over $110k) in the Rocky Mountains Region

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Vallue Geological & Geophysical Engineering Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making Over $110k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

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 Vallue Geological & Geophysical Engineering Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making Over $110k” 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.

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. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

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 Vallue Geological & Geophysical Engineering Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making Over $110k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.

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Best Vallue Geological & Geophysical Engineering Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making Over $110k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Vallue Geological & Geophysical Engineering Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making Over $110k.

Top 3 Best Value Colleges for Geological & Geophysical Engineering (Income Over $110k) in the Rocky Mountains Region

1

University of Utah
Salt Lake City, Utah

#2 in overall quality

$13,572 Average Net Price

$51,388 Average Early-Career Earnings

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Utah. The school came in at #1 for the Best Vallue Geological & Geophysical Engineering Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making Over $110k. This large school is located in Salt Lake City, Utah, and it awarded 6 ’s geological and geophysical engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

U of U also took the #2 spot in our “Best Geological & Geophysical Engineering Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Utah is $13,572 for Rocky Mountains Region Geological & Geophysical Engineering students whose families make more than $110k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%.

Read full report on Geological & Geophysical Engineering at U of U

2

Colorado School of Mines
Golden, Colorado

#1 in overall quality

$27,114 Average Net Price

$72,191 Average Early-Career Earnings

Out of the 3 schools in the Best Vallue Geological & Geophysical Engineering Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making Over $110k that were part of this year’s ranking, Colorado School of Mines landed the #2 spot on the list. Located in Golden, Colorado, this medium-sized public school handed out 59 diplomas to qualified ’s geological and geophysical engineering students 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. It costs about $27,114 for Rocky Mountains Region Geological & Geophysical Engineering students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend Mines.

With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.7% 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%.

Full Mines Geological & Geophysical Engineering Report

3

Montana Technological University
Butte, Montana

#3 in overall quality

$15,814 Average Net Price

$63,042 Average Early-Career Earnings

Out of the 3 schools in the Best Vallue Geological & Geophysical Engineering Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making Over $110k that were part of this year’s ranking, Montana Technological University landed the #3 spot on the list. This small school is located in Butte, Montana, and it awarded 8 ’s geological and geophysical engineering 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 Tech is $15,814 for rocky mountains region geological & geophysical engineering students whose families make more than $110k.

Full Montana Technological University Geological & Geophysical Engineering Report

• Best Value Colleges for Geological & Geophysical Engineering (Income Over $110k)

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.