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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Geology & Earth Sciences (Income $0-$30k) in the Southwest Region

23 Ranked Colleges
565 Degrees Awarded
$11,800 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor's in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

In 2019-2020, 7,036 people earned their degree in geology and earth sciences, making the major the 101st most popular in the United States.

Across the Southwest region, there were 963 geology and earth sciences graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 565 geology and earth sciences graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,896 and $23,899 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking looked at 23 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in geology and earth sciences. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great geology and earth sciences programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the geology and earth sciences program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

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 Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

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. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k.

Top 23 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Geology & Earth Sciences (Income $0-$30k) in the Southwest Region

#1 in overall quality

Out of the 23 schools in the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Texas A&M University - College Station landed the #1 spot on the list. Texas A&M College Station is a public institution located in College Station, Texas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 57 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southwest region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $0-$30k list, Texas A&M College Station has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $11,454 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Texas A&M College Station.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Geology & Earth Sciences at Texas A&M College Station

#2

University of Arizona

Tucson, Arizona
#3 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Arizona. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Tucson, Arizona, this large public school handed out 58 degrees to qualified bachelors’s geology students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at University of Arizona, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Arizona is $10,562 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full University of Arizona Geology & Earth Sciences Report

#3

Texas Tech University

Lubbock, Texas
#4 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Texas Tech University. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Texas Tech University is a large school located in Lubbock, Texas that handed out 35 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Texas Tech, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Texas Tech is $12,317 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full Texas Tech Geology & Earth Sciences Report

#4

University of Houston

Houston, Texas
#5 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Houston. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k. University of Houston is a large public school situated in Houston, Texas. It awarded 41 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

UH not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. It costs about $10,203 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UH.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Geology & Earth Sciences at UH

#13 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend The University of Texas at San Antonio. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k. The University of Texas at San Antonio is a public institution located in San Antonio, Texas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 24 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UTSA also made our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #13. It costs about $10,516 for southwest region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UTSA.

Read more about Geology & Earth Sciences at The University of Texas at San Antonio

#7 in overall quality

With a ranking of #6, The University of Texas of the Permian Basin did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Odessa, Texas is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s geology degrees to 13 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southwest region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $0-$30k list, UT Permian Basin has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $7,889 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend The University of Texas of the Permian Basin.

Full The University of Texas of the Permian Basin Geology & Earth Sciences Report

#10 in overall quality

Oklahoma State University - Main Campus did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #7. OSU is located in Stillwater, Oklahoma and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 18 bachelors’s geology degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our southwest region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $0-$30k list, OSU has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend OSU is $8,669 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.

Read full report on Geology & Earth Sciences at OSU

#2 in overall quality

The University of Texas at Austin ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Austin, Texas, this large public school awarded 28 degrees to qualified bachelors’s geology students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UT Austin, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $12,203 for southwest region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UT Austin.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%.

Read more about Geology & Earth Sciences at UT Austin

#9

MSU Texas

Wichita Falls, Texas
#15 in overall quality

MSU Texas landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Wichita Falls, Texas is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s geology degrees to 15 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at MSU Texas, the school also landed the #15 spot in our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $7,703 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend MSU Texas.

Read more about Geology & Earth Sciences at MSU Texas

#8 in overall quality

The University of Texas at Dallas landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. The University of Texas at Dallas is located in Richardson, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 15 bachelors’s geology degrees to qualified students.

UT Dallas did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. It costs about $10,857 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend The University of Texas at Dallas.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 4.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Geology & Earth Sciences at UT Dallas

#18 in overall quality

The University of Texas at El Paso landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UTEP is located in El Paso, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 19 bachelors’s geology degrees to qualified students.

UTEP not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #18 on our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UTEP is $7,092 for southwest region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full UTEP Geology & Earth Sciences Report

#17 in overall quality

New Mexico State University - Main Campus did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #12. New Mexico State University - Main Campus is a public institution located in Las Cruces, New Mexico. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 13 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southwest region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $0-$30k list, NMSU Main Campus has also earned the #17 rank in our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend New Mexico State University - Main Campus is $6,896 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full NMSU Main Campus Geology & Earth Sciences Report

#16 in overall quality

With a ranking of #13, University of Houston - Downtown did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. UH Downtown is a fairly large public school situated in Houston, Texas. It awarded 19 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

UH Downtown also made our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #16. The yearly cost to attend University of Houston - Downtown is $5,065 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full University of Houston - Downtown Geology & Earth Sciences Report

#11 in overall quality

The University of Texas at Arlington ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. UT Arlington is a public institution located in Arlington, Texas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 29 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UT Arlington also took the #11 spot in our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UT Arlington is $11,811 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full UT Arlington Geology & Earth Sciences Report

#22 in overall quality

Stephen F Austin State University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Nacogdoches, Texas, and it awarded 16 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at SFASU, the school also landed the #22 spot in our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $8,650 for southwest region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend SFASU.

Read full report on Geology & Earth Sciences at SFASU

#16

Northern Arizona University

Flagstaff, Arizona
#20 in overall quality

Northern Arizona University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #16. Flagstaff, Arizona is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s geology degrees to 27 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at NAU, the school also landed the #20 spot in our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Northern Arizona University is $9,251 for southwest region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Northern Arizona University Geology & Earth Sciences Report

#17

Sam Houston State University

Huntsville, Texas
#21 in overall quality

Sam Houston State University landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in Huntsville, Texas, and it awarded 8 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at SHSU, the school also landed the #21 spot in our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend SHSU is $10,561 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Sam Houston State University Geology & Earth Sciences Report

#9 in overall quality

University of Oklahoma Norman Campus did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #18. University of Oklahoma Norman Campus is a large school located in Norman, Oklahoma that handed out 13 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southwest region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $0-$30k list, University of Oklahoma has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Oklahoma Norman Campus is $16,675 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Geology & Earth Sciences at University of Oklahoma

#19

Tarleton State University

Stephenville, Texas
#12 in overall quality

Tarleton State University came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Stephenville, Texas is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s geology degrees to 10 students in 2019-2020.

Tarleton did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Tarleton State University is $15,604 for southwest region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Geology & Earth Sciences at Tarleton State University

#20

University of New Mexico - Main Campus

Albuquerque, New Mexico
#23 in overall quality

University of New Mexico - Main Campus did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #20. Located in Albuquerque, New Mexico, this large public school awarded 12 degrees to qualified bachelors’s geology students in 2019-2020.

UNM did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #23 on our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UNM is $13,242 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Geology & Earth Sciences at UNM

#21

Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi

Corpus Christi, Texas
#19 in overall quality

Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Corpus Christi, Texas, this fairly large public school awarded 9 degrees to qualified bachelors’s geology students in 2019-2020.

Texas A&M Corpus Christi also made our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #19. The estimated yearly cost for Texas A&M Corpus Christi is $15,501 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi Geology & Earth Sciences Report

#22

Baylor University

Waco, Texas
#6 in overall quality

Baylor University came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Waco, Texas is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s geology degrees to 10 students in 2019-2020.

Baylor also took the #6 spot in our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $26,726 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Baylor University.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Baylor University Geology & Earth Sciences Report

#23

Texas Christian University

Fort Worth, Texas
#14 in overall quality

Texas Christian University came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Texas Christian University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Fort Worth, Texas. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 6 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

TCU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Texas Christian University is $21,286 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Geology & Earth Sciences at TCU

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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.

Credits

  • Credit for the banner image above goes to Kelvinsong.

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