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2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k

23 Ranked Colleges
565 Degrees Awarded
$12,900 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor's in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking.

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 $30-$48k” ranking analyzed 23 colleges that offered a degree in geology and earth sciences. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality geology and earth sciences programs that also have a lower cost than 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 the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k” 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. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.

Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k.

Top 23 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Geology & Earth Sciences (Income $30-$48k) in the Southwest Region

#1 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Texas A&M University - College Station. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k. Texas A&M College Station is a large school located in College Station, Texas that handed out 57 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southwest region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $30-$48k 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. The yearly cost to attend Texas A&M University - College Station is $13,270 for southwest region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Geology & Earth Sciences at Texas A&M College Station

#2

University of Arizona

Tucson, Arizona
#3 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 $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Arizona landed the #2 spot on the list. Tucson, Arizona is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s geology degrees to 58 students in 2019-2020.

University of Arizona not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Arizona is $11,466 for southwest region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Geology & Earth Sciences at University of Arizona

#3

Texas Tech University

Lubbock, Texas
#4 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 $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Texas Tech University landed the #3 spot on the list. Lubbock, Texas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s geology degrees to 35 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southwest region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $30-$48k list, Texas Tech has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Texas Tech University is $13,326 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%.

Read more about Geology & Earth Sciences at Texas Tech

#4

University of Houston

Houston, Texas
#5 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Houston. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. UH is located in Houston, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 41 bachelors’s geology degrees to qualified students.

UH did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Houston is $9,925 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.

Full UH Geology & Earth Sciences Report

#7 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend The University of Texas of the Permian Basin. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. The University of Texas of the Permian Basin is a medium-sized school located in Odessa, Texas that handed out 13 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

UT Permian Basin not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. It costs about $10,221 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UT Permian Basin.

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

#13 in overall quality

The University of Texas at San Antonio did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #6. The University of Texas at San Antonio is a large public school situated in San Antonio, Texas. It awarded 24 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

UTSA did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. It costs about $11,109 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend The University of Texas at San Antonio.

Read full report on Geology & Earth Sciences at The University of Texas at San Antonio

#10 in overall quality

Oklahoma State University - Main Campus came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. OSU is a public institution located in Stillwater, Oklahoma. The school has a large population, and it awarded 18 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

OSU also made our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #10. The estimated yearly cost for Oklahoma State University - Main Campus is $9,962 for southwest region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $30-$48k.

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

Full OSU Geology & Earth Sciences Report

#8

MSU Texas

Wichita Falls, Texas
#15 in overall quality

With a ranking of #8, MSU Texas did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. 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.

MSU Texas also made our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #15. It costs about $8,554 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend MSU Texas.

Read more about Geology & Earth Sciences at MSU Texas

#2 in overall quality

The University of Texas at Austin came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. UT Austin is a large school located in Austin, Texas that handed out 28 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

UT Austin also made our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #2. It costs about $13,575 for southwest region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend The University of Texas at Austin.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low student loan default rate of 2.7% 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%.

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

#8 in overall quality

The University of Texas at Dallas did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #10. Located in Richardson, Texas, this large public school awarded 15 degrees to qualified bachelors’s geology students in 2019-2020.

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 $11,745 for southwest region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UT Dallas.

With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Geology & Earth Sciences at UT Dallas

#17 in overall quality

New Mexico State University - Main Campus ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Las Cruces, New Mexico, this fairly large public school handed out 13 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s geology students in 2019-2020.

NMSU Main Campus also made our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #17. The estimated yearly cost for New Mexico State University - Main Campus is $7,006 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full NMSU Main Campus Geology & Earth Sciences Report

#18 in overall quality

The University of Texas at El Paso came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. The University of Texas at El Paso 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 also took the #18 spot in our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for The University of Texas at El Paso is $7,427 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Geology & Earth Sciences at The University of Texas at El Paso

#11 in overall quality

The University of Texas at Arlington did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #13. Arlington, Texas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s geology degrees to 29 students in 2019-2020.

UT Arlington also made our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #11. The estimated yearly cost for The University of Texas at Arlington is $12,974 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Geology & Earth Sciences at UT Arlington

#16 in overall quality

With a ranking of #14, 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 $30-$48k list. This fairly large school is located in Houston, Texas, and it awarded 19 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

UH Downtown did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Houston - Downtown is $6,131 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full University of Houston - Downtown Geology & Earth Sciences Report

#15

Northern Arizona University

Flagstaff, Arizona
#20 in overall quality

Northern Arizona 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 $30-$48k ranking. Located in Flagstaff, Arizona, this large public school awarded 27 degrees to qualified bachelors’s geology students in 2019-2020.

NAU also made our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #20. It costs about $9,799 for southwest region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend NAU.

Read more about Geology & Earth Sciences at NAU

#22 in overall quality

With a ranking of #16, Stephen F Austin State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. SFASU is a fairly large school located in Nacogdoches, Texas that handed out 16 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

SFASU also made our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #22. The estimated yearly cost for Stephen F Austin State University is $10,816 for southwest region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Geology & Earth Sciences at Stephen F Austin State University

#17

Sam Houston State University

Huntsville, Texas
#21 in overall quality

Sam Houston State University ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. SHSU is located in Huntsville, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 8 bachelors’s geology degrees to qualified students.

SHSU also took the #21 spot in our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Sam Houston State University is $11,634 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Geology & Earth Sciences at Sam Houston State University

#9 in overall quality

With a ranking of #18, University of Oklahoma Norman Campus did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Norman, Oklahoma is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s geology degrees to 13 students in 2019-2020.

University of Oklahoma also made our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #9. The yearly cost to attend University of Oklahoma is $17,285 for southwest region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $30-$48k.

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

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

#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 $30-$48k 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 also took the #12 spot in our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $17,132 for southwest region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Tarleton State University.

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 came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. UNM is a large school located in Albuquerque, New Mexico that handed out 12 bachelors’s geology degrees 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 yearly cost to attend UNM is $14,458 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full University of New Mexico - Main Campus Geology & Earth Sciences Report

#21

Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi

Corpus Christi, Texas
#19 in overall quality

Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi landed the #21 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Corpus Christi, Texas, and it awarded 9 bachelors’s geology degrees 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. It costs about $16,393 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Texas A&M Corpus Christi.

Read more about Geology & Earth Sciences at Texas A&M Corpus Christi

#22

Texas Christian University

Fort Worth, Texas
#14 in overall quality

With a ranking of #22, Texas Christian University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Texas Christian University is located in Fort Worth, Texas and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 6 bachelors’s geology degrees to qualified students.

TCU also made our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #14. The estimated yearly cost for TCU is $23,246 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low student loan default rate of 3.4% 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 92%.

Read full report on Geology & Earth Sciences at TCU

#23

Baylor University

Waco, Texas
#6 in overall quality

Baylor University ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. 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.

In addition to being on our southwest region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $30-$48k list, Baylor has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $29,849 for southwest region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Baylor University.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Baylor Geology & Earth Sciences Report

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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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