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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Geology & Earth Sciences (Income $48-$75k) in the Southwest Region

23 Ranked Colleges
565 Degrees Awarded
Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor's in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. 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 Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

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.

For this year’s “Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking, we looked at 23 colleges that offer 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.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the geology and earth sciences program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

More Ways to Rank Geology & Earth Sciences Schools

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 $48-$75k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important 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 $48-$75k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k.

Top 23 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Geology & Earth Sciences (Income $48-$75k) in the Southwest Region

#1

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 #1 on our 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. This large school is located in Tucson, Arizona, and it awarded 58 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

University of Arizona also took 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 $15,399 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $48-$75k.

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

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

#7 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 $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, The University of Texas of the Permian Basin landed the #2 spot on the 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. The estimated yearly cost for UT Permian Basin is $10,417 for southwest region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Geology & Earth Sciences at The University of Texas of the Permian Basin

#3

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 #3 on our 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. This large school is located in Houston, Texas, and it awarded 41 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UH, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UH is $12,505 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full University of Houston Geology & Earth Sciences Report

#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 $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, Texas A&M University - College Station landed the #4 spot on the list. College Station, Texas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s geology degrees to 57 students in 2019-2020.

Texas A&M College Station did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. It costs about $18,810 for southwest region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Texas A&M University - 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 low student loan default rate of 2.9% 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 full report on Geology & Earth Sciences at Texas A&M College Station

#2 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend The University of Texas at Austin. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k. UT Austin is located in Austin, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 28 bachelors’s geology degrees to qualified students.

UT Austin not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The yearly cost to attend The University of Texas at Austin is $15,757 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $48-$75k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%.

Full UT Austin Geology & Earth Sciences Report

#13 in overall quality

With a ranking of #6, The University of Texas at San Antonio did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. UTSA is a large school located in San Antonio, Texas that handed out 24 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

UTSA also took the #13 spot in our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $13,827 for southwest region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UTSA.

Read full report on Geology & Earth Sciences at UTSA

#7

Texas Tech University

Lubbock, Texas
#4 in overall quality

Texas Tech University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #7. Texas Tech is a large school located in Lubbock, Texas that handed out 35 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

Texas Tech not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. It costs about $17,421 for southwest region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Texas Tech.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Geology & Earth Sciences at Texas Tech

#8

MSU Texas

Wichita Falls, Texas
#15 in overall quality

MSU Texas ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. MSU Texas is located in Wichita Falls, Texas and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 15 bachelors’s geology degrees to qualified students.

MSU Texas also made our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #15. The estimated yearly cost for MSU Texas is $10,068 for southwest region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Geology & Earth Sciences at MSU Texas

#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 $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #9. UT Dallas is a large public school situated in Richardson, Texas. It awarded 15 bachelors’s geology degrees 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. The estimated yearly cost for The University of Texas at Dallas is $13,797 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 4.9% 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 full report on Geology & Earth Sciences at The University of Texas at Dallas

#17 in overall quality

New Mexico State University - Main Campus came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. New Mexico State University - Main Campus is located in Las Cruces, New Mexico and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 13 bachelors’s geology degrees to qualified students.

NMSU Main Campus not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #17 on our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The yearly cost to attend NMSU Main Campus is $10,235 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Geology & Earth Sciences at New Mexico State University - Main Campus

#10 in overall quality

Oklahoma State University - Main Campus came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. OSU is a large school located in Stillwater, Oklahoma that handed out 18 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

OSU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for OSU is $14,698 for southwest region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 full report on Geology & Earth Sciences at OSU

#18 in overall quality

With a ranking of #12, The University of Texas at El Paso did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. 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.

In addition to being on our southwest region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $48-$75k list, UTEP has also earned the #18 rank 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 $10,786 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full UTEP Geology & Earth Sciences Report

#11 in overall quality

The University of Texas at Arlington ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Arlington, Texas, this large public school handed out 29 degrees to qualified bachelors’s geology students in 2019-2020.

UT Arlington did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for The University of Texas at Arlington is $14,622 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on Geology & Earth Sciences at UT Arlington

#16 in overall quality

University of Houston - Downtown came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. UH Downtown is located in Houston, Texas and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 19 bachelors’s geology degrees to qualified students.

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 UH Downtown is $8,675 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Geology & Earth Sciences at UH Downtown

#15

Northern Arizona University

Flagstaff, Arizona
#20 in overall quality

Northern Arizona University landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in Flagstaff, Arizona, this large public school handed out 27 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s geology students in 2019-2020.

NAU also took the #20 spot in our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend NAU is $12,675 for southwest region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Geology & Earth Sciences at Northern Arizona University

#16

Sam Houston State University

Huntsville, Texas
#21 in overall quality

Sam Houston State University ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Sam Houston State University 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 did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #21 on our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. It costs about $14,832 for southwest region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend SHSU.

Full SHSU Geology & Earth Sciences Report

#22 in overall quality

Stephen F Austin State University came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. SFASU is a fairly large public school situated in Nacogdoches, Texas. It awarded 16 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

SFASU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #22 on our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Stephen F Austin State University is $13,644 for southwest region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Geology & Earth Sciences at SFASU

#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 $48-$75k list. University of Oklahoma is a large public school situated in Norman, Oklahoma. It awarded 13 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

University of Oklahoma did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. It costs about $21,812 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of Oklahoma.

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

Full University of Oklahoma Geology & Earth Sciences Report

#19

Tarleton State University

Stephenville, Texas
#12 in overall quality

Tarleton State University landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k 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.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Tarleton, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $19,542 for southwest region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Tarleton State University.

Read more about Geology & Earth Sciences at Tarleton

#20

Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi

Corpus Christi, Texas
#19 in overall quality

Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Corpus Christi, Texas is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s geology degrees to 9 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Texas A&M Corpus Christi, the school also landed the #19 spot in our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Texas A&M Corpus Christi is $18,590 for southwest region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $48-$75k.

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

#21

University of New Mexico - Main Campus

Albuquerque, New Mexico
#23 in overall quality

With a ranking of #21, University of New Mexico - Main Campus did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. This large school is located in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and it awarded 12 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

UNM also took the #23 spot in our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $16,557 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of New Mexico - Main Campus.

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

#22

Baylor University

Waco, Texas
#6 in overall quality

Baylor University landed the #22 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Baylor University is located in Waco, Texas and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 10 bachelors’s geology degrees to qualified students.

Baylor did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Baylor University is $31,343 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full Baylor 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 $48-$75k ranking. Located in Fort Worth, Texas, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 6 degrees to qualified bachelors’s geology students in 2019-2020.

TCU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. It costs about $29,929 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend TCU.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

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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