2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s
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” 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.
At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 5,080 geology and earth sciences graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,303 and $24,501 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s” ranking looked at 249 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s 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.
To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the geology and earth sciences program at the school. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
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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” list, to help you choose the best school for you.
In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. 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
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s.
Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Geology & Earth Sciences
Out of the 249 schools in the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s that were part of this year’s ranking, Brigham Young University - Idaho landed the #1 spot on the list. Brigham Young University - Idaho is a private not-for-profit institution located in Rexburg, Idaho. The school has a large population, and it awarded 6 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for Brigham Young University - Idaho is $7,167 for bachelor’s degree geology students.
The student loan default rate at the school is 3.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Out of the 249 schools in the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s that were part of this year’s ranking, Brigham Young University - Provo landed the #2 spot on the list. BYU is a large school located in Provo, Utah that handed out 14 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for Brigham Young University - Provo is $13,322 for bachelor’s degree geology students.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national 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.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend The University of Texas of the Permian Basin. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s list. The University of Texas of the Permian Basin is a public institution located in Odessa, Texas. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 13 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for UT Permian Basin is $10,092 for bachelor’s degree geology students.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend South Dakota School of Mines and Technology. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s list. SD Mines is located in Rapid City, South Dakota and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 11 bachelors’s geology degrees to qualified students.
It costs about $19,815 for Bachelor’s Degree Geology students per year to attend SD Mines.
The student loan default rate at the school is 4.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full South Dakota School of Mines and Technology Geology & Earth Sciences Report
Out of the 249 schools in the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Wisconsin - River Falls landed the #5 spot on the list. UW - River Falls is located in River Falls, Wisconsin and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 9 bachelors’s geology degrees to qualified students.
The yearly cost to attend UW - River Falls is $13,748 for Bachelor’s Degree Geology students.
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%.
Full University of Wisconsin - River Falls Geology & Earth Sciences Report
University of Wyoming came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking. Laramie, Wyoming is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s geology degrees to 22 students in 2019-2020.
UW not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #24 on our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Wyoming is $12,159 for Bachelor’s Degree Geology students.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking. Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania is a medium-sized school located in Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania that handed out 21 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania is $19,926 for bachelor’s degree geology students.
University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking. UW - Stevens Point is a public institution located in Stevens Point, Wisconsin. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 11 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point is $14,465 for bachelor’s degree geology students.
Full University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point Geology & Earth Sciences Report
With a ranking of #9, University of Wisconsin - Green Bay did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s list. UW - Green Bay is a medium-sized public school situated in Green Bay, Wisconsin. It awarded 2 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $14,395 for bachelor’s degree geology students per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Green Bay.
Read more about Geology & Earth Sciences at University of Wisconsin - Green Bay
University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking. UW - Eau Claire is a fairly large school located in Eau Claire, Wisconsin that handed out 19 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire is $16,020 for bachelor’s degree geology students.
Read full report on Geology & Earth Sciences at UW - Eau Claire
With a ranking of #11, MSU Texas did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s list. MSU Texas is a public institution located in Wichita Falls, Texas. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 15 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend MSU Texas is $10,045 for bachelor’s degree geology students.
Western Michigan University ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s list. Western Michigan University is a public institution located in Kalamazoo, Michigan. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 10 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for WMU is $19,433 for Bachelor’s Degree Geology students.
Read more about Geology & Earth Sciences at Western Michigan University
University of Houston did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #13. University of Houston is a large public school situated in Houston, Texas. It awarded 41 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.
UH excels when it comes to geology quality. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Houston is $12,838 for Bachelor’s Degree Geology students.
With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
With a ranking of #14, University of Southern Mississippi did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s list. University of Southern Mississippi is a public institution located in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 4 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for University of Southern Mississippi is $14,923 for bachelor’s degree geology students.
With a ranking of #15, Kutztown University of Pennsylvania did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s list. Kutztown University of Pennsylvania is located in Kutztown, Pennsylvania and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 6 bachelors’s geology degrees to qualified students.
The yearly cost to attend Kutztown University is $22,422 for Bachelor’s Degree Geology students.
Read full report on Geology & Earth Sciences at Kutztown University
California State University - Long Beach came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking. Long Beach, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s geology degrees to 10 students in 2019-2020.
On top of its placing in this ranking, CSULB also did well on our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. It costs about $9,622 for Bachelor’s Degree Geology students per year to attend CSULB.
The student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, 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 89%.
Read more about Geology & Earth Sciences at California State University - Long Beach
Grand Valley State University ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s list. Grand Valley State University is located in Allendale, Michigan and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 26 bachelors’s geology degrees to qualified students.
The yearly cost to attend GVSU is $17,646 for Bachelor’s Degree Geology 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%.
Edinboro University of Pennsylvania did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #18. Located in Edinboro, Pennsylvania, this small public school handed out 12 degrees to qualified bachelors’s geology students in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend Edinboro is $16,833 for bachelor’s degree geology students.
University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking. UW Oshkosh is a fairly large public school situated in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. It awarded 8 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $15,463 for Bachelor’s Degree Geology students per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh.
Tarleton State University landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking. Tarleton State University is a fairly large public school situated in Stephenville, Texas. It awarded 10 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend Tarleton is $18,979 for bachelor’s degree geology students.
Read full report on Geology & Earth Sciences at Tarleton State University
Western Carolina University came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking. WCU is located in Cullowhee, North Carolina and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 12 bachelors’s geology degrees to qualified students.
The estimated yearly cost for WCU is $13,722 for Bachelor’s Degree Geology students.
Full Western Carolina University Geology & Earth Sciences Report
University of Northern Iowa landed the #22 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking. UNI is a medium-sized school located in Cedar Falls, Iowa that handed out 10 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend University of Northern Iowa is $15,620 for Bachelor’s Degree Geology students.
With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full University of Northern Iowa Geology & Earth Sciences Report
Texas Tech University ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s list. Texas Tech University is a large public school situated in Lubbock, Texas. It awarded 35 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.
Texas Tech also claimed a top spot on our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools in this category. The yearly cost to attend Texas Tech is $17,571 for bachelor’s degree geology students.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%.
University of Minnesota - Duluth landed the #24 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking. University of Minnesota - Duluth is located in Duluth, Minnesota and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 8 bachelors’s geology degrees to qualified students.
The yearly cost to attend University of Minnesota - Duluth is $17,067 for Bachelor’s Degree Geology students.
The low student loan default rate of 3.1% 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 University of Minnesota - Duluth
Georgia Southern University landed the #25 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s ranking. Statesboro, Georgia is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s geology degrees to 10 students in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend GaSou is $15,536 for bachelor’s degree geology students.
Read full report on Geology & Earth Sciences at Georgia Southern University
Rest of the Best 38 in Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s
Not only did these schools make the top 38 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:
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Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Geology & Earth Sciences in the Southeast Region
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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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