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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Geology & Earth Sciences in the Rocky Mountains Region

19 Ranked Colleges
380 Degrees Awarded
$14,900 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor's in the Rocky Mountains Region

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

Geology & Earth Sciences is the 101st most popular major in the country with 7,036 degrees awarded in 2019-2020.

Across the Rocky Mountains region, there were 496 geology and earth sciences graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 380 geology and earth sciences graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,111 and $23,874 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking analyzed 19 colleges that offered a degree in geology and earth sciences. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent geology and earth sciences programs, but they also 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.

More Ways to Rank Geology & Earth Sciences Schools

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 Rocky Mountains Region” 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. 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.

Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region.

Top 19 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Geology & Earth Sciences in the Rocky Mountains Region

#7 in overall quality

Out of the 19 schools in the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Brigham Young University - Idaho landed the #1 spot on the list. Located in Rexburg, Idaho, this large private not-for-profit school awarded 6 degrees to qualified bachelors’s geology students in 2019-2020.

BYU - I not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for BYU - I is $7,167 for rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree geology students.

The low student loan default rate of 3.2% 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 BYU - I Geology & Earth Sciences Report

#5 in overall quality

Out of the 19 schools in the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Brigham Young University - Provo landed the #2 spot on the list. Brigham Young University - Provo is located in Provo, Utah and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 14 bachelors’s geology degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at BYU, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for BYU is $13,322 for rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree geology students.

With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low 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%.

Read more about Geology & Earth Sciences at Brigham Young University - Provo

#3

University of Wyoming

Laramie, Wyoming
#1 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wyoming. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region list. This fairly large school is located in Laramie, Wyoming, and it awarded 22 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree geology students list, UW has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Wyoming is $12,159 for Rocky Mountains Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Wyoming Geology & Earth Sciences Report

#10 in overall quality

Out of the 19 schools in the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Weber State University landed the #4 spot on the list. Ogden, Utah is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s geology degrees to 20 students in 2019-2020.

WSU also took the #10 spot in our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. It costs about $11,968 for rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree geology students per year to attend WSU.

Read full report on Geology & Earth Sciences at WSU

#5

University of Utah

Salt Lake City, Utah
#3 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Utah. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region. U of U is located in Salt Lake City, Utah and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 34 bachelors’s geology degrees to qualified students.

U of U not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for U of U is $14,773 for Rocky Mountains Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The low student loan default rate of 2.6% 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 U of U Geology & Earth Sciences Report

#6

Fort Lewis College

Durango, Colorado
#12 in overall quality

Fort Lewis College ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region list. Fort Lewis College is a public institution located in Durango, Colorado. The school has a small population, and it awarded 13 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

FLC also took the #12 spot in our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend FLC is $16,274 for Rocky Mountains Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students.

Read more about Geology & Earth Sciences at FLC

#11 in overall quality

University of Northern Colorado ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region list. Greeley, Colorado is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s geology degrees to 18 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at University of Northern Colorado, the school also landed the #11 spot in our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. It costs about $15,714 for rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree geology students per year to attend University of Northern Colorado.

Read full report on Geology & Earth Sciences at University of Northern Colorado

#15 in overall quality

Utah State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region ranking, coming in at #8. This large school is located in Logan, Utah, and it awarded 14 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree geology students list, USU has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for USU is $13,634 for Rocky Mountains Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students.

Read full report on Geology & Earth Sciences at USU

#9

Montana State University

Bozeman, Montana
#6 in overall quality

With a ranking of #9, Montana State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region list. Montana State University is located in Bozeman, Montana and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 35 bachelors’s geology degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree geology students list, MSU Bozeman has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for MSU Bozeman is $19,202 for rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree geology students.

Read more about Geology & Earth Sciences at Montana State University

#10

University of Idaho

Moscow, Idaho
#8 in overall quality

With a ranking of #10, University of Idaho did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region list. This fairly large school is located in Moscow, Idaho, and it awarded 11 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at U of I, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend U of I is $14,132 for Rocky Mountains Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students.

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

#4 in overall quality

Colorado State University - Fort Collins ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region list. Colorado State University - Fort Collins is a large public school situated in Fort Collins, Colorado. It awarded 29 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

Colorado State also made our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list, coming in at #4. The estimated yearly cost for Colorado State is $18,668 for Rocky Mountains Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students.

The low student loan default rate of 3.0% 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%. 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 Colorado State University - Fort Collins

#12

Western Colorado University

Gunnison, Colorado
#13 in overall quality

Western Colorado University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region ranking, coming in at #12. Western is located in Gunnison, Colorado and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 14 bachelors’s geology degrees to qualified students.

Western also took the #13 spot in our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Western Colorado University is $17,282 for Rocky Mountains Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students.

Full Western Colorado University Geology & Earth Sciences Report

#13

The University of Montana

Missoula, Montana
#9 in overall quality

The University of Montana came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region ranking. Missoula, Montana is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s geology degrees to 11 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree geology students list, UM has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for The University of Montana is $15,246 for rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree geology students.

Full UM Geology & Earth Sciences Report

#19 in overall quality

Utah Valley University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region ranking, coming in at #14. Located in Orem, Utah, this large public school handed out 9 degrees to qualified bachelors’s geology students in 2019-2020.

UVU also made our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list, coming in at #19. The yearly cost to attend UVU is $9,159 for Rocky Mountains Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students.

Full UVU Geology & Earth Sciences Report

#16 in overall quality

Metropolitan State University of Denver came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region ranking. Located in Denver, Colorado, this fairly large public school handed out 8 degrees to qualified bachelors’s geology students in 2019-2020.

MSU Denver did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list. It costs about $14,257 for Rocky Mountains Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students per year to attend MSU Denver.

Read full report on Geology & Earth Sciences at Metropolitan State University of Denver

#16

Boise State University

Boise, Idaho
#14 in overall quality

Boise State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region ranking, coming in at #16. Boise State University is a large public school situated in Boise, Idaho. It awarded 24 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

Boise State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list. It costs about $15,787 for Rocky Mountains Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students per year to attend Boise State.

Read full report on Geology & Earth Sciences at Boise State

#17

Idaho State University

Pocatello, Idaho
#18 in overall quality

Idaho State University ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region list. Idaho State University is a fairly large school located in Pocatello, Idaho that handed out 7 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

ISU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #18 on our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list. It costs about $16,810 for rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree geology students per year to attend Idaho State University.

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

#18

Colorado Mesa University

Grand Junction, Colorado
#17 in overall quality

Colorado Mesa University came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region ranking. Colorado Mesa University is located in Grand Junction, Colorado and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 9 bachelors’s geology degrees to qualified students.

Colorado Mesa not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #17 on our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Colorado Mesa is $15,569 for Rocky Mountains Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students.

Read full report on Geology & Earth Sciences at Colorado Mesa

#19

University of Colorado Boulder

Boulder, Colorado
#2 in overall quality

University of Colorado Boulder came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region ranking. Boulder, Colorado is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s geology degrees to 51 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree geology students list, CU - Boulder has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Colorado Boulder is $21,680 for Rocky Mountains Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low student loan default rate of 3.0% 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 CU - Boulder

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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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