2026 Best Value Geology & Earth Sciences Schools in Alabama
[Geology & Earth Sciences](/majors/physical-sciences/geological-and-earth-sciences/geology-and-earth-sciences/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 3 schools to find the best return on investment for geology & earth sciences students.
What’s on this page:
2026 Best Value Geology & Earth Sciences Schools in Alabama
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in geology & earth sciences, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Geology & Earth Sciences Schools
For return on investment in geology & earth sciences, no school beat The University Of Alabama this year. Located in the city of Tuscaloosa, The University Of Alabama is a very large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $12,180, while out-of-state students pay about $34,172. Geology & Earth Sciences graduates carry a median of $24,496 in student loans. Geology & Earth Sciences graduates of The University Of Alabama earn a median of $50,740 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $24,496 median debt. Roughly 77% of applicants are accepted.
Notes and References
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 3 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 2 ranked schools only.
- 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).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
