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2023 Most Focused Doctor’s Degree Colleges for Geology & Earth Sciences in the Plains States Region

10 Ranked Colleges
18 Degrees Awarded
$29,600 Avg Cost*
Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Geology Major in the Plains States Region

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Geology Major in the Plains States Region” ranking is part of that endeavor.

In 2020-2021, 6,024 people earned their degree in geology and earth sciences, making the major the 125th most popular in the United States.

Across the Plains States region, there were 340 geology and earth sciences graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the doctor’s degree level specifically, there were 18 geology and earth sciences graduates with average earnings and debt of $75,829 and $0 respectively.

For this year’s “Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Geology Major in the Plains States Region” ranking, we looked at 10 colleges that offer a degree in geology and earth sciences. This a ranking of the schools where the largest percentage of students has enrolled in geology and earth sciences.

Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

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Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Geology Major in the Plains States Region” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. 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.

Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Geology Major in the Plains States Region

The following schools top our list of the Best “Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Geology Major in the Plains States Region”.

Top 10 Most Focused Doctor’s Degree Colleges for Geology & Earth Sciences in the Plains States Region

1
WUSTL crest
Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, Missouri

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Washington University in St Louis. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Geology Major in the Plains States Region list. WUSTL is located in Saint Louis, Missouri and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 2 doctorate’s geology degrees to qualified students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. 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 undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read more about Geology & Earth Sciences at WUSTL

2

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Iowa State University. The school came in at #2 for the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Geology Major in the Plains States Region. Located in Ames, Iowa, this large public school awarded 3 diplomas to qualified doctorate’s geology students in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, 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 89%.

Full Iowa State Geology & Earth Sciences Report

3

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Nebraska - Lincoln. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Geology Major in the Plains States Region list. UNL is located in Lincoln, Nebraska and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 2 doctorate’s geology degrees to qualified students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.2% 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%. 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 UNL

4
Iowa crest
University of Iowa
Iowa City, Iowa

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Iowa. The school came in at #4 for the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Geology Major in the Plains States Region. University of Iowa is a public institution located in Iowa City, Iowa. The school has a large population, and it awarded 3 doctorate’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.2% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Geology & Earth Sciences at University of Iowa

5

Out of the 10 schools in the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Geology Major in the Plains States Region that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities landed the #5 spot on the list. Located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, this large public school awarded 4 diplomas to qualified doctorate’s geology students in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Geology & Earth Sciences at UMN Twin Cities

6
KU crest
University of Kansas
Lawrence, Kansas

University of Kansas ranked #6 on this year’s Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Geology Major in the Plains States Region list. Lawrence, Kansas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out doctorate’s geology degrees to 2 students in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.3% 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 KU

7

University of Missouri - Columbia came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Geology Major in the Plains States Region ranking. Columbia, Missouri is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out doctorate’s geology degrees to 2 students in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.5% 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 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Geology & Earth Sciences at University of Missouri - Columbia

8

University of Minnesota - Duluth did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Geology Major in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #8. This medium-sized school is located in Duluth, Minnesota, and it awarded 19 doctorate’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full UMN Duluth Geology & Earth Sciences Report

8
K -State crest
Kansas State University
Manhattan, Kansas

Kansas State University ranked #8 on this year’s Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Geology Major in the Plains States Region list. Located in Manhattan, Kansas, this large public school handed out 11 diplomas to qualified doctorate’s geology students in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. 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 more about Geology & Earth Sciences at K -State

8
UND crest
University of North Dakota
Grand Forks, North Dakota

With a ranking of #8, University of North Dakota did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Doctorate Highly Focused on Geology Major in the Plains States Region list. UND is located in Grand Forks, North Dakota and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 0 doctorate’s geology degrees to qualified students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Geology & Earth Sciences at UND

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