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2023 Most Focused Master’s Degree Colleges for Geology & Earth Sciences in the Southwest Region

25 Ranked Colleges
218 Degrees Awarded
$30,100 Avg Cost*
Schools for a Master's Highly Focused on Geology Major in the Southwest Region

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Geology Major in the Southwest Region” ranking - to help you make that decision.

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 Southwest region, there were 780 geology and earth sciences graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the master’s degree level specifically, there were 218 geology and earth sciences graduates with average earnings and debt of $56,204 and $0 respectively.

For this year’s “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Geology Major in the Southwest Region” ranking, we looked at 25 colleges that offer a degree in geology and earth sciences. That schools that top this list have a program in geology and earth sciences in which the largest percentage of students at the school are enrolled.

For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

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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 Master’s Highly Focused on Geology Major in the Southwest Region” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

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Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Geology Major in the Southwest Region

The following schools top our list of the Best “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Geology Major in the Southwest Region”.

Top 25 Most Focused Master’s Degree Colleges for Geology & Earth Sciences in the Southwest Region

1

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Geology Major in the Southwest Region list. This small school is located in Socorro, New Mexico, and it awarded 6 masters’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read more about Geology & Earth Sciences at New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology

2

Out of the 25 schools in the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Geology Major in the Southwest Region that were part of this year’s ranking, The University of Texas of the Permian Basin landed the #2 spot on the list. This medium-sized school is located in Odessa, Texas, and it awarded 10 masters’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.

Read more about Geology & Earth Sciences at UT Permian Basin

3
Rice crest
Rice University
Houston, Texas

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Rice University. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Geology Major in the Southwest Region list. Rice University is a medium-sized school located in Houston, Texas that handed out 13 masters’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Geology & Earth Sciences at Rice University

4

Out of the 25 schools in the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Geology Major in the Southwest Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Sul Ross State University landed the #4 spot on the list. Alpine, Texas is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s geology degrees to 2 students in 2020-2021.

Full Sul Ross Geology & Earth Sciences Report

5

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Stephen F Austin State University. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Geology Major in the Southwest Region list. This fairly large school is located in Nacogdoches, Texas, and it awarded 10 masters’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.

Read full report on Geology & Earth Sciences at Stephen F Austin State University

6

Texas A&M University - College Station landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Geology Major in the Southwest Region ranking. Texas A&M University - College Station is a public institution located in College Station, Texas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 50 masters’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 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Texas A&M University - College Station Geology & Earth Sciences Report

7

Oklahoma State University - Main Campus ranked #7 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Geology Major in the Southwest Region list. This large school is located in Stillwater, Oklahoma, and it awarded 16 masters’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Geology & Earth Sciences at OSU

8

University of Oklahoma Norman Campus ranked #8 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Geology Major in the Southwest Region list. University of Oklahoma Norman Campus is a public institution located in Norman, Oklahoma. The school has a large population, and it awarded 15 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Geology & Earth Sciences at University of Oklahoma Norman Campus

9
Texas Tech crest
Texas Tech University
Lubbock, Texas

Texas Tech University landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Geology Major in the Southwest Region ranking. Texas Tech is located in Lubbock, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 12 masters’s geology degrees to qualified students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Geology & Earth Sciences at Texas Tech

10
UH crest
University of Houston
Houston, Texas

University of Houston ranked #10 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Geology Major in the Southwest Region list. University of Houston is located in Houston, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 13 masters’s geology degrees to qualified students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, 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 86%.

Read more about Geology & Earth Sciences at University of Houston

11

The University of Texas at Dallas landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Geology Major in the Southwest Region ranking. The University of Texas at Dallas is located in Richardson, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 9 masters’s geology degrees to qualified students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.8% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full UT Dallas Geology & Earth Sciences Report

12

The University of Texas at Austin landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Geology Major in the Southwest Region ranking. This large school is located in Austin, Texas, and it awarded 18 masters’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Geology & Earth Sciences at UT Austin

13
University of Arizona crest
University of Arizona
Tucson, Arizona

University of Arizona did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Geology Major in the Southwest Region ranking, coming in at #13. University of Arizona is a large school located in Tucson, Arizona that handed out 12 masters’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.

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

14
TCU crest
Texas Christian University
Fort Worth, Texas

Texas Christian University ranked #14 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Geology Major in the Southwest Region list. TCU is located in Fort Worth, Texas and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 3 masters’s geology degrees to qualified students.

With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Geology & Earth Sciences at Texas Christian University

15
NAU crest
Northern Arizona University
Flagstaff, Arizona

Northern Arizona University landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Geology Major in the Southwest Region ranking. NAU is a public institution located in Flagstaff, Arizona. The school has a large population, and it awarded 6 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.6% 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%.

Read more about Geology & Earth Sciences at NAU

16

The University of Texas at San Antonio came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Geology Major in the Southwest Region ranking. UTSA is a large school located in San Antonio, Texas that handed out 5 masters’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 5.0% 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 more about Geology & Earth Sciences at UTSA

17

New Mexico State University - Main Campus did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Geology Major in the Southwest Region ranking, coming in at #17. New Mexico State University - Main Campus is a public institution located in Las Cruces, New Mexico. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 2 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.

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

18
Tarleton crest
Tarleton State University
Stephenville, Texas

With a ranking of #18, Tarleton State University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Geology Major in the Southwest Region list. Tarleton is a public institution located in Stephenville, Texas. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 2 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Read more about Geology & Earth Sciences at Tarleton State University

19
Baylor crest
Baylor University
Waco, Texas

Baylor University ranked #19 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Geology Major in the Southwest Region list. Located in Waco, Texas, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 3 diplomas to qualified masters’s geology students in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Baylor Geology & Earth Sciences Report

20

University of New Mexico - Main Campus came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Geology Major in the Southwest Region ranking. UNM is a large school located in Albuquerque, New Mexico that handed out 3 masters’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.

Read full report on Geology & Earth Sciences at University of New Mexico - Main Campus

21

Arizona State University - Tempe landed the #21 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Geology Major in the Southwest Region ranking. Located in Tempe, Arizona, this large public school handed out 7 diplomas to qualified masters’s geology students in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Geology & Earth Sciences at ASU - Tempe

22

The University of Texas at El Paso came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Geology Major in the Southwest Region ranking. UTEP is a large school located in El Paso, Texas that handed out 1 masters’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.

Read more about Geology & Earth Sciences at The University of Texas at El Paso

23

Southern Methodist University came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Geology Major in the Southwest Region ranking. SMU is a private not-for-profit institution located in Dallas, Texas. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 8 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.1% 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 SMU

23
University of Tulsa crest
University of Tulsa
Tulsa, Oklahoma

University of Tulsa ranked #23 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Geology Major in the Southwest Region list. University of Tulsa is a small school located in Tulsa, Oklahoma that handed out 6 masters’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.5% 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%.

Read more about Geology & Earth Sciences at University of Tulsa

23
MSU Texas crest
MSU Texas
Wichita Falls, Texas

With a ranking of #23, MSU Texas did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Geology Major in the Southwest Region list. This medium-sized school is located in Wichita Falls, Texas, and it awarded 14 masters’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.

Read full report on Geology & Earth Sciences at MSU Texas

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