Find Schools

Study Area & Zipcode

Geological & Earth Sciences

Find Schools Near

2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Geological & Earth Sciences (Income $0-$30k) in the Southeast Region

53 Ranked Colleges
1,125 Degrees Awarded
$7,800 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor's in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. 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 Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

In 2019-2020, 8,918 people earned their degree in geological and earth sciences, making the major the 84th most popular in the United States. In 2017-2018, geological and earth sciences graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $35,533 and had an average of $23,531 in loans still to pay off.

Across the Southeast region, there were 1,684 geological and earth sciences graduates with average earnings and debt of $31,940 and $23,131 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,125 geological and earth sciences graduates with average earnings and debt of $36,277 and $25,415 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking analyzed 53 colleges that offered a degree in geological and earth sciences. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent geological and earth sciences programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the geological and earth sciences program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

More Ways to Rank Geological & 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 Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.

Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k

The colleges and universities below are the best for southeast region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $0-$30k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Geological & Earth Sciences (Income $0-$30k) in the Southeast Region

#1

University of Florida

Gainesville, Florida

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Florida. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k. University of Florida is a large school located in Gainesville, Florida that handed out 36 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UF, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $1,994 for southeast region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Florida.

With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Florida Geological & Earth Sciences Report

#2

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, North Carolina
#5 in overall quality

Out of the 53 schools in the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill landed the #2 spot on the list. UNC Chapel Hill is a large school located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina that handed out 23 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

UNC Chapel Hill also made our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #5. The estimated yearly cost for University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is $4,026 for southeast region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.9%, 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 95%.

Full UNC Chapel Hill Geological & Earth Sciences Report

#3

Vanderbilt University

Nashville, Tennessee
#9 in overall quality

Out of the 53 schools in the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Vanderbilt University landed the #3 spot on the list. This fairly large school is located in Nashville, Tennessee, and it awarded 10 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Vanderbilt, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $3,156 for southeast region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Vanderbilt.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Full Vanderbilt University Geological & Earth Sciences Report

#4

William & Mary

Williamsburg, Virginia

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend William & Mary. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k. Williamsburg, Virginia is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s geology degrees to 22 students in 2019-2020.

William & Mary also made our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #4. The yearly cost to attend William & Mary is $4,711 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 1.0% 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 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full William & Mary Geological & Earth Sciences Report

#5

University of Georgia

Athens, Georgia

Out of the 53 schools in the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Georgia landed the #5 spot on the list. University of Georgia is a public institution located in Athens, Georgia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 15 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UGA also took the #1 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UGA is $7,541 for southeast region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at University of Georgia

University of South Florida - Main Campus came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. USF Tampa is a large public school situated in Tampa, Florida. It awarded 28 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

USF Tampa also made our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #22. The estimated yearly cost for USF Tampa is $3,950 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%. The low student loan default rate of 4.5% 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 full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at University of South Florida - Main Campus

#7

Florida State University

Tallahassee, Florida

Florida State University landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Florida State University is a large school located in Tallahassee, Florida that handed out 7 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

Florida State also made our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #15. The estimated yearly cost for Florida State University is $5,360 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 3.5% 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 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at Florida State University

#8

North Carolina State University

Raleigh, North Carolina

With a ranking of #8, North Carolina State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. NC State is located in Raleigh, North Carolina and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 28 bachelors’s geology degrees to qualified students.

NC State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The yearly cost to attend NC State is $7,285 for southeast region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, 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 94%.

Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at North Carolina State University

Florida International University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #9. Miami, Florida is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s geology degrees to 15 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Florida International University is $5,002 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.

Full Florida International University Geological & Earth Sciences Report

#10

Appalachian State University

Boone, North Carolina

With a ranking of #10, Appalachian State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Appalachian State University is a public institution located in Boone, North Carolina. The school has a large population, and it awarded 33 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Appalachian State also took the #11 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Appalachian State is $7,169 for southeast region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.9%, 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 full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at Appalachian State University

#11

Northern Kentucky University

Highland Heights, Kentucky

Northern Kentucky University landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Highland Heights, Kentucky, this fairly large public school handed out 5 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s geology students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for NKU is $4,156 for southeast region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at Northern Kentucky University

With a ranking of #12, Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Louisiana State University is a public institution located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The school has a large population, and it awarded 38 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Louisiana State University also took the #2 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $8,433 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at Louisiana State University

#13

Florida Atlantic University

Boca Raton, Florida

Florida Atlantic University ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. FAU is a large public school situated in Boca Raton, Florida. It awarded 18 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $6,085 for southeast region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Florida Atlantic University.

Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at Florida Atlantic University

#14

West Virginia University

Morgantown, West Virginia

West Virginia University ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. WVU is a large public school situated in Morgantown, West Virginia. It awarded 56 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

WVU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for West Virginia University is $9,213 for southeast region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full West Virginia University Geological & Earth Sciences Report

#15

Marshall University

Huntington, West Virginia

Marshall University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #15. Marshall University is located in Huntington, West Virginia and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 7 bachelors’s geology degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $5,770 for southeast region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Marshall University.

Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at Marshall University

#16

Virginia Tech

Blacksburg, Virginia

Virginia Tech landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Virginia Tech is a large public school situated in Blacksburg, Virginia. It awarded 19 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

Virginia Tech also made our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #6. It costs about $11,138 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Virginia Tech.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at Virginia Tech

The University of Tennessee - Knoxville landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Knoxville, Tennessee is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s geology degrees to 33 students in 2019-2020.

UT Knoxville not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #18 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It costs about $10,224 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UT Knoxville.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low 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%.

Full The University of Tennessee - Knoxville Geological & Earth Sciences Report

#18

Middle Tennessee State University

Murfreesboro, Tennessee

With a ranking of #18, Middle Tennessee State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, this large public school awarded 33 degrees to qualified bachelors’s geology students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Middle Tennessee State University is $8,919 for southeast region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at Middle Tennessee State University

#19

East Carolina University

Greenville, North Carolina

East Carolina University landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in Greenville, North Carolina, and it awarded 16 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at ECU, the school also landed the #21 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend ECU is $11,026 for southeast region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at ECU

#20

James Madison University

Harrisonburg, Virginia
#7 in overall quality

James Madison University ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. JMU is a public institution located in Harrisonburg, Virginia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 25 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

JMU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for JMU is $14,196 for southeast region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at James Madison University

University of Louisiana at Lafayette did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #21. UL Lafayette is a fairly large school located in Lafayette, Louisiana that handed out 12 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend University of Louisiana at Lafayette is $9,621 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full University of Louisiana at Lafayette Geological & Earth Sciences Report

#22

University of North Carolina at Wilmington

Wilmington, North Carolina

With a ranking of #22, University of North Carolina at Wilmington did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. UNCW is a fairly large public school situated in Wilmington, North Carolina. It awarded 27 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

UNCW also made our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #25. The yearly cost to attend UNCW is $12,229 for southeast region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at UNCW

#23

Western Carolina University

Cullowhee, North Carolina

Western Carolina University came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. WCU is a fairly large public school situated in Cullowhee, North Carolina. It awarded 12 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $9,188 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend WCU.

Full WCU Geological & Earth Sciences Report

#24

University of South Carolina - Columbia

Columbia, South Carolina
#24 in overall quality

University of South Carolina - Columbia came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of South Carolina - Columbia is located in Columbia, South Carolina and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 23 bachelors’s geology degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UofSC, the school also landed the #24 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $12,426 for southeast region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UofSC.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 3.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at University of South Carolina - Columbia

#25

University of Kentucky

Lexington, Kentucky
#17 in overall quality

With a ranking of #25, University of Kentucky did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Kentucky is a public institution located in Lexington, Kentucky. The school has a large population, and it awarded 11 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UK also made our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #17. The estimated yearly cost for University of Kentucky is $11,848 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.

Full UK Geological & Earth Sciences Report

Switch to a Different Ranking Method

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.

Featured Physical Sciences Schools

Find Schools Near You