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2022 Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Geological & Earth Sciences (Income $48-$75k) in the Southwest Region

19 Ranked Colleges
319 Degrees Awarded
$22,200 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees*
Best Value Geology Schools for a Master's in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Geology Schools for a Master’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking - to help you make that decision.

Geological & Earth Sciences is the 84th most popular major in the country with 8,918 degrees awarded in 2019-2020. 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 Southwest region, there were 1,136 geological and earth sciences graduates with average earnings and debt of $42,627 and $21,949 respectively. At the master’s degree level specifically, there were 319 geological and earth sciences graduates with average earnings and debt of $53,078 and $37,227 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Geology Schools for a Master’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking looked at 19 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in geological and earth sciences. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality geological and earth sciences programs that also have a lower cost than 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. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

One Size Does Not Fit All

When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Best Value Geology Schools for a Master’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k” list to help you make the college 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. 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 Master’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k

The colleges and universities below are the best for southwest region master’s degree geology students whose families make $48-$75k.

Top 19 Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Geological & Earth Sciences (Income $48-$75k) in the Southwest Region

#11 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend The University of Texas of the Permian Basin. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Geology Schools for a Master’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k. UT Permian Basin is a medium-sized public school situated in Odessa, Texas. It awarded 15 masters’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

UT Permian Basin did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at The University of Texas of the Permian Basin are $6,900.

Full UT Permian Basin Geological & Earth Sciences Report

#2

University of Arizona

Tucson, Arizona
#1 in overall quality

Out of the 19 schools in the Best Value Geology Schools for a Master’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Arizona landed the #2 spot on the list. University of Arizona is a public institution located in Tucson, Arizona. The school has a large population, and it awarded 24 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

University of Arizona also took the #1 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Arizona are $33,399, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full University of Arizona Geological & Earth Sciences Report

#3

University of Houston

Houston, Texas

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Houston. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Geology Schools for a Master’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k. UH is a public institution located in Houston, Texas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 30 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southwest region master’s degree geology students whose families make $48-$75k list, UH has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at UH are $18,689, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at UH

#4

MSU Texas

Wichita Falls, Texas
#17 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend MSU Texas. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Master’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Wichita Falls, Texas is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s geology degrees to 8 students in 2019-2020.

MSU Texas also made our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #17. Average graduate tuition and fees at MSU Texas are $7,935, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at MSU Texas

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend The University of Texas at Austin. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Geology Schools for a Master’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k. The University of Texas at Austin is a large school located in Austin, Texas that handed out 12 masters’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

UT Austin not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at The University of Texas at Austin are $22,886.

Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at UT Austin

#6

Texas Tech University

Lubbock, Texas
#7 in overall quality

Texas Tech University came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geology Schools for a Master’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Texas Tech University is a large school located in Lubbock, Texas that handed out 8 masters’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

Texas Tech also took the #7 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Texas Tech University are $17,530, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at Texas Tech University

Texas A&M University - College Station landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Master’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in College Station, Texas, this large public school handed out 57 degrees to qualified masters’s geology students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Texas A&M College Station, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Texas A&M University - College Station are $22,743, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at Texas A&M University - College Station

The University of Texas at San Antonio ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools for a Master’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. San Antonio, Texas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s geology degrees to 10 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southwest region master’s degree geology students whose families make $48-$75k list, UTSA has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at The University of Texas at San Antonio are $25,807, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full The University of Texas at San Antonio Geological & Earth Sciences Report

#13 in overall quality

New Mexico State University - Main Campus ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools for a Master’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. NMSU Main Campus is a fairly large public school situated in Las Cruces, New Mexico. It awarded 7 masters’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

NMSU Main Campus also took the #13 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at NMSU Main Campus are $18,275.

Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at New Mexico State University - Main Campus

The University of Texas at Dallas ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools for a Master’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Richardson, Texas, this large public school awarded 19 diplomas to qualified masters’s geology students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UT Dallas, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at The University of Texas at Dallas are $28,610.

Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at UT Dallas

Oklahoma State University - Main Campus landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Master’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. OSU is a large school located in Stillwater, Oklahoma that handed out 13 masters’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

OSU also made our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #9. Average graduate tuition and fees at Oklahoma State University - Main Campus are $23,963, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at OSU

The University of Texas at El Paso came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geology Schools for a Master’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. The University of Texas at El Paso is a large school located in El Paso, Texas that handed out 11 masters’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

UTEP did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at UTEP are $16,180, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at UTEP

University of Oklahoma Norman Campus did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Master’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #13. University of Oklahoma Norman Campus is located in Norman, Oklahoma and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 16 masters’s geology degrees to qualified students.

University of Oklahoma not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Oklahoma Norman Campus are $23,236, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full University of Oklahoma Geological & Earth Sciences Report

#10 in overall quality

With a ranking of #14, Arizona State University - Tempe did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Master’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. ASU - Tempe is a public institution located in Tempe, Arizona. The school has a large population, and it awarded 8 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southwest region master’s degree geology students whose families make $48-$75k list, ASU - Tempe has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at ASU - Tempe are $27,048, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full ASU - Tempe Geological & Earth Sciences Report

#15

Northern Arizona University

Flagstaff, Arizona
#12 in overall quality

Northern Arizona University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Master’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #15. NAU is a large public school situated in Flagstaff, Arizona. It awarded 14 masters’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southwest region master’s degree geology students whose families make $48-$75k list, NAU has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Northern Arizona University are $19,489, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at NAU

Stephen F Austin State University ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools for a Master’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Nacogdoches, Texas, this fairly large public school handed out 5 degrees to qualified masters’s geology students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at SFASU, the school also landed the #0 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at SFASU are $15,695.

Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at Stephen F Austin State University

#17

University of New Mexico - Main Campus

Albuquerque, New Mexico
#16 in overall quality

University of New Mexico - Main Campus did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Master’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #17. UNM is located in Albuquerque, New Mexico and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 15 masters’s geology degrees to qualified students.

UNM also took the #16 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of New Mexico - Main Campus are $19,890, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at UNM

#18

Texas Christian University

Fort Worth, Texas

Texas Christian University ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools for a Master’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Texas Christian University is located in Fort Worth, Texas and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 10 masters’s geology degrees to qualified students.

TCU also took the #4 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Texas Christian University are $32,268, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full Texas Christian University Geological & Earth Sciences Report

#19

Baylor University

Waco, Texas

Baylor University came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geology Schools for a Master’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Waco, Texas, and it awarded 5 masters’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southwest region master’s degree geology students whose families make $48-$75k list, Baylor has also earned the #0 rank in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Master’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Baylor are $36,936, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at Baylor University

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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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