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2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $75-$110k

23 Ranked Colleges
624 Degrees Awarded
$19,900 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor's in the Southwest Region For Those Making $75-$110k

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $75-$110k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

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 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 bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 624 geological and earth sciences graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,896 and $23,899 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $75-$110k” ranking analyzed 23 colleges that offered a degree 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.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the geological and earth sciences program at the school. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $75-$110k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $75-$110k

The colleges and universities below are the best for southwest region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $75-$110k.

Top 23 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Geological & Earth Sciences (Income $75-$110k) in the Southwest Region

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend The University of Texas of the Permian Basin. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. Located in Odessa, Texas, this medium-sized public school handed out 13 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s geology students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UT Permian Basin, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UT Permian Basin is $10,923 for southwest region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $75-$110k.

Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at The University of Texas of the Permian Basin

Out of the 23 schools in the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $75-$110k that were part of this year’s ranking, The University of Texas at Austin landed the #2 spot on the list. UT Austin is located in Austin, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 42 bachelors’s geology degrees to qualified students.

UT Austin not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The yearly cost to attend The University of Texas at Austin is $20,454 for southwest region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $75-$110k.

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 2.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at UT Austin

#3

University of Arizona

Tucson, Arizona
#3 in overall quality

Out of the 23 schools in the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $75-$110k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Arizona landed the #3 spot on the list. Tucson, Arizona is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s geology degrees to 62 students in 2019-2020.

University of Arizona did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. It costs about $20,200 for southwest region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend University of Arizona.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

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

#4

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 #4 for the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $75-$110k. Located in Houston, Texas, this large public school awarded 50 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s geology students in 2019-2020.

UH did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. It costs about $18,844 for southwest region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend UH.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at University of Houston

#5

MSU Texas

Wichita Falls, Texas

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend MSU Texas. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $75-$110k. This medium-sized school is located in Wichita Falls, Texas, and it awarded 15 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southwest region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $75-$110k list, MSU Texas has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for MSU Texas is $15,146 for southwest region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $75-$110k.

Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at MSU Texas

The University of Texas at El Paso landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. UTEP is a large school located in El Paso, Texas that handed out 19 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

UTEP also took the #18 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for The University of Texas at El Paso is $15,123 for southwest region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $75-$110k.

Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at UTEP

With a ranking of #7, The University of Texas at San Antonio did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. UTSA is located in San Antonio, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 24 bachelors’s geology degrees to qualified students.

UTSA also took the #13 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UTSA is $18,275 for southwest region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $75-$110k.

Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at The University of Texas at San Antonio

New Mexico State University - Main Campus came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. New Mexico State University - Main Campus is located in Las Cruces, New Mexico and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 13 bachelors’s geology degrees to qualified students.

NMSU Main Campus also made our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #17. The yearly cost to attend NMSU Main Campus is $12,909 for southwest region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $75-$110k.

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

#9

Texas Tech University

Lubbock, Texas

With a ranking of #9, Texas Tech University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. Texas Tech University is located in Lubbock, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 35 bachelors’s geology degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our southwest region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $75-$110k list, Texas Tech has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Texas Tech is $21,305 for southwest region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $75-$110k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Texas Tech University Geological & Earth Sciences Report

Oklahoma State University - Main Campus landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Oklahoma State University - Main Campus is a public institution located in Stillwater, Oklahoma. The school has a large population, and it awarded 18 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at OSU, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $18,978 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend OSU.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full OSU Geological & Earth Sciences Report

#11

Texas A&M University - College Station

College Station, Texas

Texas A&M University - College Station came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Located in College Station, Texas, this large public school awarded 74 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s geology students in 2019-2020.

Texas A&M College Station did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Texas A&M University - College Station is $26,028 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $75-$110k.

The low student loan default rate of 2.9% 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 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

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

#16 in overall quality

University of Houston - Downtown landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. University of Houston - Downtown is a fairly large public school situated in Houston, Texas. It awarded 19 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UH Downtown, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $13,592 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend University of Houston - Downtown.

Full UH Downtown Geological & Earth Sciences Report

The University of Texas at Dallas did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #13. UT Dallas is a large public school situated in Richardson, Texas. It awarded 15 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

UT Dallas did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UT Dallas is $20,552 for southwest region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $75-$110k.

The low student loan default rate of 4.9% 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 students.

Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at UT Dallas

The University of Texas at Arlington ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. Arlington, Texas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s geology degrees to 30 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southwest region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $75-$110k list, UT Arlington has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $16,473 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend The University of Texas at Arlington.

Full UT Arlington Geological & Earth Sciences Report

#15

Northern Arizona University

Flagstaff, Arizona

Northern Arizona University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Northern Arizona University is a large school located in Flagstaff, Arizona that handed out 27 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

NAU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #20 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Northern Arizona University is $16,535 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $75-$110k.

Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at Northern Arizona University

#16

Tarleton State University

Stephenville, Texas

Tarleton State University ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. Tarleton State University is a fairly large school located in Stephenville, Texas that handed out 10 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

Tarleton did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Tarleton is $21,678 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $75-$110k.

Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at Tarleton State University

#22 in overall quality

Stephen F Austin State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #17. Located in Nacogdoches, Texas, this fairly large public school handed out 16 degrees to qualified bachelors’s geology students in 2019-2020.

SFASU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #22 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for SFASU is $18,653 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $75-$110k.

Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at SFASU

#18

Sam Houston State University

Huntsville, Texas

Sam Houston State University ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. Huntsville, Texas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s geology degrees to 8 students in 2019-2020.

SHSU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #21 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The yearly cost to attend SHSU is $19,531 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $75-$110k.

Full Sam Houston State University Geological & Earth Sciences Report

#19

Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi

Corpus Christi, Texas

Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi is a public institution located in Corpus Christi, Texas. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 9 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Texas A&M Corpus Christi not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #19 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Texas A&M Corpus Christi is $19,418 for southwest region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $75-$110k.

Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi

University of Oklahoma Norman Campus landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. This large school is located in Norman, Oklahoma, and it awarded 14 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

University of Oklahoma not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. It costs about $24,730 for southwest region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend University of Oklahoma.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.7%, 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 students.

Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at University of Oklahoma

#21

University of New Mexico - Main Campus

Albuquerque, New Mexico
#23 in overall quality

University of New Mexico - Main Campus landed the #21 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. University of New Mexico - Main Campus is a large school located in Albuquerque, New Mexico that handed out 12 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

UNM also took the #23 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $18,920 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend UNM.

Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at UNM

#22

Baylor University

Waco, Texas

Baylor University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #22. Baylor is a fairly large school located in Waco, Texas that handed out 12 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Baylor, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Baylor is $35,300 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $75-$110k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at Baylor University

#23

Texas Christian University

Fort Worth, Texas

With a ranking of #23, Texas Christian University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. Texas Christian University is a fairly large school located in Fort Worth, Texas that handed out 11 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at TCU, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Texas Christian University is $33,664 for southwest region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $75-$110k.

With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 3.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at TCU

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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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