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2023 Best Value Geology Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k

11 Ranked Colleges
430 Degrees Awarded
$19,300 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Geology Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value Geology Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k” ranking.

Geological & Earth Sciences is the 95th most popular major in the country with 7,821 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. In 2019-2020, geological and earth sciences graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $38,705 and had an average of $23,383 in loans still to pay off.

Across the Plains States region, there were 430 geological and earth sciences graduates with average earnings and debt of $34,405 and $25,612 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Geology Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k” ranking analyzed 11 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.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the geological and earth sciences program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

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

We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.

Best Value Geology Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k

The colleges and universities below are the best for plains states region geology students whose families make $75-$110k.

Top 11 Best Value Colleges for Geological & Earth Sciences (Income $75-$110k) in the Plains States Region

1

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Iowa State University. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value Geology Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. Iowa State is a public institution located in Ames, Iowa. The school has a large population, and it awarded 21 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Iowa State also took the #2 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $17,806 for plains states region geology students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Iowa State University.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, 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 89%.

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

2

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Minnesota - Twin Cities. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Geology Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k. This large school is located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and it awarded 40 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.

UMN Twin Cities also took the #1 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Minnesota - Twin Cities is $18,938 for plains states region geology students whose families make $75-$110k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% 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 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full University of Minnesota - Twin Cities Geological & Earth Sciences Report

3

Out of the 11 schools in the Best Value Geology Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Minnesota - Morris landed the #3 spot on the list. University of Minnesota - Morris is located in Morris, Minnesota and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 4 ’s geology degrees to qualified students.

UMN Morris did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UMN Morris is $14,448 for Plains States Region Geology students whose families make $75-$110k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at University of Minnesota - Morris

4
Iowa crest
University of Iowa
Iowa City, Iowa

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Iowa. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Geology Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. This large school is located in Iowa City, Iowa, and it awarded 21 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.

Iowa did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Iowa is $20,719 for plains states region geology students whose families make $75-$110k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at Iowa

5

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Missouri State University - Springfield. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Geology Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. Missouri State is a large school located in Springfield, Missouri that handed out 59 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.

Missouri State also made our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #5. The estimated yearly cost for Missouri State is $17,994 for Plains States Region Geology students whose families make $75-$110k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.9% 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%.

Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at Missouri State

6

University of Missouri - Columbia did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Geology Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #6. Columbia, Missouri is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s geology degrees to 11 students in 2020-2021.

Mizzou also took the #6 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Mizzou is $19,956 for plains states region geology students whose families make $75-$110k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 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 more about Geological & Earth Sciences at University of Missouri - Columbia

7

University of Minnesota - Duluth came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geology Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. University of Minnesota - Duluth is a public institution located in Duluth, Minnesota. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 19 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our plains states region geology students whose families make $75-$110k list, UMN Duluth has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $19,107 for plains states region geology students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend University of Minnesota - Duluth.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.6% 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 full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at University of Minnesota - Duluth

8
Carleton crest
Carleton College
Northfield, Minnesota

With a ranking of #8, Carleton College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Geology Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. Carleton is located in Northfield, Minnesota and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 21 ’s geology degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our plains states region geology students whose families make $75-$110k list, Carleton has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $22,868 for Plains States Region Geology students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Carleton College.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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 Geological & Earth Sciences at Carleton College

9

University of Missouri - Kansas City came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geology Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Kansas City, Missouri is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s geology degrees to 8 students in 2020-2021.

UMKC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UMKC is $18,700 for plains states region geology students whose families make $75-$110k.

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%.

Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at UMKC

10
KU crest
University of Kansas
Lawrence, Kansas

With a ranking of #10, University of Kansas did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Geology Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. University of Kansas is a large school located in Lawrence, Kansas that handed out 27 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.

KU also made our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #8. The estimated yearly cost for University of Kansas is $22,804 for Plains States Region Geology students whose families make $75-$110k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.3%, 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.

Full University of Kansas Geological & Earth Sciences Report

11
Winona State crest
Winona State University
Winona, Minnesota

Winona State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Geology Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #11. Winona State is a medium-sized public school situated in Winona, Minnesota. It awarded 12 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Winona State, the school also landed the #11 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $18,902 for plains states region geology students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Winona State University.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.7% 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 Geological & Earth Sciences at Winona State University

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