College Factual  by our College Data Analytics Team
       Unbiased Factual Guarantee

2023 Best Value Colleges for Geological & Earth Sciences (Income Over $110k) in the Southeast Region

36 Ranked Colleges
1,540 Degrees Awarded
$19,600 Avg Net Price*
Best Vallue Geology Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making Over $110k

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 Vallue Geology Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making Over $110k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

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 Southeast region, there were 1,540 geological and earth sciences graduates with average earnings and debt of $37,423 and $24,357 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Vallue Geology Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making Over $110k” ranking, we looked at 36 colleges that offer 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. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

More Ways to Rank Geological & Earth Sciences Schools

Rankings by Degree Other Award Levels
Rankings by Location Check Out Other Locales
More Geology Rankings Other Ranking Categories

The geology school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Best Vallue Geology Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making Over $110k”.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.

13561155241697216126179712044524316228811661817971209272305014410193681533822783178522166517857172222387625256263682473316209

Best Vallue Geology Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making Over $110k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Vallue Geology Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making Over $110k.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Geological & Earth Sciences (Income Over $110k) in the Southeast Region

1
UF crest
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 Vallue Geology Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making Over $110k. University of Florida is a public institution located in Gainesville, Florida. The school has a large population, and it awarded 32 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our southeast region geology students whose families make more than $110k list, UF has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UF is $5,135 for Southeast Region Geology students whose families make more than $110k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, 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 97%.

Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at UF

2

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of South Florida - Main Campus. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Vallue Geology Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making Over $110k list. This large school is located in Tampa, Florida, and it awarded 50 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.

USF Tampa also took the #11 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend USF Tampa is $8,346 for southeast region geology students whose families make more than $110k.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%.

Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at University of South Florida - Main Campus

3
WVU crest
West Virginia University
Morgantown, West Virginia

Out of the 36 schools in the Best Vallue Geology Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making Over $110k that were part of this year’s ranking, West Virginia University landed the #3 spot on the list. Located in Morgantown, West Virginia, this large public school handed out 49 diplomas to qualified ’s geology students in 2020-2021.

WVU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It costs about $13,355 for southeast region geology students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend West Virginia University.

Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at WVU

4
Florida State crest
Florida State University
Tallahassee, Florida

Out of the 36 schools in the Best Vallue Geology Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making Over $110k that were part of this year’s ranking, Florida State University landed the #4 spot on the list. Located in Tallahassee, Florida, this large public school handed out 33 degrees to qualified ’s geology students in 2020-2021.

Florida State also took the #10 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Florida State University is $9,946 for southeast region geology students whose families make more than $110k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.8%, 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%.

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

5
UGA crest
University of Georgia
Athens, Georgia

Out of the 36 schools in the Best Vallue Geology Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making Over $110k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Georgia landed the #5 spot on the list. Located in Athens, Georgia, this large public school awarded 17 diplomas to qualified ’s geology students in 2020-2021.

UGA also took the #7 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $14,257 for Southeast Region Geology students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend UGA.

The school has an impressive undergrad 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 94%.

Full UGA Geological & Earth Sciences Report

6
Mississippi State crest
Mississippi State University
Mississippi State, Mississippi

Mississippi State University ranked #6 on this year’s Best Vallue Geology Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making Over $110k list. Mississippi State, Mississippi is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s geology degrees to 181 students in 2020-2021.

Mississippi State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Mississippi State is $16,122 for Southeast Region Geology students whose families make more than $110k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

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

7

Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Best Vallue Geology Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making Over $110k ranking. Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College is located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 72 ’s geology degrees to qualified students.

Louisiana State University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College is $17,811 for southeast region geology students whose families make more than $110k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College

8

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill ranked #8 on this year’s Best Vallue Geology Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making Over $110k list. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a large school located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina that handed out 29 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.

UNC Chapel Hill not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It costs about $12,469 for southeast region geology students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend UNC Chapel Hill.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, 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 95%.

Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

9

University of Louisiana at Lafayette came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Vallue Geology Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making Over $110k ranking. University of Louisiana at Lafayette is a fairly large school located in Lafayette, Louisiana that handed out 27 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.

UL Lafayette also made our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #21. The estimated yearly cost for University of Louisiana at Lafayette is $13,094 for Southeast Region Geology students whose families make more than $110k.

Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at University of Louisiana at Lafayette

10
FAU crest
Florida Atlantic University
Boca Raton, Florida

Florida Atlantic University landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Best Vallue Geology Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making Over $110k ranking. This large school is located in Boca Raton, Florida, and it awarded 19 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our southeast region geology students whose families make more than $110k list, FAU has also earned the #17 rank in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Florida Atlantic University is $10,735 for southeast region geology students whose families make more than $110k.

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%.

Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at FAU

11
Georgia State crest
Georgia State University
Atlanta, Georgia

Georgia State University came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Vallue Geology Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making Over $110k ranking. Georgia State is located in Atlanta, Georgia and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 48 ’s geology degrees to qualified students.

Georgia State also took the #18 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $17,242 for Southeast Region Geology students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend Georgia State University.

Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at Georgia State University

12
NC State crest
North Carolina State University
Raleigh, North Carolina

North Carolina State University landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Best Vallue Geology Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making Over $110k ranking. NC State is located in Raleigh, North Carolina and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 32 ’s geology degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our southeast region geology students whose families make more than $110k list, NC State has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $16,411 for southeast region geology students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend NC State.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full NC State Geological & Earth Sciences Report

13

Florida International University landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Best Vallue Geology Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making Over $110k ranking. Located in Miami, Florida, this large public school awarded 26 degrees to qualified ’s geology students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our southeast region geology students whose families make more than $110k list, FIU has also earned the #25 rank in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Florida International University is $5,298 for southeast region geology students whose families make more than $110k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, 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 91%.

Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at FIU

14
Appalachian State crest
Appalachian State University
Boone, North Carolina

Appalachian State University landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Best Vallue Geology Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making Over $110k ranking. Appalachian State is located in Boone, North Carolina and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 17 ’s geology degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our southeast region geology students whose families make more than $110k list, Appalachian State has also earned the #22 rank in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Appalachian State is $13,989 for southeast region geology students whose families make more than $110k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at Appalachian State University

15
WKU crest
Western Kentucky University
Bowling Green, Kentucky

Western Kentucky University ranked #15 on this year’s Best Vallue Geology Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making Over $110k list. Western Kentucky University is a fairly large public school situated in Bowling Green, Kentucky. It awarded 25 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Western Kentucky University is $12,522 for southeast region geology students whose families make more than $110k.

Full WKU Geological & Earth Sciences Report

16

University of North Carolina at Charlotte ranked #16 on this year’s Best Vallue Geology Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making Over $110k list. Located in Charlotte, North Carolina, this large public school awarded 75 degrees to qualified ’s geology students in 2020-2021.

UNC Charlotte not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of North Carolina at Charlotte is $17,634 for southeast region geology students whose families make more than $110k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at UNC Charlotte

17
ETSU crest
East Tennessee State University
Johnson City, Tennessee

East Tennessee State University came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Vallue Geology Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making Over $110k ranking. ETSU is a public institution located in Johnson City, Tennessee. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 34 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

ETSU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #23 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It costs about $12,894 for Southeast Region Geology students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend ETSU.

Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at ETSU

18
ECU crest
East Carolina University
Greenville, North Carolina

With a ranking of #18, East Carolina University did quite well on the 2023 Best Vallue Geology Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making Over $110k list. This large school is located in Greenville, North Carolina, and it awarded 24 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.

ECU also made our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #20. The yearly cost to attend ECU is $16,550 for Southeast Region Geology students whose families make more than $110k.

Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at ECU

19
WCU crest
Western Carolina University
Cullowhee, North Carolina

Western Carolina University landed the #19 spot on the 2023 Best Vallue Geology Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making Over $110k ranking. Cullowhee, North Carolina is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s geology degrees to 9 students in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend WCU is $13,924 for Southeast Region Geology students whose families make more than $110k.

Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at Western Carolina University

20
Middle Tennessee State University crest
Middle Tennessee State University
Murfreesboro, Tennessee

Middle Tennessee State University came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Vallue Geology Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making Over $110k ranking. Located in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, this large public school awarded 22 degrees to qualified ’s geology students in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Middle Tennessee State University is $12,752 for Southeast Region Geology students whose families make more than $110k.

Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at Middle Tennessee State University

21

University of North Carolina at Wilmington did quite well in the 2023 Best Vallue Geology Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making Over $110k ranking, coming in at #21. University of North Carolina at Wilmington is a public institution located in Wilmington, North Carolina. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 48 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

UNCW also took the #13 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $19,136 for Southeast Region Geology students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend University of North Carolina at Wilmington.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.1% 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 full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at UNCW

22

The University of Tennessee - Knoxville did quite well in the 2023 Best Vallue Geology Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making Over $110k ranking, coming in at #22. The University of Tennessee - Knoxville is a large public school situated in Knoxville, Tennessee. It awarded 49 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.

UT Knoxville not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The yearly cost to attend The University of Tennessee - Knoxville is $18,579 for southeast region geology students whose families make more than $110k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.1%, which is much lower than the national 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 full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at UT Knoxville

23
Virginia Tech crest
Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, Virginia

Virginia Tech did quite well in the 2023 Best Vallue Geology Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making Over $110k ranking, coming in at #23. Virginia Tech is located in Blacksburg, Virginia and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 26 ’s geology degrees to qualified students.

Virginia Tech also took the #8 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Virginia Tech is $21,301 for southeast region geology students whose families make more than $110k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at Virginia Tech

24

With a ranking of #24, University of South Carolina - Columbia did quite well on the 2023 Best Vallue Geology Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making Over $110k list. University of South Carolina - Columbia is a public institution located in Columbia, South Carolina. The school has a large population, and it awarded 28 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UofSC, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $20,559 for Southeast Region Geology students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend UofSC.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.1%, 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 90%.

Full UofSC Geological & Earth Sciences Report

25
UNO crest
University of New Orleans
New Orleans, Louisiana

University of New Orleans ranked #25 on this year’s Best Vallue Geology Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making Over $110k list. This medium-sized school is located in New Orleans, Louisiana, and it awarded 21 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for UNO is $12,140 for southeast region geology students whose families make more than $110k.

Full UNO Geological & Earth Sciences Report

Switch to a Different Ranking Method

Notes and References

References

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

Credits

Popular Reports

College Rankings
Best by Location
Degree Guides by Major
Graduate Programs

Compare Your School Options