2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Geological & Earth Sciences in the Rocky Mountains Region
When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region” 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 Rocky Mountains region, there were 630 geological and earth sciences graduates with average earnings and debt of $37,529 and $23,431 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 410 geological and earth sciences graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,111 and $23,874 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking analyzed 19 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. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.
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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 Rocky Mountains Region” list, to help you choose the best school for you.
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. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.
Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region.
Top 19 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Geological & Earth Sciences in the Rocky Mountains Region
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Brigham Young University - Idaho. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region. Brigham Young University - Idaho is a large school located in Rexburg, Idaho that handed out 12 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.
BYU - I did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Brigham Young University - Idaho is $7,167 for Rocky Mountains Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students.
The low student loan default rate of 3.2% 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%.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Brigham Young University - Provo. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region list. Provo, Utah is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s geology degrees to 14 students in 2019-2020.
BYU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list. It costs about $13,322 for Rocky Mountains Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students per year to attend Brigham Young University - Provo.
The student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wyoming. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region list. UW is located in Laramie, Wyoming and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 43 bachelors’s geology degrees to qualified students.
UW also took the #1 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. It costs about $12,159 for rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree geology students per year to attend University of Wyoming.
The student loan default rate at the school is 4.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Weber State University. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region list. Ogden, Utah is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s geology degrees to 20 students in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree geology students list, WSU has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Weber State University is $11,968 for rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree geology students.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Utah. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region list. University of Utah is a large school located in Salt Lake City, Utah that handed out 35 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at U of U, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for U of U is $14,773 for Rocky Mountains Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students.
The low 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%. 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 University of Utah
Fort Lewis College ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region list. Fort Lewis College is a public institution located in Durango, Colorado. The school has a small population, and it awarded 13 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
FLC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Fort Lewis College is $16,274 for rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree geology students.
University of Northern Colorado came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region ranking. University of Northern Colorado is a fairly large school located in Greeley, Colorado that handed out 18 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.
University of Northern Colorado also took the #11 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. It costs about $15,714 for rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree geology students per year to attend University of Northern Colorado.
Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at University of Northern Colorado
Utah State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region ranking, coming in at #8. Located in Logan, Utah, this large public school awarded 14 degrees to qualified bachelors’s geology students in 2019-2020.
USU also made our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list, coming in at #15. The yearly cost to attend USU is $13,634 for rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree geology students.
Montana State University landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region ranking. Montana State University is located in Bozeman, Montana and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 35 bachelors’s geology degrees to qualified students.
MSU Bozeman also took the #6 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Montana State University is $19,202 for Rocky Mountains Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students.
Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at Montana State University
University of Idaho ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region list. U of I is a fairly large school located in Moscow, Idaho that handed out 11 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree geology students list, U of I has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Idaho is $14,132 for rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree geology students.
With a ranking of #11, Colorado State University - Fort Collins did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region list. Colorado State is a public institution located in Fort Collins, Colorado. The school has a large population, and it awarded 29 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Colorado State also took the #4 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. It costs about $18,668 for Rocky Mountains Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students per year to attend Colorado State.
The student loan default rate at the school is 3.0%, 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 full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at Colorado State
With a ranking of #12, Western Colorado University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region list. Located in Gunnison, Colorado, this small public school handed out 14 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s geology students in 2019-2020.
Western also took the #13 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Western is $17,282 for Rocky Mountains Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students.
Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at Western Colorado University
The University of Montana came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region ranking. Missoula, Montana is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s geology degrees to 11 students in 2019-2020.
UM did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list. The yearly cost to attend UM is $15,246 for Rocky Mountains Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students.
Utah Valley University landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region ranking. UVU is a public institution located in Orem, Utah. The school has a large population, and it awarded 9 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree geology students list, UVU has also earned the #19 rank in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. It costs about $9,159 for Rocky Mountains Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students per year to attend UVU.
Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at Utah Valley University
With a ranking of #15, Metropolitan State University of Denver did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region list. Denver, Colorado is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s geology degrees to 8 students in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at MSU Denver, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend MSU Denver is $14,257 for rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree geology students.
Boise State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region ranking, coming in at #16. Boise State University is a large public school situated in Boise, Idaho. It awarded 24 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.
Boise State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Boise State University is $15,787 for rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree geology students.
With a ranking of #17, Idaho State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region list. Located in Pocatello, Idaho, this fairly large public school awarded 7 degrees to qualified bachelors’s geology students in 2019-2020.
ISU also made our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list, coming in at #18. The estimated yearly cost for ISU is $16,810 for Rocky Mountains Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students.
Colorado Mesa University ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region list. Grand Junction, Colorado is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s geology degrees to 9 students in 2019-2020.
Colorado Mesa also made our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list, coming in at #17. The yearly cost to attend Colorado Mesa is $15,569 for Rocky Mountains Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students.
Full Colorado Mesa University Geological & Earth Sciences Report
University of Colorado Boulder landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region ranking. University of Colorado Boulder is a large public school situated in Boulder, Colorado. It awarded 51 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at CU - Boulder, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. It costs about $21,680 for Rocky Mountains Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students per year to attend CU - Boulder.
The student loan default rate at the school is 3.0%, 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 85%.
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Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor's Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region
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Geological & Earth Sciences students in the Rocky Mountains Region
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Geological & Earth Sciences students with family income $48-$75k in the Rocky Mountains Region
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Geological & Earth Sciences students in the Rocky Mountains Region
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Geological & Earth Sciences students with family income $75-$110k in the Rocky Mountains Region
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Geological & Earth Sciences in the Rocky Mountains Region
Geological & Earth Sciences students in the Rocky Mountains Region
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.
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- Credit for the banner image above goes to Kelvinsong.
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