2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region
It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.
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 Southeast region, there were 1,684 geological and earth sciences graduates with average earnings and debt of $31,940 and $23,131 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,125 geological and earth sciences graduates with average earnings and debt of $36,277 and $25,415 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region” ranking analyzed 53 colleges that offered a degree in geological and earth sciences. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent geological and earth sciences programs, but they also cost less that 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. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
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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 Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region” list to help you make the college 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. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.
Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region.
Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Geological & Earth Sciences in the Southeast Region
Out of the 53 schools in the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Southern Mississippi landed the #1 spot on the list. Hattiesburg, Mississippi is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s geology degrees to 9 students in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for Southern Miss is $14,923 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students.
Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at Southern Miss
Out of the 53 schools in the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Western Carolina University landed the #2 spot on the list. This fairly large school is located in Cullowhee, North Carolina, and it awarded 12 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $13,722 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students per year to attend WCU.
Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at Western Carolina University
Out of the 53 schools in the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Georgia Southern University landed the #3 spot on the list. This large school is located in Statesboro, Georgia, and it awarded 10 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.
GaSou not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #23 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The yearly cost to attend GaSou is $15,536 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students.
Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at Georgia Southern University
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Appalachian State University. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region. Appalachian State University is a large school located in Boone, North Carolina that handed out 33 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Appalachian State, the school also landed the #11 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Appalachian State University is $13,920 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full Appalachian State University Geological & Earth Sciences Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of West Georgia. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region. Carrollton, Georgia is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s geology degrees to 15 students in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for University of West Georgia is $16,124 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students.
Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at University of West Georgia
University of South Florida - Main Campus came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region ranking. Tampa, Florida is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s geology degrees to 28 students in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at USF Tampa, the school also landed the #22 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $8,355 for southeast region bachelor’s degree geology students per year to attend University of South Florida - Main Campus.
With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 4.5% 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 ranking of #7, Florida Atlantic University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region list. This large school is located in Boca Raton, Florida, and it awarded 18 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $10,186 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students per year to attend Florida Atlantic University.
Full Florida Atlantic University Geological & Earth Sciences Report
With a ranking of #8, Florida State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region list. This large school is located in Tallahassee, Florida, and it awarded 7 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Florida State, the school also landed the #15 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Florida State is $9,789 for southeast region bachelor’s degree geology students.
The student loan default rate at the school is 3.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at Florida State
Tennessee Technological University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region ranking. Tennessee Technological University is a fairly large school located in Cookeville, Tennessee that handed out 13 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for Tennessee Technological University is $15,929 for southeast region bachelor’s degree geology students.
The student loan default rate at the school is 4.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full Tennessee Tech University Geological & Earth Sciences Report
University of New Orleans landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region ranking. University of New Orleans is a medium-sized public school situated in New Orleans, Louisiana. It awarded 18 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend University of New Orleans is $11,193 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students.
University of North Carolina at Wilmington ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region list. Wilmington, North Carolina is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s geology degrees to 27 students in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our southeast region bachelor’s degree geology students list, UNCW has also earned the #25 rank in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $19,055 for southeast region bachelor’s degree geology students per year to attend University of North Carolina at Wilmington.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full University of North Carolina at Wilmington Geological & Earth Sciences Report
Florida International University landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region ranking. Located in Miami, Florida, this large public school awarded 15 degrees to qualified bachelors’s geology students in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for FIU is $7,296 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students.
With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at Florida International University
University of Florida landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region ranking. This large school is located in Gainesville, Florida, and it awarded 36 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.
UF also made our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #3. The yearly cost to attend UF is $6,302 for southeast region bachelor’s degree geology students.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.0%, 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%.
University of North Carolina at Charlotte came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region ranking. Charlotte, North Carolina is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s geology degrees to 57 students in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our southeast region bachelor’s degree geology students list, UNC Charlotte has also earned the #19 rank in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UNC Charlotte is $16,529 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students.
With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
Full University of North Carolina at Charlotte Geological & Earth Sciences Report
With a ranking of #15, West Virginia University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region list. WVU is a large school located in Morgantown, West Virginia that handed out 56 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.
WVU also made our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #10. The yearly cost to attend West Virginia University is $12,983 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students.
Northern Kentucky University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region ranking, coming in at #16. Northern Kentucky University is a public institution located in Highland Heights, Kentucky. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 5 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for NKU is $9,049 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students.
Valdosta State University landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region ranking. Valdosta State University is a public institution located in Valdosta, Georgia. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 12 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $13,969 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students per year to attend VSU.
With a ranking of #18, East Carolina University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region list. ECU is a large school located in Greenville, North Carolina that handed out 16 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at ECU, the school also landed the #21 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend East Carolina University is $15,844 for southeast region bachelor’s degree geology students.
Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at East Carolina University
Morehead State University came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region ranking. Morehead State University is a medium-sized public school situated in Morehead, Kentucky. It awarded 4 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $12,421 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students per year to attend Morehead State University.
Full Morehead State University Geological & Earth Sciences Report
University of Georgia came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region ranking. University of Georgia is a large school located in Athens, Georgia that handed out 15 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.
UGA did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UGA is $13,649 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students.
The low student loan default rate of 2.5% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.
Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at University of Georgia
Mississippi State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region ranking, coming in at #21. Located in Mississippi State, Mississippi, this large public school handed out 63 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s geology students in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Mississippi State, the school also landed the #20 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Mississippi State is $16,173 for southeast region bachelor’s degree geology students.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.
Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College landed the #22 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region ranking. Baton Rouge, Louisiana is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s geology degrees to 38 students in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Louisiana State University, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $15,465 for southeast region bachelor’s degree geology students per year to attend Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Radford University came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region ranking. This fairly large school is located in Radford, Virginia, and it awarded 8 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for Radford University is $16,447 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students.
James Madison University ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region list. Harrisonburg, Virginia is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s geology degrees to 25 students in 2019-2020.
JMU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for JMU is $22,169 for southeast region bachelor’s degree geology students.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
University of Memphis came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region ranking. University of Memphis is a public institution located in Memphis, Tennessee. The school has a large population, and it awarded 21 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $13,248 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students per year to attend University of Memphis.
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Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Geological & Earth Sciences in the Southeast Region
Geological & Earth Sciences students in the Southeast 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.
Credits
- Credit for the banner image above goes to Kelvinsong.
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