2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Geological & Earth Sciences in the Southwest Region
It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. 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 for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region” ranking.
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.
For this year’s “Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region” ranking, we looked at 23 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.
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. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.
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More Ways to Rank Geological & Earth Sciences Schools
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 Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region”.
In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique 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.
Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region
The colleges and universities below are the best for southwest region bachelor’s degree geology students.
Top 23 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Geological & Earth Sciences 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 list. Odessa, Texas is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s geology degrees to 13 students in 2019-2020.
UT Permian Basin also took the #7 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $10,092 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students per year to attend UT Permian Basin.
Full The University of Texas of the Permian Basin Geological & Earth Sciences Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend MSU Texas. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region. MSU Texas is a medium-sized school located in Wichita Falls, Texas that handed out 15 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at MSU Texas, the school also landed the #15 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for MSU Texas is $10,045 for southwest region bachelor’s degree geology students.
Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at MSU Texas
Out of the 23 schools in the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Houston landed the #3 spot on the list. University of Houston is a large school located in Houston, Texas that handed out 50 bachelors’s geology degrees 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. The estimated yearly cost for University of Houston is $12,838 for southwest region bachelor’s degree geology students.
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 more about Geological & Earth Sciences at University of Houston
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Tarleton State University. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region. Tarleton is located in Stephenville, Texas and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 10 bachelors’s geology degrees to qualified students.
Tarleton also made our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #12. The estimated yearly cost for Tarleton State University is $18,979 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students.
Full Tarleton State University Geological & Earth Sciences Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Texas Tech University. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region list. This large school is located in Lubbock, Texas, and it awarded 35 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Texas Tech, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $17,571 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students per year to attend Texas Tech University.
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 Texas Tech
University of Houston - Downtown landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region ranking. University of Houston - Downtown is a fairly large school located in Houston, Texas that handed out 19 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.
UH Downtown also made our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #16. It costs about $6,848 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students per year to attend University of Houston - Downtown.
The University of Texas at San Antonio did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region ranking, coming in at #7. The University of Texas at San Antonio 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.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UTSA, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend The University of Texas at San Antonio is $13,853 for southwest region bachelor’s degree geology students.
Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at The University of Texas at San Antonio
Oklahoma State University - Main Campus landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region ranking. Oklahoma State University - Main Campus is a large public school situated in Stillwater, Oklahoma. It awarded 18 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.
OSU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for OSU is $14,648 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.
University of Oklahoma Norman Campus ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region list. University of Oklahoma Norman Campus is a large school located in Norman, Oklahoma that handed out 14 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our southwest region bachelor’s degree geology students list, University of Oklahoma has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $21,145 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students per year to attend University of Oklahoma Norman Campus.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.7%, which is much lower than the national 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 Norman Campus
Sam Houston State University ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region list. SHSU is a large school located in Huntsville, Texas that handed out 8 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.
SHSU also made our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #21. The estimated yearly cost for Sam Houston State University is $14,617 for southwest region bachelor’s degree geology students.
Northern Arizona University ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region list. Northern Arizona University is a public institution located in Flagstaff, Arizona. The school has a large population, and it awarded 27 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at NAU, the school also landed the #20 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend NAU is $12,915 for southwest region bachelor’s degree geology students.
Full Northern Arizona University Geological & Earth Sciences Report
New Mexico State University - Main Campus landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region ranking. Las Cruces, New Mexico is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s geology degrees to 13 students in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at NMSU Main Campus, the school also landed the #17 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend NMSU Main Campus is $8,659 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students.
Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at NMSU Main Campus
With a ranking of #13, Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region list. Texas A&M Corpus Christi is a fairly large public school situated in Corpus Christi, Texas. It awarded 9 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Texas A&M Corpus Christi, the school also landed the #19 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Texas A&M Corpus Christi is $16,332 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students.
Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi
The University of Texas at Arlington ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region list. Located in Arlington, Texas, this large public school handed out 30 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s geology students in 2019-2020.
UT Arlington also took the #11 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UT Arlington is $14,246 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students.
The University of Texas at El Paso came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region ranking. The University of Texas at El Paso 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 $8,920 for southwest region bachelor’s degree geology students.
Stephen F Austin State University landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region ranking. SFASU is a fairly large school located in Nacogdoches, Texas that handed out 16 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at SFASU, the school also landed the #22 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Stephen F Austin State University is $13,723 for southwest region bachelor’s degree geology students.
Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at Stephen F Austin State University
University of Arizona landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region ranking. This large school is located in Tucson, Arizona, and it awarded 62 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.
University of Arizona not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. It costs about $15,016 for southwest region bachelor’s degree geology students per year to attend University of Arizona.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.
Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at University of Arizona
Texas A&M University - College Station came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region ranking. Texas A&M University - College Station is a public institution located in College Station, Texas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 74 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Texas A&M College Station, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Texas A&M College Station is $19,057 for southwest region bachelor’s degree geology students.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at Texas A&M College Station
University of New Mexico - Main Campus did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region ranking, coming in at #19. UNM is a large school located in Albuquerque, New Mexico that handed out 12 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UNM, the school also landed the #23 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $14,446 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students per year to attend University of New Mexico - Main Campus.
Full University of New Mexico - Main Campus Geological & Earth Sciences Report
The University of Texas at Austin landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region ranking. UT Austin is a public institution located in Austin, Texas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 42 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
UT Austin also made our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #2. The estimated yearly cost for UT Austin is $18,023 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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
The University of Texas at Dallas ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region list. UT Dallas is a large public school situated in Richardson, Texas. It awarded 15 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our southwest region bachelor’s degree geology students list, UT Dallas has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend The University of Texas at Dallas is $15,232 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students.
With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 4.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Baylor University came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region ranking. Baylor is a fairly large school located in Waco, Texas that handed out 12 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.
Baylor also took the #6 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Baylor University is $36,039 for southwest region bachelor’s degree geology students.
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 low student loan default rate of 3.7% 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 ranking of #23, Texas Christian University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region list. Texas Christian University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Fort Worth, Texas. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 11 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our southwest region bachelor’s degree geology students list, TCU has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $36,811 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students per year to attend TCU.
With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
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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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