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2023 Most Focused Master’s Degree Colleges for Geological & Earth Sciences in the Plains States Region

16 Ranked Colleges
106 Degrees Awarded
$50,763 Avg Salary
Schools for a Master's Highly Focused on Geology Major in the Plains States Region

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Geology Major in the Plains States Region” ranking - to help you make that decision.

In 2020-2021, 7,821 people earned their degree in geological and earth sciences, making the major the 95th most popular in the United States. 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. At the master’s degree level specifically, there were 106 geological and earth sciences graduates with average earnings and debt of $55,401 and $0 respectively.

For this year’s “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Geology Major in the Plains States Region” ranking, we looked at 16 colleges that offer a degree in geological and earth sciences. This a ranking of the schools where the largest percentage of students has enrolled in geological and earth sciences.

See our ranking methodology to learn more.

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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 “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Geology Major in the Plains States Region” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

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 when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Geology Major in the Plains States Region

The following schools top our list of the Best “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Geology Major in the Plains States Region”.

Top 16 Most Focused Master’s Degree Colleges for Geological & Earth Sciences in the Plains States Region

1

Out of the 16 schools in the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Geology Major in the Plains States Region that were part of this year’s ranking, South Dakota School of Mines and Technology landed the #1 spot on the list. SD Mines is a public institution located in Rapid City, South Dakota. The school has a small population, and it awarded 2 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.

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 more about Geological & Earth Sciences at SD Mines

2

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Minnesota - Duluth. The school came in at #2 for the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Geology Major in the Plains States Region. UMN Duluth is a public institution located in Duluth, Minnesota. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 7 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at University of Minnesota - Duluth

3

Out of the 16 schools in the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Geology Major in the Plains States Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Missouri State University - Springfield landed the #3 spot on the list. Missouri State is a public institution located in Springfield, Missouri. The school has a large population, and it awarded 13 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at Missouri State

4

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Missouri University of Science and Technology. The school came in at #4 for the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Geology Major in the Plains States Region. Missouri University of Science and Technology is a public institution located in Rolla, Missouri. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 5 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.

Full Missouri University of Science and Technology Geological & Earth Sciences Report

5
KU crest
University of Kansas
Lawrence, Kansas

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Kansas. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Geology Major in the Plains States Region list. Located in Lawrence, Kansas, this large public school awarded 14 degrees to qualified masters’s geology students in 2020-2021.

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%. 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 Kansas

6

Fort Hays State University came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Geology Major in the Plains States Region ranking. FHSU is a fairly large school located in Hays, Kansas that handed out 8 masters’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.

Full Fort Hays State University Geological & Earth Sciences Report

7

University of Missouri - Kansas City came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Geology Major in the Plains States Region ranking. University of Missouri - Kansas City is a public institution located in Kansas City, Missouri. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 4 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad 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%.

Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at University of Missouri - Kansas City

8
WUSTL crest
Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, Missouri

With a ranking of #8, Washington University in St Louis did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Geology Major in the Plains States Region list. Located in Saint Louis, Missouri, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 6 diplomas to qualified masters’s geology students in 2020-2021.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full WUSTL Geological & Earth Sciences Report

9

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Geology Major in the Plains States Region ranking. Minneapolis, Minnesota is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s geology degrees to 15 students in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, 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 93%.

Full UMN Twin Cities Geological & Earth Sciences Report

10
K -State crest
Kansas State University
Manhattan, Kansas

Kansas State University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Geology Major in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #10. Manhattan, Kansas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s geology degrees to 6 students in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Kansas State University Geological & Earth Sciences Report

11
Iowa crest
University of Iowa
Iowa City, Iowa

University of Iowa ranked #11 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Geology Major in the Plains States Region list. Located in Iowa City, Iowa, this large public school handed out 9 diplomas to qualified masters’s geology students in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.2% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at Iowa

12

University of Nebraska - Lincoln ranked #12 on this year’s Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Geology Major in the Plains States Region list. Located in Lincoln, Nebraska, this large public school handed out 5 degrees to qualified masters’s geology students in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.2% 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%.

Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at University of Nebraska - Lincoln

13

Iowa State University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Geology Major in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #13. Iowa State is a large school located in Ames, Iowa that handed out 6 masters’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at Iowa State

14
SLU crest
Saint Louis University
Saint Louis, Missouri

Saint Louis University came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Geology Major in the Plains States Region ranking. Saint Louis University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Saint Louis, Missouri. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 2 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.3% 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 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full SLU Geological & Earth Sciences Report

15

University of Missouri - Columbia came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Geology Major in the Plains States Region ranking. University of Missouri - Columbia is a public institution located in Columbia, Missouri. The school has a large population, and it awarded 4 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad 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 89%.

Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at University of Missouri - Columbia

16
UND crest
University of North Dakota
Grand Forks, North Dakota

University of North Dakota came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Geology Major in the Plains States Region ranking. Grand Forks, North Dakota is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s geology degrees to 0 students in 2020-2021.

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%.

Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at University of North Dakota

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