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2023 Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Veterans in the Rocky Mountains Region

11 Ranked Colleges
320 Degrees Awarded
$38,645 Avg Salary
Most Veteran Friendly in the Rocky Mountains Region for Geology for a Bachelor's

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for veterans. College Factual has developed its “Most Veteran Friendly in the Rocky Mountains Region for Geology for a Bachelor’s” ranking as one item you can use to help make this 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 Rocky Mountains region, there were 526 geological and earth sciences graduates with average earnings and debt of $40,791 and $24,175 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 320 geological and earth sciences graduates with average earnings and debt of $40,089 and $26,296 respectively.

For this year’s “Most Veteran Friendly in the Rocky Mountains Region for Geology for a Bachelor’s” ranking, we looked at 11 colleges that offer a degree in geological and earth sciences. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality geological and earth sciences programs as well as strong veteran support.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the geological and earth sciences program at the school, veteran affordability, and veteran population. 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 “Most Veteran Friendly in the Rocky Mountains Region for Geology for a Bachelor’s” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest 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.

Most Veteran Friendly in the Rocky Mountains Region for Geology for a Bachelor’s

The colleges and universities below are the best for rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree vets studying geology.

Top 11 Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Veterans in the Rocky Mountains Region

1

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Colorado Boulder. The school came in at #1 for the Most Veteran Friendly in the Rocky Mountains Region for Geology for a Bachelor’s. This large school is located in Boulder, Colorado, and it awarded 46 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.

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.Our most recent data shows that 1,379 of the 37,437 students enrolled at University of Colorado Boulder were GI Bill® students, of which 968 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $12,889. To help with additional expenses, 46 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. University of Colorado Boulder offers credit for military training for eligible students.

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

[Read full report on veteran student life at University of Colorado Boulder]](/colleges/university-of-colorado-boulder/student-life/veterans/)

2
U of U crest
University of Utah
Salt Lake City, Utah

Out of the 11 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in the Rocky Mountains Region for Geology for a Bachelor’s that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Utah landed the #2 spot on the list. University of Utah is a large public school situated in Salt Lake City, Utah. It awarded 21 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree vets studying geology list, U of U has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking.Of the 33,081 students enrolled at University of Utah, 1 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 0 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $0. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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 veteran student life at University of Utah]](/colleges/university-of-utah/student-life/veterans/)

3
UW crest
University of Wyoming
Laramie, Wyoming

Out of the 11 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in the Rocky Mountains Region for Geology for a Bachelor’s that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Wyoming landed the #3 spot on the list. Laramie, Wyoming is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s geology degrees to 26 students in 2020-2021.

UW did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list.Our most recent data shows that 473 of the 11,829 students enrolled at UW were GI Bill® students, of which 255 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $3,738. During this same period, 13 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. UW does offer credit for military training for eligible students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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 veteran student life at University of Wyoming]](/colleges/university-of-wyoming/student-life/veterans/)

4

Out of the 11 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in the Rocky Mountains Region for Geology for a Bachelor’s that were part of this year’s ranking, Colorado State University - Fort Collins landed the #4 spot on the list. Colorado State University - Fort Collins is located in Fort Collins, Colorado and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 11 bachelors’s geology degrees to qualified students.

Colorado State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list.According to our most recent data, Colorado State supports 32,428 students, and 1,606 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 1,183 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $10,701. In addition to receiving other benefits, 68 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

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 [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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%.

Full Colorado State University - Fort Collins Veteran Student Life Report

5
MSU Bozeman crest
Montana State University
Bozeman, Montana

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Montana State University. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Rocky Mountains Region for Geology for a Bachelor’s list. Located in Bozeman, Montana, this fairly large public school handed out 37 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s geology students in 2020-2021.

MSU Bozeman did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list.According to our most recent data, Montana State University supports 16,218 students, and 656 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 393 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $7,023. On top of their other funding sources, 37 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

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

[Read full report on veteran student life at Montana State University]](/colleges/montana-state-university/student-life/veterans/)

6

Boise State University landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Rocky Mountains Region for Geology for a Bachelor’s ranking. Located in Boise, Idaho, this large public school awarded 12 degrees to qualified bachelors’s geology students in 2020-2021.

Boise State also made our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list, coming in at #9.Among the 24,069 students enrolled at Boise State University, 1,134 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 798 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $6,559. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

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

Full Boise State Veteran Student Life Report

7

University of Northern Colorado did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Rocky Mountains Region for Geology for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #7. University of Northern Colorado is a public institution located in Greeley, Colorado. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 21 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at University of Northern Colorado, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking.According to our most recent data, University of Northern Colorado supports 11,460 students, and 1 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 0 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $0. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

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

[Read full report on veteran student life at University of Northern Colorado]](/colleges/university-of-northern-colorado/student-life/veterans/)

8
U of I crest
University of Idaho
Moscow, Idaho

University of Idaho came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in the Rocky Mountains Region for Geology for a Bachelor’s ranking. This fairly large school is located in Moscow, Idaho, and it awarded 12 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.

U of I not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list.Our most recent data shows that 382 of the 10,791 students enrolled at U of I were GI Bill® students, of which 248 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $6,784. In addition to receiving other benefits, 29 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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 More…

9

Metropolitan State University of Denver came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in the Rocky Mountains Region for Geology for a Bachelor’s ranking. Denver, Colorado is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s geology degrees to 10 students in 2020-2021.

MSU Denver not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list.According to our most recent data, MSU Denver supports 19,086 students, and 1,222 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 867 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $6,619. On top of their other funding sources, 7 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. MSU Denver does offer credit for military training for eligible students.

Read More…

10

Brigham Young University - Provo came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in the Rocky Mountains Region for Geology for a Bachelor’s ranking. BYU is located in Provo, Utah and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 15 bachelors’s geology degrees to qualified students.

BYU also took the #5 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 368 of the 36,461 students enrolled at Brigham Young University - Provo were GI Bill® students, of which 220 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $3,856. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Brigham Young University - Provo offers credit for military training for eligible students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read More…

11
FLC crest
Fort Lewis College
Durango, Colorado

With a ranking of #11, Fort Lewis College did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Rocky Mountains Region for Geology for a Bachelor’s list. FLC is located in Durango, Colorado and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 10 bachelors’s geology degrees to qualified students.

FLC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list.Our most recent data shows that 101 of the 3,469 students enrolled at FLC were GI Bill® students, of which 53 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $4,268. During this same period, 6 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. FLC offers credit for military training for eligible students.

[Read full report on veteran student life at Fort Lewis College]](/colleges/fort-lewis-college/student-life/veterans/)

Notes and References

References

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