2023 Best Geological & Earth Sciences Master’s Degree Colleges for Veterans in the Rocky Mountains Region
9
Ranked Colleges
143
Degrees Awarded
$62,256
Avg Salary
When pursuing a degree in today’s world, veterans have many different options to choose from. College Factual has developed its “Most Veteran Friendly in the Rocky Mountains Region for Geology for a Master’s” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.
Geological & Earth Sciences is the 95th most popular major in the country with 7,821 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. 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.
For this year’s “Most Veteran Friendly in the Rocky Mountains Region for Geology for a Master’s” ranking, we looked at 9 colleges that offer 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 offer a lot of support to veterans and active service members.
To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as veteran satisfaction, veteran affordability, and overall quality of the geological and earth sciences program at the school. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
Most Veteran Friendly in the Rocky Mountains Region for Geology for a Master’s
The following schools top our list of the Best “Most Veteran Friendly in the Rocky Mountains Region for Geology for a Master’s”.
Top 9 Best Geological & Earth Sciences Master’s Degree Colleges for Veterans in the Rocky Mountains Region
Out of the 9 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in the Rocky Mountains Region for Geology for a Master’s that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Utah landed the #1 spot on the list. U of U is located in Salt Lake City, Utah and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 10 masters’s geology degrees to qualified students.
U of U not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Master’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list.Of the 33,081 students enrolled at U of U, 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 tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $0. To help with additional expenses, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. U of U 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 89%. 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 U of U]](/colleges/university-of-utah/student-life/veterans/)
Out of the 9 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in the Rocky Mountains Region for Geology for a Master’s that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Wyoming landed the #2 spot on the list. Located in Laramie, Wyoming, this fairly large public school handed out 10 degrees to qualified masters’s geology students in 2020-2021.
UW not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Master’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list.Among the 11,829 students enrolled at UW, 473 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 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. To help with additional expenses, 13 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
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 UW Veteran Student Life Report
Out of the 9 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in the Rocky Mountains Region for Geology for a Master’s that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Colorado Boulder landed the #3 spot on the list. Located in Boulder, Colorado, this large public school handed out 5 diplomas to qualified masters’s geology students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at CU - Boulder, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Master’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking.According to our most recent data, University of Colorado Boulder supports 37,437 students, and 1,379 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 968 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $12,889. During this same period, 46 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. University of Colorado Boulder does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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 CU - Boulder]](/colleges/university-of-colorado-boulder/student-life/veterans/)
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Colorado State University - Fort Collins. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Rocky Mountains Region for Geology for a Master’s list. Located in Fort Collins, Colorado, this large public school awarded 7 diplomas to qualified masters’s geology students in 2020-2021.
Colorado State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Master’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list.Among the 32,428 students enrolled at Colorado State, 1,606 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 1,183 were 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 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 Colorado State University - Fort Collins]](/colleges/colorado-state-university-fort-collins/student-life/veterans/)
Out of the 9 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in the Rocky Mountains Region for Geology for a Master’s that were part of this year’s ranking, Montana State University landed the #5 spot on the list. Montana State University is a fairly large public school situated in Bozeman, Montana. It awarded 7 masters’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.
MSU Bozeman not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Master’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 tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $7,023. During this same period, 37 students received funds through 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%.
Full Montana State University Veteran Student Life Report
Colorado School of Mines came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in the Rocky Mountains Region for Geology for a Master’s ranking. Colorado School of Mines is a medium-sized school located in Golden, Colorado that handed out 50 masters’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.
Mines also made our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Master’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list, coming in at #1.Of the 6,744 students enrolled at Colorado School of Mines, 234 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 145 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $12,456. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
[Read full report on veteran student life at Mines]](/colleges/colorado-school-of-mines/student-life/veterans/)
Boise State University ranked #7 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in the Rocky Mountains Region for Geology for a Master’s list. Boise State University is a public institution located in Boise, Idaho. The school has a large population, and it awarded 11 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Boise State also made our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Master’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list, coming in at #7.According to our most recent data, Boise State University supports 24,069 students, and 1,134 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 798 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $6,559. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Boise State University 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 More…
With a ranking of #8, University of Idaho did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Rocky Mountains Region for Geology for a Master’s list. University of Idaho is a fairly large school located in Moscow, Idaho that handed out 4 masters’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.
U of I also made our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Master’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list, coming in at #8.According to our most recent data, U of I supports 10,791 students, and 382 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 248 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $6,784. During this same period, 29 students qualified for 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 full report on veteran student life at U of I]](/colleges/university-of-idaho/student-life/veterans/)
Brigham Young University - Provo landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Rocky Mountains Region for Geology for a Master’s ranking. Located in Provo, Utah, this large private not-for-profit school awarded 11 degrees to qualified masters’s geology students in 2020-2021.
BYU also took the #6 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Master’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking.Of the 36,461 students enrolled at Brigham Young University - Provo, 368 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 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 scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%. 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 BYU Veteran Student Life Report
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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).
- Veteran-specific data can be found at the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs.
- 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
- *Avg Salary and Avg 4-Year Grad Rate are for the top schools only.
- **GI Bill® student total includes all chapters of the GI Bill® program (e.g., Post-9/11, Montgomery GI Bill, Reserve Education Assistance Program, and Veteran Readiness and Employment)
- 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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