2023 Best Geological & Earth Sciences Colleges for Veterans in the Southwest Region
17
Ranked Colleges
961
Degrees Awarded
$30,900
Avg Cost*
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 Southwest Region for Geology” 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 Southwest region, there were 961 geological and earth sciences graduates with average earnings and debt of $46,993 and $21,962 respectively.
This year’s “Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Geology” ranking analyzed 17 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 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. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Geology
The following schools top our list of the Best “Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Geology”.
Top 17 Best Geological & Earth Sciences Colleges for Veterans in the Southwest Region
Out of the 17 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Geology that were part of this year’s ranking, Texas A&M University - College Station landed the #1 spot on the list. Texas A&M College Station is located in College Station, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 144 ’s geology degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Texas A&M College Station, the school also landed the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Of the 70,418 students enrolled at Texas A&M University - College Station, 5 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 4 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $4,925. To help with additional expenses, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Texas A&M University - College Station offers credit for military training for eligible students.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, 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%.
Full Texas A&M College Station Veteran Student Life Report
Out of the 17 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Geology that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Houston landed the #2 spot on the list. This large school is located in Houston, Texas, and it awarded 102 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UH, the school also landed the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Among the 47,090 students enrolled at UH, 1,382 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 730 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $8,264. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. UH 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%. 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 full report on veteran student life at University of Houston]](/colleges/university-of-houston/student-life/veterans/)
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Arizona. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Geology list. University of Arizona is located in Tucson, Arizona and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 72 ’s geology degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at University of Arizona, the school also landed the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Of the 45,601 students enrolled at University of Arizona, 2,131 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 1,478 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $8,880. In addition to receiving other benefits, 31 students qualified for 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 85%.
Read More…
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Oklahoma Norman Campus. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Geology list. University of Oklahoma Norman Campus is a public institution located in Norman, Oklahoma. The school has a large population, and it awarded 45 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
University of Oklahoma not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Among the 27,772 students enrolled at University of Oklahoma, 12 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 10 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $3,720. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. 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 University of Oklahoma Norman Campus Veteran Student Life Report
Out of the 17 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Geology that were part of this year’s ranking, Arizona State University - Tempe landed the #5 spot on the list. ASU - Tempe is a large public school situated in Tempe, Arizona. It awarded 19 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at ASU - Tempe, the school also landed the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 7,566 of the 74,795 students enrolled at Arizona State University - Tempe were GI Bill® students, of which 3,828 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $6,068. In addition to receiving other benefits, 672 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Arizona State University - Tempe does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate 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%.
Full ASU - Tempe Veteran Student Life Report
The University of Texas at San Antonio came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Geology ranking. Located in San Antonio, Texas, this large public school awarded 39 diplomas to qualified ’s geology students in 2020-2021.
UTSA also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.According to our most recent data, UTSA supports 34,742 students, and 3,565 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 1,847 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $7,531. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. UTSA offers credit for military training for eligible 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 UTSA]](/colleges/the-university-of-texas-at-san-antonio/student-life/veterans/)
Oklahoma State University - Main Campus came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Geology ranking. Oklahoma State University - Main Campus is located in Stillwater, Oklahoma and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 30 ’s geology degrees to qualified students.
OSU also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Of the 24,535 students enrolled at OSU, 1,038 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 439 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $7,226. In addition to receiving other benefits, 39 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
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 More…
With a ranking of #8, The University of Texas at Austin did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Geology list. Located in Austin, Texas, this large public school handed out 54 degrees to qualified ’s geology students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our southwest region vets studying geology list, UT Austin has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.According to our most recent data, The University of Texas at Austin supports 50,476 students, and 7 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 1 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $2,893. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students received funds 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%.
[Read full report on veteran student life at The University of Texas at Austin]](/colleges/the-university-of-texas-at-austin/student-life/veterans/)
With a ranking of #9, The University of Texas at Arlington did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Geology list. The University of Texas at Arlington is a large school located in Arlington, Texas that handed out 17 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our southwest region vets studying geology list, UT Arlington has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Of the 48,072 students enrolled at The University of Texas at Arlington, 2,109 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 1,211 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $5,630. To help with additional expenses, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
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 #10, Texas Tech University did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Geology list. Lubbock, Texas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s geology degrees to 47 students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Texas Tech, the school also landed the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.According to our most recent data, Texas Tech University supports 40,322 students, and 1,242 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 630 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $8,480. To help with additional expenses, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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 Texas Tech University Veteran Student Life Report
Texas A&M University - Kingsville ranked #11 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Geology list. Kingsville, Texas is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s geology degrees to 14 students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our southwest region vets studying geology list, Texas A&M Kingsville has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.According to our most recent data, Texas A&M Kingsville supports 6,932 students, and 215 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 96 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $6,743. To help with additional expenses, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
Full Texas A&M Kingsville Veteran Student Life Report
Northern Arizona University landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Geology ranking. Northern Arizona University is a public institution located in Flagstaff, Arizona. The school has a large population, and it awarded 26 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
NAU also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 1,055 of the 29,566 students enrolled at NAU were GI Bill® students, of which 622 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $6,378. During this same period, 56 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 full report on veteran student life at NAU]](/colleges/northern-arizona-university/student-life/veterans/)
Sam Houston State University did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Geology ranking, coming in at #13. SHSU is located in Huntsville, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 13 ’s geology degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our southwest region vets studying geology list, SHSU has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Among the 21,912 students enrolled at SHSU, 1,092 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 496 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $6,097. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. SHSU offers credit for military training for eligible students.
Read More…
The University of Texas at Dallas landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Geology ranking. Richardson, Texas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s geology degrees to 32 students in 2020-2021.
UT Dallas also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Among the 28,669 students enrolled at The University of Texas at Dallas, 752 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 458 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $8,706. During this same period, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
[Read full report on veteran student life at The University of Texas at Dallas]](/colleges/the-university-of-texas-at-dallas/student-life/veterans/)
University of Houston - Downtown did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Geology ranking, coming in at #15. University of Houston - Downtown is a fairly large school located in Houston, Texas that handed out 18 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.
UH Downtown not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Our most recent data shows that 20 of the 15,239 students enrolled at UH Downtown were GI Bill® students, of which 20 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $3,002. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. UH Downtown offers credit for military training for eligible 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 UH Downtown]](/colleges/university-of-houston-downtown/student-life/veterans/)
With a ranking of #16, Baylor University did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Geology list. Baylor is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Waco, Texas. It awarded 22 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Baylor, the school also landed the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.According to our most recent data, Baylor University supports 19,297 students, and 876 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 593 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $17,744. During this same period, 263 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Baylor University offers credit for military training for eligible students.
With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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 Baylor University]](/colleges/baylor-university/student-life/veterans/)
The University of Texas at El Paso did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Southwest Region for Geology ranking, coming in at #17. El Paso, Texas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s geology degrees to 18 students in 2020-2021.
UTEP also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].Among the 24,879 students enrolled at The University of Texas at El Paso, 1,873 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 942 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $5,990. To help with additional expenses, 2 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. The University of Texas at El Paso offers credit for military training for eligible students.
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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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