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2023 Best Geological & Earth Sciences Colleges for Veterans in the Plains States Region

11 Ranked Colleges
430 Degrees Awarded
$27,900 Avg Cost*
Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Geology

When it comes to choosing a college, veterans have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Geology” ranking - to help you make that 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 Plains States region, there were 430 geological and earth sciences graduates with average earnings and debt of $34,405 and $25,612 respectively.

This year’s “Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Geology” ranking analyzed 11 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. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

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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 “Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Geology”.

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. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Geology

The following schools top our list of the Best “Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Geology”.

Top 11 Best Geological & Earth Sciences Colleges for Veterans in the Plains States Region

1

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Minnesota - Twin Cities. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Geology list. Located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, this large public school awarded 40 degrees to qualified ’s geology students in 2020-2021.

UMN Twin Cities also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Among the 52,017 students enrolled at University of Minnesota - Twin Cities, 752 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 436 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $13,020. During this same period, 0 students qualified for 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

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2
Iowa crest
University of Iowa
Iowa City, Iowa

Out of the 11 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Geology that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Iowa landed the #2 spot on the list. Located in Iowa City, Iowa, this large public school handed out 21 diplomas to qualified ’s geology students in 2020-2021.

Iowa also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 1 of the 30,318 students enrolled at University of Iowa were GI Bill® students, of which 0 were 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 received scholarships 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

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3

Out of the 11 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Geology that were part of this year’s ranking, Iowa State University landed the #3 spot on the list. Ames, Iowa is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s geology degrees to 21 students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Iowa State, 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 814 of the 31,822 students enrolled at Iowa State were GI Bill® students, of which 388 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $7,933. On top of their other funding sources, 9 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 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 [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Iowa State University Veteran Student Life Report

4

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Missouri - Columbia. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Geology list. Located in Columbia, Missouri, this large public school awarded 11 degrees to qualified ’s geology students in 2020-2021.

Mizzou also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.According to our most recent data, University of Missouri - Columbia supports 31,089 students, and 5 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 5 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $3,384. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. University of Missouri - Columbia does offer 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 More…

5
KU crest
University of Kansas
Lawrence, Kansas

Out of the 11 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Geology that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Kansas landed the #5 spot on the list. KU is a public institution located in Lawrence, Kansas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 27 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our plains states region vets studying geology list, KU has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Of the 26,744 students enrolled at University of Kansas, 70 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 40 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $10,917. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, 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 More…

6

Missouri State University - Springfield came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Geology ranking. Missouri State University - Springfield is a public institution located in Springfield, Missouri. The school has a large population, and it awarded 59 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our plains states region vets studying geology list, Missouri State has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.According to our most recent data, Missouri State University - Springfield supports 23,505 students, and 5 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 4 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $2,830. During this same period, 1 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Missouri State University - Springfield does offer credit for military training for eligible 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 Missouri State]](/colleges/missouri-state-university-springfield/student-life/veterans/)

7

University of Minnesota - Duluth ranked #7 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Geology list. UMN Duluth is a public institution located in Duluth, Minnesota. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 19 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

UMN Duluth also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].According to our most recent data, UMN Duluth supports 10,275 students, and 249 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 88 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $6,883. 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 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 Minnesota - Duluth]](/colleges/university-of-minnesota-duluth/student-life/veterans/)

8

University of Missouri - Kansas City came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Geology ranking. Kansas City, Missouri is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s geology degrees to 8 students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our plains states region vets studying geology list, UMKC has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Among the 16,147 students enrolled at UMKC, 1 are 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. During this same period, 0 students qualified for 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 UMKC Veteran Student Life Report

9

University of Minnesota - Morris did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Geology ranking, coming in at #9. This small school is located in Morris, Minnesota, and it awarded 4 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.

UMN Morris did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.According to our most recent data, University of Minnesota - Morris supports 1,339 students, and 17 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 8 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $10,785. During this same period, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. University of Minnesota - Morris offers 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 Minnesota - Morris]](/colleges/university-of-minnesota-morris/student-life/veterans/)

10
Winona State crest
Winona State University
Winona, Minnesota

With a ranking of #10, Winona State University did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Geology list. Winona State University is a medium-sized public school situated in Winona, Minnesota. It awarded 12 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.

Winona State also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 142 of the 7,106 students enrolled at Winona State University were GI Bill® students, of which 69 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $4,645. To help with additional expenses, 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%.

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

11
Carleton crest
Carleton College
Northfield, Minnesota

Carleton College landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Geology ranking. Carleton is a small school located in Northfield, Minnesota that handed out 21 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.

Carleton 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 18 of the 1,940 students enrolled at Carleton were GI Bill® students, of which 14 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $19,697. During this same period, 14 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. 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 [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Carleton College Veteran Student Life Report

Notes and References

References

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

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