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2024 Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Southwest Region

16 Colleges in the Southwest Region
961 Geology Degrees Awarded
$46,993 Avg Early-Career Salary
If you plan on majoring in geological & earth sciences, you won't be alone since the degree program is ranked #95 in the country in terms of popularity. So, you have a fair amount of options to choose from when looking for a school.

For its 2024 ranking, College Factual looked at 16 schools in the Southwest Region to determine which ones were the best for geological & earth sciences students pursuing a degree. Combined, these schools handed out 961 degrees in geological & earth sciences to qualified students.

Jump to one of the following sections: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great Geological & Earth Sciences School

Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Southwest Region The geology program you select can have a big impact on your future. That's why we developed our collection of Best Schools for Geological & Earth Sciences rankings. In order to come up with a best overall ranking for geological & earth sciences schools, we combine our degree-level rankings, weighting them by the number of degrees awarded at each level.

You may want to choose one of the degree levels below to find the schools of most interest to you.

Geological & Earth Sciences Rankings by Degree Level

Bachelor's Degrees in Geology
Master's Degrees in Geology
Doctor's Degrees in Geology

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 the Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Southwest Region. More interested in schools in a specific area of the country? Filter this list by region or state.

To further help you make the college decision, we've developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Read more about College Factual's methodology.

Best Schools for Geological & Earth Sciences in the Southwest Region

If you aren't interested in a particular degree level and want to know which schools are the overall best at delivering an education for the geology degrees they offer, see the list below.

10 Top Southwest Region Schools in Geology

1
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
54 Geology Degrees Awarded
$48,555 Median Starting Salary

It is difficult to beat The University of Texas at Austin if you wish to pursue a degree in geological & earth sciences. Located in the large city of Austin, UT Austin is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #36 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UT Austin is a great university overall.

There were roughly 54 geological & earth sciences students who graduated with this degree at UT Austin in the most recent year we have data available. Soon after graduation, geology degree recipients typically make around $48,555 in their early careers.

More information about a degree in geological & earth sciences from The University of Texas at Austin

2
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
144 Geology Degrees Awarded
$57,731 Median Starting Salary

Texas A&M University - College Station is a wonderful option for students pursuing a degree in geological & earth sciences. Located in the medium-sized city of College Station, Texas A&M College Station is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #44 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Texas A&M College Station is a great university overall.

There were approximately 144 geological & earth sciences students who graduated with this degree at Texas A&M College Station in the most recent data year. Geological & Earth Sciences degree recipients from Texas A&M University - College Station receive an earnings boost of around $10,738 above the typical income of geological & earth sciences graduates.

More information about a degree in geological & earth sciences from Texas A&M University - College Station

3
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
72 Geology Degrees Awarded
$47,106 Median Starting Salary

It's difficult to beat University of Arizona if you wish to pursue a degree in geological & earth sciences. Located in the large city of Tucson, University of Arizona is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #133 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means University of Arizona is a great university overall.

There were approximately 72 geological & earth sciences students who graduated with this degree at University of Arizona in the most recent year we have data available. After graduation, geology degree recipients generally make about $47,106 at the beginning of their careers.

More information about a degree in geological & earth sciences from University of Arizona

4
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
102 Geology Degrees Awarded
3.9% Growth in Graduates

Any student pursuing a degree in geological & earth sciences has to check out University of Houston. Located in the large city of Houston, UH is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #211 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UH is a great university overall.

There were about 102 geological & earth sciences students who graduated with this degree at UH in the most recent year we have data available. Geological & Earth Sciences degree recipients from University of Houston get an earnings boost of around $22,199 over the typical income of geological & earth sciences graduates.

More information about a degree in geological & earth sciences from University of Houston

5
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
8th Most Popular In TX
4.5% Growth in Graduates

Baylor is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Waco. A Best Colleges rank of #123 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Baylor is a great university overall.

There were about 22 geological & earth sciences students who graduated with this degree at Baylor in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in geological & earth sciences from Baylor University

6
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
$42,229 Median Starting Salary

OSU is a fairly large public university located in the distant town of Stillwater. This university ranks 2nd out of 32 colleges for overall quality in the state of Oklahoma.

There were about 30 geological & earth sciences students who graduated with this degree at OSU in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the geology program report average early career earnings of $42,229.

More information about a degree in geological & earth sciences from Oklahoma State University - Main Campus

7
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In OK
45 Geology Degrees Awarded

Located in the suburb of Norman, University of Oklahoma is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #140 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means University of Oklahoma is a great university overall.

There were roughly 45 geological & earth sciences students who graduated with this degree at University of Oklahoma in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in geological & earth sciences from University of Oklahoma Norman Campus

8
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
39 Geology Degrees Awarded
$40,470 Median Starting Salary

Located in the city of San Antonio, UTSA is a public university with a very large student population. This university ranks 25th out of 115 schools for overall quality in the state of Texas.

There were roughly 39 geological & earth sciences students who graduated with this degree at UTSA in the most recent data year. Graduates who receive their degree from the geology program make around $40,470 in their early career salary.

More information about a degree in geological & earth sciences from The University of Texas at San Antonio

9
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
47 Geology Degrees Awarded
$39,319 Median Starting Salary

Texas Tech is a fairly large public university located in the large city of Lubbock. A Best Colleges rank of #168 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Texas Tech is a great university overall.

There were about 47 geological & earth sciences students who graduated with this degree at Texas Tech in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the geology program report average early career income of $39,319.

More information about a degree in geological & earth sciences from Texas Tech University

10
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
3rd Most Popular In AZ

ASU - Tempe is a very large public university located in the medium-sized city of Tempe. A Best Colleges rank of #119 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means ASU - Tempe is a great university overall.

There were roughly 19 geological & earth sciences students who graduated with this degree at ASU - Tempe in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in geological & earth sciences from Arizona State University - Tempe

Best Geological & Earth Sciences Colleges by State

Explore the best geological & earth sciences schools for a specific state in the Southwest Region .

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Texas 317 666
Arizona 287 112
Oklahoma 257 95
New Mexico 219 69

View All Rankings >

Geological & Earth Sciences is one of 8 different types of Physical Sciences programs to choose from.

Geology Focus Areas

Major Annual Graduates
Geology & Earth Sciences 780
Geophysics & Seismology 89
Hydrology & Water Resources Science 52
Chemical & Physical Oceanography 15
Other Geological & Earth Sciences/Geosciences 15
Geochemistry 7
Paleontology 3

View All Geology Focus Areas >

Related Major Annual Graduates
Chemistry 1,787
Physics 1,129
General Physical Sciences 927
Atmospheric Sciences & Meteorology 154
Astronomy & Astrophysics 119
Materials Sciences 54
Other Physical Science 14

View All Geology Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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