2023 Best Value Colleges for Geological & Geophysical Engineering in the Rocky Mountains Region (With Aid)

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value Geological & Geophysical Engineering Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

Geological & Geophysical Engineering is the 726th most popular major in the country with 325 degrees awarded in 2020-2021.

Across the Rocky Mountains region, there were 74 geological and geophysical engineering graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Geological & Geophysical Engineering Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking looked at 3 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in geological and geophysical engineering. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent geological and geophysical engineering programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the geological and geophysical engineering program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

More Ways to Rank Geological & Geophysical Engineering Schools

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Geological & Geophysical Engineering Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.

Best Value Geological & Geophysical Engineering Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Getting Aid

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Geological & Geophysical Engineering Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Getting Aid.

Top 3 Best Value Colleges for Geological & Geophysical Engineering in the Rocky Mountains Region (With Aid)

1

University of Utah
Salt Lake City, Utah

#2 in overall quality

$13,572 Average Net Price

$51,388 Average Early-Career Earnings

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Utah. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value Geological & Geophysical Engineering Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Getting Aid list. This large school is located in Salt Lake City, Utah, and it awarded 6 ’s geological and geophysical engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at U of U, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Geological & Geophysical Engineering Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Utah is $13,572 for rocky mountains region geological & geophysical engineering students with aid.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% 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 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Geological & Geophysical Engineering at U of U

2

Colorado School of Mines
Golden, Colorado

#1 in overall quality

$27,114 Average Net Price

$72,191 Average Early-Career Earnings

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Colorado School of Mines. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Geological & Geophysical Engineering Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Getting Aid. This medium-sized school is located in Golden, Colorado, and it awarded 59 ’s geological and geophysical engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

Mines did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Geological & Geophysical Engineering Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list. It costs about $27,114 for rocky mountains region geological & geophysical engineering students with aid per year to attend Mines.

With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Geological & Geophysical Engineering at Colorado School of Mines

3

Montana Technological University
Butte, Montana

#3 in overall quality

$15,814 Average Net Price

$63,042 Average Early-Career Earnings

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Montana Technological University. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Geological & Geophysical Engineering Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Getting Aid list. Montana Technological University is a small public school situated in Butte, Montana. It awarded 8 ’s geological and geophysical engineering degrees in 2020-2021.

Montana Tech not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Geological & Geophysical Engineering Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list. It costs about $15,814 for rocky mountains region geological & geophysical engineering students with aid per year to attend Montana Technological University.

Read full report on Geological & Geophysical Engineering at Montana Technological University

• Best Value Colleges for Geological & Geophysical Engineering (With Aid)

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).
• 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

Footnotes

• *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
• 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.