2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Geology & Earth Sciences (Income $0-$30k) in the Rocky Mountains Region
It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is part of that endeavor.
In 2019-2020, 7,036 people earned their degree in geology and earth sciences, making the major the 101st most popular in the United States.
Across the Rocky Mountains region, there were 496 geology and earth sciences graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 380 geology and earth sciences graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,111 and $23,874 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking looked at 19 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in geology and earth sciences. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent geology and earth sciences programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.
To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the geology and earth sciences program at the school. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
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When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $0-$30k” list to help you make the college decision.
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. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.
Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $0-$30k
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $0-$30k.
Top 19 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Geology & Earth Sciences (Income $0-$30k) in the Rocky Mountains Region
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Brigham Young University - Idaho. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Brigham Young University - Idaho is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Rexburg, Idaho. It awarded 6 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.
BYU - I did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for BYU - I is $2,637 for rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $0-$30k.
The student loan default rate at the school is 3.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Geology & Earth Sciences at Brigham Young University - Idaho
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wyoming. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This fairly large school is located in Laramie, Wyoming, and it awarded 22 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Wyoming is $8,231 for Rocky Mountains Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low student loan default rate of 4.5% 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 about Geology & Earth Sciences at University of Wyoming
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Utah. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. U of U is located in Salt Lake City, Utah and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 34 bachelors’s geology degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at U of U, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. It costs about $11,511 for rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Utah.
The low student loan default rate of 2.6% 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 89%.
Out of the 19 schools in the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Brigham Young University - Provo landed the #4 spot on the list. Brigham Young University - Provo is a large school located in Provo, Utah that handed out 14 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at BYU, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Brigham Young University - Provo is $8,834 for Rocky Mountains Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $0-$30k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full Brigham Young University - Provo Geology & Earth Sciences Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Colorado State University - Fort Collins. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $0-$30k. Colorado State University - Fort Collins is located in Fort Collins, Colorado and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 29 bachelors’s geology degrees to qualified students.
Colorado State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Colorado State is $11,831 for Rocky Mountains Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $0-$30k.
The student loan default rate at the school is 3.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
Read more about Geology & Earth Sciences at Colorado State University - Fort Collins
With a ranking of #6, University of Colorado Boulder did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Colorado Boulder is a large public school situated in Boulder, Colorado. It awarded 51 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at CU - Boulder, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Colorado Boulder is $13,366 for Rocky Mountains Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $0-$30k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. The student loan default rate at the school is 3.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Geology & Earth Sciences at University of Colorado Boulder
Weber State University ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Weber State University is a large public school situated in Ogden, Utah. It awarded 20 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.
WSU also made our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list, coming in at #10. The yearly cost to attend Weber State University is $9,790 for Rocky Mountains Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $0-$30k.
University of Idaho came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. U of I is located in Moscow, Idaho and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 11 bachelors’s geology degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at U of I, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. It costs about $10,877 for Rocky Mountains Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Idaho.
Utah State University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. USU is a large public school situated in Logan, Utah. It awarded 14 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.
USU also took the #15 spot in our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Utah State University is $10,643 for rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $0-$30k.
Fort Lewis College landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This small school is located in Durango, Colorado, and it awarded 13 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at FLC, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. It costs about $13,108 for Rocky Mountains Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Fort Lewis College.
The University of Montana did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #11. Located in Missoula, Montana, this medium-sized public school handed out 11 degrees to qualified bachelors’s geology students in 2019-2020.
UM also made our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list, coming in at #9. The yearly cost to attend UM is $13,064 for Rocky Mountains Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $0-$30k.
With a ranking of #12, Utah Valley University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. UVU is located in Orem, Utah and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 9 bachelors’s geology degrees to qualified students.
UVU also took the #19 spot in our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UVU is $7,334 for Rocky Mountains Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $0-$30k.
University of Northern Colorado came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of Northern Colorado is located in Greeley, Colorado and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 18 bachelors’s geology degrees to qualified students.
University of Northern Colorado also took the #11 spot in our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Northern Colorado is $11,571 for Rocky Mountains Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read more about Geology & Earth Sciences at University of Northern Colorado
With a ranking of #14, Metropolitan State University of Denver did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. MSU Denver is a public institution located in Denver, Colorado. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 8 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
MSU Denver also made our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list, coming in at #16. The estimated yearly cost for Metropolitan State University of Denver is $11,531 for rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read more about Geology & Earth Sciences at Metropolitan State University of Denver
With a ranking of #15, Boise State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Boise State University is a large school located in Boise, Idaho that handed out 24 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.
Boise State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list. It costs about $12,000 for rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Boise State.
Read more about Geology & Earth Sciences at Boise State University
Western Colorado University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #16. Western Colorado University is located in Gunnison, Colorado and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 14 bachelors’s geology degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $0-$30k list, Western has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Western is $13,018 for Rocky Mountains Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $0-$30k.
Montana State University landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Bozeman, Montana is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s geology degrees to 35 students in 2019-2020.
MSU Bozeman also took the #6 spot in our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Montana State University is $15,706 for rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read more about Geology & Earth Sciences at Montana State University
Colorado Mesa University came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Grand Junction, Colorado, and it awarded 9 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.
Colorado Mesa also made our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list, coming in at #17. It costs about $12,708 for rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Colorado Mesa.
With a ranking of #19, Idaho State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Pocatello, Idaho is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s geology degrees to 7 students in 2019-2020.
ISU also took the #18 spot in our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. It costs about $14,680 for Rocky Mountains Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Idaho State University.
Read more about Geology & Earth Sciences at Idaho State University
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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).
- 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.
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- Credit for the banner image above goes to Kelvinsong.
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