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2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Getting Aid

19 Ranked Colleges
380 Degrees Awarded
$14,900 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor's in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Getting Aid

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

Geology & Earth Sciences is the 101st most popular major in the country with 7,036 degrees awarded in 2019-2020.

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 Getting Aid” ranking looked at 19 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in geology and earth sciences. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great geology and earth sciences programs and 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.

One Size Does Not Fit All

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 Getting Aid” list to help you make the college decision.

One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to you. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.

Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Getting Aid

The colleges and universities below are the best for rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree geology students with aid.

Top 19 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Geology & Earth Sciences in the Rocky Mountains Region (With Aid)

#1

University of Wyoming

Laramie, Wyoming
#1 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wyoming. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Laramie, Wyoming, this fairly large public school handed out 22 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s geology students in 2019-2020.

UW also took the #1 spot in our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. It costs about $12,159 for Rocky Mountains Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students with aid per year to attend University of Wyoming.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Geology & Earth Sciences at UW

#7 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Brigham Young University - Idaho. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Getting Aid. Rexburg, Idaho is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s geology degrees to 6 students 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 $7,167 for rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree geology students with aid.

The low student loan default rate of 3.2% 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 BYU - I

#3

University of Utah

Salt Lake City, Utah
#3 in overall quality

Out of the 19 schools in the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Utah landed the #3 spot on the list. University of Utah is a public institution located in Salt Lake City, Utah. The school has a large population, and it awarded 34 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

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. The estimated yearly cost for U of U is $14,773 for rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree geology students with aid.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Geology & Earth Sciences at University of Utah

#5 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Brigham Young University - Provo. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Getting Aid. Brigham Young University - Provo is a private not-for-profit institution located in Provo, Utah. The school has a large population, and it awarded 14 bachelors’s 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 estimated yearly cost for BYU is $13,322 for rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree geology students with aid.

The low 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 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Geology & Earth Sciences at BYU

#10 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Weber State University. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Getting Aid. Weber State University is a large school located in Ogden, Utah that handed out 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. It costs about $11,968 for Rocky Mountains Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students with aid per year to attend Weber State University.

Full WSU Geology & Earth Sciences Report

#4 in overall quality

Colorado State University - Fort Collins did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #6. 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.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Colorado State, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Colorado State University - Fort Collins is $18,668 for rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree geology students with aid.

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 Colorado State

#7

University of Idaho

Moscow, Idaho
#8 in overall quality

University of Idaho ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Getting Aid list. This fairly large school is located in Moscow, Idaho, and it awarded 11 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

U of I not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Idaho is $14,132 for Rocky Mountains Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students with aid.

Read full report on Geology & Earth Sciences at University of Idaho

#19 in overall quality

Utah Valley University 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 Getting Aid ranking. Utah Valley University is a large public school situated in Orem, Utah. It awarded 9 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

UVU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #19 on our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UVU is $9,159 for Rocky Mountains Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students with aid.

Read more about Geology & Earth Sciences at Utah Valley University

#9

The University of Montana

Missoula, Montana
#9 in overall quality

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 Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #9. This medium-sized school is located in Missoula, Montana, and it awarded 11 bachelors’s geology degrees 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. It costs about $15,246 for Rocky Mountains Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students with aid per year to attend UM.

Read more about Geology & Earth Sciences at The University of Montana

#10

Utah State University

Logan, Utah
#15 in overall quality

With a ranking of #10, Utah State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Getting Aid list. USU is located in Logan, Utah and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 14 bachelors’s geology degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at USU, the school also landed the #15 spot in our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. It costs about $13,634 for Rocky Mountains Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students with aid per year to attend Utah State University.

Read more about Geology & Earth Sciences at Utah State University

#16 in overall quality

Metropolitan State University of Denver landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. This fairly large school is located in Denver, Colorado, and it awarded 8 bachelors’s geology 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. It costs about $14,257 for Rocky Mountains Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students with aid per year to attend Metropolitan State University of Denver.

Read full report on Geology & Earth Sciences at Metropolitan State University of Denver

#12

Montana State University

Bozeman, Montana
#6 in overall quality

Montana State University ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Getting Aid list. MSU Bozeman is located in Bozeman, Montana and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 35 bachelors’s geology degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree geology students with aid list, MSU Bozeman has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. It costs about $19,202 for Rocky Mountains Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students with aid per year to attend MSU Bozeman.

Read more about Geology & Earth Sciences at MSU Bozeman

#13

University of Colorado Boulder

Boulder, Colorado
#2 in overall quality

University of Colorado Boulder 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 Getting Aid ranking. University of Colorado Boulder is a large school located in Boulder, Colorado that handed out 51 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

CU - Boulder also made our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list, coming in at #2. The estimated yearly cost for CU - Boulder is $21,680 for rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree geology students with aid.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Geology & Earth Sciences at CU - Boulder

#14

Boise State University

Boise, Idaho
#14 in overall quality

Boise State University landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Boise State University is a public institution located in Boise, Idaho. The school has a large population, and it awarded 24 bachelors’s 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 $15,787 for rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree geology students with aid per year to attend Boise State.

Read full report on Geology & Earth Sciences at Boise State

#15

Fort Lewis College

Durango, Colorado
#12 in overall quality

Fort Lewis College came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Fort Lewis College is located in Durango, Colorado and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 13 bachelors’s geology degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree geology students with aid list, FLC has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Fort Lewis College is $16,274 for Rocky Mountains Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students with aid.

Read full report on Geology & Earth Sciences at FLC

#16

University of Northern Colorado

Greeley, Colorado
#11 in overall quality

University of Northern Colorado came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Getting Aid 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.

In addition to being on our rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree geology students with aid list, University of Northern Colorado has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. It costs about $15,714 for Rocky Mountains Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students with aid per year to attend University of Northern Colorado.

Read full report on Geology & Earth Sciences at University of Northern Colorado

#17

Western Colorado University

Gunnison, Colorado
#13 in overall quality

Western Colorado University came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. This small school is located in Gunnison, Colorado, and it awarded 14 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

Western also made our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list, coming in at #13. The estimated yearly cost for Western is $17,282 for rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree geology students with aid.

Full Western Geology & Earth Sciences Report

#18

Idaho State University

Pocatello, Idaho
#18 in overall quality

Idaho State University landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. This fairly large school is located in Pocatello, Idaho, and it awarded 7 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

ISU also made our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list, coming in at #18. The yearly cost to attend Idaho State University is $16,810 for rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree geology students with aid.

Read more about Geology & Earth Sciences at Idaho State University

#19

Colorado Mesa University

Grand Junction, Colorado
#17 in overall quality

Colorado Mesa University landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Grand Junction, Colorado, and it awarded 9 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our rocky mountains region bachelor’s degree geology students with aid list, Colorado Mesa has also earned the #17 rank in our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Colorado Mesa is $15,569 for Rocky Mountains Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students with aid.

Read more about Geology & Earth Sciences at Colorado Mesa 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.

Credits

  • Credit for the banner image above goes to Kelvinsong.

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