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2023 Best Value Colleges for Geology & Earth Sciences in the Plains States Region (With Aid)

11 Ranked Colleges
340 Degrees Awarded
$18,000 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Geology Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Geology Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking - to help you make that decision.

In 2020-2021, 6,024 people earned their degree in geology and earth sciences, making the major the 125th most popular in the United States.

Across the Plains States region, there were 340 geology and earth sciences graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Geology Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking analyzed 11 colleges that offered a degree in geology and earth sciences. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality geology and earth sciences programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the geology and earth sciences program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

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Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Geology Schools in the Plains States 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. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.

Best Value Geology Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid

The colleges and universities below are the best for plains states region geology students with aid.

Top 11 Best Value Colleges for Geology & Earth Sciences in the Plains States Region (With Aid)

1

Out of the 11 schools in the Best Value Geology Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Iowa State University landed the #1 spot on the list. Located in Ames, Iowa, this large public school awarded 21 degrees to qualified ’s geology students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our plains states region geology students with aid list, Iowa State has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $16,002 for Plains States Region Geology students with aid per year to attend Iowa State.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 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.

Full Iowa State Geology & Earth Sciences Report

2

Out of the 11 schools in the Best Value Geology Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities landed the #2 spot on the list. Minneapolis, Minnesota is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s geology degrees to 28 students in 2020-2021.

UMN Twin Cities did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UMN Twin Cities is $17,878 for Plains States Region Geology students with aid.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, 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.

Read full report on Geology & Earth Sciences at UMN Twin Cities

3
Iowa crest
University of Iowa
Iowa City, Iowa

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Iowa. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Geology Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Iowa City, Iowa, this large public school awarded 19 diplomas to qualified ’s geology students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Iowa, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $19,401 for plains states region geology students with aid per year to attend University of Iowa.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%.

Full Iowa Geology & Earth Sciences Report

4

Out of the 11 schools in the Best Value Geology Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Missouri - Columbia landed the #4 spot on the list. Columbia, Missouri is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s geology degrees to 11 students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Mizzou, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Missouri - Columbia is $16,559 for Plains States Region Geology students with aid.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Geology & Earth Sciences at University of Missouri - Columbia

5

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Missouri State University - Springfield. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Geology Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. This large school is located in Springfield, Missouri, and it awarded 30 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.

Missouri State also made our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #5. The yearly cost to attend Missouri State University - Springfield is $16,718 for Plains States Region Geology students with aid.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.9% 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 Missouri State University - Springfield

6

With a ranking of #6, University of Minnesota - Morris did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Geology Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Morris, Minnesota, this small public school handed out 4 degrees to qualified ’s geology students in 2020-2021.

UMN Morris also made our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #10. The estimated yearly cost for University of Minnesota - Morris is $10,529 for Plains States Region Geology students with aid.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Geology & Earth Sciences at University of Minnesota - Morris

7

University of Minnesota - Duluth landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Best Value Geology Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. UMN Duluth is a medium-sized school located in Duluth, Minnesota that handed out 19 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our plains states region geology students with aid list, UMN Duluth has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Minnesota - Duluth is $18,505 for plains states region geology students with aid.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Minnesota - Duluth Geology & Earth Sciences Report

8

With a ranking of #8, University of Missouri - Kansas City did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Geology Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. University of Missouri - Kansas City is a public institution located in Kansas City, Missouri. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 4 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UMKC, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $15,702 for plains states region geology students with aid per year to attend University of Missouri - Kansas City.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.7% 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%.

Read more about Geology & Earth Sciences at UMKC

9
KU crest
University of Kansas
Lawrence, Kansas

University of Kansas landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Best Value Geology Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Lawrence, Kansas, this large public school handed out 27 degrees to qualified ’s geology students in 2020-2021.

KU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Kansas is $20,257 for plains states region geology students with aid.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.

Full KU Geology & Earth Sciences Report

10
Winona State crest
Winona State University
Winona, Minnesota

Winona State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Geology Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #10. Winona State University is a medium-sized public school situated in Winona, Minnesota. It awarded 12 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our plains states region geology students with aid list, Winona State has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Winona State University is $17,634 for Plains States Region Geology students with aid.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.7% 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%.

Full Winona State University Geology & Earth Sciences Report

11
Carleton crest
Carleton College
Northfield, Minnesota

Carleton College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Geology Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #11. Carleton is located in Northfield, Minnesota and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 21 ’s geology degrees to qualified students.

Carleton also took the #4 spot in our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Carleton is $28,928 for plains states region geology students with aid.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.8% 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 94%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read full report on Geology & Earth Sciences at Carleton College

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