2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k
When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. 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 Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is part of that endeavor.
In 2019-2020, 8,918 people earned their degree in geological and earth sciences, making the major the 84th most popular in the United States. In 2017-2018, geological and earth sciences graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $35,533 and had an average of $23,531 in loans still to pay off.
Across the Southwest region, there were 1,136 geological and earth sciences graduates with average earnings and debt of $42,627 and $21,949 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 624 geological and earth sciences graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,896 and $23,899 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking looked at 23 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in geological and earth sciences. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality geological 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 geological 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 for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.
We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most 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 Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k
The colleges and universities below are the best for southwest region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $0-$30k.
Top 23 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Geological & Earth Sciences (Income $0-$30k) in the Southwest Region
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Texas A&M University - College Station. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k. Texas A&M University - College Station is a large public school situated in College Station, Texas. It awarded 74 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our southwest region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $0-$30k list, Texas A&M College Station has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Texas A&M University - College Station is $11,454 for southwest region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $0-$30k.
The student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, 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 94%.
Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at Texas A&M University - College Station
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Arizona. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k. This large school is located in Tucson, Arizona, and it awarded 62 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our southwest region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $0-$30k list, University of Arizona has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $10,562 for southwest region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Arizona.
With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at University of Arizona
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Texas Tech University. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Texas Tech is a large school located in Lubbock, Texas that handed out 35 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our southwest region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $0-$30k list, Texas Tech has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Texas Tech University is $12,317 for southwest 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 87%.
Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at Texas Tech
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Houston. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k. Located in Houston, Texas, this large public school awarded 50 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s geology students in 2019-2020.
UH not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UH is $10,203 for southwest 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 86%.
Full University of Houston Geological & Earth Sciences Report
Out of the 23 schools in the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, The University of Texas at San Antonio landed the #5 spot on the list. This large school is located in San Antonio, Texas, and it awarded 24 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.
UTSA did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. It costs about $10,516 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend The University of Texas at San Antonio.
The University of Texas of the Permian Basin landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Odessa, Texas is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s geology degrees to 13 students in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UT Permian Basin, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $7,889 for southwest region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UT Permian Basin.
Full The University of Texas of the Permian Basin Geological & Earth Sciences Report
Oklahoma State University - Main Campus landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Stillwater, Oklahoma is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s geology degrees to 18 students in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at OSU, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for OSU is $8,669 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $0-$30k.
With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
The University of Texas at Austin landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Austin, Texas, this large public school handed out 42 degrees to qualified bachelors’s geology students in 2019-2020.
UT Austin did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The yearly cost to attend The University of Texas at Austin is $12,203 for southwest region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $0-$30k.
With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low 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%.
Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at UT Austin
MSU Texas did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #9. Wichita Falls, Texas is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s geology degrees to 15 students in 2019-2020.
MSU Texas not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #15 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The yearly cost to attend MSU Texas is $7,703 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at MSU Texas
The University of Texas at Dallas came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UT Dallas is located in Richardson, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 15 bachelors’s geology degrees to qualified students.
UT Dallas not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. It costs about $10,857 for southwest region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend The University of Texas at Dallas.
With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 4.9% 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 full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at UT Dallas
The University of Texas at El Paso ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. UTEP is a large public school situated in El Paso, Texas. It awarded 19 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our southwest region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $0-$30k list, UTEP has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend The University of Texas at El Paso is $7,092 for southwest region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $0-$30k.
New Mexico State University - Main Campus did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #12. New Mexico State University - Main Campus is a fairly large public school situated in Las Cruces, New Mexico. It awarded 13 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.
NMSU Main Campus also took the #17 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $6,896 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend New Mexico State University - Main Campus.
University of Houston - Downtown did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #13. University of Houston - Downtown is located in Houston, Texas and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 19 bachelors’s geology degrees to qualified students.
UH Downtown not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. It costs about $5,065 for southwest region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UH Downtown.
Full University of Houston - Downtown Geological & Earth Sciences Report
The University of Texas at Arlington ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Arlington, Texas, this large public school awarded 30 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s geology students in 2019-2020.
UT Arlington did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UT Arlington is $11,811 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $0-$30k.
Full The University of Texas at Arlington Geological & Earth Sciences Report
Stephen F Austin State University ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This fairly large school is located in Nacogdoches, Texas, and it awarded 16 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.
SFASU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #22 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for SFASU is $8,650 for southwest region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $0-$30k.
Northern Arizona University ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. NAU is located in Flagstaff, Arizona and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 27 bachelors’s geology degrees to qualified students.
NAU also made our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #20. The yearly cost to attend NAU is $9,251 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at Northern Arizona University
Sam Houston State University landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in Huntsville, Texas, and it awarded 8 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.
SHSU also took the #21 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Sam Houston State University is $10,561 for southwest region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at Sam Houston State University
With a ranking of #18, University of Oklahoma Norman Campus did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Norman, Oklahoma, this large public school handed out 14 degrees to qualified bachelors’s geology students in 2019-2020.
University of Oklahoma not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. It costs about $16,675 for southwest region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Oklahoma Norman Campus.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low student loan default rate of 4.7% 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 University of Oklahoma Geological & Earth Sciences Report
Tarleton State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #19. This fairly large school is located in Stephenville, Texas, and it awarded 10 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.
Tarleton not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Tarleton is $15,604 for southwest region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $0-$30k.
University of New Mexico - Main Campus came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Albuquerque, New Mexico is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s geology degrees to 12 students in 2019-2020.
UNM not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #23 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UNM is $13,242 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $0-$30k.
Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #21. This fairly large school is located in Corpus Christi, Texas, and it awarded 9 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.
Texas A&M Corpus Christi did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #19 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. It costs about $15,501 for southwest region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Texas A&M Corpus Christi.
Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi
Baylor University landed the #22 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Baylor University is located in Waco, Texas and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 12 bachelors’s geology degrees to qualified students.
Baylor not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Baylor is $26,726 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
Texas Christian University ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Texas Christian University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Fort Worth, Texas. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 11 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our southwest region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $0-$30k list, TCU has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $21,286 for southwest region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend TCU.
With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 3.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
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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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