Find Schools

Study Area & Zipcode

Geological & Earth Sciences

Find Schools Near

2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k

53 Ranked Colleges
1,125 Degrees Awarded
$9,600 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor's in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k

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 for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking - to help you make that decision.

Geological & Earth Sciences is the 84th most popular major in the country with 8,918 degrees awarded in 2019-2020. 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 Southeast region, there were 1,684 geological and earth sciences graduates with average earnings and debt of $31,940 and $23,131 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,125 geological and earth sciences graduates with average earnings and debt of $36,277 and $25,415 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking analyzed 53 colleges that offered a degree 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.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the geological and earth sciences program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

More Ways to Rank Geological & Earth Sciences Schools

The geology school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k”.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our 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 Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k

The colleges and universities below are the best for southeast region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $30-$48k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Geological & Earth Sciences (Income $30-$48k) in the Southeast Region

#1

University of Florida

Gainesville, Florida

Out of the 53 schools in the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Florida landed the #1 spot on the list. University of Florida is a large public school situated in Gainesville, Florida. It awarded 36 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UF, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UF is $4,069 for southeast region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $30-$48k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at University of Florida

#2

Vanderbilt University

Nashville, Tennessee
#9 in overall quality

Out of the 53 schools in the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Vanderbilt University landed the #2 spot on the list. Located in Nashville, Tennessee, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 10 degrees to qualified bachelors’s geology students in 2019-2020.

Vanderbilt also made our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #9. It costs about $6,017 for southeast region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Vanderbilt University.

The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The low student loan default rate of 1.0% 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 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full Vanderbilt University Geological & Earth Sciences Report

#3

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, North Carolina
#5 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k. UNC Chapel Hill is a public institution located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. The school has a large population, and it awarded 23 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UNC Chapel Hill not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The yearly cost to attend UNC Chapel Hill is $6,063 for southeast region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. The low student loan default rate of 1.9% 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 UNC Chapel Hill

#4

William & Mary

Williamsburg, Virginia

Out of the 53 schools in the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, William & Mary landed the #4 spot on the list. William & Mary is located in Williamsburg, Virginia and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 22 bachelors’s geology degrees to qualified students.

William & Mary also took the #4 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for William & Mary is $4,963 for southeast region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, 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 93%.

Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at William & Mary

Out of the 53 schools in the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of South Florida - Main Campus landed the #5 spot on the list. USF Tampa is a large public school situated in Tampa, Florida. It awarded 28 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southeast region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $30-$48k list, USF Tampa has also earned the #22 rank in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend USF Tampa is $5,616 for southeast region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%. 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 Geological & Earth Sciences at USF Tampa

#6

University of Georgia

Athens, Georgia

University of Georgia did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #6. UGA is a large public school situated in Athens, Georgia. It awarded 15 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

UGA also took the #1 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UGA is $10,241 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $30-$48k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at University of Georgia

Florida International University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #7. Florida International University is a large public school situated in Miami, Florida. It awarded 15 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Florida International University is $6,683 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at FIU

#8

North Carolina State University

Raleigh, North Carolina

North Carolina State University landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Raleigh, North Carolina, this large public school awarded 28 degrees to qualified bachelors’s geology students in 2019-2020.

NC State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for North Carolina State University is $9,887 for southeast region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low student loan default rate of 2.9% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full North Carolina State University Geological & Earth Sciences Report

#9

Florida State University

Tallahassee, Florida

Florida State University landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Florida State University is a large public school situated in Tallahassee, Florida. It awarded 7 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

Florida State also took the #15 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Florida State University is $6,816 for southeast region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low student loan default rate of 3.5% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%.

Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at Florida State University

#10

Northern Kentucky University

Highland Heights, Kentucky

Northern Kentucky University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #10. Northern Kentucky University is a fairly large public school situated in Highland Heights, Kentucky. It awarded 5 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Northern Kentucky University is $6,295 for southeast region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at NKU

#11

Appalachian State University

Boone, North Carolina

Appalachian State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #11. Appalachian State is located in Boone, North Carolina and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 33 bachelors’s geology degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Appalachian State, the school also landed the #11 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Appalachian State University is $9,884 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at Appalachian State

#12

West Virginia University

Morgantown, West Virginia

With a ranking of #12, West Virginia University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. WVU is a public institution located in Morgantown, West Virginia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 56 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

WVU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for WVU is $10,486 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at WVU

#13

Florida Atlantic University

Boca Raton, Florida

Florida Atlantic University landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Florida Atlantic University is a public institution located in Boca Raton, Florida. The school has a large population, and it awarded 18 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend FAU is $7,331 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at FAU

#14

Marshall University

Huntington, West Virginia

Marshall University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #14. This fairly large school is located in Huntington, West Virginia, and it awarded 7 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Marshall University is $6,741 for southeast region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full Marshall University Geological & Earth Sciences Report

#15

Virginia Tech

Blacksburg, Virginia

Virginia Tech landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This large school is located in Blacksburg, Virginia, and it awarded 19 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Virginia Tech, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $14,010 for southeast region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Virginia Tech.

The low student loan default rate of 1.6% 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 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at Virginia Tech

With a ranking of #16, Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Baton Rouge, Louisiana is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s geology degrees to 38 students in 2019-2020.

Louisiana State University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College is $13,126 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.

Full Louisiana State University Geological & Earth Sciences Report

#17

James Madison University

Harrisonburg, Virginia
#7 in overall quality

James Madison University came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Harrisonburg, Virginia is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s geology degrees to 25 students in 2019-2020.

JMU also took the #7 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for JMU is $15,726 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low student loan default rate of 2.3% 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 JMU

#18

Middle Tennessee State University

Murfreesboro, Tennessee

With a ranking of #18, Middle Tennessee State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Middle Tennessee State University is a public institution located in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. The school has a large population, and it awarded 33 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Middle Tennessee State University is $10,637 for southeast region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at Middle Tennessee State University

#19

East Carolina University

Greenville, North Carolina

East Carolina University ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. ECU is located in Greenville, North Carolina and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 16 bachelors’s geology degrees to qualified students.

ECU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #21 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It costs about $12,195 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend East Carolina University.

Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at ECU

#20

University of North Carolina at Charlotte

Charlotte, North Carolina

University of North Carolina at Charlotte ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Charlotte, North Carolina is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s geology degrees to 57 students in 2019-2020.

UNC Charlotte also took the #19 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UNC Charlotte is $12,223 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 Geological & Earth Sciences at University of North Carolina at Charlotte

#21

University of Kentucky

Lexington, Kentucky
#17 in overall quality

University of Kentucky did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #21. This large school is located in Lexington, Kentucky, and it awarded 11 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

UK did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The yearly cost to attend UK is $12,872 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at UK

University of Louisiana at Lafayette landed the #22 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Lafayette, Louisiana is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s geology degrees to 12 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend UL Lafayette is $10,726 for southeast region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full UL Lafayette Geological & Earth Sciences Report

#23

University of Southern Mississippi

Hattiesburg, Mississippi

With a ranking of #23, University of Southern Mississippi did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Southern Miss is a fairly large school located in Hattiesburg, Mississippi that handed out 9 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Southern Miss is $13,373 for southeast region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at University of Southern Mississippi

#24

Mississippi State University

Mississippi State, Mississippi

Mississippi State University ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Mississippi State University is a public institution located in Mississippi State, Mississippi. The school has a large population, and it awarded 63 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Mississippi State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #20 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It costs about $13,799 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Mississippi State.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at Mississippi State University

#25

Murray State University

Murray, Kentucky

Murray State University ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southeast Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. This medium-sized school is located in Murray, Kentucky, and it awarded 8 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $9,185 for Southeast Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Murray State University.

Full Murray State University Geological & Earth Sciences Report

Switch to a Different Ranking Method

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.

Featured Physical Sciences Schools

Find Schools Near You