2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Geological & Earth Sciences (Income $48-$75k) in the Southwest Region
With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. 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 $48-$75k” ranking is part of that endeavor.
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 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 $48-$75k” ranking looked at 23 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in geological and earth sciences. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent geological and earth sciences programs, but they also cost less that 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.
Featured schools near , edit
More Ways to Rank Geological & Earth Sciences Schools
Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.
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. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.
Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k
The colleges and universities below are the best for southwest region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $48-$75k.
Top 23 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Geological & Earth Sciences (Income $48-$75k) in the Southwest Region
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Arizona. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. University of Arizona is a public institution located in Tucson, Arizona. The school has a large population, and it awarded 62 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our southwest region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $48-$75k 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. The yearly cost to attend University of Arizona is $15,399 for southwest region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $48-$75k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.
Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at University of Arizona
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend The University of Texas of the Permian Basin. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. UT Permian Basin is a public institution located in Odessa, Texas. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 13 bachelors’s degrees 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. The yearly cost to attend UT Permian Basin is $10,417 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $48-$75k.
Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at UT Permian Basin
Out of the 23 schools in the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Houston landed the #3 spot on the list. University of Houston is located in Houston, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 50 bachelors’s geology degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UH, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $12,505 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UH.
With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
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 #4 for the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k. Texas A&M College Station is a large school located in College Station, Texas that handed out 74 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.
Texas A&M College Station also made our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #1. The estimated yearly cost for Texas A&M University - College Station is $18,810 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $48-$75k.
With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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%.
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 The University of Texas at Austin. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k. UT Austin is a large school located in Austin, Texas that handed out 42 bachelors’s geology degrees 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 UT Austin is $15,757 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $48-$75k.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%.
With a ranking of #6, The University of Texas at San Antonio did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. UTSA is located in San Antonio, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 24 bachelors’s geology degrees to qualified students.
UTSA not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #13 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 San Antonio is $13,827 for southwest region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $48-$75k.
Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at The University of Texas at San Antonio
Texas Tech University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Texas Tech University is a large school located in Lubbock, Texas that handed out 35 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.
Texas Tech did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Texas Tech is $17,421 for southwest region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $48-$75k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%.
Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at Texas Tech University
MSU Texas landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. MSU Texas is a medium-sized public school situated in Wichita Falls, Texas. It awarded 15 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at MSU Texas, the school also landed the #15 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend MSU Texas is $10,068 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $48-$75k.
The University of Texas at Dallas did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #9. UT Dallas is a large public school situated in Richardson, Texas. It awarded 15 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.
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. The estimated yearly cost for The University of Texas at Dallas is $13,797 for southwest region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $48-$75k.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%.
New Mexico State University - Main Campus 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 $48-$75k ranking. NMSU Main Campus is a public institution located in Las Cruces, New Mexico. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 13 bachelors’s 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 $10,235 for southwest region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend NMSU Main Campus.
Full New Mexico State University - Main Campus Geological & Earth Sciences Report
Oklahoma State University - Main Campus came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k 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 yearly cost to attend OSU is $14,698 for southwest region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $48-$75k.
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 more about Geological & Earth Sciences at Oklahoma State University - Main Campus
The University of Texas at El Paso came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This large school is located in El Paso, Texas, and 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 $48-$75k list, UTEP has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $10,786 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend The University of Texas at El Paso.
Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at The University of Texas at El Paso
The University of Texas at Arlington ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. The University of Texas at Arlington is a large school located in Arlington, Texas that handed out 30 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.
UT Arlington not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UT Arlington is $14,622 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $48-$75k.
Full The University of Texas at Arlington Geological & Earth Sciences Report
University of Houston - Downtown landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in Houston, Texas, this fairly large public school handed out 19 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s geology students in 2019-2020.
UH Downtown also took the #16 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Houston - Downtown is $8,675 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $48-$75k.
Northern Arizona University ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. This large school is located in Flagstaff, Arizona, and it awarded 27 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at NAU, the school also landed the #20 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $12,675 for southwest region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend NAU.
With a ranking of #16, Sam Houston State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. SHSU is a large school located in Huntsville, Texas that handed out 8 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.
SHSU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #21 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. It costs about $14,832 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend SHSU.
Stephen F Austin State University landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Nacogdoches, Texas, and it awarded 16 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.
SFASU also took the #22 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Stephen F Austin State University is $13,644 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $48-$75k.
University of Oklahoma Norman Campus did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #18. University of Oklahoma is a large public school situated in Norman, Oklahoma. It awarded 14 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.
University of Oklahoma also made our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #9. It costs about $21,812 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of Oklahoma.
With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 4.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at University of Oklahoma Norman Campus
Tarleton State University landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Tarleton is a fairly large school located in Stephenville, Texas that handed out 10 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.
Tarleton also made our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #12. The estimated yearly cost for Tarleton is $19,542 for southwest region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $48-$75k.
Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi is a fairly large school located in Corpus Christi, Texas that handed out 9 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.
Texas A&M Corpus Christi also made our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #19. It costs about $18,590 for southwest region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Texas A&M Corpus Christi.
Full Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi Geological & Earth Sciences Report
With a ranking of #21, University of New Mexico - Main Campus did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Albuquerque, New Mexico, this large public school awarded 12 degrees to qualified bachelors’s geology students in 2019-2020.
UNM did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #23 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of New Mexico - Main Campus is $16,557 for Southwest Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $48-$75k.
With a ranking of #22, Baylor University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Waco, Texas, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 12 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s geology students in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Baylor, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $31,343 for southwest region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Baylor University.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at Baylor University
Texas Christian University came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Southwest Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Fort Worth, Texas, and it awarded 11 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.
TCU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for TCU is $29,929 for southwest region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $48-$75k.
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%.
Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at Texas Christian University
Narrow Results by Region
Southeast
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Geological & Earth Sciences (Income $48-$75k) in the Southeast Region
Rocky Mountains
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Geological & Earth Sciences (Income $48-$75k) in the Rocky Mountains Region
Middle Atlantic
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Geological & Earth Sciences (Income $48-$75k) in the Middle Atlantic Region
Southwest
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Geological & Earth Sciences (Income $48-$75k) in the Southwest Region
New England
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Geological & Earth Sciences (Income $48-$75k) in the New England Region
Plains States
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Geological & Earth Sciences (Income $48-$75k) in the Plains States Region
Far Western US
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Geological & Earth Sciences (Income $48-$75k) in the Far Western US Region
Great Lakes
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Geological & Earth Sciences (Income $48-$75k) in the Great Lakes Region
Switch to a More General Major
Switch to a Similar Major
General Physical Sciences
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for General Physical Sciences (Income $48-$75k) in the Southwest Region
Atmospheric Sciences & Meteorology
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Atmospheric Sciences & Meteorology (Income $48-$75k) in the Southwest Region
Physics
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Physics (Income $48-$75k) in the Southwest Region
Other Physical Science
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Other Physical Science (Income $48-$75k) in the Southwest Region
Astronomy & Astrophysics
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Astronomy & Astrophysics (Income $48-$75k) in the Southwest Region
Chemistry
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Chemistry (Income $48-$75k) in the Southwest Region
Materials Sciences
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Materials Sciences (Income $48-$75k) in the Southwest Region
Switch to a More Focused Major
Geology & Earth Sciences
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Geology & Earth Sciences (Income $48-$75k) in the Southwest Region
Hydrology & Water Resources Science
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Hydrology & Water Resources Science (Income $48-$75k) in the Southwest Region
Other Geological & Earth Sciences/Geosciences
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Other Geological & Earth Sciences/Geosciences (Income $48-$75k) in the Southwest Region
Switch to a Different Ranking Method
Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor's Degree Schools in the Southwest Region
Geological & Earth Sciences students in the Southwest Region
Most Focused Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Geological & Earth Sciences in the Southwest Region
Geological & Earth Sciences students in the Southwest Region
Most Popular Bachelor's Degree Online Geological & Earth Sciences Schools
Geological & Earth Sciences students in the Southwest Region
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Geological & Earth Sciences (Income $0-$30k) in the Southwest Region
Geological & Earth Sciences students with family income less than $30k in the Southwest Region
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Geological & Earth Sciences (Income $48-$75k) in the Southwest Region
Geological & Earth Sciences students with family income $48-$75k in the Southwest Region
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Geological & Earth Sciences (Income Over $110k) in the Southwest Region
Geological & Earth Sciences students with family income exceeding $110k in the Southwest Region
Highest Paid Bachelor's Degree Geological & Earth Sciences Graduates in the Southwest Region
Geological & Earth Sciences students in the Southwest Region
Most Popular Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Geological & Earth Sciences in the Southwest Region
Geological & Earth Sciences students in the Southwest Region
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Geological & Earth Sciences in the Southwest Region (With Aid)
Geological & Earth Sciences students getting aid in the Southwest Region
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Geological & Earth Sciences (Income $30-$48k) in the Southwest Region
Geological & Earth Sciences students with family income $30-$48k in the Southwest Region
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Geological & Earth Sciences (Income $75-$110k) in the Southwest Region
Geological & Earth Sciences students with family income $75-$110k in the Southwest Region
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
Request Info |
Southern New Hampshire University
You have goals. Southern New Hampshire University can help you get there. Whether you need a bachelor's degree to get into a career or want a master's degree to move up in your current career, SNHU has an online program for you. Find your degree from over 200 online programs ... Learn More > |