2023 Best Value Colleges for Geological & Earth Sciences (Income $48-$75k) in the Rocky Mountains Region
12
Ranked Colleges
526
Degrees Awarded
With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. 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 Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking - to help you make that decision.
In 2020-2021, 7,821 people earned their degree in geological and earth sciences, making the major the 95th most popular in the United States. In 2019-2020, geological and earth sciences graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $38,705 and had an average of $23,383 in loans still to pay off.
Across the Rocky Mountains region, there were 526 geological and earth sciences graduates with average earnings and debt of $40,791 and $24,175 respectively.
For this year’s “Best Value Geology Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking, we looked at 12 colleges that offer a degree 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.
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. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
More Ways to Rank Geological & Earth Sciences Schools
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 Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $48-$75k” 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 in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $48-$75k
The colleges and universities below are the best for rocky mountains region geology students whose families make $48-$75k.
Top 12 Best Value Colleges for Geological & Earth Sciences (Income $48-$75k) in the Rocky Mountains Region
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wyoming. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value Geology Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. UW is a public institution located in Laramie, Wyoming. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 45 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. It costs about $9,394 for rocky mountains region geology students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of Wyoming.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at University of Wyoming
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Brigham Young University - Provo. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Geology Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $48-$75k. Brigham Young University - Provo is a private not-for-profit institution located in Provo, Utah. The school has a large population, and it awarded 26 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
BYU also made our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list, coming in at #6. The yearly cost to attend BYU is $12,676 for rocky mountains region geology students whose families make $48-$75k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at Brigham Young University - Provo
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Utah. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Geology Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. University of Utah is located in Salt Lake City, Utah and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 39 ’s geology degrees to qualified students.
U of U also took the #4 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend U of U is $13,842 for Rocky Mountains Region Geology students whose families make $48-$75k.
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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at U of U
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Idaho. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Geology Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. University of Idaho is a fairly large public school situated in Moscow, Idaho. It awarded 18 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at U of I, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for U of I is $13,998 for rocky mountains region geology students whose families make $48-$75k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at U of I
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Colorado State University - Fort Collins. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Geology Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Fort Collins, Colorado, this large public school awarded 19 degrees to qualified ’s geology students in 2020-2021.
Colorado State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list. It costs about $15,086 for Rocky Mountains Region Geology students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Colorado State University - Fort Collins.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%.
Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at Colorado State
University of Colorado Boulder landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Best Value Geology Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Boulder, Colorado is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s geology degrees to 64 students in 2020-2021.
CU - Boulder also took the #3 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for CU - Boulder is $18,204 for rocky mountains region geology students whose families make $48-$75k.
With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.
Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at University of Colorado Boulder
With a ranking of #7, Colorado School of Mines did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Geology Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Mines is a public institution located in Golden, Colorado. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 58 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Mines did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list. It costs about $24,461 for Rocky Mountains Region Geology students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Mines.
With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.7% 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 Geological & Earth Sciences at Mines
University of Northern Colorado ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. University of Northern Colorado is located in Greeley, Colorado and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 23 ’s geology degrees to qualified students.
University of Northern Colorado did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Northern Colorado is $14,111 for rocky mountains region geology students whose families make $48-$75k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at University of Northern Colorado
Boise State University ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Boise State is a large school located in Boise, Idaho that handed out 24 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.
Boise State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Boise State is $16,204 for Rocky Mountains Region Geology students whose families make $48-$75k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.3% 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 Boise State University
With a ranking of #10, Montana State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Geology Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Montana State University is a fairly large public school situated in Bozeman, Montana. It awarded 47 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.
MSU Bozeman not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for MSU Bozeman is $19,942 for rocky mountains region geology students whose families make $48-$75k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at Montana State University
