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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Geological & Earth Sciences (Income $75-$110k) in the Plains States Region

16 Ranked Colleges
330 Degrees Awarded
$17,900 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor's in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. 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 Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k” 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 Plains States region, there were 509 geological and earth sciences graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $25,562 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 330 geological and earth sciences graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,786 and $25,576 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k” ranking, we looked at 16 colleges that offer a degree in geological and earth sciences. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great geological and earth sciences programs and 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 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 Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.

Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k.

Top 16 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Geological & Earth Sciences (Income $75-$110k) in the Plains States Region

#1 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Missouri University of Science and Technology. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k. Missouri University of Science and Technology is a medium-sized public school situated in Rolla, Missouri. It awarded 31 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Missouri University of Science and Technology, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Missouri University of Science and Technology is $16,060 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $75-$110k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. 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 Missouri University of Science and Technology

#11 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Minnesota - Morris. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. UMN Morris is a public institution located in Morris, Minnesota. The school has a small population, and it awarded 1 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UMN Morris also made our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #11. It costs about $13,194 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend UMN Morris.

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%.

Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at UMN Morris

#3

University of Northern Iowa

Cedar Falls, Iowa

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Northern Iowa. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k. University of Northern Iowa is a public institution located in Cedar Falls, Iowa. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 10 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UNI not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $17,467 for plains states region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend University of Northern Iowa.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full UNI Geological & Earth Sciences Report

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Iowa State University. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. Iowa State is located in Ames, Iowa and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 16 bachelors’s geology degrees to qualified students.

Iowa State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Iowa State is $17,228 for plains states region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $75-$110k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default 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 Iowa State University

#5

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, Minnesota

Out of the 16 schools in the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities landed the #5 spot on the list. Minneapolis, Minnesota is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s geology degrees to 14 students in 2019-2020.

UMN Twin Cities did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend UMN Twin Cities is $19,942 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $75-$110k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full UMN Twin Cities Geological & Earth Sciences Report

Northwest Missouri State University ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. Northwest Missouri State University is located in Maryville, Missouri and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 11 bachelors’s geology degrees to qualified students.

Northwest also took the #14 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Northwest Missouri State University is $14,385 for plains states region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $75-$110k.

Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at Northwest Missouri State University

#7

Kansas State University

Manhattan, Kansas
#6 in overall quality

With a ranking of #7, Kansas State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. K -State is a large public school situated in Manhattan, Kansas. It awarded 11 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

K -State also made our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #6. The yearly cost to attend K -State is $19,892 for plains states region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $75-$110k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at K -State

#13 in overall quality

Fort Hays State University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Fort Hays State University is located in Hays, Kansas and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 16 bachelors’s geology degrees to qualified students.

FHSU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #13 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend FHSU is $14,807 for plains states region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $75-$110k.

Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at Fort Hays State University

#7 in overall quality

With a ranking of #9, University of Missouri - Columbia did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. Located in Columbia, Missouri, this large public school handed out 6 degrees to qualified bachelors’s geology students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $75-$110k list, Mizzou has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Missouri - Columbia is $19,595 for plains states region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $75-$110k.

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 school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Missouri - Columbia Geological & Earth Sciences Report

South Dakota School of Mines and Technology did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #10. SD Mines is a small school located in Rapid City, South Dakota that handed out 11 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

SD Mines did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $21,246 for plains states region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend SD Mines.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full South Dakota School of Mines and Technology Geological & Earth Sciences Report

University of Minnesota - Duluth did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #11. UMN Duluth is a public institution located in Duluth, Minnesota. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 8 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UMN Duluth also took the #10 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Minnesota - Duluth is $19,042 for plains states region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $75-$110k.

The low student loan default rate of 3.1% 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 UMN Duluth

With a ranking of #12, Missouri State University - Springfield did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. Missouri State is a large public school situated in Springfield, Missouri. It awarded 12 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Missouri State, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Missouri State University - Springfield is $18,298 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $75-$110k.

Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at Missouri State University - Springfield

#13

University of Kansas

Lawrence, Kansas

University of Kansas did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #13. University of Kansas is a large public school situated in Lawrence, Kansas. It awarded 21 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at KU, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $20,981 for plains states region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend KU.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at KU

#14

University of Missouri - Kansas City

Kansas City, Missouri
#15 in overall quality

University of Missouri - Kansas City ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. University of Missouri - Kansas City is located in Kansas City, Missouri and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 8 bachelors’s geology degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UMKC, the school also landed the #15 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Missouri - Kansas City is $17,241 for plains states region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $75-$110k.

Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at UMKC

#15

Wichita State University

Wichita, Kansas

Wichita State University landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Wichita, Kansas is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s geology degrees to 8 students in 2019-2020.

WSU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $16,620 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Wichita State University.

Full WSU Geological & Earth Sciences Report

#16

Gustavus Adolphus College

Saint Peter, Minnesota
#8 in overall quality

Gustavus Adolphus College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #16. Located in Saint Peter, Minnesota, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 4 degrees to qualified bachelors’s geology students in 2019-2020.

Gustavus Adolphus did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Gustavus Adolphus College is $20,755 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $75-$110k.

With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 1.5% 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 Gustavus Adolphus College

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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.

Credits

  • Credit for the banner image above goes to Kelvinsong.

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