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2022 Best Value Colleges for Geological & Earth Sciences (Income $75-$110k) in the Southwest Region

24 Ranked Colleges
1,136 Degrees Awarded
$19,800 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Geology Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $75-$110k

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value Geology Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $75-$110k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

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.

This year’s “Best Value Geology Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $75-$110k” ranking analyzed 24 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.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the geological and earth sciences program at the school. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

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 Southwest Region For Those Making $75-$110k” 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. 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 in the Southwest Region For Those Making $75-$110k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Geology Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $75-$110k.

Top 24 Best Value Colleges for Geological & Earth Sciences (Income $75-$110k) in the Southwest Region

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend The University of Texas of the Permian Basin. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Geology Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. Odessa, Texas is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s geology degrees to 28 students in 2019-2020.

UT Permian Basin also made our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #8. It costs about $10,923 for Southwest Region Geology students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend The University of Texas of the Permian Basin.

Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at UT Permian Basin

Out of the 24 schools in the Best Value Geology Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $75-$110k that were part of this year’s ranking, The University of Texas at Austin landed the #2 spot on the list. Located in Austin, Texas, this large public school awarded 78 diplomas to qualified ’s geology students in 2019-2020.

UT Austin also made our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #1. The yearly cost to attend UT Austin is $20,454 for southwest region geology students whose families make $75-$110k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.7%, 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 97%.

Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at UT Austin

#3

University of Arizona

Tucson, Arizona

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Arizona. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Geology Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. University of Arizona is a large school located in Tucson, Arizona that handed out 100 ’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southwest region geology students whose families make $75-$110k list, University of Arizona has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Arizona is $20,200 for Southwest Region Geology students whose families make $75-$110k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.

Full University of Arizona Geological & Earth Sciences Report

#4

MSU Texas

Wichita Falls, Texas

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend MSU Texas. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Geology Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $75-$110k. MSU Texas is located in Wichita Falls, Texas and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 23 ’s geology degrees to qualified students.

MSU Texas did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for MSU Texas is $15,146 for Southwest Region Geology students whose families make $75-$110k.

Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at MSU Texas

#5

University of Houston

Houston, Texas

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Houston. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Geology Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. Located in Houston, Texas, this large public school awarded 98 degrees to qualified ’s geology students in 2019-2020.

UH also made our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #5. The yearly cost to attend University of Houston is $18,844 for southwest region geology students whose families make $75-$110k.

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 University of Houston

New Mexico State University - Main Campus ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. This fairly large school is located in Las Cruces, New Mexico, and it awarded 23 ’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

NMSU Main Campus also took the #18 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $12,909 for Southwest Region Geology students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend New Mexico State University - Main Campus.

Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at NMSU Main Campus

The University of Texas at El Paso did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #7. El Paso, Texas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s geology degrees to 36 students in 2019-2020.

UTEP not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #20 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for The University of Texas at El Paso is $15,123 for Southwest Region Geology students whose families make $75-$110k.

Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at UTEP

#8

Texas Tech University

Lubbock, Texas

Texas Tech University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #8. Texas Tech University is a large public school situated in Lubbock, Texas. It awarded 48 ’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

Texas Tech not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Texas Tech University is $21,305 for southwest region geology students whose families make $75-$110k.

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

The University of Texas at San Antonio landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. The University of Texas at San Antonio is a large public school situated in San Antonio, Texas. It awarded 39 ’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

UTSA not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The yearly cost to attend The University of Texas at San Antonio is $18,275 for southwest region geology students whose families make $75-$110k.

Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at The University of Texas at San Antonio

Oklahoma State University - Main Campus came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geology Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Oklahoma State University - Main Campus is a large public school situated in Stillwater, Oklahoma. It awarded 36 ’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southwest region geology students whose families make $75-$110k list, OSU has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for OSU is $18,978 for Southwest Region Geology students whose families make $75-$110k.

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

Arizona State University - Tempe came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geology Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Tempe, Arizona is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s geology degrees to 24 students in 2019-2020.

ASU - Tempe did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for ASU - Tempe is $17,373 for southwest region geology students whose families make $75-$110k.

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 more about Geological & Earth Sciences at Arizona State University - Tempe

University of Houston - Downtown ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. University of Houston - Downtown is a fairly large school located in Houston, Texas that handed out 19 ’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

UH Downtown not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #17 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Southwest Region” list. It costs about $13,592 for Southwest Region Geology students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend University of Houston - Downtown.

Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at University of Houston - Downtown

The University of Texas at Dallas did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #13. The University of Texas at Dallas is a large school located in Richardson, Texas that handed out 39 ’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southwest region geology students whose families make $75-$110k list, UT Dallas has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $20,552 for southwest region geology students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend The University of Texas at Dallas.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at UT Dallas

#14

Texas A&M University - College Station

College Station, Texas

Texas A&M University - College Station ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. Texas A&M University - College Station is a public institution located in College Station, Texas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 149 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Texas A&M College Station also took the #2 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Texas A&M College Station is $26,028 for Southwest Region Geology students whose families make $75-$110k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. 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 Texas A&M University - College Station

The University of Texas at Arlington ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. UT Arlington is a large school located in Arlington, Texas that handed out 39 ’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UT Arlington, the school also landed the #11 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for The University of Texas at Arlington is $16,473 for Southwest Region Geology students whose families make $75-$110k.

Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at UT Arlington

#16

Northern Arizona University

Flagstaff, Arizona

Northern Arizona University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #16. Northern Arizona University is a public institution located in Flagstaff, Arizona. The school has a large population, and it awarded 41 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

NAU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #21 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Southwest Region” list. It costs about $16,535 for southwest region geology students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend NAU.

Full Northern Arizona University Geological & Earth Sciences Report

University of Oklahoma Norman Campus landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Located in Norman, Oklahoma, this large public school handed out 40 degrees to qualified ’s geology students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at University of Oklahoma, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $24,730 for southwest region geology students whose families make $75-$110k 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 school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Oklahoma Norman Campus Geological & Earth Sciences Report

#18

Tarleton State University

Stephenville, Texas

Tarleton State University ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. Tarleton State University is a fairly large school located in Stephenville, Texas that handed out 10 ’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southwest region geology students whose families make $75-$110k list, Tarleton has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Tarleton is $21,678 for southwest region geology students whose families make $75-$110k.

Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at Tarleton State University

Stephen F Austin State University landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Nacogdoches, Texas, and it awarded 21 ’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

SFASU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #24 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Southwest Region” list. It costs about $18,653 for Southwest Region Geology students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Stephen F Austin State University.

Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at SFASU

#20

Sam Houston State University

Huntsville, Texas

Sam Houston State University came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geology Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. This large school is located in Huntsville, Texas, and it awarded 8 ’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

SHSU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #22 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Sam Houston State University is $19,531 for southwest region geology students whose families make $75-$110k.

Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at SHSU

#21

University of New Mexico - Main Campus

Albuquerque, New Mexico

With a ranking of #21, University of New Mexico - Main Campus did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. UNM is located in Albuquerque, New Mexico and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 28 ’s geology degrees to qualified students.

UNM not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #23 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Southwest Region” list. It costs about $18,920 for Southwest Region Geology students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend University of New Mexico - Main Campus.

Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at University of New Mexico - Main Campus

#22

Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi

Corpus Christi, Texas

Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi landed the #22 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Located in Corpus Christi, Texas, this fairly large public school awarded 9 degrees to qualified ’s geology students in 2019-2020.

Texas A&M Corpus Christi not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #19 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi is $19,418 for southwest region geology students whose families make $75-$110k.

Full Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi Geological & Earth Sciences Report

#23

Baylor University

Waco, Texas

Baylor University landed the #23 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Waco, Texas, and it awarded 21 ’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

Baylor also made our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #7. It costs about $35,300 for Southwest Region Geology students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Baylor University.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.

Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at Baylor University

#24

Texas Christian University

Fort Worth, Texas

With a ranking of #24, Texas Christian University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. Texas Christian University is located in Fort Worth, Texas and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 21 ’s geology degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at TCU, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend TCU is $33,664 for southwest region geology students whose families make $75-$110k.

With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 3.4% 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 TCU Geological & Earth Sciences Report

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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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