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

23 Ranked Colleges
1,136 Degrees Awarded
$22,300 Avg Net Price*
Best Vallue Geology Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making Over $110k

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Vallue Geology Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making Over $110k” ranking.

In 2019-2020, 8,918 people earned their degree in geological and earth sciences, making the major the 84th most popular in the United States. 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 Vallue Geology Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making Over $110k” ranking analyzed 23 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 the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Vallue Geology Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making Over $110k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.

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Best Vallue Geology Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making Over $110k

The colleges and universities below are the best for southwest region geology students whose families make more than $110k.

Top 23 Best Value Colleges for Geological & Earth Sciences (Income Over $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 Vallue Geology Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making Over $110k list. This medium-sized school is located in Odessa, Texas, and it awarded 28 ’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

UT Permian Basin not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for The University of Texas of the Permian Basin is $10,092 for southwest region geology students whose families make more than $110k.

Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at UT Permian Basin

#2

University of Arizona

Tucson, Arizona

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Arizona. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Vallue Geology Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making Over $110k list. Tucson, Arizona is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s geology degrees to 100 students in 2019-2020.

University of Arizona did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Arizona is $15,016 for Southwest Region Geology students whose families make more than $110k.

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

Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at University of Arizona

#3

Texas Tech University

Lubbock, Texas

Out of the 23 schools in the Best Vallue Geology Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making Over $110k that were part of this year’s ranking, Texas Tech University landed the #3 spot on the list. Texas Tech is a public institution located in Lubbock, Texas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 48 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Texas Tech also made our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Southwest Region” list, coming in at #4. The estimated yearly cost for Texas Tech is $17,571 for Southwest Region Geology students whose families make more than $110k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%.

Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at Texas Tech University

#4

University of Houston

Houston, Texas

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Houston. The school came in at #4 for the Best Vallue Geology Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making Over $110k. This large school is located in Houston, Texas, and it awarded 98 ’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

UH not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UH is $12,838 for Southwest Region Geology students whose families make more than $110k.

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

Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at UH

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend New Mexico State University - Main Campus. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Vallue Geology Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making Over $110k list. Las Cruces, New Mexico is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s geology degrees to 23 students in 2019-2020.

NMSU Main Campus not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #18 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The yearly cost to attend NMSU Main Campus is $8,659 for Southwest Region Geology students whose families make more than $110k.

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

The University of Texas at Austin ranked #6 on this year’s Best Vallue Geology Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making Over $110k list. UT Austin is located in Austin, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 78 ’s geology degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UT Austin, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for The University of Texas at Austin is $18,023 for Southwest Region Geology students whose families make more than $110k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default 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 The University of Texas at Austin

#7

MSU Texas

Wichita Falls, Texas

MSU Texas ranked #7 on this year’s Best Vallue Geology Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making Over $110k list. This medium-sized school is located in Wichita Falls, Texas, and it awarded 23 ’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

MSU Texas also took the #15 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $10,045 for southwest region geology students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend MSU Texas.

Full MSU Texas Geological & Earth Sciences Report

The University of Texas at San Antonio came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Vallue Geology Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making Over $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 did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The yearly cost to attend UTSA is $13,853 for southwest region geology students whose families make more than $110k.

Full UTSA Geological & Earth Sciences Report

Arizona State University - Tempe did quite well in the 2022 Best Vallue Geology Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making Over $110k ranking, coming in at #9. 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.

In addition to being on our southwest region geology students whose families make more than $110k list, ASU - Tempe has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for ASU - Tempe is $11,706 for Southwest Region Geology students whose families make more than $110k.

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

Full Arizona State University - Tempe Geological & Earth Sciences Report

#10

Texas A&M University - College Station

College Station, Texas

Texas A&M University - College Station landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Vallue Geology Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making Over $110k ranking. Texas A&M College Station is located in College Station, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 149 ’s geology degrees to qualified students.

Texas A&M College Station not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Southwest Region” list. It costs about $19,057 for Southwest Region Geology students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend Texas A&M College Station.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. 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%.

Full Texas A&M College Station Geological & Earth Sciences Report

The University of Texas at El Paso came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Vallue Geology Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making Over $110k ranking. 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.

In addition to being on our southwest region geology students whose families make more than $110k list, UTEP has also earned the #20 rank in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend The University of Texas at El Paso is $8,920 for Southwest Region Geology students whose families make more than $110k.

Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at The University of Texas at El Paso

The University of Texas at Arlington came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Vallue Geology Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making Over $110k ranking. The University of Texas at Arlington is located in Arlington, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 39 ’s geology degrees to qualified students.

UT Arlington not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The yearly cost to attend The University of Texas at Arlington is $14,246 for Southwest Region Geology students whose families make more than $110k.

Full The University of Texas at Arlington Geological & Earth Sciences Report

Oklahoma State University - Main Campus came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Vallue Geology Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making Over $110k ranking. Located in Stillwater, Oklahoma, this large public school handed out 36 diplomas to qualified ’s geology students in 2019-2020.

OSU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The yearly cost to attend OSU is $14,648 for southwest region geology students whose families make more than $110k.

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

Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at OSU

The University of Texas at Dallas landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Vallue Geology Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making Over $110k ranking. The University of Texas at Dallas is a large public school situated in Richardson, Texas. It awarded 39 ’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

UT Dallas did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Southwest Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for The University of Texas at Dallas is $15,232 for Southwest Region Geology students whose families make more than $110k.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full The University of Texas at Dallas Geological & Earth Sciences Report

University of Houston - Downtown ranked #15 on this year’s Best Vallue Geology Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making Over $110k list. UH Downtown is a fairly large school located in Houston, Texas that handed out 19 ’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southwest region geology students whose families make more than $110k list, UH Downtown has also earned the #17 rank in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Houston - Downtown is $6,848 for Southwest Region Geology students whose families make more than $110k.

Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at UH Downtown

University of Oklahoma Norman Campus landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Vallue Geology Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making Over $110k ranking. University of Oklahoma is a large public school situated in Norman, Oklahoma. It awarded 40 ’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

University of Oklahoma also took the #6 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $21,145 for southwest region geology students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend University of Oklahoma Norman Campus.

The low student loan default rate of 4.7% 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%. 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 more about Geological & Earth Sciences at University of Oklahoma

#17

Tarleton State University

Stephenville, Texas

Tarleton State University came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Vallue Geology Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making Over $110k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Stephenville, Texas, and it awarded 10 ’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our southwest region geology students whose families make more than $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 State University is $18,979 for Southwest Region Geology students whose families make more than $110k.

Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at Tarleton

#18

Northern Arizona University

Flagstaff, Arizona

Northern Arizona University ranked #18 on this year’s Best Vallue Geology Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making Over $110k list. 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 also took the #21 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Northern Arizona University is $12,915 for Southwest Region Geology students whose families make more than $110k.

Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at NAU

#19

Sam Houston State University

Huntsville, Texas

Sam Houston State University came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Vallue Geology Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making Over $110k ranking. Sam Houston State University is located in Huntsville, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 8 ’s geology degrees to qualified students.

SHSU also took the #22 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $14,617 for Southwest Region Geology students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend SHSU.

Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at SHSU

#20

University of New Mexico - Main Campus

Albuquerque, New Mexico

University of New Mexico - Main Campus came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Vallue Geology Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making Over $110k ranking. Located in Albuquerque, New Mexico, this large public school awarded 28 diplomas to qualified ’s geology students in 2019-2020.

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 $14,446 for southwest region geology students whose families make more than $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

With a ranking of #21, Stephen F Austin State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Vallue Geology Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making Over $110k list. Stephen F Austin State University is a public institution located in Nacogdoches, Texas. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 21 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at SFASU, the school also landed the #24 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for SFASU is $13,723 for Southwest Region Geology students whose families make more than $110k.

Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at Stephen F Austin State University

#22

Baylor University

Waco, Texas

Baylor University came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Vallue Geology Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making Over $110k ranking. Baylor University is located in Waco, Texas and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 21 ’s geology degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our southwest region geology students whose families make more than $110k list, Baylor has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Southwest Region” ranking. It costs about $36,039 for Southwest Region Geology students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend Baylor.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at Baylor University

#23

Texas Christian University

Fort Worth, Texas

Texas Christian University came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Vallue Geology Schools in the Southwest Region For Those Making Over $110k ranking. Fort Worth, Texas is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s geology degrees to 21 students in 2019-2020.

TCU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Southwest Region” list. It costs about $36,811 for Southwest Region Geology students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend Texas Christian University.

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%.

Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at TCU

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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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