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2022 Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Geological & Earth Sciences in the Plains States Region (With Aid)

11 Ranked Colleges
124 Degrees Awarded
$23,600 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees*
Best Value Geology Schools for a Master's in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid

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 for a Master’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

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 Plains States region, there were 509 geological and earth sciences graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $25,562 respectively. At the master’s degree level specifically, there were 124 geological and earth sciences graduates with average earnings and debt of $53,438 and $39,783 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Geology Schools for a Master’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking, we looked at 11 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. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

One Size Does Not Fit All

The geology school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Best Value Geology Schools for a Master’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid”.

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 for a Master’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Geology Schools for a Master’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid.

Top 11 Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Geological & Earth Sciences in the Plains States Region (With Aid)

#2 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 Master’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid. This medium-sized school is located in Rolla, Missouri, and it awarded 9 masters’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

Missouri University of Science and Technology also took the #2 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Master’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Missouri University of Science and Technology are $30,943, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at Missouri University of Science and Technology

#2

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, Minnesota
#1 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Minnesota - Twin Cities. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Geology Schools for a Master’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid. UMN Twin Cities is a large school located in Minneapolis, Minnesota that handed out 16 masters’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our plains states region master’s degree geology students with aid list, UMN Twin Cities has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Master’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Minnesota - Twin Cities are $28,845, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at UMN Twin Cities

#6 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Missouri - Columbia. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Geology Schools for a Master’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid. Mizzou is a large public school situated in Columbia, Missouri. It awarded 6 masters’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Mizzou, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Master’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Missouri - Columbia are $27,193, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at Mizzou

#4

Kansas State University

Manhattan, Kansas
#5 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Kansas State University. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Master’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. K -State is a large public school situated in Manhattan, Kansas. It awarded 14 masters’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

K -State also made our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Master’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #5. Average graduate tuition and fees at Kansas State University are $24,115, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at Kansas State University

#4 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Iowa State University. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Master’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. Iowa State is a public institution located in Ames, Iowa. The school has a large population, and it awarded 5 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Iowa State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Master’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Iowa State University are $25,948, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full Iowa State Geological & Earth Sciences Report

#10 in overall quality

Fort Hays State University ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools for a Master’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. Fort Hays State University is a public institution located in Hays, Kansas. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 8 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at FHSU, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Master’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at Fort Hays State University are $11,376, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

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

#7

University of Kansas

Lawrence, Kansas

University of Kansas came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geology Schools for a Master’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Lawrence, Kansas, this large public school awarded 12 diplomas to qualified masters’s geology students in 2019-2020.

KU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Master’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at University of Kansas are $25,007, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at University of Kansas

South Dakota School of Mines and Technology landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Master’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. This small school is located in Rapid City, South Dakota, and it awarded 2 masters’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our plains states region master’s degree geology students with aid list, SD Mines has also earned the #0 rank in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Master’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at South Dakota School of Mines and Technology are $19,250, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at SD Mines

#8 in overall quality

University of Minnesota - Duluth ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools for a Master’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. University of Minnesota - Duluth is a public institution located in Duluth, Minnesota. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 4 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UMN Duluth, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Master’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at UMN Duluth are $28,606, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full UMN Duluth Geological & Earth Sciences Report

#10

University of Missouri - Kansas City

Kansas City, Missouri
#9 in overall quality

With a ranking of #10, University of Missouri - Kansas City did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Master’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. This fairly large school is located in Kansas City, Missouri, and it awarded 6 masters’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

UMKC also took the #9 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Master’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at UMKC are $26,699, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full UMKC Geological & Earth Sciences Report

#7 in overall quality

Missouri State University - Springfield did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Master’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #11. Missouri State University - Springfield is a large public school situated in Springfield, Missouri. It awarded 15 masters’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our plains states region master’s degree geology students with aid list, Missouri State has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Master’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. Although you might pay more or less depending on your area of study, average graduate tuition and fees at Missouri State are $12,042.

Full Missouri State University - Springfield 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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