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2023 Best Value Geology Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid

11 Ranked Colleges
430 Degrees Awarded
$18,000 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Geology Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. 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 Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid” 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 Plains States region, there were 430 geological and earth sciences graduates with average earnings and debt of $34,405 and $25,612 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Geology Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking looked at 11 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s 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.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the geological and earth sciences program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

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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 in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to you. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.

Best Value Geology Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid

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

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

1

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Iowa State University. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value Geology Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Ames, Iowa, this large public school awarded 21 diplomas to qualified ’s geology students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our plains states region geology students with aid list, Iowa State has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $16,002 for Plains States Region Geology students with aid per year to attend Iowa State University.

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%. 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

2

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Minnesota - Twin Cities. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Geology Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities is a large school located in Minneapolis, Minnesota that handed out 40 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UMN Twin Cities, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UMN Twin Cities is $17,878 for Plains States Region Geology students with aid.

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 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

3
Iowa crest
University of Iowa
Iowa City, Iowa

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Iowa. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Geology Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. Iowa City, Iowa is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s geology degrees to 21 students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our plains states region geology students with aid list, Iowa has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $19,401 for Plains States Region Geology students with aid per year to attend Iowa.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.2% 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 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at University of Iowa

4

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Missouri State University - Springfield. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Geology Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid. Springfield, Missouri is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s geology degrees to 59 students in 2020-2021.

Missouri State also took the #5 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $16,718 for plains states region geology students with aid per year to attend Missouri State University - Springfield.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

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

5

Out of the 11 schools in the Best Value Geology Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Missouri - Columbia landed the #5 spot on the list. Mizzou is a public institution located in Columbia, Missouri. The school has a large population, and it awarded 11 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Mizzou did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Missouri - Columbia is $16,559 for Plains States Region Geology students with aid.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at University of Missouri - Columbia

6

University of Minnesota - Morris landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Best Value Geology Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. UMN Morris is located in Morris, Minnesota and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 4 ’s geology degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UMN Morris, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $10,529 for Plains States Region Geology students with aid per year to attend University of Minnesota - Morris.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at University of Minnesota - Morris

7

With a ranking of #7, University of Minnesota - Duluth did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Geology Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. University of Minnesota - Duluth is located in Duluth, Minnesota and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 19 ’s geology degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our plains states region geology students with aid list, UMN Duluth has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UMN Duluth is $18,505 for plains states region geology students with aid.

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 UMN Duluth

8

University of Missouri - Kansas City landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Best Value Geology Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Kansas City, Missouri is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s geology degrees to 8 students in 2020-2021.

UMKC also made our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #9. It costs about $15,702 for Plains States Region Geology students with aid per year to attend UMKC.

The undergrad 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 more about Geological & Earth Sciences at UMKC

9
KU crest
University of Kansas
Lawrence, Kansas

University of Kansas came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geology Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. University of Kansas is a large public school situated in Lawrence, Kansas. It awarded 27 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at KU, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for KU is $20,257 for plains states region geology students with aid.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

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

10
Winona State crest
Winona State University
Winona, Minnesota

Winona State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Geology Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #10. Winona State University is located in Winona, Minnesota and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 12 ’s geology degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our plains states region geology students with aid list, Winona State has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Winona State is $17,634 for Plains States Region Geology students with aid.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

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

11
Carleton crest
Carleton College
Northfield, Minnesota

Carleton College ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. This small school is located in Northfield, Minnesota, and it awarded 21 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.

Carleton not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Carleton is $28,928 for plains states region geology students with aid.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.8% 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 undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.

Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at Carleton

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