2026 Best Value Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in Iowa

[Geological & Earth Sciences](/majors/physical-sciences/geological-and-earth-sciences/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 5 schools to find the best return on investment for geological & earth sciences students.
What’s on this page:
2026 Best Value Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in Iowa
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in geological & earth sciences, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Geological & Earth Sciences Schools
University Of Iowa earned the #1 spot for value among geological & earth sciences schools in Iowa. University Of Iowa is a very large public school located in the city of Iowa City. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $11,283, compared with $33,371 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for geological & earth sciences graduates is $24,463. Early-career geological & earth sciences graduates make about $57,375. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 84%.
More Geological & Earth Sciences Rankings
View All Geological & Earth Sciences Rankings >
Notes and References
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 5 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 2 ranked schools only.
- 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).
More about our data sources and methodologies.