2023 Best Geological & Earth Sciences Colleges for Veterans in the Rocky Mountains Region
12
Ranked Colleges
526
Degrees Awarded
$28,700
Avg Cost*
With all of the options veterans have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Most Veteran Friendly in the Rocky Mountains Region for Geology” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.
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 Rocky Mountains region, there were 526 geological and earth sciences graduates with average earnings and debt of $40,791 and $24,175 respectively.
For this year’s “Most Veteran Friendly in the Rocky Mountains Region for Geology” ranking, we looked at 12 colleges that offer a degree in geological and earth sciences. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality geological and earth sciences programs as well as strong veteran support.
When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the geological and earth sciences program at the school, veteran affordability, and veteran satisfaction. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.
More Ways to Rank Geological & Earth Sciences Schools
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 “Most Veteran Friendly in the Rocky Mountains Region for Geology”.
In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.
Most Veteran Friendly in the Rocky Mountains Region for Geology
The following schools top our list of the Best “Most Veteran Friendly in the Rocky Mountains Region for Geology”.
Top 12 Best Geological & Earth Sciences Colleges for Veterans in the Rocky Mountains Region
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Utah. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Rocky Mountains Region for Geology list. University of Utah is a large public school situated in Salt Lake City, Utah. It awarded 39 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.
U of U not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Among the 33,081 students enrolled at University of Utah, 1 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 0 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $0. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
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 [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
[Read full report on veteran student life at University of Utah]](/colleges/university-of-utah/student-life/veterans/)
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Colorado Boulder. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Rocky Mountains Region for Geology list. University of Colorado Boulder is a large public school situated in Boulder, Colorado. It awarded 64 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.
CU - Boulder also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].According to our most recent data, University of Colorado Boulder supports 37,437 students, and 1,379 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 968 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $12,889. During this same period, 46 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. University of Colorado Boulder offers credit for military training for eligible students.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Wyoming. The school came in at #3 for the Most Veteran Friendly in the Rocky Mountains Region for Geology. This fairly large school is located in Laramie, Wyoming, and it awarded 45 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW, the school also landed the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Of the 11,829 students enrolled at University of Wyoming, 473 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 255 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $3,738. To help with additional expenses, 13 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Colorado State University - Fort Collins. The school came in at #4 for the Most Veteran Friendly in the Rocky Mountains Region for Geology. Colorado State is a public institution located in Fort Collins, Colorado. The school has a large population, and it awarded 19 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our rocky mountains region vets studying geology list, Colorado State has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.According to our most recent data, Colorado State University - Fort Collins supports 32,428 students, and 1,606 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 1,183 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $10,701. During this same period, 68 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read More…
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Montana State University. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Rocky Mountains Region for Geology list. Bozeman, Montana is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s geology degrees to 47 students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our rocky mountains region vets studying geology list, MSU Bozeman has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 656 of the 16,218 students enrolled at MSU Bozeman were GI Bill® students, of which 393 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $7,023. To help with additional expenses, 37 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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 veteran student life at MSU Bozeman]](/colleges/montana-state-university/student-life/veterans/)
Colorado School of Mines ranked #6 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in the Rocky Mountains Region for Geology list. Mines is a medium-sized public school situated in Golden, Colorado. It awarded 58 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.
Mines not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Our most recent data shows that 234 of the 6,744 students enrolled at Colorado School of Mines were GI Bill® students, of which 145 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $12,456. During this same period, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read More…
Boise State University ranked #7 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in the Rocky Mountains Region for Geology list. Located in Boise, Idaho, this large public school awarded 24 degrees to qualified ’s geology students in 2020-2021.
Boise State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Among the 24,069 students enrolled at Boise State University, 1,134 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 798 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $6,559. To help with additional expenses, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full Boise State University Veteran Student Life Report
University of Northern Colorado ranked #8 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in the Rocky Mountains Region for Geology list. University of Northern Colorado is a public institution located in Greeley, Colorado. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 23 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
University of Northern Colorado not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Of the 11,460 students enrolled at University of Northern Colorado, 1 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 0 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $0. During this same period, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
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University of Idaho landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Rocky Mountains Region for Geology ranking. Moscow, Idaho is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s geology degrees to 18 students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at U of I, the school also landed the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.According to our most recent data, U of I supports 10,791 students, and 382 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 248 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $6,784. To help with additional expenses, 29 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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 U of I Veteran Student Life Report
Metropolitan State University of Denver landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Rocky Mountains Region for Geology ranking. MSU Denver is a fairly large school located in Denver, Colorado that handed out 10 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our rocky mountains region vets studying geology list, MSU Denver has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Among the 19,086 students enrolled at Metropolitan State University of Denver, 1,222 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 867 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $6,619. In addition to receiving other benefits, 7 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
[Read full report on veteran student life at Metropolitan State University of Denver]](/colleges/metropolitan-state-college-of-denver/student-life/veterans/)
Brigham Young University - Provo did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Rocky Mountains Region for Geology ranking, coming in at #11. This large school is located in Provo, Utah, and it awarded 26 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at BYU, the school also landed the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 368 of the 36,461 students enrolled at BYU were GI Bill® students, of which 220 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $3,856. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. BYU does offer credit for military training for eligible students.
With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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 BYU Veteran Student Life Report
Fort Lewis College landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Rocky Mountains Region for Geology ranking. FLC is located in Durango, Colorado and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 10 ’s geology degrees to qualified students.
FLC also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].According to our most recent data, Fort Lewis College supports 3,469 students, and 101 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 53 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $4,268. On top of their other funding sources, 6 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.
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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).
- Veteran-specific data can be found at the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs.
- 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
- *Avg Salary and Avg 4-Year Grad Rate are for the top schools only.
- **GI Bill® student total includes all chapters of the GI Bill® program (e.g., Post-9/11, Montgomery GI Bill, Reserve Education Assistance Program, and Veteran Readiness and Employment)
- 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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