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2025 Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Southwest Region

13 Colleges in the Southwest Region
954 Geology Degrees Awarded
$43,196 Avg Early-Career Salary
If you plan on majoring in geological & earth sciences, you won't be alone since the degree program is ranked #95 in the country in terms of popularity. So, you have a fair amount of options to choose from when looking for a school.

For its 2025 ranking, College Factual looked at 13 schools in the Southwest Region to determine which ones were the best for geological & earth sciences students pursuing a degree. Combined, these schools handed out 954 degrees in geological & earth sciences to qualified students.

Jump to one of the following sections: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great Geological & Earth Sciences School

Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Southwest Region The geology program you select can have a big impact on your future. That's why we developed our collection of Best Schools for Geological & Earth Sciences rankings. In order to come up with a best overall ranking for geological & earth sciences schools, we combine our degree-level rankings, weighting them by the number of degrees awarded at each level.

You may want to choose one of the degree levels below to find the schools of most interest to you.

Geological & Earth Sciences Rankings by Degree Level

Bachelor's Degrees in Geology
Master's Degrees in Geology
Doctor's Degrees in Geology

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 the Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Southwest Region. More interested in schools in a specific area of the country? Filter this list by region or state.

To further help you make the college decision, we've developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Read more about College Factual's methodology.

Best Schools for Geological & Earth Sciences in the Southwest Region

If you aren't interested in a particular degree level and want to know which schools are the overall best at delivering an education for the geology degrees they offer, see the list below.

10 Top Southwest Region Schools in Geology

1
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
138 Geology Degrees Awarded
$50,682 Median Starting Salary

Texas A&M University - College Station is a great choice for students pursuing a degree in geological & earth sciences. Located in the midsize city of College Station, Texas A&M College Station is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #42 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Texas A&M College Station is a great university overall.

There were about 138 geological & earth sciences students who graduated with this degree at Texas A&M College Station in the most recent year we have data available. Those geological & earth sciences students who get their degree from Texas A&M University - College Station make $7,485 more than the standard geology student.

More information about a degree in geological & earth sciences from Texas A&M University - College Station

2
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
93 Geology Degrees Awarded
22.6% Growth in Graduates

It is difficult to beat University of Arizona if you wish to pursue a degree in geological & earth sciences. Located in the city of Tucson, University of Arizona is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #110 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means University of Arizona is a great university overall.

There were approximately 93 geological & earth sciences students who graduated with this degree at University of Arizona in the most recent data year. Graduates who receive their degree from the geology program make around $39,886 in the first couple years of their career.

More information about a degree in geological & earth sciences from University of Arizona

Sponsored
Bachelors Degree Type
BS in Geosciences Program Name

Gain the analytical, technical and science communications skills you need to begin your career with this specialized online bachelor's from Southern New Hampshire University.

More information about a degree in BS in Geosciences from Southern New Hampshire University

Related Programs

3
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
79 Geology Degrees Awarded
31.6% Growth in Graduates

It's difficult to beat The University of Texas at Austin if you wish to pursue a degree in geological & earth sciences. Located in the large city of Austin, UT Austin is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #46 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means UT Austin is a great university overall.

There were approximately 79 geological & earth sciences students who graduated with this degree at UT Austin in the most recent data year. Soon after graduating, geology degree recipients typically make an average of $42,062 in their early careers.

More information about a degree in geological & earth sciences from The University of Texas at Austin

4
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
36 Geology Degrees Awarded
$86,497 Median Starting Salary

University of Oklahoma Norman Campus is a wonderful decision for students pursuing a degree in geological & earth sciences. Located in the suburb of Norman, University of Oklahoma is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #191 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means University of Oklahoma is a great university overall.

There were roughly 36 geological & earth sciences students who graduated with this degree at University of Oklahoma in the most recent year we have data available. Those geological & earth sciences students who get their degree from University of Oklahoma Norman Campus earn $43,301 more than the standard geology graduate.

More information about a degree in geological & earth sciences from University of Oklahoma Norman Campus

5
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
72 Geology Degrees Awarded
$89,896 Median Starting Salary

Located in the large city of Houston, UH is a public university with a very large student population. This university ranks 14th out of 115 colleges for overall quality in the state of Texas.

There were about 72 geological & earth sciences students who graduated with this degree at UH in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the geological & earth sciences program at University of Houston get $46,700 more than the average college grad with the same degree shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in geological & earth sciences from University of Houston

6
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
2nd Most Popular In OK

OSU is a fairly large public university located in the distant town of Stillwater. This university ranks 2nd out of 31 colleges for overall quality in the state of Oklahoma.

There were approximately 28 geological & earth sciences students who graduated with this degree at OSU in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in geological & earth sciences from Oklahoma State University - Main Campus

7
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
33 Geology Degrees Awarded
$49,727 Median Starting Salary

Texas Tech is a fairly large public university located in the city of Lubbock. A Best Colleges rank of #161 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Texas Tech is a great university overall.

There were roughly 33 geological & earth sciences students who graduated with this degree at Texas Tech in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the geological & earth sciences degree program at Texas Tech University make $6,531 more than the standard college grad in this field shortly after graduation.

More information about a degree in geological & earth sciences from Texas Tech University

Sponsored
Bachelors Degree Type
BS in Geosciences - Natural Resources Conservation Program Name

Learn to manage and conserve our natural resources with this specialized online bachelor's from Southern New Hampshire University.

More information about a degree in BS in Geosciences - Natural Resources Conservation from Southern New Hampshire University

Related Programs

8
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
48 Geology Degrees Awarded
18.8% Growth in Graduates

Located in the city of San Antonio, UTSA is a public university with a very large student population. This university ranks 23rd out of 115 colleges for overall quality in the state of Texas.

There were approximately 48 geological & earth sciences students who graduated with this degree at UTSA in the most recent data year. Students who receive their degree from the geology program make around $42,779 in their early career salary.

More information about a degree in geological & earth sciences from The University of Texas at San Antonio

9
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
32 Geology Degrees Awarded
18.8% Growth in Graduates

Located in the small city of Flagstaff, NAU is a public university with a very large student population. This university ranks 7th out of 26 colleges for overall quality in the state of Arizona.

There were about 32 geological & earth sciences students who graduated with this degree at NAU in the most recent year we have data available. After graduating, geology degree recipients typically make an average of $42,528 in the first five years of their career.

More information about a degree in geological & earth sciences from Northern Arizona University

10
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
$65,546 Median Starting Salary

Located in the midsize city of Richardson, UT Dallas is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #209 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means UT Dallas is a great university overall.

There were approximately 16 geological & earth sciences students who graduated with this degree at UT Dallas in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the geological & earth sciences program at The University of Texas at Dallas get $22,350 above the standard college grad in this field when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in geological & earth sciences from The University of Texas at Dallas

Best Geological & Earth Sciences Colleges by State

Explore the best geological & earth sciences schools for a specific state in the Southwest Region .

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Texas 317 666
Arizona 287 112
Oklahoma 257 95
New Mexico 219 69

View All Rankings >

Geological & Earth Sciences is one of 8 different types of Physical Sciences programs to choose from.

Geology Focus Areas

Major Annual Graduates
Geology & Earth Sciences 782
Geophysics & Seismology 67
Hydrology & Water Resources Science 58
Other Geological & Earth Sciences/Geosciences 23
Chemical & Physical Oceanography 22
Paleontology 2

View All Geology Focus Areas >

Related Major Annual Graduates
Chemistry 1,750
Physics 1,164
General Physical Sciences 817
Atmospheric Sciences & Meteorology 164
Astronomy & Astrophysics 160
Materials Sciences 45
Physics and Astronomy 22

View All Geology Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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