2023 Best Value Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Southeast Region
Identifying Quality Schools at More Affordable Prices
Finding the Best Geological & Earth Sciences School for You
Geological & Earth Sciences is the #96 most popular major in the country with 7,821 degrees and certificates awarded in 2020-2021.
When it comes to higher education, there are a lot of options for students. With more and more schools offering online options, you could even register for a great program on the other side of the country. On top of that, there are a considerable number of trade schools that offer fast-track entry to many fields.
To assist you in seeing some of the education options that are available to you, Course Advisor has created its Best Value Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Southeast Region ranking. This report analyzed 40 schools in the Southeast Region to see which ones offered the best value programs for geology students. The goal was to highlight schools with more affordable prices than others offering similar quality experiences.
This ranking is not just a list of inexpensive schools. We also consider each school's quality, since we believe a low-quality school may not be a 'bargain' at any price. More specifically, we discount our quality score by the published tuition and fees charged by a school. This gives the cost per unit of quality for each college. The value is determined by how much quality your dollar buys.
For nationwide and regional rankings, we use out-of-state tuition and fees in our calculations. Average in-state tuition and fees are used for our statewide rankings.
Featured Geology Programs
Learn about start dates, transferring credits, availability of financial aid, and more by contacting the universities below.
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Top 10 Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools
Our analysis found Western Carolina University to be the best value school for geological and earth sciences students who want to pursue a degree in the Southeast Region . Located in the distant town of Cullowhee, WCU is a public college with a large student population.
WCU undergraduate students pay an average of $8,367 in tuition and fees each year.
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A rank of #2 on this year’s list means University of Florida-Online is a great value for geological and earth sciences students. UF Online is a medium-sized public school located in the city of Gainesville.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at UF Online are $16,579 a year. After completing their degree, geology graduates from UF Online carry an average student debtload of $15,337.
UF Online excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 5% of all schools on our Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Southeast Region list.
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Out of the 40 schools in the Southeast Region that were part of this year’s ranking, East Tennessee State University landed the # 3 spot on the list. ETSU is a large public school located in the city of Johnson City.
ETSU undergraduate students pay an average of $12,740 in tuition and fees each year.
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of West Georgia. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Southeast Region list. University of West Georgia is a fairly large public school located in the town of Carrollton.
University of West Georgia undergraduate students pay an average of $17,576 in tuition and fees each year. Geology majors at University of West Georgia take out an average of $27,597 in student loans while working on their egree.
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A rank of #5 on this year’s list means Florida Atlantic University is a great value for geological and earth sciences students. Located in the small city of Boca Raton, FAU is a public school with a very large student population.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at FAU are $17,324 a year.
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With a ranking of #6, Austin Peay State University did quite well on this year’s best value schools for geological and earth sciences students. Located in the medium-sized city of Clarksville, Austin Peay State University is a public college with a medium-sized student population.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate student at Austin Peay State University are $13,975 a year.
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With a ranking of #7, University of South Florida - Main Campus did quite well on this year’s best value schools for geological and earth sciences students. Located in the city of Tampa, USF Tampa is a public school with a fairly large student population.
USF Tampa undergraduate students pay an average of $17,324 in tuition and fees each year. While working on their degree, geology majors at USF Tampa accumulate an average of around $24,441 in student debt.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, USF Tampa also is in the top 20% of our Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Southeast Region ranking.
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West Virginia University landed the #8 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value geological and earth sciences programs. WVU is a very large public school located in the city of Morgantown.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at WVU are $25,824 per year. While working on their degree, geology majors at WVU accumulate an average of around $26,000 in student debt. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $494.
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Georgia Southern University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Southeast Region ranking. GaSou is a fairly large public school located in the town of Statesboro.
GaSou undergraduate students pay an average of $17,539 in tuition and fees each year.
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University of Florida did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for geological and earth sciences students. It came in at #10 on the list. Located in the midsize city of Gainesville, UF is a public college with a very large student population.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at UF are $28,659 per year. On average, geology graduates from UF take out $15,337 in student loans while working on their degree.
UF also claimed a spot on our Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Southeast Region list. It’s in the top 5% of all schools in this category.
Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at University of Florida
Request InformationBest Geological & Earth Sciences Colleges by State
Explore the best geological and earth sciences colleges for a specific state in the Southeast region.
| State | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|
| Georgia | 92 |
| Virginia | 144 |
| North Carolina | 263 |
| Florida | 221 |
| Tennessee | 189 |
| Kentucky | 44 |
| South Carolina | 64 |
| Louisiana | 141 |
| Arkansas | 45 |
| Alabama | 38 |
| Mississippi | 217 |
| West Virginia | 61 |
More Geological & Earth Sciences Rankings in the Southeast Region
Majors Related to Geology
One of 8 majors within the area of study, geological and earth sciences has other similar majors worth exploring.
Most Popular Majors Related to Geology
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Chemistry | 21,239 |
| Physics | 13,674 |
| General Physical Sciences | 3,823 |
| Astronomy & Astrophysics | 1,375 |
| Atmospheric Sciences & Meteorology | 1,140 |
Notes and References
*These averages are for the top 25 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 the rest 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).
- Credit for the banner image above goes to Kelvinsong.
More about our data sources and methodologies.