2026 Best Value Other Geological & Earth Sciences/Geosciences Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region

[Other Geological & Earth Sciences/Geosciences](/majors/physical-sciences/geological-and-earth-sciences/geological-and-earth-sciences-geosciences-other/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 8 schools to find the best return on investment for other geological & earth sciences/geosciences students.
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2026 Best Value Other Geological & Earth Sciences/Geosciences Schools in the Rocky Mountains Region
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the other geological & earth sciences/geosciences degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Other Geological & Earth Sciences/Geosciences Schools
Brigham Young University Idaho tops our 2026 list of the best value other geological & earth sciences/geosciences schools in the Rocky Mountains Region. Set in the town of Rexburg, Brigham Young University Idaho is a very large private not-for-profit institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $4,800. Other Geological & Earth Sciences/geosciences graduates carry a median of $13,287 in student loans. Early-career other geological & earth sciences/geosciences graduates make about $43,853. That is a strong return on a $13,287 median debt. Roughly 96% of applicants are accepted.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at University Of Wyoming earned it the #2 place for other geological & earth sciences/geosciences. University Of Wyoming is a large public school located in the town of Laramie. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $7,768, with out-of-state students paying around $24,178. Typical student debt for other geological & earth sciences/geosciences graduates is $23,700. Other Geological & Earth Sciences/geosciences graduates of University Of Wyoming earn a median of $45,758 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 97%.
University Of Utah came in at #3 on our 2026 list of the best value other geological & earth sciences/geosciences schools. University Of Utah is a very large public school located in the city of Salt Lake City. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $9,620, with out-of-state students paying around $30,860. Students borrow a median of $20,798 to complete the other geological & earth sciences/geosciences program here. Other Geological & Earth Sciences/geosciences graduates of University Of Utah earn a median of $49,446 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $20,798 median debt. University Of Utah admits about 86% of applicants.
Colorado School Of Mines came in at #4 on our 2026 list of the best value other geological & earth sciences/geosciences schools. Located in the suburb of Golden, Colorado School Of Mines is a moderately-sized public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $21,914, while out-of-state students pay about $45,824. Students borrow a median of $24,521 to complete the other geological & earth sciences/geosciences program here. Early-career other geological & earth sciences/geosciences graduates make about $79,523. That is a strong return on a $24,521 median debt. Roughly 61% of applicants are accepted.
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Notes and References
This list is compiled 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 · 8 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 1 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.