BACHELOR'S DEGREE · NATIONAL DEGREE OUTCOMES
Is a bachelor's degree in Geological/Geophysical Engineering worth it?
Compare cost, debt and earnings across 8 college programs with reportable data.
Based onObserved earnings + college priceEstimate10-year payoff
Estimated 10-year payoff
Positive payoff
+$79,576 over 10 years
National scenario across reporting bachelor's degree programs, using median year-4 earnings, their institutions’ average net prices and a typical 4-year duration.
7.6 yrsTime to earn back the modeled cost
+32%Estimated return after 10 years
$78,079Observed earnings · year 4
$37,698Highest annual price before payoff reaches $0
The price benchmark is $19,894 per year below this threshold.
Start with your decision
What do you need to compare?
PRICE SENSITIVITY
The price can change the verdict.
Hold observed earnings constant and see how the modeled ten-year payoff changes as annual price rises.
← Negative payoff$0Positive payoff →
$0Annual price+$150,790
$12,000Annual price+$102,790
$18,000Current college-wide context+$78,790
$24,000Annual price+$54,790
$36,000Annual price+$6,790
$48,000Annual price−$41,210
$60,000Annual price−$89,210
Outcomes at a glance
$78,079Typical earnings four years after completion
$81,313Average earnings five years after completion
$23,410Typical federal student debt
71thEarnings percentile among the same degree level
63Degrees awarded in 2024–25
7College programs reporting earnings
Degree counts come from the IPEDS Fall 2025 provisional release and cover 2 matched college records. Colleges without a match are not estimated.
Four useful answers about Geological/Geophysical Engineering
How much do Geological/Geophysical Engineering bachelor's degree graduates earn?
The national median is $78,079 four years after completion across reportable bachelor's degree programs in this federal field.
How much federal debt do graduates have?
The median reported federal debt is $23,410. The figure excludes private loans and does not describe every graduate.
Does the college matter for Geological/Geophysical Engineering?
Yes. The middle half of reporting programs ranges from $75,259 to $81,862 in observed year-4 earnings.
What careers are related to Geological/Geophysical Engineering?
DegreeVerdict links this field to 4 displayed occupations using the official federal CIP–SOC crosswalk. Occupational wages are career context, not graduate salary promises.
More schooling changes both the cost and the outcome.
Compare the same field at each degree level with reportable data. These are separate groups of graduates, so the differences do not prove that an additional degree caused higher earnings.
Where the middle half of programs lands
Year‑4 earnings differ by college. This band shows the 25th percentile, national median and 75th percentile among reporting programs.
Median
25th percentile$75,259National median$78,07975th percentile$81,862
7 programs report year‑4 earnings.BEFORE YOU CHOOSE
Compare price, debt and earnings together
SHORTLIST BY QUESTION
Three useful places to start
Each choice answers a different question. These are observed signals, not an overall winner.
Highest observed earnings
Montana Technological University
$93,629 four years after completionButte, MT · inspect the full program →Lowest reported federal debtMissouri University of Science and Technology
$20,500 among completer borrowersRolla, MO · inspect the full program →Largest recent graduating classColorado School of Mines
46 reported awards in 2024–25Golden, CO · inspect the full program →PRICE × EARNINGS MAP
Where colleges sit for this exact degree
Move left for a lower annual college-wide net price and up for higher observed year-4 earnings.
$88,484Observed year-4 earnings$73,337
Montana Technological University$16,481 price · $93,629 earningsColorado School of Mines$28,690 price · $88,484 earningsMichigan Technological University$14,182 price · $81,862 earningsUniversity of Nevada-Reno$15,927 price · $78,079 earningsSouth Dakota School of Mines and Technology$20,183 price · $75,779 earningsMissouri University of Science and Technology$16,298 price · $75,259 earningsUniversity of Wisconsin-Madison$17,354 price · $73,337 earnings
$14,182Annual college-wide average net price$20,183
Choose colleges offering this exact degree
Start with the highest-earning reported programs below, or open the full directory to search every college.
8 shortlist matchesSelect up to four · 8 shown
Search every reporting program →
See the spread, not just the national number.
1Montana Technological University$93,6292Colorado School of Mines$88,4843Michigan Technological University$81,8624University of Nevada-Reno$78,0795South Dakota School of Mines and Technology$75,7796Missouri University of Science and Technology$75,2597University of Wisconsin-Madison$73,3378University of MississippiNot availableObserved year-4 earnings · top displayed records are not a universal ranking
Jobs this degree may lead to
Federal education-to-career links identify related occupations. They do not imply that every graduate enters the same job.
Pay and projected demand
Related careers do not share one outlook
Bubble size = annual openings2025–35 national projection
Higher median wage ↑
-7%Projected employment growth →12%
Occupation wages describe workers in these jobs, not graduates of this degree. BLS projections are national estimates and do not guarantee hiring.
Architectural and Engineering Managers$171,270 median wage220,260 jobs nationwide+5.5% projected growth through 2035 · 14,900 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$120,810–$262,760 typical wage rangeEngineers, All Other$122,930 median wage154,070 jobs nationwide+3.7% projected growth through 2035 · 8,800 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$66,810–$189,950 typical wage rangeEngineering Teachers, Postsecondary$109,270 median wage40,270 jobs nationwide+7.8% projected growth through 2035 · 3,900 openings a yearTypical entry education: Doctoral or professional degree$61,550–$210,370 typical wage rangeMining and Geological Engineers, Including Mining Safety Engineers$106,220 median wage6,080 jobs nationwide+3.8% projected growth through 2035 · 300 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$67,490–$169,990 typical wage range
BLS May 2025 wages and 2025–35 projections. Career figures describe occupations, not graduates of a specific college.
This page keeps the field and credential level fixed. Federal categories can still combine multiple catalog programs or concentrations. Automated ROI is limited to associate and bachelor’s degrees because institution-wide annual net price is not a reliable proxy for short certificate prices. ROI is an illustrative scenario, not a federal determination.