2022 Best Value Ecology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region
When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value Ecology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region” ranking is part of that endeavor.
Ecology, Evolution & Systematics Biology is the 103rd most popular major in the country with 7,312 degrees awarded in 2019-2020. In 2017-2018, ecology, evolution and systematics biology graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $32,807 and had an average of $31,265 in loans still to pay off.
Across the Great Lakes region, there were 654 ecology, evolution and systematics biology graduates with average earnings and debt of $29,675 and $31,209 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 320 ecology, evolution and systematics biology graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,075 and $25,381 respectively.
For this year’s “Best Value Ecology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region” ranking, we looked at 14 colleges that offer a degree in ecology, evolution and systematics biology. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent ecology, evolution and systematics biology programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.
Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the ecology, evolution and systematics biology program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
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When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Best Value Ecology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region” list to help you make the college decision.
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. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.
Best Value Ecology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Ecology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region.
Top 14 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Ecology, Evolution & Systematics Biology in the Great Lakes Region
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Western Michigan University. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Ecology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. This fairly large school is located in Kalamazoo, Michigan, and it awarded 25 bachelors’s ecology degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree ecology students list, WMU has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Ecology, Evolution & Systematics Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Western Michigan University is $19,433 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree ecology students.
Read full report on Ecology, Evolution & Systematics Biology at WMU
Out of the 14 schools in the Best Value Ecology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Ferris State University landed the #2 spot on the list. Ferris is a public institution located in Big Rapids, Michigan. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 10 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Ferris also made our “Best Ecology, Evolution & Systematics Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #13. It costs about $12,889 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Ecology students per year to attend Ferris State University.
Read full report on Ecology, Evolution & Systematics Biology at Ferris State University
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Central Michigan University. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Ecology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. This fairly large school is located in Mount Pleasant, Michigan, and it awarded 25 bachelors’s ecology degrees in 2019-2020.
Central Michigan also made our “Best Ecology, Evolution & Systematics Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #10. It costs about $15,981 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree ecology students per year to attend Central Michigan.
Read full report on Ecology, Evolution & Systematics Biology at Central Michigan
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Purdue University - Main Campus. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Ecology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Purdue is located in West Lafayette, Indiana and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 17 bachelors’s ecology degrees to qualified students.
Purdue also made our “Best Ecology, Evolution & Systematics Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #7. The yearly cost to attend Purdue is $13,986 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Ecology students.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Ecology, Evolution & Systematics Biology at Purdue
Out of the 14 schools in the Best Value Ecology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Ohio University - Athens Campus landed the #5 spot on the list. Ohio University - Athens Campus is a public institution located in Athens, Ohio. The school has a large population, and it awarded 2 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
OHIO Athens also made our “Best Ecology, Evolution & Systematics Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #11. It costs about $22,906 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Ecology students per year to attend Ohio University - Athens Campus.
Read more about Ecology, Evolution & Systematics Biology at Ohio University - Athens Campus
Wisconsin Lutheran College landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Ecology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. WLC is a small school located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin that handed out 1 bachelors’s ecology degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at WLC, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Ecology, Evolution & Systematics Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $20,899 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Ecology students per year to attend Wisconsin Lutheran College.
Full Wisconsin Lutheran College Ecology, Evolution & Systematics Biology Report
University of Wisconsin - Madison ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Ecology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in Madison, Wisconsin, this large public school handed out 63 degrees to qualified bachelors’s ecology students in 2019-2020.
UW - Madison also made our “Best Ecology, Evolution & Systematics Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #2. It costs about $17,708 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Ecology students per year to attend UW - Madison.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low student loan default rate of 0.8% 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 Ecology, Evolution & Systematics Biology at University of Wisconsin - Madison
Indiana University - Bloomington came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Ecology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Indiana University - Bloomington is a large public school situated in Bloomington, Indiana. It awarded 19 bachelors’s ecology degrees in 2019-2020.
IU Bloomington also took the #5 spot in our “Best Ecology, Evolution & Systematics Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Indiana University - Bloomington is $13,253 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Ecology students.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Ecology, Evolution & Systematics Biology at Indiana University - Bloomington
Michigan State University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Ecology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. This large school is located in East Lansing, Michigan, and it awarded 30 bachelors’s ecology degrees in 2019-2020.
Michigan State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Ecology, Evolution & Systematics Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Michigan State University is $19,173 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Ecology students.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
Read full report on Ecology, Evolution & Systematics Biology at Michigan State University
Olivet Nazarene University landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Ecology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. This small school is located in Bourbonnais, Illinois, and it awarded 1 bachelors’s ecology degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree ecology students list, Olivet Nazarene has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Ecology, Evolution & Systematics Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Olivet Nazarene University is $20,195 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree ecology students.
The low student loan default rate of 3.4% 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 more about Ecology, Evolution & Systematics Biology at Olivet Nazarene
University of Dayton did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Ecology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #11. Dayton, Ohio is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s ecology degrees to 24 students in 2019-2020.
UDayton also took the #6 spot in our “Best Ecology, Evolution & Systematics Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Dayton is $31,003 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree ecology students.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low student loan default rate of 2.5% 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 more about Ecology, Evolution & Systematics Biology at University of Dayton
University of Michigan - Ann Arbor came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Ecology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is located in Ann Arbor, Michigan and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 47 bachelors’s ecology degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree ecology students list, U-M has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Ecology, Evolution & Systematics Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $15,336 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Ecology students per year to attend U-M.
With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Ecology, Evolution & Systematics Biology at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
DePauw University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Ecology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. DePauw University is a small school located in Greencastle, Indiana that handed out 6 bachelors’s ecology degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree ecology students list, DePauw has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Ecology, Evolution & Systematics Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend DePauw is $23,078 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree ecology students.
The low student loan default rate of 2.5% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Full DePauw University Ecology, Evolution & Systematics Biology Report
Case Western Reserve University came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Ecology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in Cleveland, Ohio, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 11 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s ecology students in 2019-2020.
Case Western also took the #9 spot in our “Best Ecology, Evolution & Systematics Biology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $35,428 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Ecology students per year to attend Case Western.
The low student loan default rate of 1.4% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on Ecology, Evolution & Systematics Biology at Case Western Reserve University
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Best Ecology, Evolution & Systematics Biology Bachelor's Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region
Ecology, Evolution & Systematics Biology students in the Great Lakes Region
Most Focused Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Ecology, Evolution & Systematics Biology in the Great Lakes Region
Ecology, Evolution & Systematics Biology students in the Great Lakes Region
Most Popular Bachelor's Degree Online Ecology, Evolution & Systematics Biology Schools
Ecology, Evolution & Systematics Biology students in the Great Lakes Region
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Ecology, Evolution & Systematics Biology (Income $0-$30k) in the Great Lakes Region
Ecology, Evolution & Systematics Biology students with family income less than $30k in the Great Lakes Region
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Ecology, Evolution & Systematics Biology (Income $48-$75k) in the Great Lakes Region
Ecology, Evolution & Systematics Biology students with family income $48-$75k in the Great Lakes Region
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Ecology, Evolution & Systematics Biology (Income Over $110k) in the Great Lakes Region
Ecology, Evolution & Systematics Biology students with family income exceeding $110k in the Great Lakes Region
Highest Paid Bachelor's Degree Ecology, Evolution & Systematics Biology Graduates in the Great Lakes Region
Ecology, Evolution & Systematics Biology students in the Great Lakes Region
Most Popular Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Ecology, Evolution & Systematics Biology in the Great Lakes Region
Ecology, Evolution & Systematics Biology students in the Great Lakes Region
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Ecology, Evolution & Systematics Biology in the Great Lakes Region (With Aid)
Ecology, Evolution & Systematics Biology students getting aid in the Great Lakes Region
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Ecology, Evolution & Systematics Biology (Income $30-$48k) in the Great Lakes Region
Ecology, Evolution & Systematics Biology students with family income $30-$48k in the Great Lakes Region
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Ecology, Evolution & Systematics Biology (Income $75-$110k) in the Great Lakes Region
Ecology, Evolution & Systematics Biology students with family income $75-$110k in the Great Lakes Region
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Ecology, Evolution & Systematics Biology in the Great Lakes Region
Ecology, Evolution & Systematics Biology students in the Great Lakes Region
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).
- 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
Footnotes
- *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
- 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 Ernst Haeckel.
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