by our College Data Analytics Team
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 “Schools Highly Focused on Ecology Major in the Great Lakes Region” ranking is part of that endeavor.
In 2020-2021, 7,247 people earned their degree in ecology, evolution and systematics biology, making the major the 103rd most popular in the United States. In 2019-2020, ecology, evolution and systematics biology graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $35,579 and had an average of $23,052 in loans still to pay off.
Across the Great Lakes region, there were 692 ecology, evolution and systematics biology graduates with average earnings and debt of $33,675 and $21,739 respectively.
This year’s “Schools Highly Focused on Ecology Major in the Great Lakes Region” ranking analyzed 49 colleges that offered a degree in ecology, evolution and systematics biology. This a ranking of the schools where the largest percentage of students has enrolled in ecology, evolution and systematics biology.
For more information, check out our ranking methodology.
Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Schools Highly Focused on Ecology Major in the Great Lakes Region” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.
One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to you. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.
The following schools top our list of the Best “Schools Highly Focused on Ecology Major in the Great Lakes Region”.
Out of the 49 schools in the Schools Highly Focused on Ecology Major in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Principia College landed the #1 spot on the list. Principia College is a small school located in Elsah, Illinois that handed out 4 ’s ecology degrees in 2020-2021.
Full Principia College Ecology, Evolution & Systematics Biology Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Kuyper College. The school came in at #2 for the Schools Highly Focused on Ecology Major in the Great Lakes Region. Kuyper College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The school has a small population, and it awarded 1 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Franklin College. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Ecology Major in the Great Lakes Region list. This small school is located in Franklin, Indiana, and it awarded 4 ’s ecology degrees in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 5.0% 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%.
Full Franklin College of Indiana Ecology, Evolution & Systematics Biology Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Lake Superior State University. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Ecology Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Lake Superior State University is a small school located in Sault Ste Marie, Michigan that handed out 8 ’s ecology degrees in 2020-2021.
Full Lake Superior State University Ecology, Evolution & Systematics Biology Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Lincoln College. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Ecology Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Lincoln, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s ecology degrees to 3 students in 2020-2021.
Full Lincoln College Ecology, Evolution & Systematics Biology Report
Blackburn College came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Ecology Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Blackburn College is located in Carlinville, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 1 ’s ecology degrees to qualified students.
Read full report on Ecology, Evolution & Systematics Biology at Blackburn
Wisconsin Lutheran College landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Ecology Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. WLC is a private not-for-profit institution located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The school has a small population, and it awarded 3 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
DePauw University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Ecology Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in Greencastle, Indiana, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 5 degrees to qualified ’s ecology students in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Ecology, Evolution & Systematics Biology at DePauw University
University of Michigan - Ann Arbor landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Ecology Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. This large school is located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and it awarded 143 ’s ecology degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.3% 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%.
Central Michigan University ranked #10 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Ecology Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Central Michigan University is a fairly large public school situated in Mount Pleasant, Michigan. It awarded 43 ’s ecology degrees in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full Central Michigan Ecology, Evolution & Systematics Biology Report
University of Dayton did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Ecology Major 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 ’s ecology degrees to 22 students in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad 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 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Ecology, Evolution & Systematics Biology at UDayton
University of Wisconsin - Stout ranked #12 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Ecology Major in the Great Lakes Region list. University of Wisconsin - Stout is a medium-sized school located in Menomonie, Wisconsin that handed out 11 ’s ecology degrees in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Ecology, Evolution & Systematics Biology at UW - Stout
Cornerstone University did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Ecology Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #13. Cornerstone is a small school located in Grand Rapids, Michigan that handed out 3 ’s ecology degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full Cornerstone Ecology, Evolution & Systematics Biology Report
Case Western Reserve University did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Ecology Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #14. Case Western is located in Cleveland, Ohio and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 19 ’s ecology degrees to qualified students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.5% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Ecology, Evolution & Systematics Biology at Case Western Reserve University
Calvin University did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Ecology Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #15. Grand Rapids, Michigan is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s ecology degrees to 5 students in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full Calvin University Ecology, Evolution & Systematics Biology Report
Michigan State University did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Ecology Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #16. Michigan State is a large school located in East Lansing, Michigan that handed out 59 ’s ecology degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.
Full Michigan State University Ecology, Evolution & Systematics Biology Report
Western Michigan University ranked #17 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Ecology Major in the Great Lakes Region list. This fairly large school is located in Kalamazoo, Michigan, and it awarded 20 ’s ecology degrees in 2020-2021.
Read more about Ecology, Evolution & Systematics Biology at Western Michigan University
Michigan Technological University came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Ecology Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Michigan Tech is a public institution located in Houghton, Michigan. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 7 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Ecology, Evolution & Systematics Biology at Michigan Tech
Illinois College ranked #19 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Ecology Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Illinois College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Jacksonville, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 1 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Full Illinois College Ecology, Evolution & Systematics Biology Report
Lewis and Clark Community College ranked #20 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Ecology Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Lewis and Clark Community College is located in Godfrey, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 10 ’s ecology degrees to qualified students.
Read more about Ecology, Evolution & Systematics Biology at Lewis and Clark Community College
Greenville University landed the #21 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Ecology Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Greenville, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s ecology degrees to 1 students in 2020-2021.
The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Ecology, Evolution & Systematics Biology at Greenville
Beloit College ranked #21 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Ecology Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in Beloit, Wisconsin, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 1 degrees to qualified ’s ecology students in 2020-2021.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
University of Wisconsin - Madison did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Ecology Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #23. Madison, Wisconsin is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s ecology degrees to 50 students in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full UW - Madison Ecology, Evolution & Systematics Biology Report
With a ranking of #24, Kent State University at Kent did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Ecology Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in Kent, Ohio, this large public school awarded 17 degrees to qualified ’s ecology students in 2020-2021.
Read more about Ecology, Evolution & Systematics Biology at Kent State
With a ranking of #25, Governors State University did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Ecology Major in the Great Lakes Region list. This small school is located in University Park, Illinois, and it awarded 3 ’s ecology degrees in 2020-2021.
Read more about Ecology, Evolution & Systematics Biology at Governors State University
Read more about our data sources and methodologies
