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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Geology & Earth Sciences (Income Over $110k) in the Great Lakes Region

42 Ranked Colleges
723 Degrees Awarded
$20,500 Avg Net Price*
Best Vallue Geology Schools for a Bachelor's in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making Over $110k

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Vallue Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making Over $110k” ranking - to help you make that decision.

In 2019-2020, 7,036 people earned their degree in geology and earth sciences, making the major the 101st most popular in the United States.

Across the Great Lakes region, there were 951 geology and earth sciences graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 723 geology and earth sciences graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,075 and $25,381 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Vallue Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making Over $110k” ranking, we looked at 42 colleges that offer a degree in geology and earth sciences. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent geology and earth sciences programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the geology and earth sciences program at the school. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

One Size Does Not Fit All

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 Vallue Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making Over $110k” 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 by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.

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Best Vallue Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making Over $110k

The colleges and universities below are the best for great lakes region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make more than $110k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Geology & Earth Sciences (Income Over $110k) in the Great Lakes Region

#1

University of Wisconsin - River Falls

River Falls, Wisconsin
#9 in overall quality

Out of the 42 schools in the Best Vallue Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making Over $110k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Wisconsin - River Falls landed the #1 spot on the list. Located in River Falls, Wisconsin, this medium-sized public school awarded 9 degrees to qualified bachelors’s geology students in 2019-2020.

UW - River Falls did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend UW - River Falls is $13,748 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make more than $110k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Wisconsin - River Falls Geology & Earth Sciences Report

#2 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Vallue Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making Over $110k list. Madison, Wisconsin is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s geology degrees to 43 students in 2019-2020.

UW - Madison not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $17,708 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend UW - Madison.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. The student loan default rate at the school is 0.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Geology & Earth Sciences at University of Wisconsin - Madison

#3

University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point

Stevens Point, Wisconsin
#12 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point. The school came in at #3 for the Best Vallue Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making Over $110k. Located in Stevens Point, Wisconsin, this medium-sized public school awarded 11 degrees to qualified bachelors’s geology students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW - Stevens Point, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UW - Stevens Point is $14,465 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make more than $110k.

Read full report on Geology & Earth Sciences at University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point

#20 in overall quality

Out of the 42 schools in the Best Vallue Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making Over $110k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Wisconsin - Green Bay landed the #4 spot on the list. Located in Green Bay, Wisconsin, this medium-sized public school awarded 2 degrees to qualified bachelors’s geology students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make more than $110k list, UW - Green Bay has also earned the #20 rank in our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $14,395 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend UW - Green Bay.

Full UW - Green Bay Geology & Earth Sciences Report

#5

Purdue University - Main Campus

West Lafayette, Indiana
#6 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Purdue University - Main Campus. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Vallue Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making Over $110k list. Purdue is a public institution located in West Lafayette, Indiana. The school has a large population, and it awarded 28 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Purdue did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Purdue University - Main Campus is $13,986 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make more than $110k.

The low student loan default rate of 2.2% 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 93%.

Read full report on Geology & Earth Sciences at Purdue

#6

Beloit College

Beloit, Wisconsin
#16 in overall quality

Beloit College landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Vallue Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making Over $110k ranking. This small school is located in Beloit, Wisconsin, and it awarded 12 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

Beloit not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $11,433 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend Beloit College.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Geology & Earth Sciences at Beloit College

#3 in overall quality

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor ranked #7 on this year’s Best Vallue Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making Over $110k list. Ann Arbor, Michigan is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s geology degrees to 37 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at U-M, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $15,336 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend U-M.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Geology & Earth Sciences at U-M

#13 in overall quality

With a ranking of #8, University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire did quite well on the 2022 Best Vallue Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making Over $110k list. Located in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, this fairly large public school handed out 19 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s geology students in 2019-2020.

UW - Eau Claire did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend UW - Eau Claire is $16,020 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make more than $110k.

Read more about Geology & Earth Sciences at University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire

#9

Grand Valley State University

Allendale, Michigan
#14 in overall quality

Grand Valley State University landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Vallue Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making Over $110k ranking. This large school is located in Allendale, Michigan, and it awarded 26 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

GVSU also made our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #14. The yearly cost to attend GVSU is $17,646 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make more than $110k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Geology & Earth Sciences at GVSU

University of Wisconsin - Parkside ranked #10 on this year’s Best Vallue Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making Over $110k list. Located in Kenosha, Wisconsin, this small public school awarded 5 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s geology students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend UW - Parkside is $11,327 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make more than $110k.

Full UW - Parkside Geology & Earth Sciences Report

With a ranking of #11, University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh did quite well on the 2022 Best Vallue Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making Over $110k list. Oshkosh, Wisconsin is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s geology degrees to 8 students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $15,463 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh.

Read more about Geology & Earth Sciences at University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh

#22 in overall quality

Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Vallue Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making Over $110k ranking. IUPUI is located in Indianapolis, Indiana and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 16 bachelors’s geology degrees to qualified students.

IUPUI also made our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #22. The yearly cost to attend Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis is $11,285 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make more than $110k.

Full IUPUI Geology & Earth Sciences Report

#13

Purdue University Fort Wayne

Fort Wayne, Indiana

Purdue University Fort Wayne came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Vallue Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making Over $110k ranking. Located in Fort Wayne, Indiana, this medium-sized public school handed out 5 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s geology students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Purdue University Fort Wayne is $10,912 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make more than $110k.

Full Purdue University Fort Wayne Geology & Earth Sciences Report

#14

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, Illinois
#25 in overall quality

With a ranking of #14, Northern Illinois University did quite well on the 2022 Best Vallue Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making Over $110k list. Located in Dekalb, Illinois, this fairly large public school handed out 11 degrees to qualified bachelors’s geology students in 2019-2020.

NIU also made our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #25. The yearly cost to attend Northern Illinois University is $18,259 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make more than $110k.

Read more about Geology & Earth Sciences at Northern Illinois University

#7 in overall quality

With a ranking of #15, Ohio State University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2022 Best Vallue Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making Over $110k list. Ohio State University - Main Campus is located in Columbus, Ohio and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 17 bachelors’s geology degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Ohio State, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $17,616 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend Ohio State.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.

Read full report on Geology & Earth Sciences at Ohio State

#15

Indiana University - Bloomington

Bloomington, Indiana
#17 in overall quality

Indiana University - Bloomington landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Vallue Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making Over $110k ranking. Bloomington, Indiana is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s geology degrees to 7 students in 2019-2020.

IU Bloomington also took the #17 spot in our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences 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 geology students whose families make more than $110k.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Geology & Earth Sciences at IU Bloomington

#17

University of Southern Indiana

Evansville, Indiana

University of Southern Indiana did quite well in the 2022 Best Vallue Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making Over $110k ranking, coming in at #17. Evansville, Indiana is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s geology degrees to 7 students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $13,437 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend University of Southern Indiana.

The low 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 University of Southern Indiana Geology & Earth Sciences Report

#19 in overall quality

With a ranking of #18, University of Illinois at Chicago did quite well on the 2022 Best Vallue Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making Over $110k list. UIC is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 18 bachelors’s geology degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make more than $110k list, UIC has also earned the #19 rank in our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Illinois at Chicago is $13,312 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make more than $110k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Geology & Earth Sciences at UIC

#19

Ball State University

Muncie, Indiana
#23 in overall quality

Ball State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Vallue Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making Over $110k ranking, coming in at #19. Ball State is a large school located in Muncie, Indiana that handed out 13 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

Ball State also took the #23 spot in our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Ball State University is $15,147 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make more than $110k.

Read more about Geology & Earth Sciences at Ball State

#20

Eastern Michigan University

Ypsilanti, Michigan

Eastern Michigan University landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Vallue Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making Over $110k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Ypsilanti, Michigan, and it awarded 12 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Eastern Michigan University is $15,924 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make more than $110k.

Full Eastern Michigan Geology & Earth Sciences Report

With a ranking of #21, Southern Illinois University Carbondale did quite well on the 2022 Best Vallue Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making Over $110k list. Southern Illinois University Carbondale is a fairly large public school situated in Carbondale, Illinois. It awarded 4 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend SIUC is $16,945 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make more than $110k.

Read full report on Geology & Earth Sciences at SIUC

#22

Western Michigan University

Kalamazoo, Michigan
#10 in overall quality

With a ranking of #22, Western Michigan University did quite well on the 2022 Best Vallue Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making Over $110k list. Located in Kalamazoo, Michigan, this fairly large public school handed out 10 degrees to qualified bachelors’s geology students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make more than $110k list, WMU has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Western Michigan University is $19,433 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make more than $110k.

Full WMU Geology & Earth Sciences Report

#23

Central Michigan University

Mount Pleasant, Michigan

With a ranking of #23, Central Michigan University did quite well on the 2022 Best Vallue Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making Over $110k list. Central Michigan University is a fairly large public school situated in Mount Pleasant, Michigan. It awarded 16 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Central Michigan is $15,981 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make more than $110k.

Full Central Michigan Geology & Earth Sciences Report

#5 in overall quality

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the #24 spot on the 2022 Best Vallue Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making Over $110k ranking. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a large public school situated in Champaign, Illinois. It awarded 15 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UIUC, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $15,880 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend UIUC.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Geology & Earth Sciences at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

With a ranking of #25, Wright State University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2022 Best Vallue Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making Over $110k list. Wright State University - Main Campus is a public institution located in Dayton, Ohio. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 21 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Wright State University - Main Campus is $16,823 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make more than $110k.

Full Wright State University - Main Campus Geology & Earth Sciences Report

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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 Kelvinsong.

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