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2023 Best Value Geology Schools in the Great Lakes Region

29 Ranked Colleges
731 Degrees Awarded
$17,100 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Geology Schools in the Great Lakes Region

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value Geology Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking.

Geology & Earth Sciences is the 125th most popular major in the country with 6,024 degrees awarded in 2020-2021.

Across the Great Lakes region, there were 731 geology and earth sciences graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Geology Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking looked at 29 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in geology and earth sciences. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality geology and earth sciences programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the geology and earth sciences program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

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The geology school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Best Value Geology Schools in the Great Lakes Region”.

In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Best Value Geology Schools in the Great Lakes Region

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Geology Schools in the Great Lakes Region.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Geology & Earth Sciences in the Great Lakes Region

1

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Wisconsin - River Falls. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Geology Schools in the Great Lakes Region. University of Wisconsin - River Falls is a medium-sized public school situated in River Falls, Wisconsin. It awarded 8 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.

UW - River Falls also made our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #19. The estimated yearly cost for UW - River Falls is $13,844 for Great Lakes Region Geology students.

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%.

Read full report on Geology & Earth Sciences at University of Wisconsin - River Falls

2
WMU crest
Western Michigan University
Kalamazoo, Michigan

Out of the 29 schools in the Best Value Geology Schools in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Western Michigan University landed the #2 spot on the list. Located in Kalamazoo, Michigan, this fairly large public school handed out 12 degrees to qualified ’s geology students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at WMU, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Western Michigan University is $20,371 for Great Lakes Region Geology students.

Full Western Michigan University Geology & Earth Sciences Report

3

Out of the 29 schools in the Best Value Geology Schools in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Akron Main Campus landed the #3 spot on the list. Akron, Ohio is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s geology degrees to 16 students in 2020-2021.

University of Akron Main Campus not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #22 on our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Akron Main Campus is $17,945 for Great Lakes Region Geology students.

Read more about Geology & Earth Sciences at University of Akron Main Campus

4

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Geology Schools in the Great Lakes Region. University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire is a fairly large public school situated in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. It awarded 8 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.

UW - Eau Claire also took the #18 spot in our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $16,051 for great lakes region geology students per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire.

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

5

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Bowling Green State University - Main Campus. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Geology Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Bowling Green State University - Main Campus is located in Bowling Green, Ohio and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 7 ’s geology degrees to qualified students.

BGSU also took the #17 spot in our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $18,558 for Great Lakes Region Geology students per year to attend Bowling Green State University - Main Campus.

Read more about Geology & Earth Sciences at Bowling Green State University - Main Campus

6

Grand Valley State University ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Grand Valley State University is located in Allendale, Michigan and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 11 ’s geology degrees to qualified students.

GVSU also took the #20 spot in our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Grand Valley State University is $17,356 for great lakes region geology students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.7% 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 Geology & Earth Sciences at GVSU

6

Ohio University - Athens Campus ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Athens, Ohio is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s geology degrees to 21 students in 2020-2021.

OHIO Athens did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for OHIO Athens is $23,831 for Great Lakes Region Geology students.

Read more about Geology & Earth Sciences at Ohio University - Athens Campus

8

Northern Illinois University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geology Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in Dekalb, Illinois, this fairly large public school awarded 10 degrees to qualified ’s geology students in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend NIU is $13,956 for Great Lakes Region Geology students.

Full Northern Illinois University Geology & Earth Sciences Report

9
Purdue crest
Purdue University - Main Campus
West Lafayette, Indiana

Purdue University - Main Campus ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Purdue is a large public school situated in West Lafayette, Indiana. It awarded 34 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.

Purdue not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Purdue University - Main Campus is $13,377 for Great Lakes Region Geology students.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Geology & Earth Sciences at Purdue

10

Illinois State University ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Normal, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s geology degrees to 7 students in 2020-2021.

Illinois State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Illinois State is $20,830 for great lakes region geology students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Illinois State Geology & Earth Sciences Report

11
Eastern Michigan crest
Eastern Michigan University
Ypsilanti, Michigan

Eastern Michigan University landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Best Value Geology Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Eastern Michigan is a fairly large school located in Ypsilanti, Michigan that handed out 6 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $15,127 for great lakes region geology students per year to attend Eastern Michigan.

Read full report on Geology & Earth Sciences at Eastern Michigan

12

Wright State University - Main Campus did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Geology Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #12. Wright State University - Main Campus is a public institution located in Dayton, Ohio. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 37 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our great lakes region geology students list, Wright State University - Main Campus has also earned the #21 rank in our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $15,962 for Great Lakes Region Geology students per year to attend Wright State University - Main Campus.

Read more about Geology & Earth Sciences at Wright State University - Main Campus

13

Kent State University at Kent ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Kent State University at Kent is a large school located in Kent, Ohio that handed out 18 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our great lakes region geology students list, Kent State has also earned the #23 rank in our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Kent State is $19,117 for great lakes region geology students.

Read full report on Geology & Earth Sciences at Kent State University at Kent

14

With a ranking of #14, University of Cincinnati - Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Geology Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. UC is a large public school situated in Cincinnati, Ohio. It awarded 22 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.

UC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $22,415 for great lakes region geology students per year to attend UC.

With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.7% 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 Geology & Earth Sciences at University of Cincinnati - Main Campus

15

University of Wisconsin - Madison landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Best Value Geology Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. UW - Madison is a large public school situated in Madison, Wisconsin. It awarded 46 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW - Madison, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Madison is $17,234 for great lakes region geology students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national 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 University of Wisconsin - Madison Geology & Earth Sciences Report

16
Ball State crest
Ball State University
Muncie, Indiana

Ball State University ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Ball State University is a public institution located in Muncie, Indiana. The school has a large population, and it awarded 9 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Ball State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Ball State is $14,765 for great lakes region geology students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Geology & Earth Sciences at Ball State University

17

With a ranking of #17, University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Geology Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee is located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 19 ’s geology degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UWM, the school also landed the #24 spot in our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UWM is $17,486 for Great Lakes Region Geology students.

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

18
Indiana State crest
Indiana State University
Terre Haute, Indiana

With a ranking of #18, Indiana State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Geology Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Indiana State is a medium-sized school located in Terre Haute, Indiana that handed out 10 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $14,270 for Great Lakes Region Geology students per year to attend Indiana State University.

Read more about Geology & Earth Sciences at Indiana State University

19

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geology Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. UIUC is a large public school situated in Champaign, Illinois. It awarded 19 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UIUC, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UIUC is $14,321 for great lakes region geology students.

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 school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

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

20

University of Illinois at Chicago ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. University of Illinois at Chicago is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 23 ’s geology degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our great lakes region geology students list, UIC has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $13,214 for Great Lakes Region Geology students per year to attend University of Illinois at Chicago.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Geology & Earth Sciences at University of Illinois at Chicago

21

Indiana University - Bloomington came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geology Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in Bloomington, Indiana, this large public school handed out 16 diplomas to qualified ’s geology students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our great lakes region geology students list, IU Bloomington has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Indiana University - Bloomington is $14,619 for Great Lakes Region Geology 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 school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Geology & Earth Sciences at Indiana University - Bloomington

22

Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Geology Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #22. IUPUI is a large school located in Indianapolis, Indiana that handed out 11 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.

IUPUI not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #25 on our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $12,416 for Great Lakes Region Geology students per year to attend IUPUI.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full IUPUI Geology & Earth Sciences Report

23
Michigan State crest
Michigan State University
East Lansing, Michigan

Michigan State University ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in East Lansing, Michigan, this large public school awarded 34 degrees to qualified ’s geology students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our great lakes region geology students list, Michigan State has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $19,058 for Great Lakes Region Geology students per year to attend Michigan State University.

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

Read more about Geology & Earth Sciences at Michigan State

24

Ohio State University - Main Campus came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geology Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Columbus, Ohio is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s geology degrees to 28 students in 2020-2021.

Ohio State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $16,845 for Great Lakes Region Geology students per year to attend Ohio State.

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 undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Geology & Earth Sciences at Ohio State

25

Miami University - Oxford came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geology Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Oxford, Ohio is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s geology degrees to 35 students in 2020-2021.

Miami University - Oxford also made our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #8. It costs about $24,756 for great lakes region geology students per year to attend Miami University - Oxford.

With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.0% 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%.

Read full report on Geology & Earth Sciences at Miami University - Oxford

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