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2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k

44 Ranked Colleges
769 Degrees Awarded
$34,733 Avg Salary
Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor's in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking - to help you make that decision.

Geological & Earth Sciences is the 84th most popular major in the country with 8,918 degrees awarded in 2019-2020. In 2017-2018, geological and earth sciences graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $35,533 and had an average of $23,531 in loans still to pay off.

Across the Great Lakes region, there were 1,042 geological and earth sciences graduates with average earnings and debt of $34,733 and $23,415 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 769 geological and earth sciences graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,075 and $25,381 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking analyzed 44 colleges that offered a degree in geological and earth sciences. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality geological 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 geological 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.

One Size Does Not Fit All

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 for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k”.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.

Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k

The colleges and universities below are the best for great lakes region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $48-$75k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Geological & Earth Sciences (Income $48-$75k) in the Great Lakes Region

#1

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois
#1 in overall quality

Out of the 44 schools in the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, Northwestern University landed the #1 spot on the list. Located in Evanston, Illinois, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 10 degrees to qualified bachelors’s geology students in 2019-2020.

Northwestern not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Northwestern is $6,452 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Full Northwestern Geological & Earth Sciences Report

#2

University of Chicago

Chicago, Illinois
#2 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Chicago. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s geology degrees to 6 students in 2019-2020.

UChicago did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Chicago is $7,934 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 100%. The student loan default rate at the school is 0.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at UChicago

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Wisconsin - Madison. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k. UW - Madison is a public institution located in Madison, Wisconsin. The school has a large population, and it awarded 43 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UW - Madison not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison is $13,227 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.8%, 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 Geological & Earth Sciences Report

Out of the 44 schools in the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor landed the #4 spot on the list. Located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, this large public school handed out 37 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s geology students in 2019-2020.

U-M did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is $10,028 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $48-$75k.

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.

Full U-M Geological & Earth Sciences Report

#5

Purdue University - Main Campus

West Lafayette, Indiana

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Purdue University - Main Campus. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Purdue University - Main Campus is a large public school situated in West Lafayette, Indiana. It awarded 28 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

Purdue not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Purdue is $9,654 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $48-$75k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at Purdue University - Main Campus

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. 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.

UIUC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $13,351 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

#7

Beloit College

Beloit, Wisconsin
#17 in overall quality

Beloit College came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in Beloit, Wisconsin, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 12 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s geology students in 2019-2020.

Beloit did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Beloit is $10,769 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $48-$75k.

The 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 school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low student loan default rate of 1.9% 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 Beloit College Geological & Earth Sciences Report

Ohio State University - Main Campus did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #8. Ohio State University - Main Campus is a large school located in Columbus, Ohio that handed out 17 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $48-$75k list, Ohio State has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $13,982 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Ohio State.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at Ohio State

#9

Indiana University - Bloomington

Bloomington, Indiana
#18 in overall quality

Indiana University - Bloomington ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Indiana University - Bloomington is a large school located in Bloomington, Indiana that handed out 7 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

IU Bloomington did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Indiana University - Bloomington is $12,060 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%. 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 full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at IU Bloomington

#10

University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point

Stevens Point, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Stevens Point, Wisconsin is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s geology degrees to 11 students in 2019-2020.

UW - Stevens Point did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $14,165 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UW - Stevens Point.

Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point

#11

University of Wisconsin - River Falls

River Falls, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - River Falls ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. UW - River Falls is a public institution located in River Falls, Wisconsin. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 9 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UW - River Falls did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend UW - River Falls is $13,474 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%.

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

#12

University of Wisconsin - Green Bay

Green Bay, Wisconsin
#21 in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - Green Bay ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. University of Wisconsin - Green Bay is a medium-sized public school situated in Green Bay, Wisconsin. It awarded 2 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

UW - Green Bay also took the #21 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $14,584 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UW - Green Bay.

Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at UW - Green Bay

#13

University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire

Eau Claire, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire is a fairly large public school situated in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. It awarded 19 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $48-$75k list, UW - Eau Claire has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UW - Eau Claire is $14,887 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $48-$75k.

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

With a ranking of #14, University of Illinois at Chicago did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this large public school awarded 18 diplomas 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 $48-$75k list, UIC has also earned the #20 rank in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Illinois at Chicago is $13,683 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 Geological & Earth Sciences at UIC

#15

Grand Valley State University

Allendale, Michigan

Grand Valley State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #15. GVSU is a large public school situated in Allendale, Michigan. It awarded 28 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

GVSU also made our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #15. The estimated yearly cost for Grand Valley State University is $15,775 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at Grand Valley State University

#23 in overall quality

Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #16. IUPUI is a large school located in Indianapolis, Indiana that handed out 16 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

IUPUI also took the #23 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend IUPUI is $12,314 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full IUPUI Geological & Earth Sciences Report

University of Wisconsin - Parkside landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. University of Wisconsin - Parkside is a public institution located in Kenosha, Wisconsin. The school has a small population, and it awarded 5 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Parkside is $12,166 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at UW - Parkside

#18

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, Illinois

Northern Illinois University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #18. Northern Illinois University is a fairly large public school situated in Dekalb, Illinois. It awarded 11 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend NIU is $18,346 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full Northern Illinois University Geological & Earth Sciences Report

University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. This fairly large school is located in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, and it awarded 8 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $15,236 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh.

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

Southern Illinois University Carbondale ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. SIUC is a fairly large public school situated in Carbondale, Illinois. It awarded 4 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $14,985 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Southern Illinois University Carbondale.

Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at SIUC

#21

Ball State University

Muncie, Indiana
#24 in overall quality

Ball State University landed the #21 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Ball State University is located in Muncie, Indiana and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 15 bachelors’s geology degrees to qualified students.

Ball State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #24 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Ball State University is $15,185 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at Ball State University

#22

Oberlin College

Oberlin, Ohio
#5 in overall quality

With a ranking of #22, Oberlin College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Oberlin College is a small school located in Oberlin, Ohio that handed out 13 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Oberlin, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Oberlin College is $22,507 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at Oberlin

#23

Eastern Michigan University

Ypsilanti, Michigan

With a ranking of #23, Eastern Michigan University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Ypsilanti, Michigan is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s geology degrees to 13 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Eastern Michigan is $16,042 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full Eastern Michigan Geological & Earth Sciences Report

#24

Purdue University Fort Wayne

Fort Wayne, Indiana

Purdue University Fort Wayne landed the #24 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and it awarded 5 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend PFW is $12,023 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at Purdue University Fort Wayne

#25

Michigan State University

East Lansing, Michigan

Michigan State University landed the #25 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in East Lansing, Michigan, this large public school handed out 21 degrees to qualified bachelors’s geology students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Michigan State, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Michigan State University is $20,696 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $48-$75k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 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 full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at Michigan State University

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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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