2023 Best Value Colleges for Geological & Earth Sciences (Income Over $110k) in the Great Lakes Region
30
Ranked Colleges
818
Degrees Awarded
$22,400
Avg Net Price*
When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. College Factual has developed its “Best Vallue Geology Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making Over $110k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.
In 2020-2021, 7,821 people earned their degree in geological and earth sciences, making the major the 95th most popular in the United States. In 2019-2020, geological and earth sciences graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $38,705 and had an average of $23,383 in loans still to pay off.
Across the Great Lakes region, there were 818 geological and earth sciences graduates with average earnings and debt of $35,990 and $23,096 respectively.
For this year’s “Best Vallue Geology Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making Over $110k” ranking, we looked at 30 colleges that offer 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.
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 geological and earth sciences program at the school. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
One Size Does Not Fit All
Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Vallue Geology Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making Over $110k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.
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. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.
25436264911866620859169962280624870197982728525176199512187521360275342332019108208422124825253196731979627948214992006222520
Best Vallue Geology Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making Over $110k
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Vallue Geology Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making Over $110k.
Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Geological & Earth Sciences (Income Over $110k) in the Great Lakes Region
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Wisconsin - Madison. The school came in at #1 for the Best Vallue Geology Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making Over $110k. Located in Madison, Wisconsin, this large public school handed out 50 diplomas to qualified ’s geology students in 2020-2021.
UW - Madison did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UW - Madison is $17,234 for Great Lakes Region Geology students whose families make more than $110k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. 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%.
Full UW - Madison Geological & Earth Sciences Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Vallue Geology Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making Over $110k list. U-M is a large public school situated in Ann Arbor, Michigan. It awarded 62 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.
U-M also took the #4 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for U-M is $14,878 for great lakes region geology students whose families make more than $110k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, 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 more about Geological & Earth Sciences at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Beloit College. The school came in at #3 for the Best Vallue Geology Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making Over $110k. Located in Beloit, Wisconsin, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 7 diplomas to qualified ’s geology students in 2020-2021.
Beloit also made our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #14. It costs about $12,246 for Great Lakes Region Geology students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend Beloit College.
With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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. 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 more about Geological & Earth Sciences at Beloit College
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Purdue University - Main Campus. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Vallue Geology Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making Over $110k list. Purdue is a large school located in West Lafayette, Indiana that handed out 34 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.
Purdue not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Purdue is $13,377 for Great Lakes Region Geology students whose families make more than $110k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% 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 Geological & Earth Sciences at Purdue University - Main Campus
Out of the 30 schools in the Best Vallue Geology Schools 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 #5 spot on the list. River Falls, Wisconsin is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s geology degrees to 8 students in 2020-2021.
UW - River Falls also made our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #20. It costs about $13,844 for great lakes region geology students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend UW - River Falls.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.0% 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 more about Geological & Earth Sciences at UW - River Falls
Indiana University - Bloomington did quite well in the 2023 Best Vallue Geology Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making Over $110k ranking, coming in at #6. This large school is located in Bloomington, Indiana, and it awarded 16 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our great lakes region geology students whose families make more than $110k list, IU Bloomington has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for IU Bloomington is $14,619 for Great Lakes Region Geology students whose families make more than $110k.
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 undergrad 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%.
Full Indiana University - Bloomington Geological & Earth Sciences Report
Ohio State University - Main Campus ranked #7 on this year’s Best Vallue Geology Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making Over $110k list. 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 did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $16,845 for Great Lakes Region Geology students whose families make more than $110k 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 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 Geological & Earth Sciences at Ohio State University - Main Campus
University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Best Vallue Geology Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making Over $110k ranking. University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire is a fairly large school located in Eau Claire, Wisconsin that handed out 8 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.
UW - Eau Claire not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #19 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire is $16,051 for Great Lakes Region Geology students whose families make more than $110k.
Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at UW - Eau Claire
With a ranking of #9, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign did quite well on the 2023 Best Vallue Geology Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making Over $110k list. Located in Champaign, Illinois, this large public school handed out 19 diplomas to qualified ’s geology students in 2020-2021.
UIUC also made our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #5. It costs about $14,321 for Great Lakes Region Geology students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend UIUC.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.3% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.
Full UIUC Geological & Earth Sciences Report
Western Michigan University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Vallue Geology Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making Over $110k ranking. WMU is a public institution located in Kalamazoo, Michigan. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 38 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our great lakes region geology students whose families make more than $110k list, WMU has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $20,371 for Great Lakes Region Geology students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend Western Michigan University.
Full WMU Geological & Earth Sciences Report
Wright State University - Main Campus came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Vallue Geology Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making Over $110k ranking. 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.
Wright State University - Main Campus not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #22 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Wright State University - Main Campus is $15,962 for great lakes region geology students whose families make more than $110k.
Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at Wright State University - Main Campus
Ball State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Vallue Geology Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making Over $110k ranking, coming in at #12. Ball State 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 not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #17 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $14,765 for Great Lakes Region Geology students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend Ball State University.
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 Geological & Earth Sciences at Ball State University
With a ranking of #13, Bowling Green State University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Best Vallue Geology Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making Over $110k list. BGSU is a fairly large public school situated in Bowling Green, Ohio. It awarded 9 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.
BGSU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #18 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Bowling Green State University - Main Campus is $18,558 for great lakes region geology students whose families make more than $110k.
Full BGSU Geological & Earth Sciences Report
With a ranking of #14, Michigan State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Vallue Geology Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making Over $110k list. Michigan State University is a large public school situated in East Lansing, Michigan. It awarded 34 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.
Michigan State also took the #6 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Michigan State University is $19,058 for Great Lakes Region Geology students whose families make more than $110k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.6% 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 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at Michigan State
With a ranking of #15, University of Illinois at Chicago did quite well on the 2023 Best Vallue Geology Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making Over $110k list. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s geology degrees to 23 students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UIC, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UIC is $13,214 for Great Lakes Region Geology students whose families make more than $110k.
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 Geological & Earth Sciences at UIC
Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Vallue Geology Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making Over $110k ranking. This large school is located in Indianapolis, Indiana, and it awarded 11 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis is $12,416 for Great Lakes Region Geology students whose families make more than $110k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.2% 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%.
Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at IUPUI
University of Akron Main Campus ranked #17 on this year’s Best Vallue Geology Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making Over $110k 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 also took the #23 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Akron Main Campus is $17,945 for great lakes region geology students whose families make more than $110k.
Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at University of Akron Main Campus
Grand Valley State University came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Vallue Geology Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making Over $110k ranking. GVSU is a large school located in Allendale, Michigan that handed out 12 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our great lakes region geology students whose families make more than $110k list, GVSU has also earned the #21 rank in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $17,356 for Great Lakes Region Geology students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend Grand Valley State University.
The undergrad 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 GVSU
University of Cincinnati - Main Campus did quite well in the 2023 Best Vallue Geology Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making Over $110k ranking, coming in at #19. Located in Cincinnati, Ohio, this large public school handed out 22 diplomas to qualified ’s geology students in 2020-2021.
UC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $22,415 for Great Lakes Region Geology students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend UC.
With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at University of Cincinnati - Main Campus
Eastern Michigan University landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Best Vallue Geology Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making Over $110k ranking. Ypsilanti, Michigan is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s geology degrees to 6 students in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend Eastern Michigan is $15,127 for great lakes region geology students whose families make more than $110k.
Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at Eastern Michigan University
Wayne State University landed the #21 spot on the 2023 Best Vallue Geology Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making Over $110k ranking. Located in Detroit, Michigan, this large public school handed out 15 diplomas to qualified ’s geology students in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend Wayne State University is $13,962 for Great Lakes Region Geology students whose families make more than $110k.
Full Wayne State University Geological & Earth Sciences Report
Miami University - Oxford ranked #22 on this year’s Best Vallue Geology Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making Over $110k list. 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.
In addition to being on our great lakes region geology students whose families make more than $110k list, Miami University - Oxford has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $24,756 for Great Lakes Region Geology students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend Miami University - Oxford.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at Miami University - Oxford
University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee landed the #23 spot on the 2023 Best Vallue Geology Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making Over $110k ranking. Located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, this large public school awarded 19 diplomas to qualified ’s geology students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UWM, the school also landed the #25 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee is $17,486 for Great Lakes Region Geology students whose families make more than $110k.
Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at UWM
Indiana State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Vallue Geology Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making Over $110k ranking, coming in at #24. Terre Haute, Indiana is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s geology degrees to 10 students in 2020-2021.
The estimated yearly cost for Indiana State University is $14,270 for great lakes region geology students whose families make more than $110k.
Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at Indiana State University
Kent State University at Kent came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Vallue Geology Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making Over $110k ranking. This large school is located in Kent, Ohio, and it awarded 18 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.
Kent State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #24 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $19,117 for great lakes region geology students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend Kent State.
Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at Kent State
college factual
