Find Schools

Study Area & Zipcode

Geological & Earth Sciences

Find Schools Near

2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid

44 Ranked Colleges
769 Degrees Awarded
$15,600 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor's in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking as one item you can use to help make this 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 Getting Aid” ranking looked at 44 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in geological and earth sciences. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great geological and earth sciences programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the geological and earth sciences program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

More Ways to Rank Geological & Earth Sciences Schools

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.

Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Geological & Earth Sciences in the Great Lakes Region (With Aid)

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 Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid. This large school is located in Madison, Wisconsin, and it awarded 43 bachelors’s geology 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 estimated yearly cost for UW - Madison is $17,708 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students with aid.

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.

Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at UW - Madison

#2

Purdue University - Main Campus

West Lafayette, Indiana

Out of the 44 schools in the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Purdue University - Main Campus landed the #2 spot on the list. This large school is located in West Lafayette, Indiana, and it awarded 28 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Purdue, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $13,986 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree geology students with aid per year to attend Purdue University - Main Campus.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. 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%.

Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at Purdue

Out of the 44 schools in the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor landed the #3 spot on the list. U-M is a large school located in Ann Arbor, Michigan that handed out 37 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

U-M not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is $15,336 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students with aid.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%.

Full University of Michigan - Ann Arbor Geological & Earth Sciences Report

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid. Located in Champaign, Illinois, this large public school handed out 15 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s geology students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UIUC, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UIUC is $15,880 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students with aid.

The low student loan default rate of 2.4% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full UIUC Geological & Earth Sciences Report

#21 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wisconsin - Green Bay. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. UW - Green Bay is a medium-sized school located in Green Bay, Wisconsin that handed out 2 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

UW - Green Bay did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #21 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Green Bay is $14,395 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students with aid.

Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at UW - Green Bay

#6

University of Wisconsin - River Falls

River Falls, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - River Falls landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. UW - River Falls is a medium-sized school located in River Falls, Wisconsin that handed out 9 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree geology students with aid list, UW - River Falls has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - River Falls is $13,748 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students with aid.

The low 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%.

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

#7

University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point

Stevens Point, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. 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.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW - Stevens Point, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best Geological & 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 with aid.

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

With a ranking of #8, 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 Getting Aid list. UIC is a large public school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 18 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UIC, the school also landed the #20 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UIC is $13,312 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full UIC Geological & Earth Sciences Report

#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 Getting Aid list. IU Bloomington is a large public school situated in Bloomington, Indiana. It awarded 7 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree geology students with aid list, IU Bloomington has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best Geological & 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 with aid.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The low student loan default rate of 4.3% 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%.

Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at IU Bloomington

#10

University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire

Eau Claire, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, this fairly large public school handed out 19 degrees to qualified bachelors’s geology students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree geology students with aid 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. It costs about $16,020 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students with aid per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire.

Full UW - Eau Claire Geological & Earth Sciences Report

#23 in overall quality

Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Indianapolis, Indiana, this large public school handed out 16 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s geology students in 2019-2020.

IUPUI not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #23 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis is $11,285 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree geology students with aid.

Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis

University of Wisconsin - Parkside landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Kenosha, Wisconsin, this small public school handed out 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 with aid.

Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at UW - Parkside

University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #13. UW Oshkosh is a fairly large school located in Oshkosh, Wisconsin that handed out 8 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh is $15,463 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students with aid.

Full University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh Geological & Earth Sciences Report

#14

Michigan State University

East Lansing, Michigan

Michigan State University landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Michigan State is located in East Lansing, Michigan and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 21 bachelors’s geology degrees to qualified students.

Michigan State also took the #9 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Michigan State University is $19,173 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree geology students with aid.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at Michigan State

#15

Ball State University

Muncie, Indiana
#24 in overall quality

Ball State University ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Ball State 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.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Ball State, the school also landed the #24 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $15,147 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree geology students with aid per year to attend Ball State.

Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at Ball State

#16

Grand Valley State University

Allendale, Michigan

Grand Valley State University ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. GVSU is located in Allendale, Michigan and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 28 bachelors’s geology degrees to qualified students.

GVSU also took the #15 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $17,646 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students with aid per year to attend Grand Valley State University.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full GVSU Geological & Earth Sciences Report

#17

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, Illinois

Northern Illinois University ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Northern Illinois University is a public institution located in Dekalb, Illinois. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 11 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Northern Illinois University is $18,259 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree geology students with aid.

Full Northern Illinois University Geological & Earth Sciences Report

With a ranking of #18, Ohio State University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid 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.

Ohio State also made our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #8. It costs about $17,616 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree geology students with aid 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 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 full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at Ohio State

#19

Western Michigan University

Kalamazoo, Michigan

Western Michigan University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #19. WMU is located in Kalamazoo, Michigan and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 15 bachelors’s geology degrees to qualified students.

WMU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend WMU is $19,433 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students with aid.

Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at WMU

#20

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois
#1 in overall quality

Northwestern University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #20. This large school is located in Evanston, Illinois, and it awarded 10 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

Northwestern also took the #1 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Northwestern is $24,664 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students with aid.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The low student loan default rate of 0.8% 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 Northwestern

#21

Purdue University Fort Wayne

Fort Wayne, Indiana

With a ranking of #21, Purdue University Fort Wayne did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Fort Wayne, Indiana is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s geology degrees to 5 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend PFW is $10,912 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree geology students with aid.

Full PFW Geological & Earth Sciences Report

#22

Indiana State University

Terre Haute, Indiana

With a ranking of #22, Indiana State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Terre Haute, Indiana, this fairly large public school awarded 7 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s geology students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Indiana State University is $13,896 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students with aid.

Full Indiana State University Geological & Earth Sciences Report

Southern Illinois University Carbondale landed the #23 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. SIUC is a public institution located in Carbondale, Illinois. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 4 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $16,945 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students with aid per year to attend SIUC.

Full SIUC Geological & Earth Sciences Report

#24

University of Southern Indiana

Evansville, Indiana

University of Southern Indiana landed the #24 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. University of Southern Indiana is located in Evansville, Indiana and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 7 bachelors’s geology degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend University of Southern Indiana is $13,437 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students with aid.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 5.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at University of Southern Indiana

#25

Eastern Michigan University

Ypsilanti, Michigan

With a ranking of #25, Eastern Michigan University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Ypsilanti, Michigan, this fairly large public school handed out 13 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s geology students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Eastern Michigan University is $15,924 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students with aid.

Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at Eastern Michigan

Switch to a Different Ranking Method

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.

Featured Physical Sciences Schools

Find Schools Near You