by our College Data Analytics Team
When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. College Factual has developed its “Schools Highly Focused on Geology Major in the Great Lakes Region” 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 “Schools Highly Focused on Geology Major in the Great Lakes Region” ranking, we looked at 83 colleges that offer a degree in geological and earth sciences. The colleges and universities that top this list are recognized because their geological and earth sciences program is one of the largest majors offered at the school.
Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Schools Highly Focused on Geology Major in the Great Lakes Region” list to help you make the college decision.
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. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.
The colleges and universities below are the best for great lakes region geology students.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Northland College. The school came in at #1 for the Schools Highly Focused on Geology Major in the Great Lakes Region. Northland is located in Ashland, Wisconsin and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 14 ’s geology degrees to qualified 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.
Out of the 83 schools in the Schools Highly Focused on Geology Major in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Beloit College landed the #2 spot on the list. Beloit, Wisconsin is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s geology degrees to 7 students in 2020-2021.
With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. 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.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Marietta College. The school came in at #3 for the Schools Highly Focused on Geology Major in the Great Lakes Region. Marietta is a small school located in Marietta, Ohio that handed out 4 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.
The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.
Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at Marietta College
Out of the 83 schools in the Schools Highly Focused on Geology Major in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Lawrence University landed the #4 spot on the list. Lawrence University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Appleton, Wisconsin. It awarded 5 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Albion College. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Geology Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in Albion, Michigan, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 5 diplomas to qualified ’s geology students in 2020-2021.
Lake Superior State University came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Geology Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in Sault Ste Marie, Michigan, this small public school awarded 7 diplomas to qualified ’s geology students in 2020-2021.
Full Lake Superior State University Geological & Earth Sciences Report
Saint Norbert College landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Geology Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Saint Norbert College is a private not-for-profit institution located in De Pere, Wisconsin. The school has a small population, and it awarded 7 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.6% 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%.
Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at Saint Norbert College
With a ranking of #8, Earlham College did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Geology Major in the Great Lakes Region list. This small school is located in Richmond, Indiana, and it awarded 3 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Wright State University - Main Campus ranked #9 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Geology Major in the Great Lakes Region list. 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.
Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at Wright State University - Main Campus
Hanover College ranked #10 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Geology Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Hanover College is located in Hanover, Indiana and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 3 ’s geology degrees to qualified students.
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%.
Oberlin College ranked #11 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Geology Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Oberlin is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Oberlin, Ohio. It awarded 8 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.
The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Michigan Technological University landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Geology Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Michigan Technological University is a public institution located in Houghton, Michigan. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 16 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at Michigan Tech
Augustana College did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Geology Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #13. This small school is located in Rock Island, Illinois, and it awarded 8 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
With a ranking of #14, Ohio Wesleyan University did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Geology Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Ohio Wesleyan University is located in Delaware, Ohio and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 3 ’s geology degrees to qualified 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 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
University of Mount Union did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Geology Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #15. Mount Union is located in Alliance, Ohio and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 4 ’s geology degrees to qualified students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.1% 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 University of Mount Union
Adrian College did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Geology Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #16. Adrian is a private not-for-profit institution located in Adrian, Michigan. The school has a small population, and it awarded 3 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Ashland University did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Geology Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #17. Located in Ashland, Ohio, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 9 degrees to qualified ’s geology students in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.1% 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 Ashland University
Hope College landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Geology Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Hope College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Holland, Michigan. It awarded 5 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
With a ranking of #19, Western Michigan University did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Geology Major in the Great Lakes Region list. 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.
Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at Western Michigan University
Miami University - Oxford did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Geology Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #20. Miami University - Oxford is located in Oxford, Ohio and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 35 ’s geology degrees to qualified 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at Miami University - Oxford
With a ranking of #21, University of Wisconsin - River Falls did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Geology Major in the Great Lakes Region 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.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
University of Wisconsin - Green Bay did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Geology Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #22. Green Bay, Wisconsin is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s geology degrees to 9 students in 2020-2021.
Full University of Wisconsin - Green Bay Geological & Earth Sciences Report
Wright State University - Lake Campus came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Geology Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. This small school is located in Celina, Ohio, and it awarded 1 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.
Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at Wright State University - Lake Campus
The College of Wooster did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Geology Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #24. Wooster College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Wooster, Ohio. The school has a small population, and it awarded 2 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, 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 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at Wooster College
With a ranking of #25, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Geology Major in the Great Lakes Region list. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is a large public school situated in Ann Arbor, Michigan. It awarded 62 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.3% 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 96%.
Read more about our data sources and methodologies
