2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Master’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value Geology Schools for a Master’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

In 2019-2020, 7,036 people earned their degree in geology and earth sciences, making the major the 101st most popular in the United States.

Across Illinois, there were 128 geology and earth sciences graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the master’s degree level specifically, there were 27 geology and earth sciences graduates with average earnings and debt of $57,267 and $46,814 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Geology Schools for a Master’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking analyzed 5 colleges that offered a degree in geology and earth sciences. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great geology and earth sciences programs and cost less that 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 geology and earth sciences program at the school. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

More Ways to Rank Geology & Earth Sciences Schools

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 “Best Value Geology Schools for a Master’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k” list to help you make the college decision.

We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

Best Value Geology Schools for a Master’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k

The colleges and universities below are the best for illinois master’s degree geology students whose families make $0-$30k.

Top 5 Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Geology & Earth Sciences (Income $0-$30k) in Illinois

#1

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois

#1 in overall quality

$56,567 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Northwestern University. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Master’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Northwestern is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Evanston, Illinois. It awarded 6 masters’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

Northwestern also made our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Master’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #1. Average graduate tuition and fees at Northwestern are $56,567, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about Geology & Earth Sciences at Northwestern

#2

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Champaign, Illinois

#2 in overall quality

$30,083 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees

Out of the 5 schools in the Best Value Geology Schools for a Master’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the #2 spot on the list. UIUC is located in Champaign, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 3 masters’s geology degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UIUC, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Master’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at UIUC are $30,083, but some majors have different tuition rates.

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

#3

Southern Illinois University Carbondale

Carbondale, Illinois

#3 in overall quality

$32,928 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Southern Illinois University Carbondale. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Geology Schools for a Master’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k. Southern Illinois University Carbondale is a fairly large public school situated in Carbondale, Illinois. It awarded 8 masters’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

SIUC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Master’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Southern Illinois University Carbondale are $32,928, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full Southern Illinois University Carbondale Geology & Earth Sciences Report

#4

University of Illinois at Chicago

Chicago, Illinois

$27,036 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Illinois at Chicago. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Geology Schools for a Master’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s geology degrees to 1 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois master’s degree geology students whose families make $0-$30k list, UIC has also earned the #0 rank in our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Master’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at UIC are $27,036, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read full report on Geology & Earth Sciences at UIC

#5

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, Illinois

#4 in overall quality

$11,086 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Northern Illinois University. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Master’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. NIU is a fairly large school located in Dekalb, Illinois that handed out 9 masters’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

NIU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Master’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. Average graduate tuition and fees at Northern Illinois University are $11,086, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Full Northern Illinois University Geology & Earth Sciences Report

• Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Geology & Earth Sciences (Income $0-$30k) in the Great Lakes Region
• Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Geology & Earth Sciences (Income $0-$30k)

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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