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2023 Best Value Colleges for Geology & Earth Sciences in the Great Lakes Region (With Aid)

29 Ranked Colleges
731 Degrees Awarded
$16,900 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Geology Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Geology Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

Geology & Earth Sciences is the 125th most popular major in the country with 6,024 degrees awarded in 2020-2021.

Across the Great Lakes region, there were 731 geology and earth sciences graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Geology Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking, we looked at 29 colleges that offer 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.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the geology 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.

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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 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 in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid

The colleges and universities below are the best for great lakes region geology students with aid.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Geology & Earth Sciences in the Great Lakes Region (With Aid)

1

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value Geology Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Madison, Wisconsin, this large public school handed out 46 degrees to qualified ’s geology students in 2020-2021.

UW - Madison also took the #2 spot in our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Madison is $17,234 for great lakes region geology students with aid.

With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Wisconsin - Madison Geology & Earth Sciences Report

2

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Geology Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, this large public school awarded 62 diplomas to qualified ’s geology students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at U-M, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is $14,878 for Great Lakes Region Geology students with aid.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

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

3

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Geology Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Champaign, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s geology degrees to 19 students in 2020-2021.

UIUC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UIUC is $14,321 for Great Lakes Region Geology students with aid.

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%.

Read more about Geology & Earth Sciences at UIUC

4
Purdue crest
Purdue University - Main Campus
West Lafayette, Indiana

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Purdue University - Main Campus. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Geology Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. West Lafayette, Indiana is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s geology degrees to 34 students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Purdue, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Purdue University - Main Campus is $13,377 for Great Lakes Region Geology students with aid.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, 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 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Geology & Earth Sciences at Purdue

5
IU Bloomington crest
Indiana University - Bloomington
Bloomington, Indiana

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Indiana University - Bloomington. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Geology Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid. IU Bloomington is a large public school situated in Bloomington, Indiana. It awarded 16 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.

IU Bloomington also took the #10 spot in our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Indiana University - Bloomington is $14,619 for Great Lakes Region Geology students with aid.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.

Read more about Geology & Earth Sciences at IU Bloomington

6

University of Illinois at Chicago ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. UIC is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 23 ’s geology degrees to qualified students.

UIC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $13,214 for great lakes region geology students with aid per year to attend UIC.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.5% 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 Geology & Earth Sciences at University of Illinois at Chicago

7
Michigan State crest
Michigan State University
East Lansing, Michigan

Michigan State University ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Michigan State is a public institution located in East Lansing, Michigan. The school has a large population, and it awarded 34 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Michigan State also made our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #5. The estimated yearly cost for Michigan State is $19,058 for great lakes region geology students with aid.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.6%, 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 more about Geology & Earth Sciences at Michigan State University

8

Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. IUPUI is a large school located in Indianapolis, Indiana that handed out 11 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.

IUPUI also took the #25 spot in our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend IUPUI is $12,416 for Great Lakes Region Geology students with aid.

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%.

Full IUPUI Geology & Earth Sciences Report

9
Ball State crest
Ball State University
Muncie, Indiana

Ball State University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geology Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Ball State is a large public school situated in Muncie, Indiana. It awarded 9 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our great lakes region geology students with aid list, Ball State has also earned the #16 rank in our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Ball State is $14,765 for great lakes region geology students with aid.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Geology & Earth Sciences at Ball State

10
WMU crest
Western Michigan University
Kalamazoo, Michigan

With a ranking of #10, Western Michigan University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Geology Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. This fairly large school is located in Kalamazoo, Michigan, and it awarded 12 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.

WMU also took the #9 spot in our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $20,371 for great lakes region geology students with aid per year to attend WMU.

Full Western Michigan University Geology & Earth Sciences Report

11

With a ranking of #11, University of Wisconsin - River Falls did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Geology Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. University of Wisconsin - River Falls is a public institution located in River Falls, Wisconsin. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 8 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our great lakes region geology students with aid list, UW - River Falls has also earned the #19 rank in our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $13,844 for great lakes region geology students with aid per year to attend UW - River Falls.

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%.

Read more about Geology & Earth Sciences at University of Wisconsin - River Falls

12
Northwestern crest
Northwestern University
Evanston, Illinois

With a ranking of #12, Northwestern University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Geology Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Evanston, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s geology degrees to 21 students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Northwestern, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $23,279 for great lakes region geology students with aid per year to attend Northwestern.

The impressive undergraduate 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. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Northwestern University Geology & Earth Sciences Report

13

Ohio State University - Main Campus did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Geology Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #13. Ohio State is a public institution located in Columbus, Ohio. The school has a large population, and it awarded 28 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Ohio State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Ohio State is $16,845 for great lakes region geology students with aid.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Geology & Earth Sciences at Ohio State

14

University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Geology Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #14. Located in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, this fairly large public school handed out 8 degrees to qualified ’s geology students in 2020-2021.

UW - Eau Claire did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire is $16,051 for Great Lakes Region Geology students with aid.

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

15

Wright State University - Main Campus came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geology Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Dayton, Ohio is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s geology degrees to 37 students in 2020-2021.

Wright State University - Main Campus also made our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #21. It costs about $15,962 for Great Lakes Region Geology students with aid per year to attend Wright State University - Main Campus.

Full Wright State University - Main Campus Geology & Earth Sciences Report

16
Indiana State crest
Indiana State University
Terre Haute, Indiana

Indiana State University came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geology Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Indiana State University is located in Terre Haute, Indiana and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 10 ’s geology degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend Indiana State is $14,270 for great lakes region geology students with aid.

Read full report on Geology & Earth Sciences at Indiana State

17

University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee is located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 19 ’s geology degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UWM, the school also landed the #24 spot in our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $17,486 for Great Lakes Region Geology students with aid per year to attend UWM.

Read full report on Geology & Earth Sciences at University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee

18

Bowling Green State University - Main Campus landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Best Value Geology Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Bowling Green, Ohio is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s geology degrees to 7 students in 2020-2021.

BGSU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #17 on our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for BGSU is $18,558 for Great Lakes Region Geology students with aid.

Full BGSU Geology & Earth Sciences Report

19

University of Cincinnati - Main Campus ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Cincinnati, Ohio is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s geology degrees to 22 students in 2020-2021.

UC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $22,415 for great lakes region geology students with aid per year to attend UC.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.7%, 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 88%.

Full University of Cincinnati - Main Campus Geology & Earth Sciences Report

20
GVSU crest
Grand Valley State University
Allendale, Michigan

With a ranking of #20, Grand Valley State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Geology Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Grand Valley State University is a large public school situated in Allendale, Michigan. It awarded 11 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.

GVSU also took the #20 spot in our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $17,356 for great lakes region geology students with aid per year to attend GVSU.

The low undergrad 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 Grand Valley State University Geology & Earth Sciences Report

21
Wayne State crest
Wayne State University
Detroit, Michigan

Wayne State University landed the #21 spot on the 2023 Best Value Geology Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Wayne State is a public institution located in Detroit, Michigan. The school has a large population, and it awarded 15 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $13,962 for Great Lakes Region Geology students with aid per year to attend Wayne State University.

Full Wayne State University Geology & Earth Sciences Report

22

University of Akron Main Campus did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Geology Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #22. University of Akron Main Campus is located in Akron, Ohio and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 16 ’s geology degrees to qualified students.

University of Akron Main Campus did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #22 on our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Akron Main Campus is $17,945 for Great Lakes Region Geology students with aid.

Read full report on Geology & Earth Sciences at University of Akron Main Campus

23

Miami University - Oxford did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Geology Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #23. This fairly large school is located in Oxford, Ohio, and it awarded 35 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.

Miami University - Oxford not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Miami University - Oxford is $24,756 for Great Lakes Region Geology students with aid.

With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate 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%.

Full Miami University - Oxford Geology & Earth Sciences Report

24
Illinois State crest
Illinois State University
Normal, Illinois

Illinois State University ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Illinois State University is a public institution located in Normal, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 7 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Illinois State also made our “Best Geology & Earth Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #15. The yearly cost to attend Illinois State is $20,830 for great lakes region geology students with aid.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Illinois State University Geology & Earth Sciences Report

25
Eastern Michigan crest
Eastern Michigan University
Ypsilanti, Michigan

With a ranking of #25, Eastern Michigan University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Geology Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. This fairly large school is located in Ypsilanti, Michigan, and it awarded 6 ’s geology degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Eastern Michigan is $15,127 for great lakes region geology students with aid.

Read full report on Geology & Earth Sciences at Eastern Michigan University

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