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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Geological & Earth Sciences (Income $30-$48k) in the Great Lakes Region

44 Ranked Colleges
769 Degrees Awarded
$9,600 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor's in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking - to help you make that 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.

For this year’s “Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking, we looked at 44 colleges that offer a degree in geological and earth sciences. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent geological and earth sciences programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the geological and earth sciences program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

More Ways to Rank Geological & Earth Sciences Schools

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique 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 Making $30-$48k

The colleges and universities below are the best for great lakes region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $30-$48k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Geological & Earth Sciences (Income $30-$48k) in the Great Lakes Region

#1

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois
#1 in overall quality

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 Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Northwestern is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Evanston, Illinois. 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. It costs about $3,995 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Northwestern.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, 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 0.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at Northwestern University

#2

University of Chicago

Chicago, Illinois
#2 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Chicago. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. UChicago is a fairly large school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 6 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $30-$48k list, UChicago has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $2,800 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UChicago.

The low student loan default rate of 0.6% 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%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 100%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at UChicago

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Wisconsin - Madison. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k. UW - Madison is a large school located in Madison, Wisconsin that handed out 43 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $30-$48k list, UW - Madison has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UW - Madison is $6,860 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%.

Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at University of Wisconsin - Madison

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is a public institution located in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The school has a large population, and it awarded 37 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at U-M, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $5,887 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. The low student loan default rate of 1.2% 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 U-M Geological & Earth Sciences Report

#5

Purdue University - Main Campus

West Lafayette, Indiana

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Purdue University - Main Campus. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k. Purdue University - Main Campus is located in West Lafayette, Indiana and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 28 bachelors’s geology degrees to qualified students.

Purdue also made our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #7. The estimated yearly cost for Purdue is $5,879 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Purdue University - Main Campus Geological & Earth Sciences Report

With a ranking of #6, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. This large school is located in Champaign, Illinois, and it awarded 15 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

UIUC also made our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #6. The yearly cost to attend UIUC is $8,464 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive 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 UIUC

#7

Indiana University - Bloomington

Bloomington, Indiana
#18 in overall quality

Indiana University - Bloomington landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Bloomington, Indiana, this large public school awarded 7 degrees to qualified bachelors’s geology students in 2019-2020.

IU Bloomington also took the #18 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Indiana University - Bloomington is $6,192 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 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 Indiana University - Bloomington

Ohio State University - Main Campus ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Ohio State is a large public school situated in Columbus, Ohio. It awarded 17 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $30-$48k list, Ohio State has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $10,037 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Ohio State.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at Ohio State

#9

University of Wisconsin - River Falls

River Falls, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - River Falls came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. River Falls, Wisconsin is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s geology degrees to 9 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW - River Falls, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - River Falls is $10,124 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $30-$48k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full UW - River Falls Geological & Earth Sciences Report

#10

University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point

Stevens Point, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #10. University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point is a medium-sized school located in Stevens Point, Wisconsin that handed out 11 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $30-$48k list, UW - Stevens Point has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $11,433 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UW - Stevens Point.

Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at UW - Stevens Point

#11

Beloit College

Beloit, Wisconsin
#17 in overall quality

Beloit College landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Beloit College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Beloit, Wisconsin. The school has a small population, and it awarded 12 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Beloit not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #17 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Beloit College is $7,628 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a 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 excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, 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 1.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Beloit Geological & Earth Sciences Report

#23 in overall quality

Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Indianapolis, Indiana, this large public school handed out 16 degrees to qualified bachelors’s geology students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $30-$48k list, IUPUI has also earned the #23 rank in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend IUPUI is $6,315 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis

#13

University of Wisconsin - Green Bay

Green Bay, Wisconsin
#21 in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - Green Bay came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. University of Wisconsin - Green Bay is a medium-sized school located in Green Bay, Wisconsin that handed out 2 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW - Green Bay, the school also landed the #21 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UW - Green Bay is $11,641 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full University of Wisconsin - Green Bay Geological & Earth Sciences Report

#14

University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire

Eau Claire, Wisconsin

With a ranking of #14, University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. UW - Eau Claire is a fairly large school located in Eau Claire, Wisconsin that handed out 19 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $30-$48k 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. The yearly cost to attend UW - Eau Claire is $11,828 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire Geological & Earth Sciences Report

#15

Oberlin College

Oberlin, Ohio
#5 in overall quality

With a ranking of #15, Oberlin College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Oberlin, Ohio, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 13 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s geology students in 2019-2020.

Oberlin did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Oberlin is $11,560 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Oberlin College Geological & Earth Sciences Report

#16

Grand Valley State University

Allendale, Michigan

Grand Valley State University came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This large school is located in Allendale, Michigan, and it awarded 28 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at GVSU, the school also landed the #15 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Grand Valley State University is $12,459 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%.

Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at GVSU

University of Wisconsin - Parkside came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Kenosha, Wisconsin, this small public school awarded 5 degrees to qualified bachelors’s geology students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for UW - Parkside is $9,018 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full University of Wisconsin - Parkside Geological & Earth Sciences Report

With a ranking of #18, 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 Making $30-$48k list. University of Illinois at Chicago 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 $11,185 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%.

Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at University of Illinois at Chicago

#19

Ball State University

Muncie, Indiana
#24 in overall quality

Ball State University landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Ball State University is a public institution located in Muncie, Indiana. The school has a large population, and it awarded 15 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

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. The estimated yearly cost for Ball State University is $10,487 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at Ball State University

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 Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #20. UW Oshkosh is located in Oshkosh, Wisconsin and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 8 bachelors’s geology degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $13,114 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh.

Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at UW Oshkosh

#21

Purdue University Fort Wayne

Fort Wayne, Indiana

Purdue University Fort Wayne landed the #21 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. PFW is a public institution located in Fort Wayne, Indiana. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 5 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Purdue University Fort Wayne is $7,686 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full Purdue University Fort Wayne Geological & Earth Sciences Report

#22

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, Illinois

With a ranking of #22, Northern Illinois University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. NIU is located in Dekalb, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 11 bachelors’s geology degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $15,861 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend NIU.

Full Northern Illinois University Geological & Earth Sciences Report

#23

Michigan State University

East Lansing, Michigan

Michigan State University landed the #23 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Michigan State is a public institution located in East Lansing, Michigan. The school has a large population, and it awarded 21 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Michigan State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $15,197 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Michigan State.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Michigan State University Geological & Earth Sciences Report

Southern Illinois University Carbondale came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Southern Illinois University Carbondale is located in Carbondale, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 4 bachelors’s geology degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $14,306 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend SIUC.

Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at SIUC

#25

University of Southern Indiana

Evansville, Indiana

With a ranking of #25, University of Southern Indiana did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of Southern Indiana is a public institution located in Evansville, Indiana. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 7 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for USI is $9,842 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree geology students whose families make $30-$48k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 5.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

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

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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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