2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region
When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. 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” ranking - to help you make that decision.
In 2019-2020, 8,918 people earned their degree in geological and earth sciences, making the major the 84th most popular in the United States. 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” ranking looked at 44 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s 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. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.
Featured schools near , edit
One Size Does Not Fit All
The geology school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region”.
To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.
Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region
The colleges and universities below are the best for great lakes region bachelor’s degree geology students.
Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Geological & Earth Sciences in the Great Lakes Region
Out of the 44 schools in the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Wisconsin - River Falls landed the #1 spot on the list. Located in River Falls, Wisconsin, this medium-sized public school handed out 9 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s geology 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. It costs about $13,748 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree geology students per year to attend UW - River Falls.
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%.
Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at University of Wisconsin - River Falls
Out of the 44 schools in the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point landed the #2 spot on the list. University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point is a public institution located in Stevens Point, Wisconsin. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 11 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
UW - Stevens Point did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point is $14,465 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree geology students.
Full University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point Geological & Earth Sciences Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Wisconsin - Green Bay. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region. 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.
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 UW - Green Bay is $14,395 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students.
Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at UW - Green Bay
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region. UW - Eau Claire is a fairly large public school situated in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. It awarded 19 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree geology students 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 University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire is $16,020 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students.
Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire
Out of the 44 schools in the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Western Michigan University landed the #5 spot on the list. 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.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at WMU, the school also landed the #11 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for WMU is $19,433 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree geology students.
Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at Western Michigan University
Grand Valley State University ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. This large school is located in Allendale, Michigan, and it awarded 28 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.
GVSU also took 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 $17,646 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree geology students.
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%.
University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, this fairly large public school awarded 8 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s geology students in 2019-2020.
It costs about $15,463 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh.
Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh
Northern Illinois University landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in Dekalb, Illinois, this fairly large public school handed out 11 degrees to qualified bachelors’s geology students in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for NIU is $18,259 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree geology students.
Southern Illinois University Carbondale ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. SIUC 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.
The yearly cost to attend Southern Illinois University Carbondale is $16,945 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students.
Full Southern Illinois University Carbondale Geological & Earth Sciences Report
Western Illinois University ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. This medium-sized school is located in Macomb, Illinois, and it awarded 1 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for Western Illinois University is $16,210 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students.
Full Western Illinois University Geological & Earth Sciences Report
University of Wisconsin - Parkside ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in Kenosha, Wisconsin, this small public school awarded 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.
Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at UW - Parkside
Illinois State University landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. This large school is located in Normal, Illinois, and it awarded 12 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Illinois State, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Illinois State University is $20,895 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students.
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%.
Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at Illinois State
Eastern Michigan University landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Eastern Michigan University is a public institution located in Ypsilanti, Michigan. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 13 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for Eastern Michigan is $15,924 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students.
Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at Eastern Michigan
Purdue University - Main Campus ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. West Lafayette, Indiana is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s geology degrees to 28 students in 2019-2020.
Purdue also made our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #7. The yearly cost to attend Purdue University - Main Campus is $13,986 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree geology students.
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 student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Kent State University at Kent came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in Kent, Ohio, this large public school awarded 31 degrees to qualified bachelors’s geology students in 2019-2020.
It costs about $18,885 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students per year to attend Kent State.
Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at Kent State
University of Akron Main Campus landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. University of Akron Main Campus is a fairly large school located in Akron, Ohio that handed out 29 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $17,792 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students per year to attend University of Akron Main Campus.
Full University of Akron Main Campus Geological & Earth Sciences Report
With a ranking of #17, University of Southern Indiana did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. USI is a fairly large school located in Evansville, Indiana that handed out 7 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $13,437 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree geology students per year to attend USI.
The low student loan default rate of 5.0% 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%.
Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at University of Southern Indiana
With a ranking of #18, Wright State University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. This fairly large school is located in Dayton, Ohio, and it awarded 21 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for Wright State University - Main Campus is $16,823 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree geology students.
Read more about Geological & Earth Sciences at Wright State University - Main Campus
Purdue University Fort Wayne landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. 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 Purdue University Fort Wayne is $10,912 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree geology students.
Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at Purdue University Fort Wayne
Indiana State University ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Indiana State is located in Terre Haute, Indiana and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 7 bachelors’s geology degrees to qualified students.
It costs about $13,896 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree geology students per year to attend Indiana State.
Read full report on Geological & Earth Sciences at Indiana State
University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee is a large public school situated in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It awarded 24 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend UWM is $17,876 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students.
Ball State University ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Ball State is a large school located in Muncie, Indiana that handed out 15 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.
Ball State also made our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #24. It costs about $15,147 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Geology students per year to attend Ball State.
Full Ball State University Geological & Earth Sciences Report
Central Michigan University came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Central Michigan University is a fairly large public school situated in Mount Pleasant, Michigan. It awarded 16 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend Central Michigan is $15,981 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree geology students.
University of Cincinnati - Main Campus landed the #24 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. This large school is located in Cincinnati, Ohio, and it awarded 14 bachelors’s geology degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for UC is $21,843 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree geology students.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full University of Cincinnati - Main Campus Geological & Earth Sciences Report
With a ranking of #25, University of Illinois at Chicago did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. University of Illinois at Chicago is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 18 bachelors’s geology degrees to qualified students.
UIC also took the #20 spot in our “Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $13,312 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree geology students per year to attend University of Illinois at Chicago.
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
Narrow Results by Region
Southeast
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Geological & Earth Sciences in the Southeast Region
Rocky Mountains
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Geological & Earth Sciences in the Rocky Mountains Region
Middle Atlantic
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Geological & Earth Sciences in the Middle Atlantic Region
Southwest
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Geological & Earth Sciences in the Southwest Region
New England
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Geological & Earth Sciences in the New England Region
Plains States
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Geological & Earth Sciences in the Plains States Region
Far Western US
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Geological & Earth Sciences in the Far Western US Region
Great Lakes
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Geological & Earth Sciences in the Great Lakes Region
Switch to a More General Major
Switch to a Similar Major
General Physical Sciences
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for General Physical Sciences in the Great Lakes Region
Atmospheric Sciences & Meteorology
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Atmospheric Sciences & Meteorology in the Great Lakes Region
Physics
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Physics in the Great Lakes Region
Other Physical Science
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Other Physical Science in the Great Lakes Region
Astronomy & Astrophysics
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Astronomy & Astrophysics in the Great Lakes Region
Chemistry
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Chemistry in the Great Lakes Region
Materials Sciences
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Materials Sciences in the Great Lakes Region
Switch to a More Focused Major
Geology & Earth Sciences
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Geology & Earth Sciences in the Great Lakes Region
Geophysics & Seismology
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Geophysics & Seismology in the Great Lakes Region
Other Geological & Earth Sciences/Geosciences
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Other Geological & Earth Sciences/Geosciences in the Great Lakes Region
Switch to a Different Ranking Method
Best Geological & Earth Sciences Bachelor's Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region
Geological & Earth Sciences students in the Great Lakes Region
Most Focused Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Geological & Earth Sciences in the Great Lakes Region
Geological & Earth Sciences students in the Great Lakes Region
Most Popular Bachelor's Degree Online Geological & Earth Sciences Schools
Geological & Earth Sciences students in the Great Lakes Region
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Geological & Earth Sciences (Income $0-$30k) in the Great Lakes Region
Geological & Earth Sciences students with family income less than $30k in the Great Lakes Region
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Geological & Earth Sciences (Income $48-$75k) in the Great Lakes Region
Geological & Earth Sciences students with family income $48-$75k in the Great Lakes Region
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Geological & Earth Sciences (Income Over $110k) in the Great Lakes Region
Geological & Earth Sciences students with family income exceeding $110k in the Great Lakes Region
Highest Paid Bachelor's Degree Geological & Earth Sciences Graduates in the Great Lakes Region
Geological & Earth Sciences students in the Great Lakes Region
Most Popular Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Geological & Earth Sciences in the Great Lakes Region
Geological & Earth Sciences students in the Great Lakes Region
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Geological & Earth Sciences in the Great Lakes Region (With Aid)
Geological & Earth Sciences students getting aid in the Great Lakes Region
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Geological & Earth Sciences (Income $30-$48k) in the Great Lakes Region
Geological & Earth Sciences students with family income $30-$48k in the Great Lakes Region
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Geological & Earth Sciences (Income $75-$110k) in the Great Lakes Region
Geological & Earth Sciences students with family income $75-$110k in the Great Lakes Region
Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Geological & Earth Sciences in the Great Lakes Region
Geological & Earth Sciences students in the Great Lakes Region
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
Request Info
|
Southern New Hampshire University
You have goals. Southern New Hampshire University can help you get there. Whether you need a bachelor's degree to get into a career or want a master's degree to move up in your current career, SNHU has an online program for you. Find your degree from over 200 online programs ... Learn More > |
College Factual provides higher-education, college and university, degree, program, career, salary, and other helpful information to students, faculty, institutions, and other internet audiences. Presented information and data are subject to change. Inclusion on this website does not imply or represent a direct relationship with the company, school, or brand. Information, though believed correct at time of publication, may not be correct, and no warranty is provided. Contact the schools to verify any information before relying on it. Financial aid may be available for those who qualify. The displayed options may include sponsored or recommended results, not necessarily based on your preferences.
© College Factual – All Rights Reserved.