College Factual  by our College Data Analytics Team
       Unbiased Factual Guarantee

2025 Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region

23 Colleges in the Great Lakes Region
1,044 Geology Degrees Awarded
$43,196 Avg Early-Career Salary
If you plan on majoring in geological & earth sciences, you won't be alone since the degree program is ranked #95 in the country in terms of popularity. So, you have a fair amount of options to choose from when looking for a school.

In 2025, College Factual analyzed 23 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 1,044 degrees in geological & earth sciences to qualified students.

Jump to one of the following sections: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great Geological & Earth Sciences School

Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region The geology program you select can have a big impact on your future. That's why we developed our collection of Best Schools for Geological & Earth Sciences rankings. In order to come up with a best overall ranking for geological & earth sciences schools, we combine our degree-level rankings, weighting them by the number of degrees awarded at each level.

You may want to choose one of the degree levels below to find the schools of most interest to you.

Geological & Earth Sciences Rankings by Degree Level

Bachelor's Degrees in Geology
Master's Degrees in Geology
Doctor's Degrees in Geology

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we've developed the Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision. More interested in schools in a specific area of the country? Filter this list by region or state.

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.

Read more about College Factual's methodology.

Best Schools for Geological & Earth Sciences in the Great Lakes Region

If you aren't interested in a particular degree level and want to know which schools are the overall best at delivering an education for the geology degrees they offer, see the list below.

10 Top Great Lakes Region Schools in Geology

1
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
49 Geology Degrees Awarded
$43,068 Median Starting Salary

University of Wisconsin - Madison is a wonderful option for students pursuing a degree in geological & earth sciences. Located in the large city of Madison, UW - Madison is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #40 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means UW - Madison is a great university overall.

There were roughly 49 geological & earth sciences students who graduated with this degree at UW - Madison in the most recent year we have data available. After graduation, geology degree recipients typically earn an average of $43,068 in their early careers.

More information about a degree in geological & earth sciences from University of Wisconsin - Madison

2
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
80 Geology Degrees Awarded
22.5% Growth in Graduates

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is one of the finest schools in the United States for getting a degree in geological & earth sciences. U-M is a very large public university located in the medium-sized city of Ann Arbor. A Best Colleges rank of #22 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means U-M is a great university overall.

There were roughly 80 geological & earth sciences students who graduated with this degree at U-M in the most recent year we have data available. Degree recipients from the geological & earth sciences degree program at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor earn $2,778 more than the standard graduate with the same degree when they enter the workforce.

More information about a degree in geological & earth sciences from University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Sponsored
Bachelors Degree Type
BS in Geosciences Program Name

Gain the analytical, technical and science communications skills you need to begin your career with this specialized online bachelor's from Southern New Hampshire University.

More information about a degree in BS in Geosciences from Southern New Hampshire University

Related Programs

3
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
48 Geology Degrees Awarded
41.7% Growth in Graduates

Ohio State University - Main Campus is one of the finest schools in the United States for getting a degree in geological & earth sciences. Ohio State is a very large public university located in the city of Columbus. A Best Colleges rank of #70 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Ohio State is a great university overall.

There were roughly 48 geological & earth sciences students who graduated with this degree at Ohio State in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the geology program report average early career income of $41,156.

More information about a degree in geological & earth sciences from Ohio State University - Main Campus

4
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
2nd Most Popular In IN

Indiana University - Bloomington is a great choice for students interested in a degree in geological & earth sciences. IU Bloomington is a fairly large public university located in the city of Bloomington. A Best Colleges rank of #30 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means IU Bloomington is a great university overall.

There were about 15 geological & earth sciences students who graduated with this degree at IU Bloomington in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in geological & earth sciences from Indiana University - Bloomington

5
Michigan State crest
Michigan State University
East Lansing, MI
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
$39,997 Median Starting Salary

Located in the small city of East Lansing, Michigan State is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #54 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Michigan State is a great university overall.

There were about 18 geological & earth sciences students who graduated with this degree at Michigan State in the most recent year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the geology program report average early career income of $39,997.

More information about a degree in geological & earth sciences from Michigan State University

6

Located in the city of Champaign, UIUC is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #41 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means UIUC is a great university overall.

There were roughly 29 geological & earth sciences students who graduated with this degree at UIUC in the most recent data year. After graduation, geology degree recipients typically earn around $38,867 in the first five years of their career.

More information about a degree in geological & earth sciences from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

7
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
58 Geology Degrees Awarded
41.4% Growth in Graduates

Purdue is a fairly large public university located in the city of West Lafayette. A Best Colleges rank of #65 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Purdue is a great university overall.

There were approximately 58 geological & earth sciences students who graduated with this degree at Purdue in the most recent year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the geology program state that they receive average early career wages of $39,692.

More information about a degree in geological & earth sciences from Purdue University - Main Campus

Sponsored
Bachelors Degree Type
BS in Geosciences - Natural Resources Conservation Program Name

Learn to manage and conserve our natural resources with this specialized online bachelor's from Southern New Hampshire University.

More information about a degree in BS in Geosciences - Natural Resources Conservation from Southern New Hampshire University

Related Programs

8
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
65 Geology Degrees Awarded
67.7% Growth in Graduates

OHIO Athens is a very large public university located in the town of Athens. A Best Colleges rank of #184 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means OHIO Athens is a great university overall.

There were roughly 65 geological & earth sciences students who graduated with this degree at OHIO Athens in the most recent year we have data available. After graduating, geology degree recipients generally earn an average of $38,637 in the first five years of their career.

More information about a degree in geological & earth sciences from Ohio University - Athens Campus

9
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
3rd Most Popular In MI
37 Geology Degrees Awarded

Located in the small city of Kalamazoo, WMU is a public university with a fairly large student population. This university ranks 4th out of 56 colleges for overall quality in the state of Michigan.

There were roughly 37 geological & earth sciences students who graduated with this degree at WMU in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in geological & earth sciences from Western Michigan University

10
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
57 Geology Degrees Awarded
38.6% Growth in Graduates

Miami University - Oxford is a fairly large public university located in the town of Oxford. A Best Colleges rank of #134 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Miami University - Oxford is a great university overall.

There were approximately 57 geological & earth sciences students who graduated with this degree at Miami University - Oxford in the most recent data year. Students who receive their degree from the geology program make about $38,478 for their early career.

More information about a degree in geological & earth sciences from Miami University - Oxford

Best Geological & Earth Sciences Colleges by State

Explore the best geological & earth sciences schools for a specific state in the Great Lakes Region .

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Michigan 322 205
Ohio 314 235
Illinois 304 132
Indiana 294 98
Wisconsin 273 130

View All Rankings >

Geological & Earth Sciences is one of 8 different types of Physical Sciences programs to choose from.

Geology Focus Areas

Major Annual Graduates
Geology & Earth Sciences 934
Hydrology & Water Resources Science 33
Other Geological & Earth Sciences/Geosciences 31
Geophysics & Seismology 22
Paleontology 10
Geochemistry 7
Chemical & Physical Oceanography 7

View All Geology Focus Areas >

Related Major Annual Graduates
Chemistry 3,275
Physics 1,684
Astronomy & Astrophysics 247
Atmospheric Sciences & Meteorology 178
General Physical Sciences 95
Materials Sciences 31
Other Physical Science 11

View All Geology Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

Popular Reports

College Rankings
Best by Location
Degree Guides by Major
Graduate Programs

Compare Your School Options