2026 Best Value Meteorology Schools in the Great Lakes Region
[Meteorology](/majors/physical-sciences/atmospheric-sciences-meteorology/meteorology/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong meteorology education at a price that pays off.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 10 schools to find the best return on investment for meteorology students.
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2026 Best Value Meteorology Schools in the Great Lakes Region
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in meteorology, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Meteorology Schools
Central Michigan University tops our 2026 list of the best value meteorology schools in the Great Lakes Region. Located in the town of Mount Pleasant, Central Michigan University is a large public university. Students from in state pay about $15,480 in tuition and fees. Meteorology graduates carry a median of $27,857 in student loans. Meteorology graduates of Central Michigan University earn a median of $50,688 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $27,857 median debt. Central Michigan University admits about 90% of applicants.
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 10 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 1 ranked schools only.
- 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).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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