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2023 Best Value Colleges for Geography (Income $0-$30k) in Virginia

6 Ranked Colleges
184 Degrees Awarded
$12,800 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Geography Schools in Virginia For Those Making $0-$30k

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value Geography Schools in Virginia For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

In 2020-2021, 4,954 people earned their degree in geography, making the major the 159th most popular in the United States.

Across Virginia, there were 184 geography graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Geography Schools in Virginia For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking analyzed 6 colleges that offered a degree in geography. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent geography programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the geography 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 picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Geography Schools in Virginia For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

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. 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 Geography Schools in Virginia For Those Making $0-$30k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Geography Schools in Virginia For Those Making $0-$30k.

Top 6 Best Value Colleges for Geography (Income $0-$30k) in Virginia

1
Virginia Tech crest
Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, Virginia

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Virginia Tech. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value Geography Schools in Virginia For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Blacksburg, Virginia, and it awarded 48 ’s geography degrees in 2020-2021.

Virginia Tech did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Geography Schools in Virginia” list. The yearly cost to attend Virginia Tech is $11,934 for virginia geography students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low undergrad 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%.

Read full report on Geography at Virginia Tech

2
URichmond crest
University of Richmond
University of Richmond, Virginia

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Richmond. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Geography Schools in Virginia For Those Making $0-$30k list. URichmond is a small school located in University of Richmond, Virginia that handed out 5 ’s geography degrees in 2020-2021.

URichmond also made our “Best Geography Schools in Virginia” list, coming in at #4. The yearly cost to attend URichmond is $8,010 for virginia geography students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.9% 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%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Full URichmond Geography Report

3
JMU crest
James Madison University
Harrisonburg, Virginia

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend James Madison University. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Geography Schools in Virginia For Those Making $0-$30k. Harrisonburg, Virginia is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s geography degrees to 63 students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our virginia geography students whose families make $0-$30k list, JMU has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Geography Schools in Virginia” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for James Madison University is $14,288 for Virginia Geography students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Geography at JMU

4
GMU crest
George Mason University
Fairfax, Virginia

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend George Mason University. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Geography Schools in Virginia For Those Making $0-$30k list. George Mason University is a large public school situated in Fairfax, Virginia. It awarded 33 ’s geography degrees in 2020-2021.

GMU also took the #3 spot in our “Best Geography Schools in Virginia” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for GMU is $14,781 for Virginia Geography students whose families make $0-$30k.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Geography at George Mason University

5
UMW crest
University of Mary Washington
Fredericksburg, Virginia

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Mary Washington. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Geography Schools in Virginia For Those Making $0-$30k. UMW is located in Fredericksburg, Virginia and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 23 ’s geography degrees to qualified students.

UMW also took the #5 spot in our “Best Geography Schools in Virginia” ranking. It costs about $14,589 for Virginia Geography students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Mary Washington.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Geography at UMW

6
Old Dominion crest
Old Dominion University
Norfolk, Virginia

Old Dominion University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Geography Schools in Virginia For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #6. This large school is located in Norfolk, Virginia, and it awarded 5 ’s geography degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Old Dominion, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best Geography Schools in Virginia” ranking. It costs about $13,335 for virginia geography students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Old Dominion University.

Read full report on Geography at Old Dominion

Notes and References

References

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