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2023 Best Value Geography Schools For Those Making $30-$48k

206 Ranked Colleges
4,954 Degrees Awarded
$6,900 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Geography Schools For Those Making $30-$48k

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Geography Schools For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

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

For this year’s “Best Value Geography Schools For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking, we looked at 206 colleges that offer a degree in geography. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great geography programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the geography program at the school. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

More Ways to Rank Geography Schools

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The geography 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 Geography Schools For Those Making $30-$48k”.

One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to you. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

Best Value Geography Schools For Those Making $30-$48k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Geography Schools For Those Making $30-$48k.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Geography (Income $30-$48k)

1
UChicago crest
University of Chicago
Chicago, Illinois

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Chicago. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Geography Schools For Those Making $30-$48k. University of Chicago is a fairly large school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 11 ’s geography degrees in 2020-2021.

UChicago also made our “Best Geography Schools” list, coming in at #4. The yearly cost to attend University of Chicago is $4,777 for Geography students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 100%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read more about Geography at University of Chicago

2
Dartmouth crest
Dartmouth College
Hanover, New Hampshire

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Dartmouth College. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Geography Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Hanover, New Hampshire is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s geography degrees to 39 students in 2020-2021.

Dartmouth not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Geography Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Dartmouth College is $8,718 for Geography students whose families make $30-$48k.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.3% 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 full report on Geography at Dartmouth College

3
Northwestern crest
Northwestern University
Evanston, Illinois

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Northwestern University. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Geography Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Northwestern is located in Evanston, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 8 ’s geography degrees to qualified students.

Northwestern also made our “Best Geography Schools” list, coming in at #5. The estimated yearly cost for Northwestern is $917 for Geography students whose families make $30-$48k.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. 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 undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Geography at Northwestern University

4
UF crest
University of Florida
Gainesville, Florida

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Florida. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Geography Schools For Those Making $30-$48k. This large school is located in Gainesville, Florida, and it awarded 97 ’s geography degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our geography students whose families make $30-$48k list, UF has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Geography Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UF is $2,857 for Geography students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%.

Full University of Florida Geography Report

5

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Washington - Seattle Campus. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Geography Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. This large school is located in Seattle, Washington, and it awarded 106 ’s geography degrees in 2020-2021.

UW Seattle did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Geography Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend UW Seattle is $6,399 for Geography students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Geography at University of Washington - Seattle Campus

6

University of California - Los Angeles ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Geography Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Los Angeles, California, this large public school awarded 81 diplomas to qualified ’s geography students in 2020-2021.

UCLA also made our “Best Geography Schools” list, coming in at #1. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Los Angeles is $9,891 for Geography students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%.

Read full report on Geography at UCLA

7

With a ranking of #7, University of Wisconsin - Madison did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Geography Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. UW - Madison is a public institution located in Madison, Wisconsin. The school has a large population, and it awarded 40 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our geography students whose families make $30-$48k list, UW - Madison has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Geography Schools” ranking. It costs about $4,788 for geography students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UW - Madison.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.9% 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 school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full University of Wisconsin - Madison Geography Report

8

With a ranking of #8, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Geography Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a large school located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina that handed out 38 ’s geography degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UNC Chapel Hill, the school also landed the #18 spot in our “Best Geography Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UNC Chapel Hill is $5,729 for geography students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Geography at UNC Chapel Hill

9

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Geography Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. UIUC is a large public school situated in Champaign, Illinois. It awarded 13 ’s geography degrees in 2020-2021.

UIUC also took the #9 spot in our “Best Geography Schools” ranking. It costs about $8,036 for Geography students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UIUC.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Geography at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

10
Vassar crest
Vassar College
Poughkeepsie, New York

Vassar College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Geography Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #10. Vassar College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Poughkeepsie, New York. The school has a small population, and it awarded 9 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our geography students whose families make $30-$48k list, Vassar has also earned the #23 rank in our “Best Geography Schools” ranking. It costs about $13,193 for geography students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Vassar College.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. 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 low undergrad 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%.

Read more about Geography at Vassar College

11
Hunter crest
Hunter College
New York, New York

Hunter College landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Best Value Geography Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Hunter College is a large public school situated in New York, New York. It awarded 24 ’s geography degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Hunter is $2,135 for Geography students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Hunter Geography Report

12
Colgate crest
Colgate University
Hamilton, New York

Colgate University came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geography Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Colgate is a private not-for-profit institution located in Hamilton, New York. The school has a small population, and it awarded 7 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Colgate did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best Geography Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Colgate University is $7,197 for Geography students whose families make $30-$48k.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.

Full Colgate University Geography Report

13
Middlebury crest
Middlebury College
Middlebury, Vermont

Middlebury College came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geography Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This small school is located in Middlebury, Vermont, and it awarded 20 ’s geography degrees in 2020-2021.

Middlebury did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best Geography Schools” list. It costs about $7,221 for Geography students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Middlebury.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Geography at Middlebury

14

University of South Florida - Main Campus ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Geography Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of South Florida - Main Campus is a large public school situated in Tampa, Florida. It awarded 26 ’s geography degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $5,632 for geography students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend USF Tampa.

With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Geography at University of South Florida - Main Campus

15

Brigham Young University - Provo ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Geography Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Provo, Utah, this large private not-for-profit school awarded 16 degrees to qualified ’s geography students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at BYU, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Geography Schools” ranking. It costs about $10,333 for geography students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend BYU.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.3% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full BYU Geography Report

16

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Geography Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities is a large school located in Minneapolis, Minnesota that handed out 49 ’s geography degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our geography students whose families make $30-$48k list, UMN Twin Cities has also earned the #21 rank in our “Best Geography Schools” ranking. It costs about $8,609 for geography students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UMN Twin Cities.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full University of Minnesota - Twin Cities Geography Report

17

Ohio State University - Main Campus did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Geography Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #17. Ohio State University - Main Campus is a public institution located in Columbus, Ohio. The school has a large population, and it awarded 41 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Ohio State also made our “Best Geography Schools” list, coming in at #12. The yearly cost to attend Ohio State is $8,581 for geography students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Geography at Ohio State University - Main Campus

18

With a ranking of #18, Indiana University - Bloomington did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Geography Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. IU Bloomington is located in Bloomington, Indiana and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 15 ’s geography degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for IU Bloomington is $7,061 for Geography 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 undergrad student loan default rate of 3.4% 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 Geography at IU Bloomington

19

California State University - Los Angeles landed the #19 spot on the 2023 Best Value Geography Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Cal State LA is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 12 ’s geography degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $2,701 for Geography students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend California State University - Los Angeles.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full California State University - Los Angeles Geography Report

20

Arizona State University - Tempe did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Geography Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #20. ASU - Tempe is a public institution located in Tempe, Arizona. The school has a large population, and it awarded 35 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our geography students whose families make $30-$48k list, ASU - Tempe has also earned the #25 rank in our “Best Geography Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Arizona State University - Tempe is $10,628 for Geography students whose families make $30-$48k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.

Read full report on Geography at Arizona State University - Tempe

21

Central New Mexico Community College came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geography Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Central New Mexico Community College is a public institution located in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 3 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $3,059 for Geography students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Central New Mexico Community College.

Read full report on Geography at Central New Mexico Community College

22

California State University - Long Beach came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geography Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This large school is located in Long Beach, California, and it awarded 58 ’s geography degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend CSULB is $7,573 for Geography students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Geography at CSULB

23
Florida State crest
Florida State University
Tallahassee, Florida

Florida State University came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geography Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Florida State is a large public school situated in Tallahassee, Florida. It awarded 16 ’s geography degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $7,349 for Geography students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Florida State University.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Geography at Florida State University

24

University of California - Santa Barbara came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geography Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Santa Barbara, California, this large public school handed out 32 degrees to qualified ’s geography students in 2020-2021.

UCSB did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best Geography Schools” list. It costs about $11,606 for Geography students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UCSB.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.

Read full report on Geography at University of California - Santa Barbara

25

California State University - Northridge did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Geography Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #25. CSUN is a large school located in Northridge, California that handed out 44 ’s geography degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend CSUN is $7,103 for geography students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.7% 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 Geography at California State University - Northridge

Rest of the Best 31 in Best Value Geography Schools For Those Making $30-$48k

Not only did these schools make the top 31 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

26
UGA crest
University of Georgia
Athens, Georgia
27
URichmond crest
University of Richmond
University of Richmond, Virginia
28
29
American River crest
American River College
Sacramento, California
30
31

Notes and References

References

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