Find Schools

Study Area & Zipcode

Find Schools Near

2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Geography (Income $30-$48k)

221 Ranked Colleges
3,762 Degrees Awarded
$7,300 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor's For Those Making $30-$48k

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking - to help you make that decision.

Geography is the 144th most popular major in the country with 5,476 degrees awarded in 2019-2020.

At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 3,762 geography graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,303 and $24,501 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking analyzed 221 colleges that offered 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.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the geography program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

More Ways to Rank Geography Schools

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.

Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k

The colleges and universities below are the best for bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make $30-$48k.

Top 26 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Geography (Income $30-$48k)

#1

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois
#6 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Northwestern University. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. Northwestern University is a large school located in Evanston, Illinois that handed out 1 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.

Northwestern not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best Geography Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $3,995 for bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Northwestern.

The impressive 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. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The 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 Northwestern University

#2

University of Chicago

Chicago, Illinois
#2 in overall quality

Out of the 221 schools in the Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Chicago landed the #2 spot on the list. University of Chicago is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 4 bachelors’s geography degrees to qualified students.

UChicago did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Geography Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for UChicago is $2,800 for Bachelor’s Degree Geography students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 100%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The student loan default rate at the school is 0.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full UChicago Geography Report

#3

Dartmouth College

Hanover, New Hampshire
#1 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Dartmouth College. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k. Located in Hanover, New Hampshire, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school awarded 26 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s geography students in 2019-2020.

Dartmouth also made our “Best Geography Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #1. The yearly cost to attend Dartmouth is $4,830 for bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. The impressive 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. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Dartmouth Geography Report

#4

Middlebury College

Middlebury, Vermont
#3 in overall quality

Out of the 221 schools in the Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Middlebury College landed the #4 spot on the list. This small school is located in Middlebury, Vermont, and it awarded 18 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make $30-$48k list, Middlebury has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Geography Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Middlebury College is $8,616 for bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Full Middlebury College Geography Report

#5

Colgate University

Hamilton, New York
#4 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Colgate University. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. Colgate University is a small school located in Hamilton, New York that handed out 12 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make $30-$48k list, Colgate has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Geography Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Colgate is $8,958 for Bachelor’s Degree Geography students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full Colgate University Geography Report

#6

University of Florida

Gainesville, Florida
Top 15% in overall quality

University of Florida came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This large school is located in Gainesville, Florida, and it awarded 21 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on this list, UF is in the top on our “Best Geography Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. It costs about $4,069 for bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UF.

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 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 more about Geography at UF

#17 in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - Madison landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Madison, Wisconsin is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s geography degrees to 31 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make $30-$48k list, UW - Madison has also earned the #17 rank in our “Best Geography Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Madison is $6,860 for bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Geography at University of Wisconsin - Madison

#8

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, North Carolina
#15 in overall quality

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #8. Located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, this large public school handed out 26 degrees to qualified bachelors’s geography students in 2019-2020.

UNC Chapel Hill also took the #15 spot in our “Best Geography Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $6,063 for bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low 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%.

Full University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Geography Report

#12 in overall quality

With a ranking of #9, University of Washington - Seattle Campus did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. UW Seattle is a public institution located in Seattle, Washington. The school has a large population, and it awarded 134 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make $30-$48k list, UW Seattle has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Geography Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UW Seattle is $7,467 for bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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%.

Read full report on Geography at UW Seattle

#10

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California
#5 in overall quality

With a ranking of #10, University of California - Los Angeles did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s geography degrees to 85 students in 2019-2020.

UCLA also made our “Best Geography Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #5. The estimated yearly cost for UCLA is $9,254 for Bachelor’s Degree Geography students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. The low student loan default rate of 1.0% 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 Geography at UCLA

#14 in overall quality

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #11. Champaign, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s geography degrees to 9 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UIUC, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best Geography Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $8,464 for bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UIUC.

The school has an impressive 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 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

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

#12

Hunter College

New York, New York

Hunter College ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. This large school is located in New York, New York, and it awarded 17 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Hunter is $2,394 for bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Geography at Hunter College

#18 in overall quality

Ohio State University - Main Campus came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Ohio State University - Main Campus is a public institution located in Columbus, Ohio. The school has a large population, and it awarded 42 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Ohio State also made our “Best Geography Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #18. The estimated yearly cost for Ohio State University - Main Campus is $10,037 for bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its 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%.

Full Ohio State University - Main Campus Geography Report

University of South Florida - Main Campus ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. USF Tampa is located in Tampa, Florida and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 25 bachelors’s geography degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for University of South Florida - Main Campus is $5,616 for bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%. The low student loan default rate of 4.5% 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%.

Full University of South Florida - Main Campus Geography Report

#15

University of Richmond

University of Richmond, Virginia
#19 in overall quality

University of Richmond did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #15. Located in University of Richmond, Virginia, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 7 degrees to qualified bachelors’s geography students in 2019-2020.

URichmond not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #19 on our “Best Geography Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Richmond is $9,131 for bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Richmond Geography Report

#16

University of North Texas

Denton, Texas
Top 25% in overall quality

University of North Texas came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. UNT is a large public school situated in Denton, Texas. It awarded 46 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend UNT is $9,082 for Bachelor’s Degree Geography students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.

Full University of North Texas Geography Report

California State University - Los Angeles landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s geography degrees to 14 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Cal State LA is $2,117 for bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low student loan default rate of 1.4% 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 Cal State LA

#18

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, Minnesota
Top 15% in overall quality

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Minneapolis, Minnesota is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s geography degrees to 27 students in 2019-2020.

UMN Twin Cities excels when it comes to geography quality. It’s in the top 15% of all schools in this category. The estimated yearly cost for University of Minnesota - Twin Cities is $8,418 for Bachelor’s Degree Geography students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Geography at University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

#19

University of California - Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara, California
#8 in overall quality

University of California - Santa Barbara came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. University of California - Santa Barbara is located in Santa Barbara, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 19 bachelors’s geography degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCSB, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Geography Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Santa Barbara is $11,895 for Bachelor’s Degree Geography students whose families make $30-$48k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full University of California - Santa Barbara Geography Report

California State University - Fullerton ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. Cal State Fullerton is located in Fullerton, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 37 bachelors’s geography degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $6,100 for Bachelor’s Degree Geography students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend California State University - Fullerton.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%.

Read full report on Geography at Cal State Fullerton

Top 25% in overall quality

California State University - Long Beach did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #21. CSULB is located in Long Beach, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 56 bachelors’s geography degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $7,595 for Bachelor’s Degree Geography students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend California State University - Long Beach.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 1.6% 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%.

Full California State University - Long Beach Geography Report

#20 in overall quality

Brigham Young University - Provo landed the #22 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Brigham Young University - Provo is a large school located in Provo, Utah that handed out 12 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.

BYU also took the #20 spot in our “Best Geography Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Brigham Young University - Provo is $10,425 for bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Geography at Brigham Young University - Provo

#23

Macalester College

Saint Paul, Minnesota
#21 in overall quality

Macalester College landed the #23 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This small school is located in Saint Paul, Minnesota, and it awarded 22 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Macalester, the school also landed the #21 spot in our “Best Geography Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Macalester College is $14,047 for Bachelor’s Degree Geography students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The low 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Geography at Macalester

#24

Indiana University - Bloomington

Bloomington, Indiana

With a ranking of #24, Indiana University - Bloomington did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. IU Bloomington is a large school located in Bloomington, Indiana that handed out 7 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Indiana University - Bloomington is $6,192 for bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Geography at IU Bloomington

#25

Florida State University

Tallahassee, Florida

Florida State University came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Tallahassee, Florida, this large public school awarded 22 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s geography students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Florida State is $6,816 for Bachelor’s Degree Geography students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low student loan default rate of 3.5% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Geography at Florida State

Top 20% in overall quality

University of Minnesota - Duluth came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. UMN Duluth is located in Duluth, Minnesota and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 9 bachelors’s geography degrees to qualified students.

UMN Duluth excels when it comes to geography quality. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our “Best Geography Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for UMN Duluth is $7,992 for Bachelor’s Degree Geography students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low student loan default rate of 3.1% 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 UMN Duluth

Rest of the Best 33 in Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k

Not only did these schools make the top 33 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

#28

Texas A&M University - College Station

College Station, Texas
#29

University of Wisconsin - La Crosse

La Crosse, Wisconsin
#30

University of Wisconsin - River Falls

River Falls, Wisconsin
#34

Lehman College

Bronx, New York

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 Couleur.

Featured Geography Schools

Find Schools Near You