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2023 Best Value Colleges for Geography (Income $48-$75k)

206 Ranked Colleges
4,954 Degrees Awarded
Best Value Geography Schools For Those Making $48-$75k

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. 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 For Those Making $48-$75k” 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.

This year’s “Best Value Geography Schools For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking analyzed 206 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.

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. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

More Ways to Rank Geography Schools

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When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Best Value Geography Schools For Those Making $48-$75k” list to help you make the college 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. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.

Best Value Geography Schools For Those Making $48-$75k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Geography Schools For Those Making $48-$75k.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Geography (Income $48-$75k)

1
Northwestern crest
Northwestern University
Evanston, Illinois

Out of the 206 schools in the Best Value Geography Schools For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, Northwestern University landed the #1 spot on the 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 did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Geography Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Northwestern is $5,849 for geography students whose families make $48-$75k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Geography at Northwestern

2
UChicago crest
University of Chicago
Chicago, Illinois

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Chicago. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Geography Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. University of Chicago is a fairly large school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 11 ’s geography degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our geography students whose families make $48-$75k list, UChicago has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Geography Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Chicago is $8,375 for geography students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low undergrad 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%. 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 undergraduate 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.

Read full report on Geography at UChicago

3
Dartmouth crest
Dartmouth College
Hanover, New Hampshire

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Dartmouth College. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Geography Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Hanover, New Hampshire, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school handed out 39 degrees to qualified ’s geography students in 2020-2021.

Dartmouth also made our “Best Geography Schools” list, coming in at #3. It costs about $12,172 for Geography students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Dartmouth.

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%. 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.

Read full report on Geography at Dartmouth

4

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Washington - Seattle Campus. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Geography Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. Seattle, Washington is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s geography degrees to 106 students in 2020-2021.

UW Seattle also made our “Best Geography Schools” list, coming in at #2. The estimated yearly cost for University of Washington - Seattle Campus is $8,393 for geography students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 2.1% 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 UW Seattle

5
UF crest
University of Florida
Gainesville, Florida

Out of the 206 schools in the Best Value Geography Schools For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Florida landed the #5 spot on the list. This large school is located in Gainesville, Florida, and it awarded 97 ’s geography degrees in 2020-2021.

UF did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best Geography Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for UF is $8,394 for Geography students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%.

Read more about Geography at UF

6

With a ranking of #6, University of California - Los Angeles did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Geography Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. University of California - Los Angeles is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 81 ’s geography degrees to qualified students.

UCLA also made our “Best Geography Schools” list, coming in at #1. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Los Angeles is $12,644 for Geography students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low undergrad 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full University of California - Los Angeles Geography Report

7

With a ranking of #7, Brigham Young University - Provo did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Geography Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. Brigham Young University - Provo is a private not-for-profit institution located in Provo, Utah. The school has a large population, and it awarded 16 ’s degrees 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. The yearly cost to attend Brigham Young University - Provo is $12,676 for geography students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Geography at Brigham Young University - Provo

8

University of Wisconsin - Madison came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geography Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. 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.

UW - Madison also made our “Best Geography Schools” list, coming in at #6. It costs about $10,364 for geography students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, 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 undergraduate students.

Full UW - Madison Geography Report

9

With a ranking of #9, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Geography Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. UNC Chapel Hill is a large public school situated in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. It awarded 38 ’s geography degrees in 2020-2021.

UNC Chapel Hill also took the #18 spot in our “Best Geography Schools” ranking. It costs about $11,619 for geography students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%.

Full UNC Chapel Hill Geography Report

10

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Best Value Geography Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. UIUC is located in Champaign, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 13 ’s geography degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UIUC, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Geography Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is $11,505 for Geography students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Geography at UIUC

11

Central New Mexico Community College came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geography Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in Albuquerque, New Mexico, this fairly large public school handed out 3 diplomas to qualified ’s geography students in 2020-2021.

It costs about $5,520 for Geography students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend CNM.

Read more about Geography at CNM

12

Ohio State University - Main Campus did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Geography Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #12. Ohio State is a large public school situated in Columbus, Ohio. It awarded 41 ’s geography degrees in 2020-2021.

Ohio State also took the #12 spot in our “Best Geography Schools” ranking. It costs about $13,273 for geography students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Ohio State University - Main Campus.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Geography at Ohio State

13

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Best Value Geography Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Minneapolis, Minnesota is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s geography degrees to 49 students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UMN Twin Cities, the school also landed the #21 spot in our “Best Geography Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UMN Twin Cities is $12,911 for Geography students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Geography at UMN Twin Cities

14

With a ranking of #14, University of South Florida - Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Geography Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. Tampa, Florida is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s geography degrees to 26 students in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend USF Tampa is $9,669 for Geography students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.3% 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.

Read more about Geography at USF Tampa

15
Hunter crest
Hunter College
New York, New York

Hunter College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Geography Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #15. Hunter is a public institution located in New York, New York. The school has a large population, and it awarded 24 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Hunter is $6,908 for geography students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 College Geography Report

16

California State University - Long Beach ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Geography Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Long Beach, California, this large public school handed out 58 degrees to qualified ’s geography students in 2020-2021.

It costs about $11,189 for Geography students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend CSULB.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.4% 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 California State University - Long Beach

17

University of California - Santa Barbara ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Geography Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. UCSB is a large school located in Santa Barbara, California that handed out 32 ’s geography degrees in 2020-2021.

UCSB did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best Geography Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Santa Barbara is $14,583 for Geography students whose families make $48-$75k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. 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%.

Read more about Geography at UCSB

18
Middlebury crest
Middlebury College
Middlebury, Vermont

Middlebury College landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Best Value Geography Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This small school is located in Middlebury, Vermont, and it awarded 20 ’s geography degrees in 2020-2021.

Middlebury also made our “Best Geography Schools” list, coming in at #16. The yearly cost to attend Middlebury College is $13,580 for Geography students whose families make $48-$75k.

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. 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Middlebury Geography Report

19

California State University - Los Angeles did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Geography Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #19. Located in Los Angeles, California, this large public school handed out 12 degrees to qualified ’s geography students in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Cal State LA is $5,700 for geography students whose families make $48-$75k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Cal State LA Geography Report

20
Florida State crest
Florida State University
Tallahassee, Florida

Florida State University ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Geography Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. Florida State is a large public school situated in Tallahassee, Florida. It awarded 16 ’s geography degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Florida State is $11,506 for geography students whose families make $48-$75k.

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.

Full Florida State University Geography Report

21

California State University - Northridge came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geography Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. CSUN is located in Northridge, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 44 ’s geography degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for CSUN is $10,780 for Geography students whose families make $48-$75k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Geography at California State University - Northridge

22

With a ranking of #22, University of Missouri - Columbia did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Geography Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. This large school is located in Columbia, Missouri, and it awarded 34 ’s geography degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on this list, Mizzou is in the top on our “Best Geography Schools” list. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. The yearly cost to attend Mizzou is $13,715 for geography students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.

Full University of Missouri - Columbia Geography Report

23

Arizona State University - Tempe did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Geography Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #23. ASU - Tempe is a large school located in Tempe, Arizona that handed out 35 ’s geography degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our geography students whose families make $48-$75k list, ASU - Tempe has also earned the #25 rank in our “Best Geography Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for ASU - Tempe is $15,561 for Geography students whose families make $48-$75k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The low undergrad 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%.

Read full report on Geography at ASU - Tempe

24
American River crest
American River College
Sacramento, California

With a ranking of #24, American River College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Geography Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. This large school is located in Sacramento, California, and it awarded 3 ’s geography degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for American River is $7,806 for geography students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on Geography at American River College

24

Indiana University - Bloomington came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geography Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This large school is located in Bloomington, Indiana, and it awarded 15 ’s geography degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $12,369 for geography students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend IU Bloomington.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full Indiana University - Bloomington Geography Report

Rest of the Best 31 in Best Value Geography Schools For Those Making $48-$75k

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

26
27
URichmond crest
University of Richmond
University of Richmond, Virginia
28
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University of Georgia
Athens, Georgia
29
30
Vassar crest
Vassar College
Poughkeepsie, New York
31
Colgate crest
Colgate University
Hamilton, New York

Notes and References

References

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