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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Geography (Income $48-$75k)

221 Ranked Colleges
3,762 Degrees Awarded
Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor's 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. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

In 2019-2020, 5,476 people earned their degree in geography, making the major the 144th most popular in the United States.

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.

For this year’s “Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking, we looked at 221 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.

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. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

One Size Does Not Fit All

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 a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k” list to help you make the college decision.

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. 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 $48-$75k

The colleges and universities below are the best for bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make $48-$75k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Geography (Income $48-$75k)

#1

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 $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Chicago landed the #1 spot on the list. UChicago 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.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make $48-$75k list, UChicago has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Geography Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Chicago is $7,934 for bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make $48-$75k.

The student-to-faculty ratio of 5 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 100%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low 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 University of Chicago

#2

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois
#6 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Northwestern University. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. Northwestern is a private not-for-profit institution located in Evanston, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 1 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make $48-$75k list, Northwestern has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Geography Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $6,452 for Bachelor’s Degree Geography students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Northwestern University.

The low student loan default rate of 0.8% 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%. 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.

Read full report on Geography at Northwestern

#3

Dartmouth College

Hanover, New Hampshire
#1 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Dartmouth College. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Hanover, New Hampshire, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school handed out 26 degrees to qualified bachelors’s geography students in 2019-2020.

Dartmouth not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Geography Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Dartmouth College is $9,044 for bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. 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%.

Read full report on Geography at Dartmouth

#12 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Washington - Seattle Campus. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. UW Seattle is located in Seattle, Washington and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 134 bachelors’s geography degrees to qualified students.

UW Seattle also took the #12 spot in our “Best Geography Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $9,694 for Bachelor’s Degree Geography students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UW Seattle.

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%.

Full University of Washington - Seattle Campus Geography Report

#5

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California
#5 in overall quality

Out of the 221 schools in the Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Los Angeles landed the #5 spot on the list. Located in Los Angeles, California, this large public school awarded 85 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s geography students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make $48-$75k list, UCLA has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Geography Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $13,081 for bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UCLA.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Geography at University of California - Los Angeles

#6

Middlebury College

Middlebury, Vermont
#3 in overall quality

With a ranking of #6, Middlebury College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. Middlebury is a private not-for-profit institution located in Middlebury, Vermont. The school has a small population, and it awarded 18 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Middlebury did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Geography Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Middlebury College is $14,002 for bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make $48-$75k.

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

Full Middlebury College Geography Report

#7

University of Florida

Gainesville, Florida
Top 15% in overall quality

With a ranking of #7, University of Florida did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. Gainesville, Florida is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s geography degrees to 21 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, UF is also in the top of our “Best Geography Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our “Best Geography Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for UF is $8,528 for Bachelor’s Degree Geography students whose families make $48-$75k.

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

Read full report on Geography at University of Florida

#17 in overall quality

With a ranking of #8, University of Wisconsin - Madison did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. University of Wisconsin - Madison is located in Madison, Wisconsin and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 31 bachelors’s geography degrees to qualified students.

UW - Madison did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best Geography Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison is $13,227 for Bachelor’s Degree Geography students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%. 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 UW - Madison Geography Report

#14 in overall quality

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a large public school situated in Champaign, Illinois. It awarded 9 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make $48-$75k list, UIUC has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Geography Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is $13,351 for Bachelor’s Degree Geography students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.

Read more about Geography at UIUC

#10

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, North Carolina
#15 in overall quality

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. UNC Chapel Hill is a public institution located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. The school has a large population, and it awarded 26 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UNC Chapel Hill also made our “Best Geography Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #15. The estimated yearly cost for UNC Chapel Hill is $11,060 for bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.9%, 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 UNC Chapel Hill Geography Report

#11

University of California - Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara, California
#8 in overall quality

With a ranking of #11, University of California - Santa Barbara did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. UCSB is a large school located in Santa Barbara, California that handed out 19 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.

UCSB also took the #8 spot in our “Best Geography Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Santa Barbara is $15,343 for Bachelor’s Degree Geography students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Geography at University of California - Santa Barbara

#20 in overall quality

With a ranking of #12, Brigham Young University - Provo did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s 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 12 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

BYU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #20 on our “Best Geography Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend BYU is $12,466 for Bachelor’s Degree Geography students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Geography at BYU

#13

Colgate University

Hamilton, New York
#4 in overall quality

Colgate University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Colgate is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Hamilton, New York. It awarded 12 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.

Colgate also took the #4 spot in our “Best Geography Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Colgate University is $16,525 for bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make $48-$75k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The impressive 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.

Full Colgate Geography Report

University of South Florida - Main Campus came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This large school is located in Tampa, Florida, and it awarded 25 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $9,809 for bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend USF Tampa.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 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.

Full USF Tampa Geography Report

California State University - Los Angeles ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Los Angeles, California, this large public school awarded 14 degrees to qualified bachelors’s geography students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Cal State LA is $5,644 for Bachelor’s Degree Geography students whose families make $48-$75k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Cal State LA Geography Report

#18 in overall quality

Ohio State University - Main Campus ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. Columbus, Ohio is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s geography degrees to 42 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Ohio State, the school also landed the #18 spot in our “Best Geography Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $13,982 for Bachelor’s Degree Geography students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Ohio State.

The low student loan default rate of 4.4% 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 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full Ohio State University - Main Campus Geography Report

#17

Hunter College

New York, New York

Hunter College ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in New York, New York, this large public school handed out 17 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s geography students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $6,894 for Bachelor’s Degree Geography students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Hunter.

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

California State University - Fullerton did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #18. This large school is located in Fullerton, California, and it awarded 37 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Cal State Fullerton is $9,427 for bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make $48-$75k.

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

Read more about Geography at Cal State Fullerton

#9 in overall quality

The University of Texas at Austin came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in Austin, Texas, this large public school awarded 65 degrees to qualified bachelors’s geography students in 2019-2020.

UT Austin did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Geography Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $15,757 for Bachelor’s Degree Geography students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend The University of Texas at Austin.

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%. 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 The University of Texas at Austin

Top 25% in overall quality

California State University - Long Beach landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This large school is located in Long Beach, California, and it awarded 56 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for CSULB is $10,807 for bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full CSULB Geography Report

#21

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, Minnesota
Top 15% in overall quality

With a ranking of #21, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. 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.

In addition to being on this list, UMN Twin Cities 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. The estimated yearly cost for UMN Twin Cities is $12,556 for bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make $48-$75k.

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

#22

University of Wisconsin - La Crosse

La Crosse, Wisconsin
Top 15% in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - La Crosse did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #22. UW - La Crosse is a public institution located in La Crosse, Wisconsin. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 26 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UW - La Crosse also claimed a top spot on our “Best Geography Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools in this category. The yearly cost to attend UW - La Crosse is $13,304 for bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Geography at UW - La Crosse

Florida International University landed the #23 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Miami, Florida is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s geography degrees to 4 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Florida International University is $10,298 for bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make $48-$75k.

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

Read full report on Geography at FIU

Top 15% in overall quality

University of Missouri - Columbia came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Mizzou is a large public school situated in Columbia, Missouri. It awarded 17 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.

On top of its placing in this ranking, Mizzou also did well on our “Best Geography Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools in this category. The estimated yearly cost for University of Missouri - Columbia is $13,145 for Bachelor’s Degree Geography students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 3.6% 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 Mizzou Geography Report

#25

Texas A&M University - College Station

College Station, Texas
#7 in overall quality

With a ranking of #25, Texas A&M University - College Station did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k list. This large school is located in College Station, Texas, and it awarded 13 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.

Texas A&M College Station did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best Geography Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Texas A&M College Station is $18,810 for bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, 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 students.

Full Texas A&M College Station Geography Report

Rest of the Best 34 in Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $48-$75k

Not only did these schools make the top 34 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

#26

Park University

Parkville, Missouri
#29

University of Wyoming

Laramie, Wyoming
#31

Florida State University

Tallahassee, Florida
#33

University of Georgia

Athens, Georgia
#34

Macalester College

Saint Paul, Minnesota

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.

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