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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Geography (Income Over $110k) in the Great Lakes Region

44 Ranked Colleges
560 Degrees Awarded
$20,200 Avg Net Price*
Best Vallue Geography Schools for a Bachelor's in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making Over $110k

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. College Factual has developed its “Best Vallue Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making Over $110k” 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.

Across the Great Lakes region, there were 776 geography graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 560 geography graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,075 and $25,381 respectively.

This year’s “Best Vallue Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making Over $110k” ranking analyzed 44 colleges that offered a degree in geography. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent geography programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the geography program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

More Ways to Rank Geography Schools

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 Vallue Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making Over $110k”.

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. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.

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Best Vallue Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making Over $110k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Vallue Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making Over $110k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Geography (Income Over $110k) in the Great Lakes Region

#7 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wisconsin - La Crosse. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Vallue Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making Over $110k list. University of Wisconsin - La Crosse is a fairly large public school situated in La Crosse, Wisconsin. It awarded 26 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.

UW - La Crosse also took the #7 spot in our “Best Geography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $14,580 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend University of Wisconsin - La Crosse.

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

Full University of Wisconsin - La Crosse Geography Report

#2

University of Wisconsin - River Falls

River Falls, Wisconsin
#9 in overall quality

Out of the 44 schools in the Best Vallue Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making Over $110k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Wisconsin - River Falls landed the #2 spot on the list. Located in River Falls, Wisconsin, this medium-sized public school awarded 10 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s geography students in 2019-2020.

UW - River Falls also took the #9 spot in our “Best Geography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - River Falls is $13,748 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Geography students whose families make more than $110k.

The low student loan default rate of 2.7% 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 UW - River Falls

#14 in overall quality

Out of the 44 schools in the Best Vallue Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making Over $110k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Wisconsin - Whitewater landed the #3 spot on the list. Located in Whitewater, Wisconsin, this fairly large public school awarded 19 degrees to qualified bachelors’s geography students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make more than $110k list, UW - Whitewater has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Geography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Whitewater is $15,249 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Geography students whose families make more than $110k.

Full University of Wisconsin - Whitewater Geography Report

#4

University of Wisconsin - Platteville

Platteville, Wisconsin
#16 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Wisconsin - Platteville. The school came in at #4 for the Best Vallue Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making Over $110k. Platteville, Wisconsin is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s geography degrees to 3 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW - Platteville, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best Geography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UW - Platteville is $15,718 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Geography students whose families make more than $110k.

Full UW - Platteville Geography Report

#5

University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point

Stevens Point, Wisconsin
#20 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point. The school came in at #5 for the Best Vallue Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making Over $110k. This medium-sized school is located in Stevens Point, Wisconsin, and it awarded 6 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make more than $110k list, UW - Stevens Point has also earned the #20 rank in our “Best Geography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point is $14,465 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make more than $110k.

Read full report on Geography at University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point

#21 in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Vallue Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making Over $110k ranking. Oshkosh, Wisconsin is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s geography degrees to 11 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make more than $110k list, UW Oshkosh has also earned the #21 rank in our “Best Geography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh is $15,463 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Geography students whose families make more than $110k.

Read full report on Geography at University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh

#12 in overall quality

With a ranking of #7, University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire did quite well on the 2022 Best Vallue Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making Over $110k list. University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire is a fairly large school located in Eau Claire, Wisconsin that handed out 21 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.

UW - Eau Claire not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best Geography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $16,020 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire.

Full University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire Geography Report

#5 in overall quality

Ohio State University - Main Campus came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Vallue Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making Over $110k ranking. Ohio State University - Main Campus is a large public school situated in Columbus, Ohio. It awarded 42 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make more than $110k list, Ohio State has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Geography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $17,616 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make more than $110k 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.

Read full report on Geography at Ohio State

#4 in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - Madison ranked #9 on this year’s Best Vallue Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making Over $110k list. This large school is located in Madison, Wisconsin, and it awarded 31 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.

UW - Madison did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Geography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Madison is $17,708 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Geography students whose families make more than $110k.

With a freshman retention rate of 95%, 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%.

Full UW - Madison Geography Report

#10

Grand Valley State University

Allendale, Michigan
#11 in overall quality

With a ranking of #10, Grand Valley State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Vallue Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making Over $110k list. Grand Valley State University is located in Allendale, Michigan and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 23 bachelors’s geography degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make more than $110k list, GVSU has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best Geography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Grand Valley State University is $17,646 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Geography students whose families make more than $110k.

The 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 GVSU

With a ranking of #11, University of Wisconsin - Parkside did quite well on the 2022 Best Vallue Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making Over $110k list. Kenosha, Wisconsin is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s geography degrees to 9 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Parkside is $11,327 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make more than $110k.

Read full report on Geography at UW - Parkside

#3 in overall quality

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign did quite well in the 2022 Best Vallue Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making Over $110k ranking, coming in at #12. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is located in Champaign, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 9 bachelors’s geography degrees to qualified students.

UIUC also made our “Best Geography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #3. The yearly cost to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is $15,880 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make more than $110k.

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%.

Full UIUC Geography Report

#13

Indiana University - Southeast

New Albany, Indiana

Indiana University - Southeast did quite well in the 2022 Best Vallue Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making Over $110k ranking, coming in at #13. This small school is located in New Albany, Indiana, and it awarded 14 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $10,657 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Geography students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend Indiana University - Southeast.

Read more about Geography at Indiana University - Southeast

#14

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, Illinois
#22 in overall quality

With a ranking of #14, Northern Illinois University did quite well on the 2022 Best Vallue Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making Over $110k list. Northern Illinois University is a public institution located in Dekalb, Illinois. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 13 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

NIU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #22 on our “Best Geography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $18,259 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend Northern Illinois University.

Full Northern Illinois University Geography Report

#15

Central Michigan University

Mount Pleasant, Michigan

Central Michigan University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Vallue Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making Over $110k ranking. Central Michigan is a public institution located in Mount Pleasant, Michigan. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 5 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Central Michigan is $15,981 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make more than $110k.

Full Central Michigan Geography Report

#19 in overall quality

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Vallue Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making Over $110k ranking. Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is a fairly large public school situated in Edwardsville, Illinois. It awarded 32 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.

SIUE also took the #19 spot in our “Best Geography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for SIUE is $14,423 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Geography students whose families make more than $110k.

Read more about Geography at SIUE

With a ranking of #17, Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis did quite well on the 2022 Best Vallue Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making Over $110k list. IUPUI is located in Indianapolis, Indiana and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 7 bachelors’s geography degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis is $11,285 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Geography students whose families make more than $110k.

Read more about Geography at IUPUI

#18

Saginaw Valley State University

University Center, Michigan

Saginaw Valley State University came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Vallue Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making Over $110k ranking. Saginaw Valley State University is a public institution located in University Center, Michigan. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 7 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Saginaw Valley State University is $14,248 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make more than $110k.

Read full report on Geography at Saginaw Valley State University

#19

Eastern Illinois University

Charleston, Illinois

Eastern Illinois University landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Vallue Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making Over $110k ranking. Eastern Illinois University is a medium-sized school located in Charleston, Illinois that handed out 14 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend EIU is $14,607 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Geography students whose families make more than $110k.

Read full report on Geography at EIU

#20

Indiana University - Bloomington

Bloomington, Indiana
#15 in overall quality

Indiana University - Bloomington landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Vallue Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making Over $110k ranking. Bloomington, Indiana is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s geography degrees to 7 students in 2019-2020.

IU Bloomington did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best Geography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $13,253 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Geography students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend IU Bloomington.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Indiana University - Bloomington Geography Report

#21

Illinois State University

Normal, Illinois
#6 in overall quality

Illinois State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Vallue Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making Over $110k ranking, coming in at #21. Located in Normal, Illinois, this large public school awarded 31 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s geography students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make more than $110k list, Illinois State has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Geography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $20,895 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Geography students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend Illinois State University.

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%.

Full Illinois State Geography Report

#22

Ball State University

Muncie, Indiana
#24 in overall quality

With a ranking of #22, Ball State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Vallue Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making Over $110k list. Located in Muncie, Indiana, this large public school handed out 17 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s geography students in 2019-2020.

Ball State also made our “Best Geography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #24. The estimated yearly cost for Ball State is $15,147 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make more than $110k.

Full Ball State University Geography Report

#23

University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

With a ranking of #23, University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee did quite well on the 2022 Best Vallue Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making Over $110k list. Milwaukee, Wisconsin is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s geography degrees to 16 students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $17,876 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend UWM.

Read full report on Geography at UWM

#24

Eastern Michigan University

Ypsilanti, Michigan

Eastern Michigan University ranked #24 on this year’s Best Vallue Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making Over $110k list. Eastern Michigan University is a fairly large public school situated in Ypsilanti, Michigan. It awarded 13 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Eastern Michigan is $15,924 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Geography students whose families make more than $110k.

Read full report on Geography at Eastern Michigan University

Wright State University - Main Campus did quite well in the 2022 Best Vallue Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making Over $110k ranking, coming in at #25. Wright State University - Main Campus is located in Dayton, Ohio and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 4 bachelors’s geography degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend Wright State University - Main Campus is $16,823 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Geography students whose families make more than $110k.

Read more about Geography at Wright State University - Main Campus

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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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