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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Geography in the Plains States Region (With Aid)

22 Ranked Colleges
261 Degrees Awarded
$17,300 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor's in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. 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 in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid” 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.

Across the Plains States region, there were 331 geography graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 261 geography graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,786 and $25,576 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking looked at 22 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s 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 Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid”.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid.

Top 22 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Geography in the Plains States Region (With Aid)

#1

Park University

Parkville, Missouri
#2 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Park University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid. Located in Parkville, Missouri, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 33 degrees to qualified bachelors’s geography students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Park University, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Geography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Park University is $15,579 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Geography students with aid.

Read full report on Geography at Park University

#3 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Missouri - Columbia. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. This large school is located in Columbia, Missouri, and it awarded 17 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.

Mizzou also took the #3 spot in our “Best Geography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $16,001 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Geography students with aid per year to attend Mizzou.

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

Read more about Geography at Mizzou

#3

University of Northern Iowa

Cedar Falls, Iowa
#7 in overall quality

Out of the 22 schools in the Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Northern Iowa landed the #3 spot on the list. UNI is a medium-sized public school situated in Cedar Falls, Iowa. It awarded 5 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree geography students with aid list, UNI has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best Geography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $15,620 for plains states region bachelor’s degree geography students with aid per year to attend UNI.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Geography at University of Northern Iowa

#4

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, Minnesota
#5 in overall quality

Out of the 22 schools in the Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities landed the #4 spot on the list. Located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, this large public school awarded 27 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s geography students in 2019-2020.

UMN Twin Cities also took the #5 spot in our “Best Geography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Minnesota - Twin Cities is $17,740 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Geography students with aid.

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 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 UMN Twin Cities Geography Report

#5

Saint Cloud State University

Saint Cloud, Minnesota
#15 in overall quality

Out of the 22 schools in the Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Saint Cloud State University landed the #5 spot on the list. St. Cloud State University is located in Saint Cloud, Minnesota and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 6 bachelors’s geography degrees to qualified students.

St. Cloud State University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best Geography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $14,267 for plains states region bachelor’s degree geography students with aid per year to attend St. Cloud State University.

Read full report on Geography at St. Cloud State University

#19 in overall quality

University of Nebraska at Omaha ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. University of Nebraska at Omaha is a fairly large school located in Omaha, Nebraska that handed out 7 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree geography students with aid list, UNOMAHA has also earned the #19 rank in our “Best Geography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Nebraska at Omaha is $14,040 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Geography students with aid.

Read full report on Geography at University of Nebraska at Omaha

#7

University of Iowa

Iowa City, Iowa
#9 in overall quality

University of Iowa ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. Iowa City, Iowa is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s geography degrees to 20 students in 2019-2020.

Iowa did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Geography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Iowa is $19,145 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Geography students with aid.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.5%, 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 88%.

Full University of Iowa Geography Report

#8 in overall quality

University of Minnesota - Duluth came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. University of Minnesota - 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.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UMN Duluth, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Geography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $17,067 for plains states region bachelor’s degree geography students with aid per year to attend UMN Duluth.

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

Full UMN Duluth Geography Report

#9

Bemidji State University

Bemidji, Minnesota
#16 in overall quality

Bemidji State University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Bemidji State University is a small school located in Bemidji, Minnesota that handed out 3 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.

Bemidji State University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best Geography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Bemidji State University is $15,868 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Geography students with aid.

Full Bemidji State University Geography Report

#10

University of North Dakota

Grand Forks, North Dakota
#12 in overall quality

University of North Dakota landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. University of North Dakota is a fairly large public school situated in Grand Forks, North Dakota. It awarded 5 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.

UND did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best Geography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $15,738 for plains states region bachelor’s degree geography students with aid per year to attend UND.

The low student loan default rate of 2.9% 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 UND Geography Report

#21 in overall quality

Northwest Missouri State University ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. Northwest is located in Maryville, Missouri and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 3 bachelors’s geography degrees to qualified students.

Northwest did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #21 on our “Best Geography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Northwest is $12,354 for plains states region bachelor’s degree geography students with aid.

Full Northwest Geography Report

#17 in overall quality

With a ranking of #12, Minnesota State University - Mankato did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. Minnesota State Mankato is a public institution located in Mankato, Minnesota. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 11 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Minnesota State Mankato also took the #17 spot in our “Best Geography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $16,221 for plains states region bachelor’s degree geography students with aid per year to attend Minnesota State Mankato.

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%.

Read full report on Geography at Minnesota State University - Mankato

#11 in overall quality

With a ranking of #13, University of Nebraska - Lincoln did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. UNL is a large public school situated in Lincoln, Nebraska. It awarded 13 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree geography students with aid list, UNL has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best Geography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $17,208 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Geography students with aid per year to attend University of Nebraska - Lincoln.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Geography at University of Nebraska - Lincoln

#14

South Dakota State University

Brookings, South Dakota
#10 in overall quality

South Dakota State University came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Brookings, South Dakota is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s geography degrees to 14 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree geography students with aid list, South Dakota State has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Geography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for South Dakota State is $19,252 for plains states region bachelor’s degree geography students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Geography at South Dakota State

#22 in overall quality

Missouri Southern State University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Missouri Southern State University is located in Joplin, Missouri and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 1 bachelors’s geography degrees to qualified students.

Missouri Southern also made our “Best Geography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #22. The yearly cost to attend Missouri Southern State University is $9,625 for plains states region bachelor’s degree geography students with aid.

Read more about Geography at Missouri Southern

#16

University of Missouri - Kansas City

Kansas City, Missouri
#18 in overall quality

University of Missouri - Kansas City ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. This fairly large school is located in Kansas City, Missouri, and it awarded 5 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.

UMKC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best Geography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Missouri - Kansas City is $14,643 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Geography students with aid.

Read full report on Geography at UMKC

#17

Kansas State University

Manhattan, Kansas
#14 in overall quality

Kansas State University ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. Kansas State University is located in Manhattan, Kansas and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 9 bachelors’s geography degrees to qualified students.

K -State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best Geography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $18,285 for plains states region bachelor’s degree geography students with aid per year to attend K -State.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Geography at K -State

#20 in overall quality

Missouri State University - Springfield ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. Missouri State is a large school located in Springfield, Missouri that handed out 20 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.

Missouri State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #20 on our “Best Geography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Missouri State is $16,725 for plains states region bachelor’s degree geography students with aid.

Read full report on Geography at Missouri State University - Springfield

#19

University of Kansas

Lawrence, Kansas
#13 in overall quality

University of Kansas landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. University of Kansas is a public institution located in Lawrence, Kansas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 6 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

KU also took the #13 spot in our “Best Geography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $18,918 for plains states region bachelor’s degree geography students with aid per year to attend University of Kansas.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Geography at University of Kansas

#20

Gustavus Adolphus College

Saint Peter, Minnesota
#4 in overall quality

Gustavus Adolphus College came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Saint Peter, Minnesota is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s geography degrees to 8 students in 2019-2020.

Gustavus Adolphus also took the #4 spot in our “Best Geography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $19,093 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Geography students with aid per year to attend Gustavus Adolphus College.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Geography at Gustavus Adolphus

#21

University of St Thomas Minnesota

Saint Paul, Minnesota
#6 in overall quality

University of St Thomas Minnesota ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. University of St Thomas Minnesota is located in Saint Paul, Minnesota and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 8 bachelors’s geography degrees to qualified students.

UST MN also took the #6 spot in our “Best Geography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $29,155 for plains states region bachelor’s degree geography students with aid per year to attend UST MN.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low 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%.

Full UST MN Geography Report

#22

Macalester College

Saint Paul, Minnesota
#1 in overall quality

Macalester College ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Saint Paul, Minnesota, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 22 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s geography students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree geography students with aid list, Macalester has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Geography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Macalester College is $28,426 for plains states region bachelor’s degree geography students with aid.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%. 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 student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Macalester Geography Report

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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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