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2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region

28 Ranked Colleges
794 Degrees Awarded
$12,300 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor's in the Far Western US Region

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region” ranking is part of that endeavor.

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

Across the Far Western US region, there were 1,240 geography graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 794 geography graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,083 and $22,209 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region” ranking, we looked at 28 colleges that offer 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. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

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 in the Far Western US Region” list to help you make the college decision.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. 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 a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Geography in the Far Western US Region

#4 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Long Beach. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region. This large school is located in Long Beach, California, and it awarded 56 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at CSULB, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Geography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend CSULB is $9,622 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Geography students.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full CSULB Geography Report

#10 in overall quality

Out of the 28 schools in the Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Northridge landed the #2 spot on the list. This large school is located in Northridge, California, and it awarded 33 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.

CSUN also made our “Best Geography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #10. It costs about $8,414 for far western us region bachelor’s degree geography students per year to attend California State University - Northridge.

The low student loan default rate of 2.0% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Geography at California State University - Northridge

#21 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Fresno. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region. Fresno State is a large public school situated in Fresno, California. It awarded 9 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.

Fresno State also made our “Best Geography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #21. The yearly cost to attend Fresno State is $5,464 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Geography students.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%.

Read more about Geography at California State University - Fresno

#23 in overall quality

Out of the 28 schools in the Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Hawaii at Hilo landed the #4 spot on the list. Located in Hilo, Hawaii, this small public school handed out 30 degrees to qualified bachelors’s geography students in 2019-2020.

UH Hilo did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #23 on our “Best Geography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Hawaii at Hilo is $13,885 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Geography students.

Read more about Geography at University of Hawaii at Hilo

#8 in overall quality

Out of the 28 schools in the Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Sacramento landed the #5 spot on the list. Sac State is a public institution located in Sacramento, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 46 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our far western us region bachelor’s degree geography students list, Sac State has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Geography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. It costs about $9,979 for far western us region bachelor’s degree geography students per year to attend Sac State.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Geography at California State University - Sacramento

#6

Sonoma State University

Rohnert Park, California
#15 in overall quality

With a ranking of #6, Sonoma State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region list. SSU is located in Rohnert Park, California and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 23 bachelors’s geography degrees to qualified students.

SSU also took the #15 spot in our “Best Geography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for SSU is $17,478 for far western us region bachelor’s degree geography students.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Geography at Sonoma State University

#7 in overall quality

With a ranking of #7, California State Polytechnic University - Pomona did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region list. California State Polytechnic University - Pomona is a large school located in Pomona, California that handed out 27 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our far western us region bachelor’s degree geography students list, Cal Poly Pomona has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best Geography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Cal Poly Pomona is $12,734 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Geography students.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%.

Read full report on Geography at Cal Poly Pomona

#9 in overall quality

California State University - Fullerton came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region ranking. Cal State Fullerton is located in Fullerton, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 37 bachelors’s geography degrees to qualified students.

Cal State Fullerton also took the #9 spot in our “Best Geography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Fullerton is $7,991 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Geography students.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.7%, which is much lower than the national 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 California State University - Fullerton Geography Report

#17 in overall quality

With a ranking of #9, California State University - Chico did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region list. Chico, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s geography degrees to 21 students in 2019-2020.

Chico State also made our “Best Geography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #17. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Chico is $15,017 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Geography students.

The low 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%.

Full California State University - Chico Geography Report

#10

San Diego State University

San Diego, California
#5 in overall quality

With a ranking of #10, San Diego State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region list. This large school is located in San Diego, California, and it awarded 32 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.

SDSU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Geography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for SDSU is $14,788 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Geography students.

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 student loan default rate of 2.8% 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%.

Read more about Geography at SDSU

#11

San Francisco State University

San Francisco, California
#16 in overall quality

San Francisco State University ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region list. This large school is located in San Francisco, California, and it awarded 39 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.

SFSU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best Geography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The yearly cost to attend San Francisco State University is $15,113 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Geography students.

Read full report on Geography at San Francisco State University

#24 in overall quality

California State University - Stanislaus landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region ranking. Stan State is a fairly large school located in Turlock, California that handed out 12 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.

Stan State also made our “Best Geography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #24. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Stanislaus is $6,019 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Geography students.

The low student loan default rate of 4.3% 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 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full Stan State Geography Report

#13

California State University - San Bernardino

San Bernardino, California
#25 in overall quality

California State University - San Bernardino came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region ranking. CSUSB is a fairly large school located in San Bernardino, California that handed out 12 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our far western us region bachelor’s degree geography students list, CSUSB has also earned the #25 rank in our “Best Geography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California State University - San Bernardino is $7,342 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Geography students.

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

Read more about Geography at CSUSB

#14

San Jose State University

San Jose, California
#11 in overall quality

San Jose State University landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region ranking. San Jose State University is a large school located in San Jose, California that handed out 8 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our far western us region bachelor’s degree geography students list, San Jose State has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best Geography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. It costs about $14,928 for far western us region bachelor’s degree geography students per year to attend San Jose State.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. 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 San Jose State University

#13 in overall quality

University of Nevada - Reno came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region ranking. UNR is a public institution located in Reno, Nevada. The school has a large population, and it awarded 18 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our far western us region bachelor’s degree geography students list, UNR has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best Geography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. It costs about $15,081 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Geography students per year to attend UNR.

Full UNR Geography Report

#16

Western Washington University

Bellingham, Washington
#12 in overall quality

Western Washington University came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region ranking. WWU is a fairly large school located in Bellingham, Washington that handed out 21 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.

WWU also made our “Best Geography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list, coming in at #12. The estimated yearly cost for WWU is $16,529 for far western us region bachelor’s degree geography 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%.

Full WWU Geography Report

#22 in overall quality

California State University - East Bay came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region ranking. Cal State East Bay is located in Hayward, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 4 bachelors’s geography degrees to qualified students.

Cal State East Bay did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #22 on our “Best Geography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - East Bay is $11,116 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Geography students.

Full Cal State East Bay Geography Report

#18

Central Washington University

Ellensburg, Washington
#14 in overall quality

Central Washington University landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region ranking. CWU is a fairly large public school situated in Ellensburg, Washington. It awarded 13 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.

CWU also took the #14 spot in our “Best Geography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. It costs about $15,397 for far western us region bachelor’s degree geography students per year to attend Central Washington University.

Read full report on Geography at Central Washington University

#19 in overall quality

California State University - Los Angeles did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region ranking, coming in at #19. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s geography degrees to 14 students in 2019-2020.

Cal State LA not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #19 on our “Best Geography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Los Angeles is $2,768 for far western us region bachelor’s degree geography students.

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%.

Read full report on Geography at Cal State LA

#20

Humboldt State University

Arcata, California

With a ranking of #20, Humboldt State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region list. Located in Arcata, California, this medium-sized public school handed out 20 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s geography students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $14,692 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Geography students per year to attend Humboldt State University.

Read more about Geography at Humboldt State University

#21

Eastern Washington University

Cheney, Washington
#20 in overall quality

Eastern Washington University came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region ranking. Cheney, Washington is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s geography degrees to 6 students in 2019-2020.

EWU also took the #20 spot in our “Best Geography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for EWU is $12,607 for Far Western US Region Bachelor’s Degree Geography students.

Read full report on Geography at EWU

#22

Portland State University

Portland, Oregon

Portland State University ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region list. Portland State University is a large school located in Portland, Oregon that handed out 28 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $13,040 for far western us region bachelor’s degree geography students per year to attend Portland State University.

Full Portland State University Geography Report

#3 in overall quality

University of Washington - Seattle Campus came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region ranking. Located in Seattle, Washington, this large public school handed out 134 degrees to qualified bachelors’s geography students in 2019-2020.

UW Seattle did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Geography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” list. It costs about $13,297 for far western us region bachelor’s degree geography students per year to attend UW Seattle.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full UW Seattle Geography Report

#24

Western Oregon University

Monmouth, Oregon

Western Oregon University came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region ranking. Western Oregon State College is a public institution located in Monmouth, Oregon. The school has a small population, and it awarded 1 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Western Oregon University is $19,315 for far western us region bachelor’s degree geography students.

Read more about Geography at Western Oregon State College

#25

University of Hawaii at Manoa

Honolulu, Hawaii
#18 in overall quality

University of Hawaii at Manoa came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Far Western US Region ranking. UH Manoa is a fairly large public school situated in Honolulu, Hawaii. It awarded 10 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.

UH Manoa also took the #18 spot in our “Best Geography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Far Western US Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Hawaii at Manoa is $15,030 for far western us region bachelor’s degree geography students.

The low 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%.

Read full report on Geography at UH Manoa

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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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