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2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region

45 Ranked Colleges
560 Degrees Awarded
$15,700 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor's in the Great Lakes Region

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. 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 Great Lakes Region” ranking is part of that endeavor.

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.

For this year’s “Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region” ranking, we looked at 45 colleges that offer a degree in geography. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality geography programs that also have a lower cost than 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.

More Ways to Rank Geography Schools

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. 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 in the Great Lakes Region

The colleges and universities below are the best for great lakes region bachelor’s degree geography students.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Geography in the Great Lakes Region

#1

University of Wisconsin - River Falls

River Falls, Wisconsin
#9 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wisconsin - River Falls. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. University of Wisconsin - River Falls is a medium-sized school located in River Falls, Wisconsin that handed out 10 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.

UW - River Falls also made our “Best Geography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #9. The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - River Falls is $13,748 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree geography students.

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

#7 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wisconsin - La Crosse. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. University of Wisconsin - La Crosse is a fairly large school located in La Crosse, Wisconsin that handed out 26 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.

UW - La Crosse also made our “Best Geography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #7. The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - La Crosse is $14,580 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Geography students.

The low student loan default rate of 1.6% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Geography at University of Wisconsin - La Crosse

#19 in overall quality

Out of the 45 schools in the Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville landed the #3 spot on the list. Located in Edwardsville, Illinois, this fairly large public school handed out 32 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s geography students in 2019-2020.

SIUE not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #19 on our “Best Geography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for SIUE is $14,423 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Geography students.

Read more about Geography at SIUE

#14 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wisconsin - Whitewater. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. University of Wisconsin - Whitewater is located in Whitewater, Wisconsin and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 19 bachelors’s geography degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW - Whitewater, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best Geography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Whitewater is $15,249 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Geography students.

Read more about Geography at UW - Whitewater

#5

University of Wisconsin - Platteville

Platteville, Wisconsin
#16 in overall quality

Out of the 45 schools in the Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Wisconsin - Platteville landed the #5 spot on the list. 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.

UW - Platteville not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best Geography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Platteville is $15,718 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Geography students.

Full University of Wisconsin - Platteville Geography Report

#12 in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire is a public institution located in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 21 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UW - Eau Claire also took the #12 spot in our “Best Geography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UW - Eau Claire is $16,020 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Geography students.

Read full report on Geography at UW - Eau Claire

#21 in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region 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.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW Oshkosh, the school also landed the #21 spot in our “Best Geography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UW Oshkosh is $15,463 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree geography students.

Full University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh Geography Report

#8

University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point

Stevens Point, Wisconsin
#20 in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in Stevens Point, Wisconsin, this medium-sized public school awarded 6 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s geography students in 2019-2020.

UW - Stevens Point not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #20 on our “Best Geography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $14,465 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Geography students per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point.

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

#9

Illinois State University

Normal, Illinois
#6 in overall quality

With a ranking of #9, Illinois State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Illinois State is located in Normal, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 31 bachelors’s geography degrees to qualified students.

Illinois State also took the #6 spot in our “Best Geography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Illinois State is $20,895 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Geography students.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Illinois State University Geography Report

#10

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, Illinois
#22 in overall quality

Northern Illinois University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #10. 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.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree geography students list, NIU has also earned the #22 rank in our “Best Geography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Northern Illinois University is $18,259 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Geography students.

Read more about Geography at NIU

#11

Grand Valley State University

Allendale, Michigan
#11 in overall quality

Grand Valley State University ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. GVSU is a public institution located in Allendale, Michigan. The school has a large population, and it awarded 23 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

GVSU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best Geography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $17,646 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Geography students per year to attend GVSU.

The low student loan default rate of 3.7% 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%.

Full GVSU Geography Report

#12

Eastern Illinois University

Charleston, Illinois

Eastern Illinois University came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region 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.

Full Eastern Illinois University Geography Report

#13

Western Michigan University

Kalamazoo, Michigan

Western Michigan University landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Western Michigan University is a fairly large public school situated in Kalamazoo, Michigan. It awarded 18 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for WMU is $19,433 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree geography students.

Read more about Geography at WMU

University of Wisconsin - Parkside did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #14. UW - Parkside is located in Kenosha, Wisconsin and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 9 bachelors’s geography degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Parkside is $11,327 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Geography students.

Read full report on Geography at UW - Parkside

#15

Eastern Michigan University

Ypsilanti, Michigan

Eastern Michigan University landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Eastern Michigan University is a fairly large school located in Ypsilanti, Michigan that handed out 13 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $15,924 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree geography students per year to attend Eastern Michigan.

Read full report on Geography at Eastern Michigan

#16

Youngstown State University

Youngstown, Ohio

Youngstown State University came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Youngstown State University is a fairly large public school situated in Youngstown, Ohio. It awarded 6 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Youngstown State University is $11,947 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree geography students.

Read more about Geography at Youngstown State University

#17

University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #17. University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee is a public institution located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The school has a large population, and it awarded 16 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $17,876 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Geography students per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee.

Read more about Geography at UWM

#18

Indiana University - Southeast

New Albany, Indiana

Indiana University - Southeast landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Indiana University - Southeast is located in New Albany, Indiana and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 14 bachelors’s geography degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for Indiana University - Southeast is $10,657 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Geography students.

Read full report on Geography at Indiana University - Southeast

With a ranking of #19, Northeastern Illinois University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Northeastern Illinois University is a medium-sized school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 8 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $15,843 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Geography students per year to attend Northeastern Illinois University.

Read full report on Geography at Northeastern Illinois University

#20

Central Michigan University

Mount Pleasant, Michigan

Central Michigan University landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region 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 University is $15,981 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree geography students.

Full Central Michigan University Geography Report

Wright State University - Main Campus came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. This fairly large school is located in Dayton, Ohio, and it awarded 4 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Wright State University - Main Campus is $16,823 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree geography students.

Full Wright State University - Main Campus Geography Report

Kent State University at Kent ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. This large school is located in Kent, Ohio, and it awarded 11 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Kent State is $18,885 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Geography students.

Read full report on Geography at Kent State University at Kent

#23

Indiana State University

Terre Haute, Indiana

Indiana State University landed the #23 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Indiana State University is located in Terre Haute, Indiana and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 8 bachelors’s geography degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend Indiana State University is $13,896 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Geography students.

Full Indiana State Geography Report

With a ranking of #24, Bowling Green State University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. BGSU is a fairly large school located in Bowling Green, Ohio that handed out 2 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Bowling Green State University - Main Campus is $18,394 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree geography students.

Full Bowling Green State University - Main Campus Geography Report

#25

Ball State University

Muncie, Indiana
#24 in overall quality

Ball State University landed the #25 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Muncie, Indiana is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s geography degrees to 17 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Ball State, the school also landed the #24 spot in our “Best Geography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Ball State is $15,147 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree geography students.

Read full report on Geography at Ball State University

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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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