by our College Data Analytics Team
[Geography](/majors/social-sciences/geography-and-cartography/geography/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 4 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for geography students.
What’s on this page:
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the geography degrees they offer, see the list below.
For return on investment in geography, no school beat Rowan University this year. Set in the suburb of Glassboro, Rowan University is a very large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $16,574, while out-of-state students pay about $26,932. Geography graduates carry a median of $25,250 in student loans. Early-career geography graduates make about $44,380. Set against $25,250 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 78%.
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 4 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 2 ranked schools only.
More about our data sources and methodologies.