2023 Best Value Colleges for Geography in the Plains States Region
19
Ranked Colleges
288
Degrees Awarded
$18,500
Avg Net Price*
It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Geography Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking - to help you make that decision.
In 2020-2021, 4,954 people earned their degree in geography, making the major the 159th most popular in the United States.
Across the Plains States region, there were 288 geography graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Geography Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking looked at 19 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in geography. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great geography programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.
To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the geography program at the school. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.
More Ways to Rank Geography Schools
Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Geography Schools in the Plains States Region” list, to help you choose the best school for you.
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 in the Plains States Region
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Geography Schools in the Plains States Region.
Top 19 Best Value Colleges for Geography in the Plains States Region
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 in the Plains States Region. This medium-sized school is located in Parkville, Missouri, and it awarded 35 ’s geography degrees in 2020-2021.
Park University also took the #4 spot in our “Best Geography Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Park University is $14,619 for Plains States Region Geography students.
Read full report on Geography at Park University
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend South Dakota State University. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Geography Schools in the Plains States Region. Brookings, South Dakota is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s geography degrees to 16 students in 2020-2021.
South Dakota State also made our “Best Geography Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #8. The estimated yearly cost for South Dakota State University is $18,578 for Plains States Region Geography students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Geography at South Dakota State
Out of the 19 schools in the Best Value Geography Schools in the Plains States Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Northwest Missouri State University landed the #3 spot on the list. Northwest Missouri State University is a public institution located in Maryville, Missouri. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 4 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our plains states region geography students list, Northwest has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best Geography Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $12,925 for plains states region geography students per year to attend Northwest Missouri State University.
Read more about Geography at Northwest
Out of the 19 schools in the Best Value Geography Schools in the Plains States Region that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Northern Iowa landed the #4 spot on the list. Located in Cedar Falls, Iowa, this medium-sized public school awarded 12 diplomas to qualified ’s geography students in 2020-2021.
UNI also took the #6 spot in our “Best Geography Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $16,438 for plains states region geography students per year to attend University of Northern Iowa.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.8%, 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 undergraduate students.
Full UNI Geography Report
Out of the 19 schools in the Best Value Geography Schools in the Plains States Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Minnesota State University - Mankato landed the #5 spot on the list. Mankato, Minnesota is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s geography degrees to 9 students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our plains states region geography students list, Minnesota State Mankato has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best Geography Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $17,159 for Plains States Region Geography students per year to attend Minnesota State Mankato.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Geography at Minnesota State University - Mankato
University of North Dakota ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Geography Schools in the Plains States Region list. UND is located in Grand Forks, North Dakota and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 10 ’s geography degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our plains states region geography students list, UND has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Geography Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UND is $16,966 for plains states region geography students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Geography at University of North Dakota
Saint Cloud State University ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Geography Schools in the Plains States Region list. St. Cloud State University is located in Saint Cloud, Minnesota and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 10 ’s geography degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at St. Cloud State University, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best Geography Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Saint Cloud State University is $14,581 for Plains States Region Geography students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Geography at St. Cloud State University
With a ranking of #8, Missouri State University - Springfield did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Geography Schools in the Plains States Region list. Missouri State University - Springfield is located in Springfield, Missouri and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 12 ’s geography degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Missouri State, the school also landed the #18 spot in our “Best Geography Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $16,718 for plains states region geography students per year to attend Missouri State.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Geography at Missouri State University - Springfield
University of Kansas landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Best Value Geography Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. Located in Lawrence, Kansas, this large public school awarded 11 degrees to qualified ’s geography students in 2020-2021.
KU also took the #7 spot in our “Best Geography Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Kansas is $20,257 for plains states region geography students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.3%, which is much lower than the national 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 KU Geography Report
University of Nebraska at Omaha did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Geography Schools in the Plains States Region ranking, coming in at #10. UNOMAHA is a fairly large public school situated in Omaha, Nebraska. It awarded 4 ’s geography degrees in 2020-2021.
UNOMAHA also made our “Best Geography Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #19. The estimated yearly cost for University of Nebraska at Omaha is $13,914 for plains states region geography students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Geography at University of Nebraska at Omaha
Kansas State University ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Geography Schools in the Plains States Region list. Manhattan, Kansas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s geography degrees to 8 students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at K -State, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best Geography Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Kansas State University is $18,433 for Plains States Region Geography students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Geography at Kansas State University
With a ranking of #12, University of Missouri - Columbia did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Geography Schools in the Plains States Region list. Mizzou is located in Columbia, Missouri and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 34 ’s geography degrees to qualified students.
Mizzou did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Geography Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $16,559 for Plains States Region Geography students per year to attend University of Missouri - Columbia.
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 undergrad student loan default rate of 2.5% 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 University of Missouri - Columbia
University of Minnesota - Twin Cities came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geography Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities is a public institution located in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The school has a large population, and it awarded 49 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UMN Twin Cities, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Geography Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UMN Twin Cities is $17,878 for Plains States Region Geography students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Geography at University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
University of Iowa landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Best Value Geography Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. University of Iowa is a public institution located in Iowa City, Iowa. The school has a large population, and it awarded 12 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our plains states region geography students list, Iowa has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Geography Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Iowa is $19,401 for Plains States Region Geography students.
With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Geography at University of Iowa
University of Nebraska - Lincoln ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Geography Schools in the Plains States Region list. Located in Lincoln, Nebraska, this large public school handed out 7 diplomas to qualified ’s geography students in 2020-2021.
UNL also made our “Best Geography Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #15. The estimated yearly cost for University of Nebraska - Lincoln is $17,013 for Plains States Region Geography students.
With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Geography at University of Nebraska - Lincoln
University of Missouri - Kansas City came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geography Schools in the Plains States Region ranking. Kansas City, Missouri is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s geography degrees to 4 students in 2020-2021.
UMKC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best Geography Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $15,702 for Plains States Region Geography students per year to attend University of Missouri - Kansas City.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full University of Missouri - Kansas City Geography Report
University of St Thomas Minnesota ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Geography Schools in the Plains States Region list. UST MN is a private not-for-profit institution located in Saint Paul, Minnesota. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 7 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
UST MN also made our “Best Geography Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #12. The estimated yearly cost for University of St Thomas Minnesota is $31,066 for Plains States Region Geography students.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Geography at UST MN
Gustavus Adolphus College ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Geography Schools in the Plains States Region list. Gustavus Adolphus is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Saint Peter, Minnesota. It awarded 10 ’s geography degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Gustavus Adolphus, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best Geography Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Gustavus Adolphus is $24,696 for plains states region geography students.
With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.2% 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 Gustavus Adolphus
With a ranking of #19, Macalester College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Geography Schools in the Plains States Region list. Located in Saint Paul, Minnesota, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 15 diplomas to qualified ’s geography students in 2020-2021.
Macalester also made our “Best Geography Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #5. The estimated yearly cost for Macalester College is $27,764 for Plains States Region Geography students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.
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
- *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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