2026 Best Value Geography Schools in Minnesota
[Geography](/majors/social-sciences/geography-and-cartography/geography/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong geography education at a price that pays off.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 9 schools to find the best return on investment for geography students.
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2026 Best Value Geography Schools in Minnesota
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in geography, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Geography Schools
University Of Minnesota Twin Cities earned the #1 spot for value among geography schools in Minnesota. University Of Minnesota Twin Cities is a very large public school located in the city of Minneapolis. In-state tuition and fees average $17,214, compared with $38,362 for out-of-state students. Geography graduates carry a median of $20,500 in student loans. Soon after graduation, geography degree recipients from University Of Minnesota Twin Cities generally make around $38,019. Set against $20,500 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. University Of Minnesota Twin Cities admits about 80% of applicants.
Students looking for strong value in geography will find it at Minnesota State University Mankato, which ranked #2. Minnesota State University Mankato is a large public school located in the city of Mankato. In-state tuition and fees average $9,572, with out-of-state students paying around $18,942. Students borrow a median of $25,260 to complete the geography program here. Geography graduates of Minnesota State University Mankato earn a median of $45,482 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 88% of applicants are accepted.
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 9 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 3 ranked schools only.
- 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).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
