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2024 Best Geography Schools

192 Colleges in the United States
4,954 Geography Degrees Awarded
A degree in geography is more popular than many other degrees. In fact, it ranks #159 out of 1506 on popularity of all such degrees in the nation. So, you have a fair amount of options to choose from when looking for a school.

For its 2024 ranking, College Factual looked at 192 schools in the United States to determine which ones were the best for geography students pursuing a degree. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 4,954 degrees in geography during the 2020-2021 academic year.

What's on this page: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great Geography School

Best Geography Schools Your choice of geography school matters, so we have put together these rankings to help you make your decision. We derive our Best Overall Geography School rankings by rolling up our degree-level rankings after weighting them by the number of degrees awarded at each school.

In order to find the schools that are the best fit for you, you may want to filter to one of the degree levels below.

Pick Your Geography Degree Level

Associate Degrees in Geography
Bachelor's Degrees in Geography
Master's Degrees in Geography
Doctor's Degrees in Geography

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 Geography Schools list to help you make the college decision. More interested in schools in a specific area of the country? Filter this list by region or state.

To further help you make the college decision, we've developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Read more about College Factual's methodology.

Best Schools for Geography in the United States

If you aren't interested in a particular degree level and want to know which schools are the overall best at delivering an education for the geography degrees they offer, see the list below. Only those schools that rank in the top 15% of all the schools we analyze get awarded with a place on this list.

25 Top Schools in Geography

1
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In CA
81 Geography Degrees Awarded

It is difficult to beat University of California - Los Angeles if you want to pursue a degree in geography. UCLA is a very large public university located in the large city of Los Angeles. A Best Colleges rank of #26 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UCLA is a great university overall.

There were roughly 81 geography students who graduated with this degree at UCLA in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in geography from University of California - Los Angeles

2
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In WA
106 Geography Degrees Awarded

University of Washington - Seattle Campus is a good choice for students interested in a degree in geography. UW Seattle is a fairly large public university located in the large city of Seattle. A Best Colleges rank of #37 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UW Seattle is a great university overall.

There were about 106 geography students who graduated with this degree at UW Seattle in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in geography from University of Washington - Seattle Campus

3
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
5th Most Popular In IL
63.6% Growth in Graduates

Every student pursuing a degree in geography needs to take a look at University of Chicago. UChicago is a large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Chicago. A Best Colleges rank of #2 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UChicago is a great university overall.

There were approximately 11 geography students who graduated with this degree at UChicago in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in geography from University of Chicago

4
Dartmouth crest
Dartmouth College
Hanover, NH
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In NH
39 Geography Degrees Awarded

It's difficult to beat Dartmouth College if you want to pursue a degree in geography. Located in the remote town of Hanover, Dartmouth is a private not-for-profit college with a moderately-sized student population. A Best Colleges rank of #25 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Dartmouth is a great college overall.

There were approximately 39 geography students who graduated with this degree at Dartmouth in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in geography from Dartmouth College

5
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In WI
40 Geography Degrees Awarded

UW - Madison is a very large public university located in the city of Madison. A Best Colleges rank of #30 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UW - Madison is a great university overall.

There were roughly 40 geography students who graduated with this degree at UW - Madison in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in geography from University of Wisconsin - Madison

6
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
6th Most Popular In TX

Texas A&M College Station is a fairly large public university located in the midsize city of College Station. A Best Colleges rank of #44 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Texas A&M College Station is a great university overall.

There were approximately 18 geography students who graduated with this degree at Texas A&M College Station in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in geography from Texas A&M University - College Station

7
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
9th Most Popular In CA
32 Geography Degrees Awarded

UCSB is a very large public university located in the medium-sized suburb of Santa Barbara. A Best Colleges rank of #45 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UCSB is a great university overall.

There were about 32 geography students who graduated with this degree at UCSB in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in geography from University of California - Santa Barbara

8
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
3rd Most Popular In IL

UIUC is a very large public university located in the small city of Champaign. A Best Colleges rank of #34 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UIUC is a great university overall.

There were about 13 geography students who graduated with this degree at UIUC in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in geography from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

9
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In OH
41 Geography Degrees Awarded

Located in the large city of Columbus, Ohio State is a public university with a very large student population. This university ranks 2nd out of 96 colleges for overall quality in the state of Ohio.

There were approximately 41 geography students who graduated with this degree at Ohio State in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in geography from Ohio State University - Main Campus

9
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
8th Most Popular In IL
87.5% Growth in Graduates

Located in the city of Evanston, Northwestern is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #5 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Northwestern is a great university overall.

There were approximately 8 geography students who graduated with this degree at Northwestern in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in geography from Northwestern University

10
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In DC
35 Geography Degrees Awarded

Located in the city of Washington, GWU is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #49 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means GWU is a great university overall.

There were about 35 geography students who graduated with this degree at GWU in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in geography from George Washington University

11
UF crest
University of Florida
Gainesville, FL
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In FL
97 Geography Degrees Awarded

UF is a very large public university located in the midsize city of Gainesville. This university ranks 1st out of 77 colleges for overall quality in the state of Florida.

There were about 97 geography students who graduated with this degree at UF in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in geography from University of Florida

12
Middlebury crest
Middlebury College
Middlebury, VT
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In VT
10.0% Growth in Graduates

Middlebury is a small private not-for-profit college located in the distant town of Middlebury. This college ranks 1st out of 11 schools for overall quality in the state of Vermont.

There were roughly 20 geography students who graduated with this degree at Middlebury in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in geography from Middlebury College

13
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
2nd Most Popular In UT
25.0% Growth in Graduates

Located in the midsize city of Provo, BYU is a private not-for-profit university with a very large student population. This university ranks 1st out of 13 colleges for overall quality in the state of Utah.

There were roughly 16 geography students who graduated with this degree at BYU in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in geography from Brigham Young University - Provo

14
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In TX
53 Geography Degrees Awarded

UT Austin is a fairly large public university located in the city of Austin. A Best Colleges rank of #36 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UT Austin is a great university overall.

There were about 53 geography students who graduated with this degree at UT Austin in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in geography from The University of Texas at Austin

15
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In MN
49 Geography Degrees Awarded

UMN Twin Cities is a very large public university located in the city of Minneapolis. A Best Colleges rank of #51 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UMN Twin Cities is a great university overall.

There were roughly 49 geography students who graduated with this degree at UMN Twin Cities in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in geography from University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

16
Colgate crest
Colgate University
Hamilton, NY
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
11th Most Popular In NY

Located in the distant town of Hamilton, Colgate is a private not-for-profit university with a small student population. This university ranks 5th out of 142 colleges for overall quality in the state of New York.

There were approximately 7 geography students who graduated with this degree at Colgate in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in geography from Colgate University

17
Virginia Tech crest
Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, VA
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
2nd Most Popular In VA
48 Geography Degrees Awarded

Virginia Tech is a very large public school located in the city of Blacksburg. This school ranks 2nd out of 63 colleges for overall quality in the state of Virginia.

There were about 48 geography students who graduated with this degree at Virginia Tech in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in geography from Virginia Tech

18
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
2nd Most Popular In CT

UCONN is a fairly large public university located in the suburb of Storrs. This university ranks 2nd out of 28 colleges for overall quality in the state of Connecticut.

There were approximately 11 geography students who graduated with this degree at UCONN in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in geography from University of Connecticut

19
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In GA

UGA is a fairly large public university located in the city of Athens. This university ranks 3rd out of 68 schools for overall quality in the state of Georgia.

There were roughly 30 geography students who graduated with this degree at UGA in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in geography from University of Georgia

20
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
2nd Most Popular In NC
38 Geography Degrees Awarded

Located in the small city of Chapel Hill, UNC Chapel Hill is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #43 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UNC Chapel Hill is a great university overall.

There were approximately 38 geography students who graduated with this degree at UNC Chapel Hill in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in geography from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

21
JMU crest
James Madison University
Harrisonburg, VA
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In VA
63 Geography Degrees Awarded

Located in the city of Harrisonburg, JMU is a public university with a very large student population. This university ranks 6th out of 63 colleges for overall quality in the state of Virginia.

There were about 63 geography students who graduated with this degree at JMU in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in geography from James Madison University

22
Michigan State crest
Michigan State University
East Lansing, MI
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In MI

Michigan State is a very large public university located in the city of East Lansing. This university ranks 2nd out of 57 schools for overall quality in the state of Michigan.

There were about 24 geography students who graduated with this degree at Michigan State in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in geography from Michigan State University

23
Park University crest
Park University
Parkville, MO
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In MO
35 Geography Degrees Awarded

Park University is a medium-sized private not-for-profit university located in the suburb of Parkville. This university ranks 8th out of 48 colleges for overall quality in the state of Missouri.

There were roughly 35 geography students who graduated with this degree at Park University in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in geography from Park University

24
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
2nd Most Popular In CO
61 Geography Degrees Awarded

Located in the medium-sized city of Boulder, CU - Boulder is a public university with a very large student population. This university ranks 2nd out of 33 colleges for overall quality in the state of Colorado.

There were approximately 61 geography students who graduated with this degree at CU - Boulder in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in geography from University of Colorado Boulder

Rest of the Top Best Geography Schools

26
27
28
Bucknell crest
Bucknell University
Lewisburg, PA

Honorable Mentions

These are some additional schools worth mentioning that are also great but just didn't quite make the cut to earn our top Best Geography Schools award.

Rank College Location
29 California State University - Long Beach Long Beach, CA
30 University of Arizona Tucson, AZ
31 University of Missouri - Columbia Columbia, MO
32 University of Denver Denver, CO
33 Villanova University Villanova, PA
34 Miami University - Oxford Oxford, OH
35 University of Oregon Eugene, OR
36 University of Delaware Newark, DE
36 University of Kansas Lawrence, KS
37 University of Oklahoma Norman Campus Norman, OK
38 University of Kentucky Lexington, KY

Geography by Region

View the Best Geography Schools for a specific region near you.

Region
Southeast
New England
Rocky Mountains
Plains States
Middle Atlantic
Far Western US
Southwest
Other U.S. Territories
Great Lakes

View All Rankings >

Geography is one of 2 different types of Geography & Cartography programs to choose from.

Majors Similar to Geography

Related Major Annual Graduates
Geographic Information Science 3,231
Other Geography 341

View All Geography Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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