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2023 Best Value Geography Schools For Those Making $0-$30k

234 Ranked Colleges
8,526 Degrees Awarded
$5,800 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Geography Schools For Those Making $0-$30k

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value Geography Schools For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking.

In 2020-2021, 8,526 people earned their degree in geography and cartography, making the major the 110th most popular in the United States. In 2019-2020, geography and cartography graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $38,604 and had an average of $22,522 in loans still to pay off.

This year’s “Best Value Geography Schools For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking analyzed 234 colleges that offered a degree in geography and cartography. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality geography and cartography programs that also have a lower cost than 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 and cartography program at the school. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

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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 Value Geography Schools For Those Making $0-$30k” list to help you make the college decision.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.

Best Value Geography Schools For Those Making $0-$30k

The colleges and universities below are the best for geography students whose families make $0-$30k.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Geography & Cartography (Income $0-$30k)

1
UPenn crest
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Out of the 234 schools in the Best Value Geography Schools For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Pennsylvania landed the #1 spot on the list. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s geography degrees to 16 students in 2020-2021.

UPenn not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Geography & Cartography Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Pennsylvania is $580 for geography students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Geography & Cartography at University of Pennsylvania

2
UChicago crest
University of Chicago
Chicago, Illinois

Out of the 234 schools in the Best Value Geography Schools For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Chicago landed the #2 spot on the list. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 11 diplomas to qualified ’s geography students in 2020-2021.

UChicago also made our “Best Geography & Cartography Schools” list, coming in at #7. The yearly cost to attend UChicago is $2,500 for geography students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 100%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Geography & Cartography at UChicago

3
Northwestern crest
Northwestern University
Evanston, Illinois

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Northwestern University. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Geography Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Northwestern is a private not-for-profit institution located in Evanston, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 8 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Northwestern, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best Geography & Cartography Schools” ranking. It costs about $245 for geography students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Northwestern University.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.6% 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%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%.

Read full report on Geography & Cartography at Northwestern

4
Johns Hopkins crest
Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, Maryland

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Johns Hopkins University. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Geography Schools For Those Making $0-$30k. This large school is located in Baltimore, Maryland, and it awarded 11 ’s geography degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Johns Hopkins, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Geography & Cartography Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Johns Hopkins University is $2,084 for Geography students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Geography & Cartography at Johns Hopkins University

5
UF crest
University of Florida
Gainesville, Florida

Out of the 234 schools in the Best Value Geography Schools For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Florida landed the #5 spot on the list. University of Florida is a large public school situated in Gainesville, Florida. It awarded 97 ’s geography degrees in 2020-2021.

UF not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #18 on our “Best Geography & Cartography Schools” list. It costs about $65 for geography students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UF.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% 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 UF Geography & Cartography Report

6

University of Wisconsin - Madison did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Geography Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #6. UW - Madison is a large school located in Madison, Wisconsin that handed out 132 ’s geography degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW - Madison, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Geography & Cartography Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UW - Madison is $3,981 for geography students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full UW - Madison Geography & Cartography Report

7

University of California - Los Angeles did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Geography Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #7. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s geography degrees to 155 students in 2020-2021.

UCLA also made our “Best Geography & Cartography Schools” list, coming in at #1. It costs about $9,037 for Geography students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of California - Los Angeles.

The low undergrad 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Geography & Cartography at UCLA

8

University of Washington - Seattle Campus came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geography Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Seattle, Washington, this large public school handed out 145 degrees to qualified ’s geography students in 2020-2021.

UW Seattle not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Geography & Cartography Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Washington - Seattle Campus is $5,194 for Geography students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Geography & Cartography at University of Washington - Seattle Campus

9

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Best Value Geography Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in Champaign, Illinois, and it awarded 45 ’s geography degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our geography students whose families make $0-$30k list, UIUC has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best Geography & Cartography Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is $4,858 for geography students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Geography & Cartography at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

10

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Best Value Geography Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, this large public school handed out 38 diplomas to qualified ’s geography students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UNC Chapel Hill, the school also landed the #23 spot in our “Best Geography & Cartography Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UNC Chapel Hill is $3,753 for Geography students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Geography & Cartography at UNC Chapel Hill

11

University of Maryland - College Park came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geography Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of Maryland - College Park is located in College Park, Maryland and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 99 ’s geography degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our geography students whose families make $0-$30k list, UMCP has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Geography & Cartography Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Maryland - College Park is $6,067 for geography students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.8% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full University of Maryland - College Park Geography & Cartography Report

12
Middlebury crest
Middlebury College
Middlebury, Vermont

With a ranking of #12, Middlebury College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Geography Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. This small school is located in Middlebury, Vermont, and it awarded 20 ’s geography degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Middlebury, the school also landed the #21 spot in our “Best Geography & Cartography Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Middlebury College is $6,294 for Geography students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full Middlebury Geography & Cartography Report

13

With a ranking of #13, Ohio State University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Geography Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Ohio State University - Main Campus is a large public school situated in Columbus, Ohio. It awarded 88 ’s geography degrees in 2020-2021.

Ohio State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best Geography & Cartography Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Ohio State is $7,068 for Geography students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.

Full Ohio State Geography & Cartography Report

14

Brigham Young University - Provo did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Geography Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #14. This large school is located in Provo, Utah, and it awarded 68 ’s geography degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at BYU, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Geography & Cartography Schools” ranking. It costs about $9,445 for Geography students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Brigham Young University - Provo.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Geography & Cartography at Brigham Young University - Provo

15
Hunter crest
Hunter College
New York, New York

Hunter College ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Geography Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Hunter College is a large public school situated in New York, New York. It awarded 26 ’s geography degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $396 for Geography students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Hunter.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Geography & Cartography at Hunter College

16

With a ranking of #16, University of South Florida - Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Geography Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of South Florida - Main Campus is a large school located in Tampa, Florida that handed out 33 ’s geography degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for USF Tampa is $4,176 for geography students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.3% 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 & Cartography at USF Tampa

17

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Geography Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, this large public school handed out 56 diplomas to qualified ’s geography students in 2020-2021.

UMN Twin Cities also claimed a top spot on our “Best Geography & Cartography Schools” list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The estimated yearly cost for UMN Twin Cities is $7,698 for geography students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Geography & Cartography at UMN Twin Cities

18

University of California - Santa Barbara came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geography Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UCSB is a large school located in Santa Barbara, California that handed out 119 ’s geography degrees in 2020-2021.

UCSB also made our “Best Geography & Cartography Schools” list, coming in at #14. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Santa Barbara is $10,568 for Geography students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.8% 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 & Cartography at University of California - Santa Barbara

19
Dartmouth crest
Dartmouth College
Hanover, New Hampshire

Dartmouth College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Geography Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #19. Dartmouth is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Hanover, New Hampshire. It awarded 39 ’s geography degrees in 2020-2021.

Dartmouth also took the #6 spot in our “Best Geography & Cartography Schools” ranking. It costs about $6,034 for geography students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Dartmouth College.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Geography & Cartography at Dartmouth

20

Indiana University - Bloomington did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Geography Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #20. Indiana University - Bloomington is located in Bloomington, Indiana and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 15 ’s geography degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for Indiana University - Bloomington is $5,752 for Geography students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Geography & Cartography at IU Bloomington

21
UGA crest
University of Georgia
Athens, Georgia

University of Georgia came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geography Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Athens, Georgia is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s geography degrees to 47 students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on this list, UGA is in the top on our “Best Geography & Cartography Schools” list. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. The estimated yearly cost for University of Georgia is $8,303 for geography students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full University of Georgia Geography & Cartography Report

22

Arizona State University - Tempe came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geography Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. ASU - Tempe is a large public school situated in Tempe, Arizona. It awarded 97 ’s geography degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on this list, ASU - Tempe is in the top on our “Best Geography & Cartography Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our “Best Geography & Cartography Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Arizona State University - Tempe is $8,969 for Geography students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default 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 ASU - Tempe Geography & Cartography Report

23

Texas A&M University - College Station came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geography Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in College Station, Texas, and it awarded 74 ’s geography degrees in 2020-2021.

Texas A&M College Station also made our “Best Geography & Cartography Schools” list, coming in at #11. It costs about $11,220 for Geography students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Texas A&M University - College Station.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.2% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Geography & Cartography at Texas A&M University - College Station

24
Colgate crest
Colgate University
Hamilton, New York

Colgate University landed the #24 spot on the 2023 Best Value Geography Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Colgate University is a small school located in Hamilton, New York that handed out 7 ’s geography degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Colgate, the school also landed the #19 spot in our “Best Geography & Cartography Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Colgate is $10,762 for Geography students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read full report on Geography & Cartography at Colgate University

25
Vassar crest
Vassar College
Poughkeepsie, New York

With a ranking of #25, Vassar College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Geography Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. This small school is located in Poughkeepsie, New York, and it awarded 9 ’s geography degrees in 2020-2021.

Vassar excels when it comes to geography quality. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our “Best Geography & Cartography Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Vassar College is $10,535 for geography students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Geography & Cartography at Vassar College

Rest of the Best 36 in Best Value Geography Schools For Those Making $0-$30k

Not only did these schools make the top 36 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

26
Michigan State crest
Michigan State University
East Lansing, Michigan
27
28
Lehman crest
Lehman College
Bronx, New York
29
Florida State crest
Florida State University
Tallahassee, Florida
30
USC crest
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California
31
32
33
Virginia Tech crest
Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, Virginia
34
35
36

Notes and References

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