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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Geography & Cartography (Income $0-$30k)

242 Ranked Colleges
4,655 Degrees Awarded
$5,900 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor's For Those Making $0-$30k

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

In 2019-2020, 8,936 people earned their degree in geography and cartography, making the major the 107th most popular in the United States. In 2017-2018, geography and cartography graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $36,126 and had an average of $23,577 in loans still to pay off.

At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 4,655 geography and cartography graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,303 and $24,501 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking looked at 242 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in geography and cartography. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent geography and cartography programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the geography and cartography program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

One Size Does Not Fit All

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 a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k” list to help you make the college decision.

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. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k.

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

#1

University of Chicago

Chicago, Illinois
#2 in overall quality

Out of the 242 schools in the Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Chicago landed the #1 spot on the list. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 4 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s geography students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make $0-$30k list, UChicago has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $2,712 for bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UChicago.

The low 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%. The student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 100%.

Read more about Geography & Cartography at University of Chicago

#2

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois
#6 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Northwestern University. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k. Located in Evanston, Illinois, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 1 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s geography students in 2019-2020.

Northwestern also made our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #6. The yearly cost to attend Northwestern University is $1,866 for bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 0.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The impressive 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. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Geography & Cartography at Northwestern

#3

Dartmouth College

Hanover, New Hampshire

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Dartmouth College. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Dartmouth is located in Hanover, New Hampshire and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 26 bachelors’s geography degrees to qualified students.

Dartmouth also took the #1 spot in our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Dartmouth College is $12,052 for bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Dartmouth Geography & Cartography Report

#4

University of Florida

Gainesville, Florida

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Florida. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k. UF is a large public school situated in Gainesville, Florida. It awarded 21 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.

On top of its placing in this ranking, UF also did well on our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools in this category. The estimated yearly cost for University of Florida is $1,994 for bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 2.0% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%.

Read more about Geography & Cartography at UF

#5

Middlebury College

Middlebury, Vermont
#3 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Middlebury College. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k. Middlebury College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Middlebury, Vermont. It awarded 18 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make $0-$30k list, Middlebury has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Middlebury College is $6,161 for Bachelor’s Degree Geography students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The low student loan default rate of 1.0% 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 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Geography & Cartography at Middlebury College

#6

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, North Carolina
#17 in overall quality

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a large school located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina that handed out 26 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make $0-$30k list, UNC Chapel Hill has also earned the #17 rank in our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is $4,026 for bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make $0-$30k.

The 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 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Geography & Cartography Report

University of Washington - Seattle Campus did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #7. UW Seattle is a large public school situated in Seattle, Washington. It awarded 134 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.

UW Seattle not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend UW Seattle is $7,850 for Bachelor’s Degree Geography students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The low 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%.

Full UW Seattle Geography & Cartography Report

University of Wisconsin - Madison came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UW - Madison is located in Madison, Wisconsin and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 41 bachelors’s geography degrees to qualified students.

UW - Madison not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #20 on our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $4,367 for bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison.

The low student loan default rate of 0.8% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%.

Read full report on Geography & Cartography at University of Wisconsin - Madison

With a ranking of #9, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a large school located in Champaign, Illinois that handed out 30 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.

UIUC also made our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #16. The yearly cost to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is $5,477 for bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low student loan default rate of 2.4% 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 University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Geography & Cartography Report

#10

University of Maryland - College Park

College Park, Maryland

University of Maryland - College Park landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of Maryland - College Park is located in College Park, Maryland and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 52 bachelors’s geography degrees to qualified students.

UMCP also took the #8 spot in our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UMCP is $8,054 for Bachelor’s Degree Geography students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 2.4% 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

#11

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California

With a ranking of #11, University of California - Los Angeles did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Los Angeles, California, this large public school awarded 152 degrees to qualified bachelors’s geography students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCLA, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $8,553 for Bachelor’s Degree Geography students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UCLA.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, 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.

Full University of California - Los Angeles Geography & Cartography Report

#12

Hunter College

New York, New York

Hunter College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #12. Located in New York, New York, this large public school awarded 17 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s geography students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Hunter is $320 for bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Hunter Geography & Cartography Report

#13

Colgate University

Hamilton, New York
#4 in overall quality

Colgate University ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Hamilton, New York, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 12 degrees to qualified bachelors’s geography students in 2019-2020.

Colgate also made our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #4. The yearly cost to attend Colgate University is $9,752 for bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Colgate Geography & Cartography Report

Ohio State University - Main Campus landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Ohio State is located in Columbus, Ohio and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 82 bachelors’s geography degrees to qualified students.

Ohio State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #21 on our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Ohio State is $8,194 for bachelor’s degree 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 student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Geography & Cartography at Ohio State University - Main Campus

University of South Florida - Main Campus came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in Tampa, Florida, and it awarded 25 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend USF Tampa is $3,950 for bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Geography & Cartography at USF Tampa

California State University - Los Angeles landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. California State University - Los Angeles is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 14 bachelors’s geography degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for Cal State LA is $1,379 for bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Cal State LA Geography & Cartography Report

#17

University of Richmond

University of Richmond, Virginia
#22 in overall quality

University of Richmond came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. URichmond is a small school located in University of Richmond, Virginia that handed out 7 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.

URichmond also took the #22 spot in our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Richmond is $9,112 for Bachelor’s Degree Geography students whose families make $0-$30k.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 8 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 93%. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Geography & Cartography at University of Richmond

#18

Florida State University

Tallahassee, Florida

Florida State University landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Tallahassee, Florida is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s geography degrees to 22 students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $5,360 for Bachelor’s Degree Geography students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Florida State University.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. The low student loan default rate of 3.5% 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%.

Full Florida State University Geography & Cartography Report

#19

University of Wisconsin - La Crosse

La Crosse, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - La Crosse landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UW - La Crosse is a fairly large school located in La Crosse, Wisconsin that handed out 26 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.

On top of its placing in this ranking, UW - La Crosse also did well on our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The estimated yearly cost for UW - La Crosse is $7,939 for bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Geography & Cartography at University of Wisconsin - La Crosse

#20

Michigan State University

East Lansing, Michigan

Michigan State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #20. Michigan State University is a large school located in East Lansing, Michigan that handed out 17 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.

On top of its placing in this ranking, Michigan State also did well on our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Michigan State University is $6,686 for Bachelor’s Degree 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 school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Geography & Cartography at Michigan State

With a ranking of #21, California State University - Fullerton did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Fullerton, California, this large public school handed out 37 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s geography students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $4,291 for bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend California State University - Fullerton.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%.

Read full report on Geography & Cartography at Cal State Fullerton

#22

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, Minnesota

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UMN Twin Cities is a public institution located in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The school has a large population, and it awarded 27 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on this list, UMN Twin Cities is in the top on our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for UMN Twin Cities is $7,266 for Bachelor’s Degree Geography students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Geography & Cartography at University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

#23

University of California - Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara, California

University of California - Santa Barbara landed the #23 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UCSB is a public institution located in Santa Barbara, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 98 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCSB, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UCSB is $10,316 for bachelor’s degree 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 student loan default rate of 1.5% 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 & Cartography at UCSB

#24

Lehman College

Bronx, New York

Lehman College landed the #24 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Lehman is located in Bronx, New York and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 2 bachelors’s geography degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $234 for bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Lehman.

Read more about Geography & Cartography at Lehman

#25

University of North Texas

Denton, Texas

University of North Texas did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #25. Denton, Texas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s geography degrees to 46 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend UNT is $8,521 for Bachelor’s Degree Geography students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Geography & Cartography at UNT

Rest of the Best 37 in Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k

Not only did these schools make the top 37 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

#27

University of Georgia

Athens, Georgia
#28

Towson University

Towson, Maryland
#29

Texas A&M University - College Station

College Station, Texas
#30

Indiana University - Bloomington

Bloomington, Indiana
#33

San Diego State University

San Diego, California
#34

Vassar College

Poughkeepsie, New York
#37

University of Wisconsin - River Falls

River Falls, Wisconsin

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

Footnotes

  • *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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