Find Schools

Study Area & Zipcode

Geography & Cartography

Find Schools Near

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

49 Ranked Colleges
688 Degrees Awarded
$8,800 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor's in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region 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.

Across the Great Lakes region, there were 1,189 geography and cartography graduates with average earnings and debt of $31,150 and $24,739 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 688 geography and cartography graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,075 and $25,381 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, we looked at 49 colleges that offer a degree 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.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the geography and cartography program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

More Ways to Rank Geography & Cartography Schools

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 in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” list to help you make the college decision.

We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons 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.

Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k

The colleges and universities below are the best for great lakes region bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make $0-$30k.

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

#1

University of Chicago

Chicago, Illinois
#1 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Chicago. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. UChicago is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 4 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UChicago, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UChicago is $2,712 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a 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 excellent freshman retention rate of 100%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive 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 University of Chicago

#2

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois
#2 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Northwestern University. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Evanston, Illinois, and it awarded 1 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.

Northwestern also made our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #2. It costs about $1,866 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Northwestern University.

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 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 student loan default rate at the school is 0.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Geography & Cartography at Northwestern University

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Wisconsin - Madison. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k. University of Wisconsin - Madison is a public institution located in Madison, Wisconsin. The school has a large population, and it awarded 41 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UW - Madison not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend UW - Madison is $4,367 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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%.

Read more about Geography & Cartography at University of Wisconsin - Madison

Out of the 49 schools in the Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the #4 spot on the list. This large school is located in Champaign, Illinois, and it awarded 30 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make $0-$30k list, UIUC has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is $5,477 for Great Lakes Region 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 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Geography & Cartography at UIUC

Out of the 49 schools in the Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Ohio State University - Main Campus landed the #5 spot on the list. Ohio State University - Main Campus is a large public school situated in Columbus, Ohio. It awarded 82 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make $0-$30k list, Ohio State has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $8,194 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Geography students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Ohio State.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Geography & Cartography at Ohio State

University of Wisconsin - La Crosse did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #6. This fairly large school is located in La Crosse, Wisconsin, and it awarded 26 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.

UW - La Crosse not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - La Crosse is $7,939 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low 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%.

Read full report on Geography & Cartography at UW - La Crosse

#7

Michigan State University

East Lansing, Michigan

Michigan State University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Michigan State is a large public school situated in East Lansing, Michigan. It awarded 17 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.

Michigan State also made our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #8. It costs about $6,686 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Geography students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Michigan State University.

The low student loan default rate of 3.6% 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 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Geography & Cartography at Michigan State

#8

Indiana University - Bloomington

Bloomington, Indiana

Indiana University - Bloomington came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. IU Bloomington is located in Bloomington, Indiana and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 7 bachelors’s geography degrees to qualified students.

IU Bloomington not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #15 on our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for IU Bloomington is $4,969 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Geography & Cartography at IU Bloomington

#9

University of Wisconsin - River Falls

River Falls, Wisconsin
#9 in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - River Falls did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #9. Located in River Falls, Wisconsin, this medium-sized public school handed out 10 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s geography students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make $0-$30k list, UW - River Falls has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $8,366 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Wisconsin - River Falls.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full UW - River Falls Geography & Cartography Report

#10

University of Wisconsin - Whitewater

Whitewater, Wisconsin

With a ranking of #10, University of Wisconsin - Whitewater did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This fairly large school is located in Whitewater, Wisconsin, and it awarded 19 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make $0-$30k list, UW - Whitewater has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Whitewater is $11,868 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Geography & Cartography at UW - Whitewater

#11

University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point

Stevens Point, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #11. Stevens Point, Wisconsin is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s geography degrees to 6 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW - Stevens Point, the school also landed the #20 spot in our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UW - Stevens Point is $11,446 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Geography & Cartography at UW - Stevens Point

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is a public institution located in Edwardsville, Illinois. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 32 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

SIUE did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #19 on our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for SIUE is $8,055 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Geography & Cartography at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville

#13

University of Wisconsin - Platteville

Platteville, Wisconsin
#16 in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - Platteville came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of Wisconsin - Platteville is a medium-sized school located in Platteville, Wisconsin that handed out 3 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.

UW - Platteville did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Platteville is $12,117 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Geography students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full University of Wisconsin - Platteville Geography & Cartography Report

#14

University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire

Eau Claire, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UW - Eau Claire is a fairly large public school situated in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. It awarded 32 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.

UW - Eau Claire also made our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #12. The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire is $11,528 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Geography & Cartography at UW - Eau Claire

Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. IUPUI is a large public school situated in Indianapolis, Indiana. It awarded 7 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis is $5,052 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Geography students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Geography & Cartography at IUPUI

#16

Grand Valley State University

Allendale, Michigan

Grand Valley State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #16. Grand Valley State University is a large school located in Allendale, Michigan that handed out 23 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.

GVSU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Grand Valley State University is $11,578 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 3.7% 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%.

Read full report on Geography & Cartography at Grand Valley State University

#17

Ball State University

Muncie, Indiana

Ball State University ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Ball State University is located in Muncie, Indiana and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 17 bachelors’s geography degrees to qualified students.

Ball State also took the #24 spot in our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $8,403 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Ball State.

Read full report on Geography & Cartography at Ball State University

University of Wisconsin - Parkside did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #18. University of Wisconsin - Parkside is a small school located in Kenosha, Wisconsin that handed out 9 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $6,652 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Geography students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Parkside.

Full UW - Parkside Geography & Cartography Report

University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh is a fairly large public school situated in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. It awarded 11 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.

UW Oshkosh not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #21 on our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh is $11,687 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Geography students whose families make $0-$30k.

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

#20

Indiana University - Southeast

New Albany, Indiana

Indiana University - Southeast did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #20. Indiana University - Southeast is a small school located in New Albany, Indiana that handed out 14 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Indiana University - Southeast is $6,697 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Geography & Cartography at Indiana University - Southeast

#21

Illinois State University

Normal, Illinois

Illinois State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #21. Illinois State University is located in Normal, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 31 bachelors’s geography degrees to qualified students.

Illinois State also took the #6 spot in our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $14,470 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Geography students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Illinois State University.

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%.

Full Illinois State Geography & Cartography Report

#22

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, Illinois

With a ranking of #22, Northern Illinois University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. NIU is located in Dekalb, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 13 bachelors’s geography degrees to qualified students.

NIU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #22 on our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Northern Illinois University is $15,281 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Geography & Cartography at Northern Illinois University

#23

Central Michigan University

Mount Pleasant, Michigan

With a ranking of #23, Central Michigan University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This fairly large school is located in Mount Pleasant, Michigan, and it awarded 14 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Central Michigan University is $11,598 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Geography students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Geography & Cartography at Central Michigan

#24

Eastern Illinois University

Charleston, Illinois

Eastern Illinois University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #24. Charleston, Illinois is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s geography degrees to 14 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend EIU is $12,350 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Eastern Illinois University Geography & Cartography Report

#25

Indiana State University

Terre Haute, Indiana

Indiana State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #25. Terre Haute, Indiana is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s geography degrees to 8 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Indiana State University is $9,422 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Geography & Cartography at Indiana State University

Switch to a Different Ranking Method

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.

Featured Geography Schools

Find Schools Near You