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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Geography & Cartography (Income $30-$48k)

242 Ranked Colleges
4,655 Degrees Awarded
$7,500 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor's For Those Making $30-$48k

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

Geography & Cartography is the 107th most popular major in the country with 8,936 degrees awarded in 2019-2020. 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.

For this year’s “Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking, we looked at 242 colleges that offer 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. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

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. 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 a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Geography & Cartography (Income $30-$48k)

#1

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois
#6 in overall quality

Out of the 242 schools in the Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Northwestern University landed the #1 spot on the 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” list, coming in at #6. It costs about $3,995 for bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Northwestern.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. 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 school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Northwestern University Geography & Cartography Report

#2

University of Chicago

Chicago, Illinois
#2 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Chicago. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k 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.

UChicago did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Chicago is $2,800 for bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 100%. 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. 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%.

Read more about Geography & Cartography at University of Chicago

#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 $30-$48k list. Dartmouth College is a medium-sized school located in Hanover, New Hampshire that handed out 26 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.

Dartmouth not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Dartmouth College is $4,830 for bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make $30-$48k.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 7 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 96%. 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%.

Full Dartmouth College Geography & Cartography Report

#4

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 #4 for the Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k. Middlebury College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Middlebury, Vermont. It awarded 18 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.

Middlebury also took the #3 spot in our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Middlebury is $8,616 for bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read full report on Geography & Cartography at Middlebury College

#5

Colgate University

Hamilton, New York
#4 in overall quality

Out of the 242 schools in the Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Colgate University landed the #5 spot on the list. This small school is located in Hamilton, New York, and it awarded 12 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.

Colgate not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $8,958 for Bachelor’s Degree Geography students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Colgate.

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 impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 9 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 student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Geography & Cartography at Colgate University

#6

University of Florida

Gainesville, Florida

University of Florida ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of Florida is located in Gainesville, Florida and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 21 bachelors’s geography degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on this list, UF is in the top on our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The yearly cost to attend University of Florida is $4,069 for bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Geography & Cartography at UF

University of Wisconsin - Madison came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. UW - 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 #20 on our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $6,860 for Bachelor’s Degree Geography students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UW - Madison.

With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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 full report on Geography & Cartography at UW - Madison

#8

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, North Carolina
#17 in overall quality

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. UNC Chapel Hill is a large school located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina that handed out 26 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UNC Chapel Hill, the school also landed the #17 spot in our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $6,063 for bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

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

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

With a ranking of #9, University of Washington - Seattle Campus did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Seattle, Washington, this large public school awarded 134 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s geography students in 2019-2020.

UW Seattle did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for UW Seattle is $7,467 for Bachelor’s Degree Geography students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, which is much lower than the national 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 more about Geography & Cartography at UW Seattle

#10

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California

With a ranking of #10, University of California - Los Angeles did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. This large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 152 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make $30-$48k list, UCLA has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $9,254 for Bachelor’s Degree Geography students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of California - Los Angeles.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Geography & Cartography at University of California - Los Angeles

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Champaign, Illinois, this large public school awarded 30 degrees to qualified bachelors’s geography students 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 $8,464 for Bachelor’s Degree Geography students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. 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%.

Read more about Geography & Cartography at UIUC

#12

Hunter College

New York, New York

Hunter College came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This large school is located in New York, New York, and it awarded 17 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Hunter College is $2,394 for Bachelor’s Degree Geography students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%.

Read more about Geography & Cartography at Hunter

Ohio State University - Main Campus ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. Ohio State University - Main Campus is a public institution located in Columbus, Ohio. The school has a large population, and it awarded 82 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Ohio State also took the #21 spot in our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Ohio State is $10,037 for bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make $30-$48k.

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

Full Ohio State Geography & Cartography Report

With a ranking of #14, University of South Florida - Main Campus did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Tampa, Florida, this large public school handed out 25 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s geography students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend USF Tampa is $5,616 for Bachelor’s Degree Geography students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 4.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Geography & Cartography at University of South Florida - Main Campus

#15

University of Richmond

University of Richmond, Virginia
#22 in overall quality

University of Richmond landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. University of Richmond, Virginia is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s geography degrees to 7 students in 2019-2020.

URichmond did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #22 on our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Richmond is $9,131 for bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%. 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. 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 URichmond

#16

University of North Texas

Denton, Texas

University of North Texas came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. University of North Texas is a large school located in Denton, Texas that handed out 46 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $9,082 for bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of North Texas.

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

Full UNT Geography & Cartography Report

California State University - Los Angeles did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #17. California State University - Los Angeles is a public institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 14 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend California State University - Los Angeles is $2,117 for bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low student loan default rate of 1.4% 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%.

Read full report on Geography & Cartography at California State University - Los Angeles

#18

University of Maryland - College Park

College Park, Maryland

University of Maryland - College Park ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of Maryland - College Park is a public institution located in College Park, Maryland. The school has a large population, and it awarded 52 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UMCP did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend UMCP is $12,128 for bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 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 UMCP Geography & Cartography Report

#19

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, Minnesota

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. UMN Twin Cities is located in Minneapolis, Minnesota and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 27 bachelors’s geography degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, UMN Twin Cities is also in the top of our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $8,418 for bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Minnesota - Twin Cities.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Geography & Cartography at UMN Twin Cities

#20

University of California - Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara, California

With a ranking of #20, University of California - Santa Barbara did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. UCSB is a large public school situated in Santa Barbara, California. It awarded 98 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.

UCSB did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for UCSB is $11,895 for bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Geography & Cartography at University of California - Santa Barbara

California State University - Fullerton did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #21. California State University - Fullerton is a large school located in Fullerton, California that handed out 37 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Cal State Fullerton is $6,100 for bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low student loan default rate of 2.7% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%.

Read more about Geography & Cartography at California State University - Fullerton

California State University - Long Beach ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. California State University - Long Beach is a large public school situated in Long Beach, California. It awarded 56 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.

On top of its placing in this ranking, CSULB also did well on our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools in this category. It costs about $7,595 for Bachelor’s Degree Geography students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend California State University - Long Beach.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Geography & Cartography at California State University - Long Beach

Brigham Young University - Provo ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. Brigham Young University - Provo is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Provo, Utah. It awarded 68 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make $30-$48k list, BYU has also earned the #23 rank in our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $10,425 for bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend BYU.

The low 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full BYU Geography & Cartography Report

#24

Macalester College

Saint Paul, Minnesota

Macalester College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #24. Located in Saint Paul, Minnesota, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 22 degrees to qualified bachelors’s geography students in 2019-2020.

Macalester also made our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #24. It costs about $14,047 for Bachelor’s Degree Geography students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Macalester College.

The student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low student loan default rate of 0.9% 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 Macalester

#25

Indiana University - Bloomington

Bloomington, Indiana

Indiana University - Bloomington ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. This large school is located in Bloomington, Indiana, and it awarded 7 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Indiana University - Bloomington is $6,192 for Bachelor’s Degree Geography students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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%.

Full Indiana University - Bloomington Geography & Cartography Report

Rest of the Best 37 in Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k

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

#26

Florida State University

Tallahassee, Florida
#29

Texas A&M University - College Station

College Station, Texas
#30

University of Wisconsin - La Crosse

La Crosse, Wisconsin
#31

University of Wisconsin - River Falls

River Falls, Wisconsin
#35

Lehman College

Bronx, New York
#36

University of Georgia

Athens, Georgia
#37

San Diego State University

San Diego, California

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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