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

49 Ranked Colleges
688 Degrees Awarded
$10,300 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor's in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k” 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.

This year’s “Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking analyzed 49 colleges that offered a degree in geography and cartography. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great geography and cartography programs and 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. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

More Ways to Rank Geography & Cartography Schools

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 in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest 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 in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k

The colleges and universities below are the best for great lakes region bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make $30-$48k.

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

#1

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois
#2 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Northwestern University. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Northwestern is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Evanston, Illinois. It awarded 1 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make $30-$48k list, Northwestern has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $3,995 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Northwestern University.

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 school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.8%, which is much lower than the national 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.

Read more about Geography & Cartography at Northwestern University

#2

University of Chicago

Chicago, Illinois
#1 in overall quality

Out of the 49 schools in the Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Chicago landed the #2 spot on the 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 #1 on our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Chicago is $2,800 for great lakes region 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 student loan default rate at the school is 0.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Geography & Cartography at UChicago

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 $30-$48k. UW - Madison is a large school located in Madison, Wisconsin that handed out 41 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.

UW - Madison also made our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #4. The yearly cost to attend UW - Madison is $6,860 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 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 Wisconsin - Madison Geography & Cartography Report

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k. Located in Champaign, Illinois, this large public school handed out 30 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s geography students in 2019-2020.

UIUC also made our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #3. It costs about $8,464 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Geography students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UIUC.

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 full report on Geography & Cartography at UIUC

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Ohio State University - Main Campus. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k. Located in Columbus, Ohio, this large public school handed out 82 degrees to qualified bachelors’s geography students in 2019-2020.

Ohio State also made our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #5. The estimated yearly cost for Ohio State is $10,037 for Great Lakes Region 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 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 more about Geography & Cartography at Ohio State

#6

Indiana University - Bloomington

Bloomington, Indiana

Indiana University - Bloomington did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #6. IU Bloomington is a large public school situated in Bloomington, Indiana. It awarded 7 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.

IU Bloomington did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Indiana University - Bloomington is $6,192 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Geography students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.

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

University of Wisconsin - La Crosse landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. UW - La Crosse is located in La Crosse, Wisconsin and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 26 bachelors’s geography degrees to qualified students.

UW - La Crosse also took the #7 spot in our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $9,795 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Wisconsin - La Crosse.

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 more about Geography & Cartography at UW - La Crosse

#8

University of Wisconsin - River Falls

River Falls, Wisconsin
#9 in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - River Falls ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. UW - River Falls is a medium-sized school located in River Falls, Wisconsin that handed out 10 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.

UW - River Falls also made our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #9. It costs about $10,124 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UW - River Falls.

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%.

Read more about Geography & Cartography at University of Wisconsin - River Falls

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Edwardsville, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s geography degrees to 32 students in 2019-2020.

SIUE not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #19 on our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $9,938 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Geography students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend SIUE.

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

#10

University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point

Stevens Point, Wisconsin

With a ranking of #10, University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Stevens Point, Wisconsin, this medium-sized public school awarded 6 degrees to qualified bachelors’s geography students in 2019-2020.

UW - Stevens Point did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #20 on our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point is $11,433 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full UW - Stevens Point Geography & Cartography Report

#11

University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire

Eau Claire, Wisconsin

With a ranking of #11, University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. UW - Eau Claire is located in Eau Claire, Wisconsin and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 32 bachelors’s geography degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make $30-$48k list, UW - Eau Claire has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $11,828 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UW - Eau Claire.

Full UW - Eau Claire Geography & Cartography Report

#12

Grand Valley State University

Allendale, Michigan

Grand Valley State University 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 $30-$48k ranking. Grand Valley State University is a public institution located in Allendale, Michigan. The school has a large population, and it awarded 23 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

GVSU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend GVSU is $12,459 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Geography students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Geography & Cartography at GVSU

#13

University of Wisconsin - Whitewater

Whitewater, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - Whitewater did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #13. University of Wisconsin - Whitewater is a fairly large school located in Whitewater, Wisconsin that handed out 19 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW - Whitewater, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UW - Whitewater is $12,156 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Geography students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full UW - Whitewater Geography & Cartography Report

Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #14. Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis is a large public school situated in Indianapolis, Indiana. It awarded 7 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for IUPUI is $6,315 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis Geography & Cartography Report

#15

University of Wisconsin - Platteville

Platteville, Wisconsin
#16 in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - Platteville did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #15. Platteville, Wisconsin is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s geography degrees to 3 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW - Platteville, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $12,930 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Geography students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UW - Platteville.

Read more about Geography & Cartography at UW - Platteville

University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k 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 also made our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #21. It costs about $13,114 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Geography students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UW Oshkosh.

Full University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh Geography & Cartography Report

University of Wisconsin - Parkside ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. UW - Parkside is a small public school situated in Kenosha, Wisconsin. It awarded 9 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Parkside is $9,018 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make $30-$48k.

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

#18

Indiana University - Southeast

New Albany, Indiana

Indiana University - Southeast ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. This small school is located in New Albany, Indiana, and it awarded 14 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Indiana University - Southeast is $8,675 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Geography students whose families make $30-$48k.

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

#19

Eastern Illinois University

Charleston, Illinois

With a ranking of #19, Eastern Illinois University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. EIU is a medium-sized school located in Charleston, Illinois that handed out 14 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Eastern Illinois University is $11,316 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Geography & Cartography at EIU

#20

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 $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #20. Illinois State is a public institution located in Normal, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 31 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make $30-$48k list, Illinois State has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Illinois State University is $14,999 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Geography students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low student loan default rate of 4.4% 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 Illinois State

#21

Ball State University

Muncie, Indiana

Ball State University ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Ball State 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.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Ball State, the school also landed the #24 spot in our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Ball State is $10,487 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Geography students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Geography & Cartography at Ball State

#22

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, Illinois

Northern Illinois University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #22. Dekalb, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s geography degrees to 13 students in 2019-2020.

NIU also took the #22 spot in our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend NIU is $15,861 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Geography students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Geography & Cartography at Northern Illinois University

#23

Michigan State University

East Lansing, Michigan

Michigan State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #23. Michigan State is a public institution located in East Lansing, Michigan. The school has a large population, and it awarded 17 bachelors’s 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. The yearly cost to attend Michigan State University is $15,197 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Geography students whose families make $30-$48k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 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 University

#24

Central Michigan University

Mount Pleasant, Michigan

Central Michigan University landed the #24 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Mount Pleasant, Michigan, this fairly large public school awarded 14 degrees to qualified bachelors’s geography students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Central Michigan is $12,127 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Geography & Cartography at Central Michigan

#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 $30-$48k 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 estimated yearly cost for Indiana State is $11,182 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Geography students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Geography & Cartography at Indiana State

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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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