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2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k

22 Ranked Colleges
286 Degrees Awarded
$12,900 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor's in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

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.

Across the Plains States region, there were 573 geography and cartography graduates with average earnings and debt of $34,050 and $19,376 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 286 geography and cartography graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,786 and $25,576 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking, we looked at 22 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.

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. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

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 Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k” list to help you make the college decision.

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. 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 Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k

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

Top 22 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Geography & Cartography (Income $30-$48k) in the Plains States Region

#1

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, Minnesota

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Minnesota - Twin Cities. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k. This large school is located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and it awarded 27 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UMN Twin Cities, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $8,418 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Geography students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Minnesota - Twin Cities.

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

Full UMN Twin Cities Geography & Cartography Report

#2

Macalester College

Saint Paul, Minnesota

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Macalester College. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Macalester College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Saint Paul, Minnesota. It awarded 22 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.

Macalester not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Macalester is $14,047 for plains states region bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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.

Read full report on Geography & Cartography at Macalester

#8 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Minnesota - Duluth. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k. UMN Duluth is a public institution located in Duluth, Minnesota. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 12 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UMN Duluth also made our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #8. The yearly cost to attend UMN Duluth is $7,992 for plains states region bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low student loan default rate of 3.1% 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 UMN Duluth

Out of the 22 schools in the Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Missouri - Columbia landed the #4 spot on the list. University of Missouri - Columbia is located in Columbia, Missouri and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 17 bachelors’s geography degrees to qualified students.

Mizzou also took the #3 spot in our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $11,595 for plains states region bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Mizzou.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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%.

Full Mizzou Geography & Cartography Report

#5

Park University

Parkville, Missouri

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Park University. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Parkville, Missouri is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s geography degrees to 33 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make $30-$48k list, Park University has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Park University is $14,034 for plains states region bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full Park University Geography & Cartography Report

#6

University of Northern Iowa

Cedar Falls, Iowa

University of Northern Iowa came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. UNI is a medium-sized public school situated in Cedar Falls, Iowa. It awarded 14 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.

UNI not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Northern Iowa is $12,495 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Geography students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.

Read more about Geography & Cartography at UNI

#7

Bemidji State University

Bemidji, Minnesota

Bemidji State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #7. Located in Bemidji, Minnesota, this small public school awarded 3 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s geography students in 2019-2020.

Bemidji State University also made our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #16. It costs about $11,658 for plains states region bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Bemidji State University.

Read more about Geography & Cartography at Bemidji State University

#8

Saint Cloud State University

Saint Cloud, Minnesota
#15 in overall quality

Saint Cloud State University ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. St. Cloud State University is a public institution located in Saint Cloud, Minnesota. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 6 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make $30-$48k list, St. Cloud State University has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for St. Cloud State University is $11,274 for plains states region bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Geography & Cartography at St. Cloud State University

#9

University of North Dakota

Grand Forks, North Dakota

With a ranking of #9, University of North Dakota did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Grand Forks, North Dakota, this fairly large public school awarded 5 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s geography students in 2019-2020.

UND also took the #12 spot in our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of North Dakota is $11,916 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Geography students whose families make $30-$48k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Geography & Cartography at UND

#19 in overall quality

University of Nebraska at Omaha came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Omaha, Nebraska, and it awarded 7 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make $30-$48k list, UNOMAHA has also earned the #19 rank in our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UNOMAHA is $11,460 for plains states region bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full University of Nebraska at Omaha Geography & Cartography Report

University of Nebraska - Lincoln did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #11. Located in Lincoln, Nebraska, this large public school awarded 13 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s geography students in 2019-2020.

UNL also made our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #11. The yearly cost to attend UNL is $13,508 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Geography students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 4.2% 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%.

Read more about Geography & Cartography at UNL

Northwest Missouri State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #12. Northwest is located in Maryville, Missouri and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 6 bachelors’s geography degrees to qualified students.

Northwest not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #21 on our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Northwest is $9,863 for plains states region bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Geography & Cartography at Northwest Missouri State University

With a ranking of #13, Minnesota State University - Mankato did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Mankato, Minnesota is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s geography degrees to 11 students in 2019-2020.

Minnesota State Mankato also made our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #17. The yearly cost to attend Minnesota State Mankato is $11,781 for plains states region 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%.

Full Minnesota State University - Mankato Geography & Cartography Report

#14

Gustavus Adolphus College

Saint Peter, Minnesota

Gustavus Adolphus College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #14. Gustavus Adolphus College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Saint Peter, Minnesota. It awarded 8 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.

Gustavus Adolphus did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Gustavus Adolphus College is $11,669 for plains states 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 88%. 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 Gustavus Adolphus College

#15

South Dakota State University

Brookings, South Dakota
#10 in overall quality

South Dakota State University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Brookings, South Dakota, this fairly large public school awarded 20 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s geography students in 2019-2020.

South Dakota State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $16,273 for plains states region bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend South Dakota State.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Geography & Cartography at South Dakota State

#22 in overall quality

Missouri Southern State University ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Missouri Southern is a public institution located in Joplin, Missouri. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 1 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make $30-$48k list, Missouri Southern has also earned the #22 rank in our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Missouri Southern State University is $8,416 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Geography students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Geography & Cartography at Missouri Southern

#17

University of Iowa

Iowa City, Iowa
#9 in overall quality

With a ranking of #17, University of Iowa did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Iowa City, Iowa, this large public school handed out 20 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s geography students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make $30-$48k list, Iowa has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $15,073 for plains states region bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Iowa.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%. 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 University of Iowa Geography & Cartography Report

#18

Kansas State University

Manhattan, Kansas

Kansas State University landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Manhattan, Kansas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s geography degrees to 9 students in 2019-2020.

K -State also took the #14 spot in our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for K -State is $15,089 for plains states region bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full Kansas State University Geography & Cartography Report

Missouri State University - Springfield did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #19. Springfield, Missouri is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s geography degrees to 20 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Missouri State, the school also landed the #20 spot in our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Missouri State University - Springfield is $13,488 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Geography students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Geography & Cartography at Missouri State

#20

University of Missouri - Kansas City

Kansas City, Missouri
#18 in overall quality

University of Missouri - Kansas City ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Kansas City, Missouri is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s geography degrees to 5 students in 2019-2020.

UMKC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #18 on our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $12,553 for plains states region bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UMKC.

Read more about Geography & Cartography at University of Missouri - Kansas City

#21

University of Kansas

Lawrence, Kansas

University of Kansas ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. KU is located in Lawrence, Kansas and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 10 bachelors’s geography degrees to qualified students.

KU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $15,380 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Geography students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend KU.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full University of Kansas Geography & Cartography Report

#22

University of St Thomas Minnesota

Saint Paul, Minnesota
#6 in overall quality

University of St Thomas Minnesota ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. This medium-sized school is located in Saint Paul, Minnesota, and it awarded 8 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.

UST MN not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UST MN is $26,365 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Geography students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low student loan default rate of 2.1% 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 87%.

Read more about Geography & Cartography at University of St Thomas Minnesota

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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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