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2023 Best Value Geography Schools For Those Making $48-$75k

234 Ranked Colleges
8,526 Degrees Awarded
Best Value Geography Schools For Those Making $48-$75k

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. 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 Those Making $48-$75k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

Geography & Cartography is the 110th most popular major in the country with 8,526 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. In 2019-2020, geography and cartography graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $38,604 and had an average of $22,522 in loans still to pay off.

For this year’s “Best Value Geography Schools For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking, we looked at 234 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.

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

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The geography school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Best Value Geography Schools For Those Making $48-$75k”.

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. 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 Those Making $48-$75k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Geography Schools For Those Making $48-$75k.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Geography & Cartography (Income $48-$75k)

1
Northwestern crest
Northwestern University
Evanston, Illinois

Out of the 234 schools in the Best Value Geography Schools For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, Northwestern University landed the #1 spot on the list. Northwestern University is a large school located in Evanston, Illinois that handed out 8 ’s geography degrees in 2020-2021.

Northwestern did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best Geography & Cartography Schools” list. It costs about $5,849 for geography students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Northwestern University.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a undergrad 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 excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Geography & Cartography at Northwestern University

2
UChicago crest
University of Chicago
Chicago, Illinois

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Chicago. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Geography Schools For Those Making $48-$75k. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 11 diplomas to qualified ’s geography students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our geography students whose families make $48-$75k list, UChicago has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best Geography & Cartography Schools” ranking. It costs about $8,375 for Geography students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of Chicago.

With a freshman retention rate of 100%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Chicago Geography & Cartography Report

3
Johns Hopkins crest
Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, Maryland

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Johns Hopkins University. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Geography Schools For Those Making $48-$75k. Located in Baltimore, Maryland, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 11 degrees to qualified ’s geography students in 2020-2021.

Johns Hopkins did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Geography & Cartography Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Johns Hopkins University is $8,457 for Geography students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read full report on Geography & Cartography at Johns Hopkins

4
Dartmouth crest
Dartmouth College
Hanover, New Hampshire

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Dartmouth College. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Geography Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. Dartmouth is a private not-for-profit institution located in Hanover, New Hampshire. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 39 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Dartmouth also took the #6 spot in our “Best Geography & Cartography Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Dartmouth College is $12,172 for Geography students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Geography & Cartography at Dartmouth College

5

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Washington - Seattle Campus. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Geography Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. University of Washington - Seattle Campus is a large school located in Seattle, Washington that handed out 145 ’s geography degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our geography students whose families make $48-$75k list, UW Seattle has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Geography & Cartography Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Washington - Seattle Campus is $8,393 for Geography students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low undergrad 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 93%.

Full UW Seattle Geography & Cartography Report

6
UF crest
University of Florida
Gainesville, Florida

University of Florida ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Geography Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. UF is a large public school situated in Gainesville, Florida. It awarded 97 ’s geography degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our geography students whose families make $48-$75k list, UF has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best Geography & Cartography Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Florida is $8,394 for Geography students whose families make $48-$75k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Geography & Cartography at UF

7

With a ranking of #7, University of California - Los Angeles did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Geography Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. UCLA is a large school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 155 ’s geography degrees in 2020-2021.

UCLA also took the #1 spot in our “Best Geography & Cartography Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UCLA is $12,644 for Geography students whose families make $48-$75k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. The low undergrad 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 UCLA

8
UPenn crest
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

University of Pennsylvania ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Geography Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s geography degrees to 16 students in 2020-2021.

UPenn also took the #4 spot in our “Best Geography & Cartography Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Pennsylvania is $12,020 for geography students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 low undergrad 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%. The undergraduate 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.

Read more about Geography & Cartography at University of Pennsylvania

9

Brigham Young University - Provo ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Geography Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Provo, Utah, this large private not-for-profit school awarded 68 diplomas to qualified ’s geography students in 2020-2021.

BYU also made our “Best Geography & Cartography Schools” list, coming in at #12. It costs about $12,676 for Geography students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend BYU.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Geography & Cartography at BYU

10

University of Wisconsin - Madison did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Geography Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #10. This large school is located in Madison, Wisconsin, and it awarded 132 ’s geography degrees in 2020-2021.

UW - Madison not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best Geography & Cartography Schools” list. It costs about $10,364 for geography students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UW - Madison.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

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

11

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Best Value Geography Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This large school is located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and it awarded 38 ’s geography degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our geography students whose families make $48-$75k list, UNC Chapel Hill has also earned the #23 rank in our “Best Geography & Cartography Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UNC Chapel Hill is $11,619 for geography students whose families make $48-$75k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full UNC Chapel Hill Geography & Cartography Report

12

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Geography Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. Champaign, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s geography degrees to 45 students in 2020-2021.

UIUC also made our “Best Geography & Cartography Schools” list, coming in at #15. The estimated yearly cost for University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is $11,505 for geography students whose families make $48-$75k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.3% 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

13

Ohio State University - Main Campus came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geography Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Ohio State University - Main Campus is located in Columbus, Ohio and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 88 ’s geography degrees to qualified students.

Ohio State also made our “Best Geography & Cartography Schools” list, coming in at #16. It costs about $13,273 for geography students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Ohio State University - Main Campus.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Geography & Cartography at Ohio State

14

Central New Mexico Community College landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Best Value Geography Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in Albuquerque, New Mexico, this fairly large public school handed out 16 diplomas to qualified ’s geography students in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Central New Mexico Community College is $5,520 for geography students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full CNM Geography & Cartography Report

15

University of South Florida - Main Campus did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Geography Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #15. Tampa, Florida is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s geography degrees to 33 students in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for University of South Florida - Main Campus is $9,669 for geography students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, 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 92%.

Read full report on Geography & Cartography at USF Tampa

16

With a ranking of #16, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Geography Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, this large public school awarded 56 diplomas to qualified ’s geography students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, UMN Twin Cities is also in the top of our “Best Geography & Cartography Schools” ranking. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our “Best Geography & Cartography Schools” list. It costs about $12,911 for geography students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UMN Twin Cities.

The low undergrad 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%. 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 UMN Twin Cities

17
Hunter crest
Hunter College
New York, New York

Hunter College came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geography Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This large school is located in New York, New York, and it awarded 26 ’s geography degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Hunter is $6,908 for geography students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low undergrad 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 Hunter College

18

University of California - Santa Barbara ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Geography Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. University of California - Santa Barbara is a large public school situated in Santa Barbara, California. It awarded 119 ’s geography degrees in 2020-2021.

UCSB also made our “Best Geography & Cartography Schools” list, coming in at #14. It costs about $14,583 for geography students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UCSB.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

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

19

California State University - Long Beach came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geography Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. CSULB is a public institution located in Long Beach, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 81 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend CSULB is $11,189 for Geography students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low undergrad 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 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Geography & Cartography at California State University - Long Beach

20
Middlebury crest
Middlebury College
Middlebury, Vermont

Middlebury College ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Geography Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. Middlebury, Vermont is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s geography degrees to 20 students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our geography students whose families make $48-$75k list, Middlebury has also earned the #21 rank in our “Best Geography & Cartography Schools” ranking. It costs about $13,580 for geography students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Middlebury College.

The school has an impressive undergrad 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 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Full Middlebury College Geography & Cartography Report

21

With a ranking of #21, California State University - Los Angeles did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Geography Schools For Those Making $48-$75k list. California State University - Los Angeles is a large public school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 12 ’s geography degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Cal State LA is $5,700 for Geography students whose families make $48-$75k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

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

22

University of California - Davis did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Geography Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #22. UC Davis is located in Davis, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 13 ’s geography degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, UC Davis is also in the top of our “Best Geography & Cartography Schools” ranking. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The yearly cost to attend UC Davis is $14,193 for Geography students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.5% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Geography & Cartography at UC Davis

23
Florida State crest
Florida State University
Tallahassee, Florida

Florida State University came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geography Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Florida State University is a large public school situated in Tallahassee, Florida. It awarded 26 ’s geography degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Florida State is $11,506 for geography students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full Florida State University Geography & Cartography Report

24

California State University - Northridge did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Geography Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #24. Northridge, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s geography degrees to 45 students in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend California State University - Northridge is $10,780 for geography students whose families make $48-$75k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Geography & Cartography at CSUN

25

University of Missouri - Columbia came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geography Schools For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Columbia, Missouri is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s geography degrees to 34 students in 2020-2021.

On top of its placing in this ranking, Mizzou also did well on our “Best Geography & Cartography Schools” list. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. It costs about $13,715 for Geography students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of Missouri - Columbia.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Geography & Cartography at University of Missouri - Columbia

Rest of the Best 36 in Best Value Geography Schools For Those Making $48-$75k

Not only did these schools make the top 36 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

26
27
American River crest
American River College
Sacramento, California
27
29
30
URichmond crest
University of Richmond
University of Richmond, Virginia
31
USC crest
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California
32
33
UGA crest
University of Georgia
Athens, Georgia
34
35
Lehman crest
Lehman College
Bronx, New York
36
Vassar crest
Vassar College
Poughkeepsie, New York

Notes and References

References

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