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2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k

49 Ranked Colleges
688 Degrees Awarded
$18,600 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor's in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k” ranking - to help you make that decision.

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 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 $75-$110k” ranking analyzed 49 colleges that offered 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.

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. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

One Size Does Not Fit All

When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k” list to help you make the college decision.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.

Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k

The colleges and universities below are the best for great lakes region bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make $75-$110k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Geography & Cartography (Income $75-$110k) 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 $75-$110k list. This large school is located in Evanston, Illinois, and it awarded 1 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.

Northwestern also made our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #2. It costs about $16,784 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Geography students whose families make $75-$110k 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. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, 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 more about Geography & Cartography at Northwestern University

#2

University of Chicago

Chicago, Illinois
#1 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Chicago. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. This fairly large school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 4 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.

UChicago also took the #1 spot in our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $17,929 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend University of Chicago.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 100%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read full report on Geography & Cartography at UChicago

Out of the 49 schools in the Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Wisconsin - La Crosse landed the #3 spot on the list. UW - La Crosse is a fairly large school located in La Crosse, Wisconsin that handed out 26 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.

UW - La Crosse also took the #7 spot in our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - La Crosse is $16,573 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make $75-$110k.

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

Full UW - La Crosse Geography & Cartography Report

#4

University of Wisconsin - River Falls

River Falls, Wisconsin
#9 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Wisconsin - River Falls. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k. This medium-sized school is located in River Falls, Wisconsin, and it awarded 10 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.

UW - River Falls also took the #9 spot in our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - River Falls is $16,138 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Geography students whose families make $75-$110k.

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

Read full report on Geography & Cartography at UW - River Falls

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Wisconsin - Whitewater. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k. UW - Whitewater is located in Whitewater, Wisconsin and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 19 bachelors’s geography degrees to qualified students.

UW - Whitewater also made our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #14. It costs about $17,364 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend UW - Whitewater.

Full UW - Whitewater Geography & Cartography Report

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a large school located in Champaign, Illinois that handed out 30 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.

UIUC also took the #3 spot in our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UIUC is $21,998 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Geography students whose families make $75-$110k.

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 student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Geography & Cartography at UIUC

#7

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 $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #7. This medium-sized school is located in Platteville, Wisconsin, and it awarded 3 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.

UW - Platteville also made our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #16. It costs about $17,414 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Geography students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Platteville.

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

#8

University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point

Stevens Point, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #8. University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point is located in Stevens Point, Wisconsin and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 6 bachelors’s geography degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make $75-$110k list, UW - Stevens Point has also earned the #20 rank in our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point is $16,425 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make $75-$110k.

Full UW - Stevens Point Geography & Cartography Report

Ohio State University - Main Campus did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #9. This large school is located in Columbus, Ohio, and it awarded 82 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make $75-$110k list, Ohio State has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Ohio State University - Main Campus is $21,364 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Geography students whose families make $75-$110k.

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

Full Ohio State Geography & Cartography Report

#10

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, Illinois

Northern Illinois University ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. NIU is a fairly large school located in Dekalb, Illinois that handed out 13 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make $75-$110k list, NIU has also earned the #22 rank in our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend NIU is $21,425 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Geography students whose families make $75-$110k.

Read more about Geography & Cartography at NIU

University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh is located in Oshkosh, Wisconsin and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 11 bachelors’s geography degrees to qualified students.

UW Oshkosh did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #21 on our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $17,210 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh.

Read more about Geography & Cartography at UW Oshkosh

University of Wisconsin - Madison did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #12. Located in Madison, Wisconsin, this large public school handed out 41 degrees to qualified bachelors’s geography students in 2019-2020.

UW - Madison not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend UW - Madison is $21,860 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make $75-$110k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. The low student loan default rate of 0.8% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

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

#13

University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire

Eau Claire, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Eau Claire, Wisconsin 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.

UW - Eau Claire also made our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #12. The yearly cost to attend UW - Eau Claire is $18,196 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Geography students whose families make $75-$110k.

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

#14

Grand Valley State University

Allendale, Michigan

Grand Valley State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #14. GVSU 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 did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $20,113 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend GVSU.

The low student loan default rate of 3.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about Geography & Cartography at GVSU

University of Wisconsin - Parkside landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. University of Wisconsin - Parkside is located in Kenosha, Wisconsin and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 9 bachelors’s geography degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $14,993 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Geography students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend UW - Parkside.

Full University of Wisconsin - Parkside Geography & Cartography Report

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. SIUE is located in Edwardsville, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 32 bachelors’s geography degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at SIUE, the school also landed the #19 spot in our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend SIUE is $18,928 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Geography students whose families make $75-$110k.

Read more about Geography & Cartography at SIUE

#17

Indiana University - Southeast

New Albany, Indiana

Indiana University - Southeast came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Indiana University - Southeast is a small school located in New Albany, Indiana that handed out 14 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $15,844 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Indiana University - Southeast.

Read more about Geography & Cartography at Indiana University - Southeast

#18

Eastern Illinois University

Charleston, Illinois

Eastern Illinois University came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Eastern Illinois University is a medium-sized public school situated in Charleston, Illinois. It awarded 14 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $19,147 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Eastern Illinois University.

Full EIU Geography & Cartography Report

#19

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 $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #19. 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. It costs about $18,951 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Geography students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend IU Bloomington.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full IU Bloomington Geography & Cartography Report

#20

Central Michigan University

Mount Pleasant, Michigan

With a ranking of #20, Central Michigan University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. Located in Mount Pleasant, Michigan, this fairly large public school awarded 14 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s geography students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Central Michigan is $17,894 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Geography students whose families make $75-$110k.

Read more about Geography & Cartography at Central Michigan University

With a ranking of #21, Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. This large school is located in Indianapolis, Indiana, and it awarded 7 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis is $17,952 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make $75-$110k.

Read more about Geography & Cartography at IUPUI

#22

Saginaw Valley State University

University Center, Michigan

With a ranking of #22, Saginaw Valley State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. This medium-sized school is located in University Center, Michigan, and it awarded 7 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $16,241 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Geography students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Saginaw Valley State University.

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

#23

Ball State University

Muncie, Indiana

Ball State University ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. Muncie, Indiana is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s geography degrees to 17 students in 2019-2020.

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 $19,446 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Geography students whose families make $75-$110k.

Full Ball State University Geography & Cartography Report

#24

Aquinas College Michigan

Grand Rapids, Michigan

Aquinas College Michigan came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Aquinas College Michigan is located in Grand Rapids, Michigan and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 3 bachelors’s geography degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $18,905 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Aquinas College Michigan.

Read more about Geography & Cartography at Aquinas College Michigan

#25

Illinois State University

Normal, Illinois

With a ranking of #25, Illinois State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. Illinois State is located in Normal, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 31 bachelors’s geography degrees to qualified students.

Illinois State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $25,379 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Illinois State.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Geography & Cartography at Illinois State University

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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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