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2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid

242 Ranked Colleges
4,655 Degrees Awarded
$11,300 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor's For Those Getting Aid

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. 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 For Those Getting Aid” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

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.

At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 4,655 geography and cartography graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,303 and $24,501 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid” ranking, we looked at 242 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.

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. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

One Size Does Not Fit All

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 a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid”.

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 For Those Getting Aid

The colleges and universities below are the best for bachelor’s degree geography students with aid.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Geography & Cartography (With Aid)

Out of the 242 schools in the Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Washington - Seattle Campus landed the #1 spot on the list. University of Washington - Seattle Campus is located in Seattle, Washington and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 134 bachelors’s geography degrees to qualified students.

UW Seattle also made our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #14. The estimated yearly cost for University of Washington - Seattle Campus is $13,297 for bachelor’s degree geography students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full UW Seattle Geography & Cartography Report

#2

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, North Carolina
#17 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid. This large school is located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and it awarded 26 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UNC Chapel Hill, the school also landed the #17 spot in our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UNC Chapel Hill is $12,352 for bachelor’s degree geography students with aid.

With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

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

#3

Hunter College

New York, New York

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Hunter College. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid. Hunter is a large school located in New York, New York that handed out 17 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Hunter College is $2,490 for Bachelor’s Degree Geography students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Geography & Cartography at Hunter College

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Los Angeles. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. This large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 14 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Cal State LA is $2,768 for Bachelor’s Degree Geography students with aid.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

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

#5

University of Florida

Gainesville, Florida

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Florida. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. UF is located in Gainesville, Florida and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 21 bachelors’s geography degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on this list, UF is in the top on our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Florida is $6,302 for Bachelor’s Degree Geography students with aid.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full UF Geography & Cartography Report

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid 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 did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend UIUC is $15,880 for bachelor’s degree geography students with aid.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Geography & Cartography at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

#7

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California

University of California - Los Angeles ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. University of California - Los Angeles is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 152 bachelors’s geography degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree geography students with aid list, UCLA has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $14,279 for bachelor’s degree geography students with aid per year to attend UCLA.

The low student loan default rate of 1.0% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%.

Read more about Geography & Cartography at UCLA

Brigham Young University - Provo did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #8. Located in Provo, Utah, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 68 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s geography students in 2019-2020.

BYU also made our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #23. The estimated yearly cost for Brigham Young University - Provo is $13,322 for Bachelor’s Degree Geography students with aid.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Brigham Young University - Provo Geography & Cartography Report

California State University - Fullerton ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. Fullerton, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s geography degrees to 37 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Fullerton is $7,991 for bachelor’s degree geography students with aid.

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

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

University of South Florida - Main Campus did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #10. University of South Florida - Main Campus is a large public school situated in Tampa, Florida. It awarded 25 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend University of South Florida - Main Campus is $8,355 for Bachelor’s Degree Geography students with aid.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full University of South Florida - Main Campus Geography & Cartography Report

With a ranking of #11, California State University - Long Beach did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. CSULB is a large public school situated in Long Beach, California. It awarded 56 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, CSULB is also in the top of our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend CSULB is $9,622 for Bachelor’s Degree Geography students with aid.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. 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%.

Full California State University - Long Beach Geography & Cartography Report

#12

University of Wisconsin - La Crosse

La Crosse, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - La Crosse did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #12. La Crosse, Wisconsin is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s geography degrees to 26 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, UW - La Crosse is also in the top of our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend UW - La Crosse is $14,580 for bachelor’s degree geography students with aid.

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 University of Wisconsin - La Crosse

University of Wisconsin - Madison landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Madison, Wisconsin, this large public school awarded 41 degrees to qualified bachelors’s geography students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW - Madison, the school also landed the #20 spot in our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Madison is $17,708 for Bachelor’s Degree Geography students with aid.

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

Full UW - Madison Geography & Cartography Report

#14

Lehman College

Bronx, New York

Lehman College came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. This fairly large school is located in Bronx, New York, and it awarded 2 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $1,814 for bachelor’s degree geography students with aid per year to attend Lehman College.

Full Lehman Geography & Cartography Report

California State University - Northridge came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. California State University - Northridge is a large school located in Northridge, California that handed out 33 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $8,414 for bachelor’s degree geography students with aid per year to attend CSUN.

The low student loan default rate of 2.0% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

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

#16

Appalachian State University

Boone, North Carolina

With a ranking of #16, Appalachian State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. Appalachian State University is located in Boone, North Carolina and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 24 bachelors’s geography degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $13,920 for bachelor’s degree geography students with aid per year to attend Appalachian State University.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 3.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Geography & Cartography at Appalachian State

The University of Texas at Austin landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. This large school is located in Austin, Texas, and it awarded 65 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UT Austin, the school also landed the #11 spot in our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UT Austin is $18,023 for Bachelor’s Degree Geography students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.7%, 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 97%.

Full The University of Texas at Austin Geography & Cartography Report

California State University - Fresno landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. This large school is located in Fresno, California, and it awarded 9 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $5,464 for bachelor’s degree geography students with aid per year to attend Fresno State.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

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

#19

University of California - Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara, California

University of California - Santa Barbara did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #19. University of California - Santa Barbara is a large school located in Santa Barbara, California that handed out 98 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree geography students with aid list, UCSB has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UCSB is $15,884 for Bachelor’s Degree Geography students with aid.

The low 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%. 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 full report on Geography & Cartography at UCSB

The University of Texas at Dallas came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. The University of Texas at Dallas is a large public school situated in Richardson, Texas. It awarded 10 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $15,232 for Bachelor’s Degree Geography students with aid per year to attend The University of Texas at Dallas.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full The University of Texas at Dallas Geography & Cartography Report

#21

University of Maryland - College Park

College Park, Maryland

University of Maryland - College Park came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. University of Maryland - College Park is located in College Park, Maryland and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 52 bachelors’s geography degrees to qualified students.

UMCP also took the #8 spot in our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UMCP is $19,045 for Bachelor’s Degree Geography students with aid.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Geography & Cartography at University of Maryland - College Park

California State University - Stanislaus landed the #22 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. California State University - Stanislaus is located in Turlock, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 12 bachelors’s geography degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend Stan State is $6,019 for Bachelor’s Degree Geography students with aid.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

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

#23

University of Wisconsin - River Falls

River Falls, Wisconsin
Top 20% in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - River Falls landed the #23 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in River Falls, Wisconsin, this medium-sized public school handed out 10 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s geography students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, UW - River Falls is also in the top of our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It’s in the top 20% of all schools in this category. The yearly cost to attend UW - River Falls is $13,748 for bachelor’s degree geography students with aid.

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%.

Full University of Wisconsin - River Falls Geography & Cartography Report

California State University - Sacramento came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. California State University - Sacramento is a large public school situated in Sacramento, California. It awarded 46 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Sac State is $9,979 for bachelor’s degree geography students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

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

#24

Park University

Parkville, Missouri

Park University ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid 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.

On top of its placing in this ranking, Park University also did well on our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. It costs about $15,579 for Bachelor’s Degree Geography students with aid per year to attend Park University.

Full Park University Geography & Cartography Report

Rest of the Best 37 in Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid

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

#26

San Diego State University

San Diego, California
#27

Louisiana Tech University

Ruston, Louisiana
#28

University of Utah

Salt Lake City, Utah
#29

California State University - San Bernardino

San Bernardino, California
#30

Fayetteville State University

Fayetteville, North Carolina
#31

East Central University

Ada, Oklahoma
#32

University of Wisconsin - Whitewater

Whitewater, Wisconsin
#33

University of North Texas

Denton, Texas
#35

Texas State University

San Marcos, Texas
#37

University of North Carolina at Greensboro

Greensboro, North Carolina

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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