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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Geography & Cartography in Illinois

12 Ranked Colleges
168 Degrees Awarded
$20,300 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor's in Illinois

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois” ranking is part of that endeavor.

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 Illinois, there were 242 geography and cartography graduates with average earnings and debt of $33,000 and $19,500 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 168 geography and cartography graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,319 and $24,183 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois” ranking analyzed 12 colleges that offered 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. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

More Ways to Rank Geography & Cartography Schools

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 in Illinois”.

One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.

Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois

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

Top 12 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Geography & Cartography in Illinois

#1

Illinois State University

Normal, Illinois

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Illinois State University. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois list. Normal, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s geography degrees to 31 students in 2019-2020.

Illinois State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Illinois State is $20,895 for illinois bachelor’s degree geography students.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Geography & Cartography at Illinois State

Out of the 12 schools in the Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the #2 spot on the 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 Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UIUC is $15,880 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Geography students.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 2.4% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Geography & Cartography at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois. Edwardsville, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s geography degrees to 32 students in 2019-2020.

SIUE did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for SIUE is $14,423 for illinois bachelor’s degree geography students.

Full Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Geography & Cartography Report

#4

Eastern Illinois University

Charleston, Illinois

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Eastern Illinois University. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois list. Eastern Illinois University is located in Charleston, Illinois and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 14 bachelors’s geography degrees to qualified students.

EIU also took the #9 spot in our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Eastern Illinois University is $14,607 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Geography students.

Read more about Geography & Cartography at EIU

#5

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, Illinois

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Northern Illinois University. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois. This fairly large school is located in Dekalb, Illinois, and it awarded 13 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.

NIU also made our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #7. The yearly cost to attend Northern Illinois University is $18,259 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Geography students.

Read full report on Geography & Cartography at Northern Illinois University

Northeastern Illinois University ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois list. Northeastern Illinois University is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 8 bachelors’s geography degrees to qualified students.

Northeastern Illinois University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $15,843 for illinois bachelor’s degree geography students per year to attend Northeastern Illinois University.

Read more about Geography & Cartography at Northeastern Illinois University

#7

Western Illinois University

Macomb, Illinois
#11 in overall quality

Western Illinois University landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois ranking. Western Illinois University is located in Macomb, Illinois and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 2 bachelors’s geography degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at WIU, the school also landed the #11 spot in our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $16,210 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Geography students per year to attend Western Illinois University.

Read more about Geography & Cartography at WIU

#8

Elmhurst University

Elmhurst, Illinois
#8 in overall quality

Elmhurst University ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois list. Elmhurst is a small school located in Elmhurst, Illinois that handed out 2 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.

Elmhurst also made our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #8. The estimated yearly cost for Elmhurst is $21,485 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Geography students.

The low student loan default rate of 3.0% 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 full report on Geography & Cartography at Elmhurst University

#9

Augustana College

Rock Island, Illinois
#5 in overall quality

Augustana College came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois ranking. Rock Island, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s geography degrees to 17 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Augustana, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Augustana College is $23,874 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Geography students.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, 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 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Geography & Cartography at Augustana

#10

DePaul University

Chicago, Illinois

With a ranking of #10, DePaul University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois list. DePaul is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 14 bachelors’s geography degrees to qualified students.

DePaul not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $30,090 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Geography students per year to attend DePaul.

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%.

Read full report on Geography & Cartography at DePaul

#11

University of Chicago

Chicago, Illinois
#1 in overall quality

University of Chicago came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois ranking. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 4 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s geography students in 2019-2020.

UChicago also took the #1 spot in our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UChicago is $27,315 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Geography students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 100%. 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. 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%.

Full University of Chicago Geography & Cartography Report

#11

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois
#2 in overall quality

Northwestern University ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois list. Northwestern University is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Evanston, Illinois. It awarded 1 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Northwestern, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Northwestern is $24,664 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Geography students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. 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%. The 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.

Full Northwestern University Geography & Cartography Report

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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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