2027 Best Value Geography & Cartography Schools in Illinois

[Geography & Cartography](/majors/social-sciences/geography-and-cartography/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
For its 2027 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 5 schools to find the best return on investment for geography & cartography students.
What’s on this page:
2027 Best Value Geography & Cartography Schools in Illinois
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the geography & cartography degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Geography & Cartography Schools
Harper College earned the #1 spot for value among geography & cartography schools in Illinois. Located in the suburb of Palatine, Harper College is a very large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $3,894, while out-of-state students pay about $11,874. Students borrow a median of $10,963 to complete the geography & cartography program here. Soon after graduation, geography & cartography degree recipients from Harper College generally make around $44,523. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
Students looking for strong value in geography & cartography will find it at Western Illinois University, which ranked #2. Set in the town of Macomb, Western Illinois University is a moderately-sized public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $14,572. Geography & Cartography graduates carry a median of $27,639 in student loans. Early-career geography & cartography graduates make about $47,926. Set against $27,639 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 71% of applicants are accepted.
Students looking for strong value in geography & cartography will find it at University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign, which ranked #3. Set in the city of Champaign, University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign is a very large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $18,267, compared with $40,096 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for geography & cartography graduates is $25,000. Geography & Cartography graduates of University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign earn a median of $42,214 early in their careers. Set against $25,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 42% of applicants are accepted.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Illinois State University earned it the #4 place for geography & cartography. Set in the suburb of Normal, Illinois State University is a very large public institution. Students from in state pay about $14,410 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $26,058. Geography & Cartography graduates carry a median of $15,500 in student loans. Early-career geography & cartography graduates make about $34,952. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Illinois State University admits about 88% of applicants.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Depaul University earned it the #5 place for geography & cartography. Depaul University is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Chicago. Students from in state pay about $45,405 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $23,412 to complete the geography & cartography program here. Soon after graduation, geography & cartography degree recipients from Depaul University generally make around $47,464. That is a strong return on a $23,412 median debt. The acceptance rate is 76%.
More Geography & Cartography Rankings
View All Geography & Cartography Rankings >
Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 5 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 5 ranked schools only.
- 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).
More about our data sources and methodologies.