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2023 Best Geography & Cartography Master’s Degree Colleges for Veterans in the Great Lakes Region

20 Ranked Colleges
175 Degrees Awarded
$26,900 Avg Cost*
Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Geography for a Master's

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for veterans. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Geography for a Master’s” ranking - to help you make that decision.

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.

Across the Great Lakes region, there were 1,187 geography and cartography graduates with average earnings and debt of $34,196 and $24,578 respectively.

This year’s “Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Geography for a Master’s” ranking analyzed 20 colleges that offered a degree in geography and cartography. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality geography and cartography programs as well as strong veteran support.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the geography and cartography program at the school, veteran affordability, and veteran satisfaction. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

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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 “Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Geography for a Master’s”.

To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools 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.

Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Geography for a Master’s

The colleges and universities below are the best for great lakes region master’s degree vets studying geography.

Top 20 Best Geography & Cartography Master’s Degree Colleges for Veterans in the Great Lakes Region

1

Out of the 20 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Geography for a Master’s that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Wisconsin - Madison landed the #1 spot on the list. University of Wisconsin - Madison is a public institution located in Madison, Wisconsin. The school has a large population, and it awarded 58 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.

UW - Madison also took the #1 spot in our “Best Geography & Cartography Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking.Among the 44,640 students enrolled at University of Wisconsin - Madison, 4 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 0 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $0. To help with additional expenses, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. University of Wisconsin - Madison offers credit for military training for eligible students.

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

Full UW - Madison Veteran Student Life Report

2

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Ohio State University - Main Campus. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Geography for a Master’s list. Ohio State is located in Columbus, Ohio and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 2 masters’s geography degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our great lakes region master’s degree vets studying geography list, Ohio State has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Geography & Cartography Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking.Among the 61,369 students enrolled at Ohio State, 2 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 0 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $0. To help with additional expenses, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Ohio State offers credit for military training for eligible students.

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 [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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 veteran student life at Ohio State University - Main Campus]](/colleges/ohio-state-university-main-campus/student-life/veterans/)

3

Out of the 20 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Geography for a Master’s that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the #3 spot on the list. Located in Champaign, Illinois, this large public school awarded 11 degrees to qualified masters’s geography students in 2020-2021.

UIUC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Geography & Cartography Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list.According to our most recent data, UIUC supports 52,679 students, and 10 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 0 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $0. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

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

[Read full report on veteran student life at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign]](/colleges/university-of-illinois-at-urbana-champaign/student-life/veterans/)

4
Eastern Michigan crest
Eastern Michigan University
Ypsilanti, Michigan

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Eastern Michigan University. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Geography for a Master’s list. Eastern Michigan University is a fairly large public school situated in Ypsilanti, Michigan. It awarded 4 masters’s geography degrees in 2020-2021.

Eastern Michigan not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Geography & Cartography Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list.Our most recent data shows that 486 of the 16,294 students enrolled at Eastern Michigan University were GI Bill® students, of which 265 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $10,462. During this same period, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

[Read full report on veteran student life at Eastern Michigan]](/colleges/eastern-michigan-university/student-life/veterans/)

5

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Indiana University - Bloomington. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Geography for a Master’s list. Located in Bloomington, Indiana, this large public school handed out 4 diplomas to qualified masters’s geography students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at IU Bloomington, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Geography & Cartography Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking.Among the 43,064 students enrolled at Indiana University - Bloomington, 1 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 0 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $0. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Indiana University - Bloomington Veteran Student Life Report

6

Miami University - Oxford came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Geography for a Master’s ranking. Miami University - Oxford is a fairly large school located in Oxford, Ohio that handed out 7 masters’s geography degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our great lakes region master’s degree vets studying geography list, Miami University - Oxford has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Geography & Cartography Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking.Among the 18,880 students enrolled at Miami University - Oxford, 405 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 259 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $6,877. On top of their other funding sources, 6 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Miami University - Oxford does offer credit for military training for eligible students.

With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Miami University - Oxford Veteran Student Life Report

7

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Geography for a Master’s ranking. Located in Edwardsville, Illinois, this fairly large public school handed out 3 diplomas to qualified masters’s geography students in 2020-2021.

SIUE also took the #12 spot in our “Best Geography & Cartography Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking.Of the 12,860 students enrolled at SIUE, 3 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 2 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $23,082. During this same period, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

Read More…

8
WMU crest
Western Michigan University
Kalamazoo, Michigan

Western Michigan University landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Geography for a Master’s ranking. This fairly large school is located in Kalamazoo, Michigan, and it awarded 7 masters’s geography degrees in 2020-2021.

WMU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best Geography & Cartography Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list.Our most recent data shows that 584 of the 19,887 students enrolled at WMU were GI Bill® students, of which 327 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $9,981. During this same period, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. WMU does offer credit for military training for eligible students.

Full Western Michigan University Veteran Student Life Report

9
Central Michigan crest
Central Michigan University
Mount Pleasant, Michigan

With a ranking of #9, Central Michigan University did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Geography for a Master’s list. Central Michigan is a fairly large public school situated in Mount Pleasant, Michigan. It awarded 4 masters’s geography degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our great lakes region master’s degree vets studying geography list, Central Michigan has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Geography & Cartography Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 1 of the 17,311 students enrolled at Central Michigan University were GI Bill® students, of which 1 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $425. During this same period, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

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

Read More…

10

Ohio University - Athens Campus did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Geography for a Master’s ranking, coming in at #10. Athens, Ohio is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s geography degrees to 7 students in 2020-2021.

OHIO Athens also took the #8 spot in our “Best Geography & Cartography Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking.According to our most recent data, OHIO Athens supports 25,714 students, and 726 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 324 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $6,725. To help with additional expenses, 10 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

Read More…

11

Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Geography for a Master’s ranking. This large school is located in Indianapolis, Indiana, and it awarded 3 masters’s geography degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at IUPUI, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best Geography & Cartography Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking.Among the 29,390 students enrolled at Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis, 1 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 1 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $5,439. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

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

[Read full report on veteran student life at IUPUI]](/colleges/indiana-university-purdue-university-indianapolis/student-life/veterans/)

12

With a ranking of #12, University of Akron Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Geography for a Master’s list. University of Akron Main Campus is located in Akron, Ohio and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 3 masters’s geography degrees to qualified students.

University of Akron Main Campus also made our “Best Geography & Cartography Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #15.According to our most recent data, University of Akron Main Campus supports 16,094 students, and 2 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 1 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $3,240. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

Full University of Akron Main Campus Veteran Student Life Report

13

With a ranking of #13, Kent State University at Kent did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Geography for a Master’s list. Kent State University at Kent is a large school located in Kent, Ohio that handed out 23 masters’s geography degrees in 2020-2021.

Kent State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Geography & Cartography Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list.Of the 26,822 students enrolled at Kent State, 778 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 374 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $7,199. To help with additional expenses, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Kent State offers credit for military training for eligible students.

Full Kent State University at Kent Veteran Student Life Report

14

University of Toledo did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Geography for a Master’s ranking, coming in at #14. This fairly large school is located in Toledo, Ohio, and it awarded 4 masters’s geography degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our great lakes region master’s degree vets studying geography list, University of Toledo has also earned the #19 rank in our “Best Geography & Cartography Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking.Among the 18,319 students enrolled at University of Toledo, 510 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 232 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $6,784. During this same period, 11 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

Full University of Toledo Veteran Student Life Report

15
Ball State crest
Ball State University
Muncie, Indiana

With a ranking of #15, Ball State University did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Geography for a Master’s list. Ball State is a large school located in Muncie, Indiana that handed out 2 masters’s geography degrees in 2020-2021.

Ball State also made our “Best Geography & Cartography Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #13.According to our most recent data, Ball State University supports 21,597 students, and 455 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 182 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $5,124. On top of their other funding sources, 29 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Ball State University offers credit for military training for eligible students.

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

Read More…

16

With a ranking of #16, Western Illinois University did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Geography for a Master’s list. WIU is a public institution located in Macomb, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 4 masters’s degrees in 2020-2021.

WIU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #17 on our “Best Geography & Cartography Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list.Among the 7,490 students enrolled at WIU, 330 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 62 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $4,652. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. WIU offers credit for military training for eligible students.

[Read full report on veteran student life at Western Illinois University]](/colleges/western-illinois-university/student-life/veterans/)

17
Michigan State crest
Michigan State University
East Lansing, Michigan

Michigan State University landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Geography for a Master’s ranking. Located in East Lansing, Michigan, this large public school handed out 4 diplomas to qualified masters’s geography students in 2020-2021.

Michigan State also made our “Best Geography & Cartography Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #6.Of the 49,695 students enrolled at Michigan State, 2 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 1 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $14,686. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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…

18

Northern Illinois University came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Geography for a Master’s ranking. Dekalb, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s geography degrees to 2 students in 2020-2021.

NIU also made our “Best Geography & Cartography Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #16.Our most recent data shows that 480 of the 16,769 students enrolled at NIU were GI Bill® students, of which 207 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $7,822. During this same period, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program.

Read More…

19
CSU crest
Chicago State University
Chicago, Illinois

Chicago State University landed the #19 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Geography for a Master’s ranking. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out masters’s geography degrees to 3 students in 2020-2021.

CSU also made our “Best Geography & Cartography Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #20.Our most recent data shows that 94 of the 2,644 students enrolled at Chicago State University were GI Bill® students, of which 48 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $8,489. To help with additional expenses, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Full CSU Veteran Student Life Report

20
EIU crest
Eastern Illinois University
Charleston, Illinois

With a ranking of #20, Eastern Illinois University did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Great Lakes Region for Geography for a Master’s list. Eastern Illinois University is a medium-sized public school situated in Charleston, Illinois. It awarded 9 masters’s geography degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at EIU, the school also landed the #18 spot in our “Best Geography & Cartography Master’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking.Among the 8,626 students enrolled at EIU, 184 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 46 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $4,730. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. EIU offers credit for military training for eligible students.

[Read full report on veteran student life at Eastern Illinois University]](/colleges/eastern-illinois-university/student-life/veterans/)

Notes and References

References

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