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2023 Best Value Geography Schools For Those Getting Aid

206 Ranked Colleges
4,954 Degrees Awarded
$11,200 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Geography Schools For Those Getting Aid

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. 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 Those Getting Aid” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

In 2020-2021, 4,954 people earned their degree in geography, making the major the 159th most popular in the United States.

This year’s “Best Value Geography Schools For Those Getting Aid” ranking analyzed 206 colleges that offered a degree in geography. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent geography 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 program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

More Ways to Rank Geography Schools

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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 “Best Value Geography Schools 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. 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 Those Getting Aid

The colleges and universities below are the best for geography students with aid.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Geography (With Aid)

1

Out of the 206 schools in the Best Value Geography Schools For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Washington - Seattle Campus landed the #1 spot on the list. Seattle, Washington is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s geography degrees to 106 students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW Seattle, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Geography Schools” ranking. It costs about $12,017 for Geography students with aid per year to attend UW Seattle.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.1%, 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 93%.

Read more about Geography at University of Washington - Seattle Campus

2
UF crest
University of Florida
Gainesville, Florida

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Florida. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Geography Schools For Those Getting Aid list. Gainesville, Florida is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s geography degrees to 97 students in 2020-2021.

UF also took the #14 spot in our “Best Geography Schools” ranking. It costs about $5,135 for geography students with aid per year to attend University of Florida.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% 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 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Geography at UF

3

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Los Angeles. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Geography Schools For Those Getting Aid. University of California - Los Angeles is a public institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 81 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

UCLA also took the #1 spot in our “Best Geography Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Los Angeles is $15,023 for geography students with aid.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad 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 University of California - Los Angeles Geography Report

4

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Geography Schools For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, this large public school awarded 38 degrees to qualified ’s geography students in 2020-2021.

UNC Chapel Hill also took the #18 spot in our “Best Geography Schools” ranking. It costs about $12,469 for Geography students with aid per year to attend University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.4% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Geography Report

5

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Brigham Young University - Provo. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Geography Schools For Those Getting Aid list. Provo, Utah is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s geography degrees to 16 students in 2020-2021.

BYU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Geography Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Brigham Young University - Provo is $13,474 for Geography students with aid.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full BYU Geography Report

6
Hunter crest
Hunter College
New York, New York

Hunter College landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Best Value Geography Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. New York, New York is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s geography degrees to 24 students in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Hunter College is $2,158 for geography students with aid.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.1% 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 Hunter College Geography Report

7

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geography Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is located in Champaign, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 13 ’s geography degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UIUC, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Geography Schools” ranking. It costs about $14,321 for geography students with aid per year to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, 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 94%.

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

8
CNM crest
Central New Mexico Community College
Albuquerque, New Mexico

Central New Mexico Community College ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Geography Schools For Those Getting Aid list. CNM is located in Albuquerque, New Mexico and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 3 ’s geography degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for CNM is $3,322 for geography students with aid.

Read more about Geography at CNM

9

California State University - Long Beach did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Geography Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #9. Long Beach, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s geography degrees to 58 students in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Long Beach is $10,054 for geography students with aid.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Geography at California State University - Long Beach

10

California State University - Los Angeles came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geography Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. Cal State LA is a large school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 12 ’s geography degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Cal State LA is $3,302 for Geography students with aid.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.6% 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%.

Read full report on Geography at Cal State LA

11

California State University - Northridge did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Geography Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #11. California State University - Northridge is a public institution located in Northridge, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 44 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend California State University - Northridge is $8,523 for Geography students with aid.

The low undergrad 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 at CSUN

12

University of South Florida - Main Campus came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geography Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. Tampa, Florida is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s geography degrees to 26 students in 2020-2021.

It costs about $8,346 for Geography students with aid per year to attend USF Tampa.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, 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 92%.

Full USF Tampa Geography Report

13

University of Wisconsin - Madison did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Geography Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #13. Madison, Wisconsin is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s geography degrees to 40 students in 2020-2021.

UW - Madison did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Geography Schools” list. It costs about $17,234 for Geography students with aid per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison.

With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.9% 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 - Madison Geography Report

14

University of California - Santa Barbara came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geography Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. This large school is located in Santa Barbara, California, and it awarded 32 ’s geography degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCSB, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best Geography Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Santa Barbara is $16,252 for geography students with aid.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.8%, 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 91%.

Full University of California - Santa Barbara Geography Report

15

California State University - Fullerton did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Geography Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #15. Fullerton, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s geography degrees to 39 students in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Cal State Fullerton is $8,003 for Geography students with aid.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.5% 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%.

Read more about Geography at California State University - Fullerton

16
Texas State crest
Texas State University
San Marcos, Texas

With a ranking of #16, Texas State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Geography Schools For Those Getting Aid list. Texas State University is a large school located in San Marcos, Texas that handed out 45 ’s geography degrees in 2020-2021.

Texas State excels when it comes to geography quality. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. The estimated yearly cost for Texas State is $14,887 for geography students with aid.

Read more about Geography at Texas State University

17

Arizona State University - Tempe ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Geography Schools For Those Getting Aid list. Tempe, Arizona is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s geography degrees to 35 students in 2020-2021.

ASU - Tempe also made our “Best Geography Schools” list, coming in at #25. It costs about $13,107 for Geography students with aid per year to attend Arizona State University - Tempe.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.5% 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 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full ASU - Tempe Geography Report

18

The University of Texas at Austin did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Geography Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #18. Austin, Texas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s geography degrees to 53 students in 2020-2021.

UT Austin also took the #17 spot in our “Best Geography Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for The University of Texas at Austin is $18,350 for geography students with aid.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Geography at UT Austin

19
Appalachian State crest
Appalachian State University
Boone, North Carolina

Appalachian State University ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Geography Schools For Those Getting Aid list. Appalachian State is a large school located in Boone, North Carolina that handed out 30 ’s geography degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $13,989 for Geography students with aid per year to attend Appalachian State.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.6% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.

Read more about Geography at Appalachian State University

20
American River crest
American River College
Sacramento, California

American River College came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geography Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. American River College is a large school located in Sacramento, California that handed out 3 ’s geography degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for American River is $5,561 for Geography students with aid.

Read full report on Geography at American River College

21

With a ranking of #21, California State University - Sacramento did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Geography Schools For Those Getting Aid list. This large school is located in Sacramento, California, and it awarded 37 ’s geography degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Sac State is $11,178 for Geography students with aid.

The undergrad 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 at California State University - Sacramento

22
IU Bloomington crest
Indiana University - Bloomington
Bloomington, Indiana

With a ranking of #22, Indiana University - Bloomington did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Geography Schools For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Bloomington, Indiana, this large public school handed out 15 diplomas to qualified ’s geography students in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Indiana University - Bloomington is $14,619 for geography students with aid.

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 school has an impressive undergrad 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 at IU Bloomington

23

University of Wisconsin - La Crosse did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Geography Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #23. La Crosse, Wisconsin is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s geography degrees to 24 students in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for UW - La Crosse is $14,654 for Geography students with aid.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Wisconsin - La Crosse Geography Report

24
UGA crest
University of Georgia
Athens, Georgia

University of Georgia landed the #24 spot on the 2023 Best Value Geography Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. University of Georgia is a public institution located in Athens, Georgia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 30 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UGA, the school also landed the #22 spot in our “Best Geography Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UGA is $14,257 for geography students with aid.

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 1.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Geography at University of Georgia

25
Florida State crest
Florida State University
Tallahassee, Florida

Florida State University came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geography Schools For Those Getting Aid ranking. Florida State University is a large school located in Tallahassee, Florida that handed out 16 ’s geography degrees in 2020-2021.

It costs about $9,946 for Geography students with aid per year to attend Florida State University.

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 undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Geography at Florida State University

Rest of the Best 31 in Best Value Geography Schools For Those Getting Aid

Not only did these schools make the top 31 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

26
27
28
Virginia Tech crest
Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, Virginia
29
30
31
Park University crest
Park University
Parkville, Missouri

Notes and References

References

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