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2022 Best Value Colleges for Geography (Income $0-$30k) in Illinois

12 Ranked Colleges
182 Degrees Awarded
$12,500 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Geography Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. 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 in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

Geography is the 144th most popular major in the country with 5,476 degrees awarded in 2019-2020.

Across Illinois, there were 182 geography graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Geography Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, we looked at 12 colleges that offer 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. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

One Size Does Not Fit All

When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Best Value Geography Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k” list to help you make the college decision.

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 in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Geography Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k.

Top 12 Best Value Colleges for Geography (Income $0-$30k) in Illinois

#1

University of Chicago

Chicago, Illinois

Out of the 12 schools in the Best Value Geography Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Chicago landed the #1 spot on the list. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 4 degrees to qualified ’s geography students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois geography students whose families make $0-$30k list, UChicago has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Geography Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Chicago is $2,712 for Illinois Geography students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 100%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full UChicago Geography Report

#2

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois

Out of the 12 schools in the Best Value Geography Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Northwestern University landed the #2 spot on the list. Located in Evanston, Illinois, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 1 diplomas to qualified ’s geography students in 2019-2020.

Northwestern did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Geography Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Northwestern is $1,866 for Illinois Geography students whose families make $0-$30k.

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. 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%. 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 full report on Geography at Northwestern

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Geography Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k. UIUC is a public institution located in Champaign, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 20 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UIUC, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Geography Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is $5,477 for Illinois Geography students whose families make $0-$30k.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Geography at UIUC

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Geography Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k. Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is a fairly large school located in Edwardsville, Illinois that handed out 38 ’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at SIUE, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best Geography Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $8,055 for illinois geography students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.

Read more about Geography at SIUE

#5

Illinois State University

Normal, Illinois

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Illinois State University. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Geography Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Illinois State University is a large school located in Normal, Illinois that handed out 31 ’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.

Illinois State also made our “Best Geography Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #4. The yearly cost to attend Illinois State University is $14,470 for Illinois Geography students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Illinois State University Geography Report

#6

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, Illinois

Northern Illinois University landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Northern Illinois University is a fairly large school located in Dekalb, Illinois that handed out 17 ’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.

NIU also took the #7 spot in our “Best Geography Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Northern Illinois University is $15,281 for Illinois Geography students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Geography at Northern Illinois University

#7

Eastern Illinois University

Charleston, Illinois

Eastern Illinois University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geography Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Eastern Illinois University is a public institution located in Charleston, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 14 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

EIU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best Geography Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend EIU is $12,350 for Illinois Geography students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Geography at Eastern Illinois University

#8

Augustana College

Rock Island, Illinois

Augustana College landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Augustana College is a small school located in Rock Island, Illinois that handed out 17 ’s geography degrees 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 Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Augustana is $20,355 for Illinois Geography students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 3.4% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.

Read more about Geography at Augustana

#9

Elmhurst University

Elmhurst, Illinois

Elmhurst University ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Geography Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Elmhurst University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Elmhurst, Illinois. It awarded 2 ’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.

Elmhurst also made our “Best Geography Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #8. The yearly cost to attend Elmhurst University is $16,903 for illinois geography students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Geography at Elmhurst

Northeastern Illinois University ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Geography Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. This medium-sized school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 8 ’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois geography students whose families make $0-$30k list, Northeastern Illinois University has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Geography Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Northeastern Illinois University is $14,816 for illinois geography students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Geography at Northeastern Illinois University

#11

Chicago State University

Chicago, Illinois

Chicago State University landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. CSU is a public institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 2 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

CSU also made our “Best Geography Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #12. It costs about $11,507 for Illinois Geography students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Chicago State University.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read full report on Geography at Chicago State University

#12

DePaul University

Chicago, Illinois

DePaul University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #12. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 14 degrees to qualified ’s geography students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois geography students whose families make $0-$30k list, DePaul has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best Geography Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $26,173 for Illinois Geography students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend DePaul University.

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 at DePaul

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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