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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Geography (With Aid)

221 Ranked Colleges
3,762 Degrees Awarded
$10,800 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor's For Those Getting Aid

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid” ranking.

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

At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 3,762 geography graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,303 and $24,501 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid” ranking analyzed 221 colleges that offered a degree in geography. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great geography programs and 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

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 For Those Getting Aid”.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. 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 a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Geography (With Aid)

#12 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Washington - Seattle Campus. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid. Located in Seattle, Washington, this large public school awarded 134 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s geography students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW Seattle, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Geography Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UW Seattle is $13,297 for bachelor’s degree geography students with aid.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 2.2% 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 UW Seattle Geography Report

#2

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, North Carolina
#15 in overall quality

Out of the 221 schools in the Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill landed the #2 spot on the list. Located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, this large public school awarded 26 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s geography students in 2019-2020.

UNC Chapel Hill did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best Geography Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $12,352 for bachelor’s degree geography students with aid per year to attend UNC Chapel Hill.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.9%, 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 95%.

Read full report on Geography at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

#3

Hunter College

New York, New York

Out of the 221 schools in the Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Hunter College landed the #3 spot on the list. Hunter College is located in New York, New York and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 17 bachelors’s geography degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for Hunter College is $2,490 for Bachelor’s Degree Geography students with aid.

The low student loan default rate of 4.0% 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 more about Geography at Hunter College

Out of the 221 schools in the Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Los Angeles landed the #4 spot on the list. Los Angeles, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s geography degrees to 14 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Cal State LA is $2,768 for Bachelor’s Degree Geography students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Geography at Cal State LA

#5

University of Florida

Gainesville, Florida
Top 15% in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Florida. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. This large school is located in Gainesville, Florida, and it awarded 21 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.

UF excels when it comes to geography quality. It’s in the top 15% of all schools in this category. It costs about $6,302 for bachelor’s degree geography students with aid per year to attend University of Florida.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.0%, 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 97%.

Full University of Florida Geography Report

#14 in overall quality

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #6. UIUC is a large school located in Champaign, Illinois that handed out 9 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.

UIUC also took the #14 spot in our “Best Geography Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $15,880 for Bachelor’s Degree Geography students with aid per year to attend UIUC.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.

Full UIUC Geography Report

#7

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California
#5 in overall quality

University of California - Los Angeles ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. UCLA is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 85 bachelors’s geography degrees to qualified students.

UCLA also took the #5 spot in our “Best Geography Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $14,279 for Bachelor’s Degree Geography students with aid per year to attend University of California - Los Angeles.

The low student loan default rate of 1.0% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Geography at University of California - Los Angeles

#20 in overall quality

Brigham Young University - Provo came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. Brigham Young University - Provo is a large school located in Provo, Utah that handed out 12 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree geography students with aid list, BYU has also earned the #20 rank in our “Best Geography Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for BYU is $13,322 for bachelor’s degree geography students with aid.

The low 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%.

Full Brigham Young University - Provo Geography Report

With a ranking of #9, California State University - Fullerton did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. California State University - Fullerton is a public institution located in Fullerton, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 37 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Fullerton is $7,991 for bachelor’s degree geography students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%.

Read more about Geography at California State University - Fullerton

University of South Florida - Main Campus landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. USF Tampa is located in Tampa, Florida and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 25 bachelors’s geography degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend USF Tampa is $8,355 for Bachelor’s Degree Geography students with aid.

With a freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low 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%.

Read more about Geography at University of South Florida - Main Campus

Top 25% in overall quality

California State University - Long Beach ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Long Beach, California, this large public school awarded 56 degrees to qualified bachelors’s geography students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $9,622 for Bachelor’s Degree Geography students with aid per year to attend CSULB.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%.

Read more about Geography at California State University - Long Beach

#12

University of Wisconsin - La Crosse

La Crosse, Wisconsin
Top 15% in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - La Crosse ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. University of Wisconsin - La Crosse is located in La Crosse, Wisconsin and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 26 bachelors’s geography degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on this list, UW - La Crosse is in the top on our “Best Geography Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - La Crosse is $14,580 for Bachelor’s Degree Geography students with aid.

The low student loan default rate of 1.6% 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%. 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 UW - La Crosse Geography Report

#17 in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - Madison came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. UW - Madison is a public institution located in Madison, Wisconsin. The school has a large population, and it awarded 31 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UW - Madison not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #17 on our “Best Geography Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Madison is $17,708 for Bachelor’s Degree Geography students with aid.

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 school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Wisconsin - Madison Geography Report

#14

Lehman College

Bronx, New York

With a ranking of #14, Lehman College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. Lehman College is a public institution located in Bronx, New York. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 2 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Lehman is $1,814 for Bachelor’s Degree Geography students with aid.

Read full report on Geography at Lehman College

California State University - Northridge did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #15. California State University - Northridge is a large public school situated in Northridge, California. It awarded 33 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend CSUN is $8,414 for bachelor’s degree geography students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full CSUN Geography Report

#16

Appalachian State University

Boone, North Carolina

With a ranking of #16, Appalachian State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. Appalachian State University is a large public school situated in Boone, North Carolina. It awarded 24 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $13,920 for bachelor’s degree geography students with aid per year to attend Appalachian State University.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 3.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Appalachian State Geography Report

#9 in overall quality

With a ranking of #17, The University of Texas at Austin did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. Austin, Texas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s geography degrees to 65 students in 2019-2020.

UT Austin did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Geography Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend The University of Texas at Austin is $18,023 for bachelor’s degree geography students with aid.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Geography at UT Austin

California State University - Fresno did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #18. Fresno State is located in Fresno, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 9 bachelors’s geography degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $5,464 for Bachelor’s Degree Geography students with aid per year to attend California State University - Fresno.

The low student loan default rate of 4.7% 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 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Geography at California State University - Fresno

#19

University of California - Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara, California
#8 in overall quality

University of California - Santa Barbara did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #19. Located in Santa Barbara, California, this large public school handed out 19 degrees to qualified bachelors’s geography students in 2019-2020.

UCSB also made our “Best Geography Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #8. It costs about $15,884 for Bachelor’s Degree Geography students with aid per year to attend University of California - Santa Barbara.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full UCSB Geography Report

California State University - Stanislaus ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. Stan State is a fairly large school located in Turlock, California that handed out 12 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Stan State is $6,019 for bachelor’s degree geography students with aid.

The low student loan default rate of 4.3% 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 87%.

Read more about Geography at Stan State

#21

University of Wisconsin - River Falls

River Falls, Wisconsin
Top 20% in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - River Falls ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. This medium-sized school is located in River Falls, Wisconsin, and it awarded 10 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on this list, UW - River Falls is in the top on our “Best Geography Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - River Falls is $13,748 for Bachelor’s Degree Geography students with aid.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Geography at University of Wisconsin - River Falls

With a ranking of #22, California State University - Sacramento did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Sacramento, California, this large public school handed out 46 degrees to qualified bachelors’s geography students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Sac State is $9,979 for Bachelor’s Degree Geography students with aid.

The low student loan default rate of 4.6% 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 more about Geography at California State University - Sacramento

#22

Park University

Parkville, Missouri
#25 in overall quality

Park University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #22. Located in Parkville, Missouri, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 33 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s geography students in 2019-2020.

Park University also made our “Best Geography Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #25. It costs about $15,579 for bachelor’s degree geography students with aid per year to attend Park University.

Read full report on Geography at Park University

#24

San Diego State University

San Diego, California
Top 25% in overall quality

San Diego State University ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. SDSU is located in San Diego, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 32 bachelors’s geography degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for SDSU is $14,788 for Bachelor’s Degree Geography students with aid.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The 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 full report on Geography at SDSU

#25

California State University - San Bernardino

San Bernardino, California

California State University - San Bernardino came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. CSUSB is a public institution located in San Bernardino, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 12 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $7,342 for Bachelor’s Degree Geography students with aid per year to attend CSUSB.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full CSUSB Geography Report

Rest of the Best 34 in Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid

Not only did these schools make the top 34 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

#26

Fayetteville State University

Fayetteville, North Carolina
#27

University of Wisconsin - Whitewater

Whitewater, Wisconsin
#28

University of North Texas

Denton, Texas
#30

Texas State University

San Marcos, Texas
#32

University of North Carolina at Greensboro

Greensboro, North Carolina
#33

Florida State University

Tallahassee, Florida
#34

James Madison University

Harrisonburg, Virginia

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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