2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Geography in the Great Lakes Region (With Aid)
With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. 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 in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking.
In 2019-2020, 5,476 people earned their degree in geography, making the major the 144th most popular in the United States.
Across the Great Lakes region, there were 776 geography graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 560 geography graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,075 and $25,381 respectively.
For this year’s “Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking, we looked at 45 colleges that offer a degree in geography. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality geography programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.
To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the geography program at the school. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
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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 for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid” list to help you make the college decision.
We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.
Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid
The colleges and universities below are the best for great lakes region bachelor’s degree geography students with aid.
Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Geography in the Great Lakes Region (With Aid)
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a public institution located in Champaign, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 9 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
UIUC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Geography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is $15,880 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree geography students with aid.
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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Geography at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Wisconsin - La Crosse. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid. 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.
UW - La Crosse also made our “Best Geography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #7. The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - La Crosse is $14,580 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree geography students with aid.
With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Out of the 45 schools in the Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Wisconsin - Madison landed the #3 spot on the list. This large school is located in Madison, Wisconsin, and it awarded 31 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.
UW - Madison also took the #4 spot in our “Best Geography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UW - Madison is $17,708 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Geography students with aid.
With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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%.
Out of the 45 schools in the Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Wisconsin - River Falls landed the #4 spot on the list. River Falls, Wisconsin is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s geography degrees to 10 students in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW - River Falls, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Geography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - River Falls is $13,748 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree geography students with aid.
The low student loan default rate of 2.7% 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%.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Wisconsin - Whitewater. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid. University of Wisconsin - Whitewater is a fairly large public school situated in Whitewater, Wisconsin. It awarded 19 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree geography students with aid list, UW - Whitewater has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Geography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $15,249 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Geography students with aid per year to attend UW - Whitewater.
Indiana University - Bloomington did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #6. Indiana University - Bloomington is located in Bloomington, Indiana and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 7 bachelors’s geography degrees to qualified students.
IU Bloomington not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #15 on our “Best Geography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $13,253 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree geography students with aid per year to attend Indiana University - Bloomington.
The student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, 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.
Read more about Geography at Indiana University - Bloomington
With a ranking of #7, University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. This fairly large school is located in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, and it awarded 11 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.
UW Oshkosh did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #21 on our “Best Geography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UW Oshkosh is $15,463 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Geography students with aid.
University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. UW - Eau Claire is a public institution located in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 21 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
UW - Eau Claire not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best Geography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UW - Eau Claire is $16,020 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree geography students with aid.
Read full report on Geography at University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire
Indiana University - Southeast came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Indiana University - Southeast is a small public school situated in New Albany, Indiana. It awarded 14 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $10,657 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Geography students with aid per year to attend Indiana University - Southeast.
Read full report on Geography at Indiana University - Southeast
University of Wisconsin - Parkside ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. University of Wisconsin - Parkside is a small school located in Kenosha, Wisconsin that handed out 9 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $11,327 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree geography students with aid per year to attend UW - Parkside.
University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point is a public institution located in Stevens Point, Wisconsin. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 6 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree geography students with aid list, UW - Stevens Point has also earned the #20 rank in our “Best Geography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $14,465 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Geography students with aid per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point.
Read more about Geography at University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point
Ohio State University - Main Campus did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #12. Ohio State University - Main Campus is located in Columbus, Ohio and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 42 bachelors’s geography degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree geography students with aid list, Ohio State has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Geography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Ohio State University - Main Campus is $17,616 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree geography students with aid.
With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Michigan State University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Michigan State University is a large public school situated in East Lansing, Michigan. It awarded 9 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.
Michigan State also made our “Best Geography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #8. The yearly cost to attend Michigan State is $19,173 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Geography students with aid.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, 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%.
With a ranking of #14, Ball State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Ball State University is a public institution located in Muncie, Indiana. The school has a large population, and it awarded 17 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
Ball State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #24 on our “Best Geography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $15,147 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Geography students with aid per year to attend Ball State.
University of Wisconsin - Platteville ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. University of Wisconsin - Platteville is a public institution located in Platteville, Wisconsin. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 3 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
UW - Platteville did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best Geography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UW - Platteville is $15,718 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree geography students with aid.
Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis is located in Indianapolis, Indiana and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 7 bachelors’s geography degrees to qualified students.
It costs about $11,285 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree geography students with aid per year to attend Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis.
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. SIUE is a fairly large school located in Edwardsville, Illinois that handed out 32 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.
SIUE also took the #19 spot in our “Best Geography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for SIUE is $14,423 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Geography students with aid.
Northern Illinois University ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Dekalb, Illinois, this fairly large public school awarded 13 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s geography students in 2019-2020.
NIU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #22 on our “Best Geography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for NIU is $18,259 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree geography students with aid.
Eastern Illinois University came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Charleston, Illinois, this medium-sized public school awarded 14 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s geography students in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for Eastern Illinois University is $14,607 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Geography students with aid.
Read full report on Geography at Eastern Illinois University
Grand Valley State University landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Grand Valley State University is a large school located in Allendale, Michigan that handed out 23 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.
GVSU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best Geography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $17,646 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree geography students with aid per year to attend GVSU.
The low 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%.
University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #21. This large school is located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and it awarded 16 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend UWM is $17,876 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Geography students with aid.
Indiana State University landed the #22 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. This fairly large school is located in Terre Haute, Indiana, and it awarded 8 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend Indiana State University is $13,896 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Geography students with aid.
Illinois State University landed the #23 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Illinois State University is a large public school situated in Normal, Illinois. It awarded 31 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.
Illinois State also made our “Best Geography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #6. It costs about $20,895 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Geography students with aid per year to attend Illinois State.
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%.
Central Michigan University landed the #24 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Central Michigan is a fairly large public school situated in Mount Pleasant, Michigan. It awarded 5 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $15,981 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree geography students with aid per year to attend Central Michigan.
Northeastern Illinois University landed the #25 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Northeastern Illinois University is a medium-sized public school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 8 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for Northeastern Illinois University is $15,843 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree geography students with aid.
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Best Value Bachelor's Degree Colleges for Geography in the Great Lakes Region (With Aid)
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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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