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2025 Best Geography & Cartography Schools in the Great Lakes Region

19 Colleges in the Great Lakes Region
1,007 Geography Degrees Awarded
$43,035 Avg Early-Career Salary
A degree in geography & cartography is more popular than many other degrees. In fact, it ranks #110 out of 395 on popularity of all such degrees in the nation. So, you have a fair amount of options to choose from when looking for a school.

College Factual looked at 19 colleges and universities when compiling its 2025 Best Geography & Cartography Schools in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 1,007 degrees in geography & cartography to qualified students.

Jump to one of the following sections: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great Geography & Cartography School

Best Geography & Cartography Schools in the Great Lakes Region Your choice of geography & cartography school matters, so we have put together these rankings to help you make your decision. For our Best Overall Geography & Cartography School rankings, we roll up the results of our degree-level rankings, weighted by the number of degrees awarded at that level.

You may want to choose one of the degree levels below to find the schools of most interest to you.

Geography & Cartography Rankings by Degree Level

Bachelor's Degrees in Geography
Master's Degrees in Geography
Doctor's Degrees in Geography

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 the Best Geography & Cartography Schools in the Great Lakes Region. More interested in schools in a specific area of the country? Filter this list by region or state.

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. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Read more about College Factual's methodology.

Best Schools for Geography & Cartography in the Great Lakes Region

If you aren't interested in a particular degree level and want to know which schools are the overall best at delivering an education for the geography degrees they offer, see the list below.

10 Top Great Lakes Region Schools in Geography

1
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
94 Geography Degrees Awarded
$44,009 Median Starting Salary

University of Wisconsin - Madison is a good choice for students pursuing a degree in geography & cartography. Located in the large city of Madison, UW - Madison is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #40 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means UW - Madison is a great university overall.

There were roughly 94 geography & cartography students who graduated with this degree at UW - Madison in the most recent data year. After graduation, geography degree recipients generally earn about $44,009 at the beginning of their careers.

More information about a degree in geography & cartography from University of Wisconsin - Madison

2
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
68 Geography Degrees Awarded
$44,789 Median Starting Salary

Any student pursuing a degree in geography & cartography has to look into Ohio State University - Main Campus. Ohio State is a fairly large public university located in the city of Columbus. A Best Colleges rank of #70 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Ohio State is a great university overall.

There were approximately 68 geography & cartography students who graduated with this degree at Ohio State in the most recent year we have data available. Graduates who receive their degree from the geography program earn around $44,789 for their early career.

More information about a degree in geography & cartography from Ohio State University - Main Campus

3
Michigan State crest
Michigan State University
East Lansing, MI
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
1st Most Popular In MI

Michigan State University is a great choice for students interested in a degree in geography & cartography. Located in the small city of East Lansing, Michigan State is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #54 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Michigan State is a great university overall.

There were roughly 29 geography & cartography students who graduated with this degree at Michigan State in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in geography & cartography from Michigan State University

4
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
32 Geography Degrees Awarded
$42,214 Median Starting Salary

It is hard to beat University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign if you want to pursue a degree in geography & cartography. Located in the small city of Champaign, UIUC is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #41 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means UIUC is a great university overall.

There were about 32 geography & cartography students who graduated with this degree at UIUC in the most recent data year. After graduating, geography degree recipients typically make about $42,214 in their early careers.

More information about a degree in geography & cartography from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

5
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
4th Most Popular In OH
50 Geography Degrees Awarded

Miami University - Oxford is a large public university located in the town of Oxford. A Best Colleges rank of #134 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Miami University - Oxford is a great university overall.

There were about 50 geography & cartography students who graduated with this degree at Miami University - Oxford in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in geography & cartography from Miami University - Oxford

6
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
3rd Most Popular In IN
6.3% Growth in Graduates

IU Bloomington is a fairly large public university located in the city of Bloomington. A Best Colleges rank of #30 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means IU Bloomington is a great university overall.

There were roughly 16 geography & cartography students who graduated with this degree at IU Bloomington in the most recent year we have data available.

More information about a degree in geography & cartography from Indiana University - Bloomington

7
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
2nd Most Popular In MI
36 Geography Degrees Awarded

Located in the city of Kalamazoo, WMU is a public university with a large student population. This university ranks 4th out of 56 colleges for overall quality in the state of Michigan.

There were approximately 36 geography & cartography students who graduated with this degree at WMU in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in geography & cartography from Western Michigan University

8
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
$34,952 Median Starting Salary

Located in the medium-sized suburb of Normal, Illinois State is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #210 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means Illinois State is a great university overall.

There were approximately 14 geography & cartography students who graduated with this degree at Illinois State in the most recent year we have data available. After graduating, geography degree recipients typically earn an average of $34,952 in their early careers.

More information about a degree in geography & cartography from Illinois State University

9
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
53 Geography Degrees Awarded
9.4% Growth in Graduates

Located in the city of Eau Claire, UW - Eau Claire is a public university with a medium-sized student population. This university ranks 13th out of 46 schools for overall quality in the state of Wisconsin.

There were roughly 53 geography & cartography students who graduated with this degree at UW - Eau Claire in the most recent data year. Soon after graduating, geography degree recipients typically earn around $40,048 in the first five years of their career.

More information about a degree in geography & cartography from University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire

10
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
37 Geography Degrees Awarded
$32,592 Median Starting Salary

Kent State is a fairly large public university located in the large suburb of Kent. A Best Colleges rank of #250 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means Kent State is a great university overall.

There were roughly 37 geography & cartography students who graduated with this degree at Kent State in the most recent year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the geography program state that they receive average early career income of $32,592.

More information about a degree in geography & cartography from Kent State University at Kent

Best Geography & Cartography Colleges by State

Explore the best geography & cartography schools for a specific state in the Great Lakes Region .

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Michigan 322 132
Ohio 314 243
Illinois 304 187
Indiana 294 77
Wisconsin 273 249

View All Rankings >

Geography & Cartography is one of 13 different types of Social Sciences programs to choose from.

Geography Concentrations

Major Annual Graduates
Geography 621
Geographic Information Science 384
Other Geography 2

View All Geography Focus Areas >

Majors Similar to Geography

Related Major Annual Graduates
Economics 6,646
Political Science & Government 5,684
Sociology 3,052
International Relations & National Security 1,159
Anthropology 1,147
General Social Sciences 655
Other Social Sciences 180
Urban Studies 103
Sociology & Anthropology 80
Archeology 72

View All Geography Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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