by our College Data Analytics Team
When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Geography Major in the Great Lakes Region” ranking is part of that endeavor.
In 2021-2022, 4,439 people earned their degree in geography, making the major the 159th most popular in the United States.
Across the Great Lakes region, there were 621 geography graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 426 geography graduates with average earnings and debt of $40,415 and $23,858 respectively.
This year’s “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Geography Major in the Great Lakes Region” ranking looked at 57 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in geography. This a ranking of the schools where the largest percentage of students has enrolled in geography.
Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Geography Major in the Great Lakes Region” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that 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.
The following schools top our list of the Best “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Geography Major in the Great Lakes Region”.
Out of the 57 schools in the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Geography Major in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Carthage College landed the #1 spot on the list. This small school is located in Kenosha, Wisconsin, and it awarded 8 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2021-2022.
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%.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Augustana College. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Geography Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Augustana College is a small school located in Rock Island, Illinois that handed out 7 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.1%, 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 85%.
Out of the 57 schools in the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Geography Major in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Wisconsin - La Crosse landed the #3 spot on the list. University of Wisconsin - La Crosse is a fairly large public school situated in La Crosse, Wisconsin. It awarded 22 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Geography Major in the Great Lakes Region list. University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire is a fairly large public school situated in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. It awarded 33 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2021-2022.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.6% 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 University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Indiana State University. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Geography Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Terre Haute, Indiana is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s geography degrees to 13 students in 2021-2022.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Indiana University - Southeast ranked #6 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Geography Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Located in New Albany, Indiana, this small public school awarded 7 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s geography students in 2021-2022.
The low undergrad 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%.
Read full report on Geography at Indiana University - Southeast
Ohio Wesleyan University ranked #7 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Geography Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Ohio Wesleyan University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Delaware, Ohio. It awarded 5 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Calvin University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Geography Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in Grand Rapids, Michigan, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 2 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s geography students in 2021-2022.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 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.
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville ranked #9 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Geography Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is located in Edwardsville, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 23 bachelors’s geography degrees to qualified students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Geography Report
University of Wisconsin - River Falls did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Geography Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #10. University of Wisconsin - River Falls is a medium-sized public school situated in River Falls, Wisconsin. It awarded 2 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2021-2022.
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%.
Read full report on Geography at University of Wisconsin - River Falls
University of Wisconsin - Whitewater landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Geography Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. UW - Whitewater is located in Whitewater, Wisconsin and, has a fairly large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 10 bachelors’s geography degrees to qualified students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Geography at University of Wisconsin - Whitewater
University of Wisconsin - Parkside did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Geography Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #12. Kenosha, Wisconsin is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s geography degrees to 5 students in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Illinois State University ranked #13 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Geography Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Illinois State is a public institution located in Normal, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 14 bachelors’s degrees in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Aquinas College Michigan came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Geography Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Grand Rapids, Michigan is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s geography degrees to 3 students in 2021-2022.
The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Valparaiso University ranked #15 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Geography Major in the Great Lakes Region list. This small school is located in Valparaiso, Indiana, and it awarded 1 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2021-2022.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Eastern Illinois University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Geography Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #16. Eastern Illinois University is located in Charleston, Illinois and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 6 bachelors’s geography degrees to qualified 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%.
Western Michigan University landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Geography Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Western Michigan University is a fairly large public school situated in Kalamazoo, Michigan. It awarded 19 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2021-2022.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Miami University - Oxford came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Geography Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. This fairly large school is located in Oxford, Ohio, and it awarded 16 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2021-2022.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.8% 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 89%.
With a ranking of #19, University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Geography Major in the Great Lakes Region list. UWM is a large school located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin that handed out 9 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2021-2022.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.8% 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%.
Ball State University landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Geography Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Located in Muncie, Indiana, this fairly large public school awarded 19 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s geography students in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Geography Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #21. UW Oshkosh is a fairly large public school situated in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. It awarded 5 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Geography at University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh
Grand Valley State University landed the #22 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Geography Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Grand Valley State University is a large school located in Allendale, Michigan that handed out 11 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point ranked #23 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Geography Major in the Great Lakes Region list. Stevens Point, Wisconsin is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s geography degrees to 1 students in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Geography at University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point
Saginaw Valley State University landed the #24 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Geography Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. This medium-sized school is located in University Center, Michigan, and it awarded 4 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2021-2022.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Geography at Saginaw Valley State University
Youngstown State University came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Geography Major in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Youngstown State University is located in Youngstown, Ohio and, has a fairly large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 5 bachelors’s geography degrees to qualified students.
The undergrad 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 our data sources and methodologies