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2023 Best Value Geography Schools For Those Making $30-$48k

234 Ranked Colleges
8,526 Degrees Awarded
$6,600 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Geography Schools For Those Making $30-$48k

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 For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

In 2020-2021, 8,526 people earned their degree in geography and cartography, making the major the 110th most popular in the United States. In 2019-2020, geography and cartography graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $38,604 and had an average of $22,522 in loans still to pay off.

For this year’s “Best Value Geography Schools For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking, we looked at 234 colleges that offer a degree in geography and cartography. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent geography and cartography programs, but they also cost less that 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 and cartography program at the school. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

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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 Those Making $30-$48k”.

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. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.

Best Value Geography Schools For Those Making $30-$48k

The colleges and universities below are the best for geography students whose families make $30-$48k.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Geography & Cartography (Income $30-$48k)

1
UChicago crest
University of Chicago
Chicago, Illinois

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Chicago. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Geography Schools For Those Making $30-$48k. This fairly large school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 11 ’s geography degrees in 2020-2021.

UChicago not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Geography & Cartography Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for UChicago is $4,777 for Geography students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The low undergrad 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 100%.

Read full report on Geography & Cartography at University of Chicago

2
UPenn crest
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Pennsylvania. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Geography Schools For Those Making $30-$48k. University of Pennsylvania is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 16 ’s geography degrees to qualified students.

UPenn also took the #4 spot in our “Best Geography & Cartography Schools” ranking. It costs about $1,938 for Geography students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UPenn.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.9% 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 95%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read more about Geography & Cartography at University of Pennsylvania

3
Dartmouth crest
Dartmouth College
Hanover, New Hampshire

Out of the 234 schools in the Best Value Geography Schools For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Dartmouth College landed the #3 spot on the list. Located in Hanover, New Hampshire, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school awarded 39 degrees to qualified ’s geography students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our geography students whose families make $30-$48k list, Dartmouth has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Geography & Cartography Schools” ranking. It costs about $8,718 for Geography students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Dartmouth College.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.3% 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%.

Read more about Geography & Cartography at Dartmouth

4
Northwestern crest
Northwestern University
Evanston, Illinois

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Northwestern University. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Geography Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Evanston, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s geography degrees to 8 students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Northwestern, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best Geography & Cartography Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Northwestern University is $917 for Geography students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergraduate 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.

Read more about Geography & Cartography at Northwestern University

5
UF crest
University of Florida
Gainesville, Florida

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Florida. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Geography Schools For Those Making $30-$48k. University of Florida is a public institution located in Gainesville, Florida. The school has a large population, and it awarded 97 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

UF also took the #18 spot in our “Best Geography & Cartography Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Florida is $2,857 for Geography students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. 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 more about Geography & Cartography at University of Florida

6

University of Washington - Seattle Campus did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Geography Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #6. University of Washington - Seattle Campus is a large school located in Seattle, Washington that handed out 145 ’s geography degrees in 2020-2021.

UW Seattle also took the #3 spot in our “Best Geography & Cartography Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UW Seattle is $6,399 for Geography students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.1% 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 & Cartography Report

7

University of Wisconsin - Madison did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Geography Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #7. Madison, Wisconsin is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s geography degrees to 132 students in 2020-2021.

UW - Madison not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best Geography & Cartography Schools” list. It costs about $4,788 for Geography students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Geography & Cartography at University of Wisconsin - Madison

8

University of California - Los Angeles did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Geography Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #8. UCLA is a public institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 155 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCLA, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Geography & Cartography Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UCLA is $9,891 for geography students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low undergrad 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Geography & Cartography at University of California - Los Angeles

9
Johns Hopkins crest
Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, Maryland

Johns Hopkins University landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Best Value Geography Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Johns Hopkins University is a large school located in Baltimore, Maryland that handed out 11 ’s geography degrees in 2020-2021.

Johns Hopkins also made our “Best Geography & Cartography Schools” list, coming in at #5. The yearly cost to attend Johns Hopkins University is $4,859 for Geography students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Geography & Cartography at Johns Hopkins

10

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Geography Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #10. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a public institution located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. The school has a large population, and it awarded 38 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

UNC Chapel Hill also took the #23 spot in our “Best Geography & Cartography Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is $5,729 for geography students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Geography & Cartography Report

11

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Geography Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. UIUC is a large public school situated in Champaign, Illinois. It awarded 45 ’s geography degrees in 2020-2021.

UIUC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #15 on our “Best Geography & Cartography Schools” list. It costs about $8,036 for Geography students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 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.

Full University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Geography & Cartography Report

12
Vassar crest
Vassar College
Poughkeepsie, New York

Vassar College landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Best Value Geography Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Vassar is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Poughkeepsie, New York. It awarded 9 ’s geography degrees in 2020-2021.

Vassar excels when it comes to geography quality. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our “Best Geography & Cartography Schools” list. It costs about $13,193 for geography students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Vassar College.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Geography & Cartography at Vassar

13
Hunter crest
Hunter College
New York, New York

Hunter College came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geography Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. New York, New York is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s geography degrees to 26 students in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Hunter is $2,135 for Geography students whose families make $30-$48k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Hunter Geography & Cartography Report

14

University of South Florida - Main Campus ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Geography Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Tampa, Florida, this large public school awarded 33 diplomas to qualified ’s geography students in 2020-2021.

It costs about $5,632 for Geography students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend USF Tampa.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full USF Tampa Geography & Cartography Report

15
Colgate crest
Colgate University
Hamilton, New York

Colgate University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Geography Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #15. Colgate University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Hamilton, New York. The school has a small population, and it awarded 7 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Colgate did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #19 on our “Best Geography & Cartography Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Colgate University is $7,197 for Geography students whose families make $30-$48k.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full Colgate University Geography & Cartography Report

16
Middlebury crest
Middlebury College
Middlebury, Vermont

Middlebury College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Geography Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #16. Middlebury, Vermont is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s geography degrees to 20 students in 2020-2021.

Middlebury also made our “Best Geography & Cartography Schools” list, coming in at #21. It costs about $7,221 for geography students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Middlebury College.

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%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Middlebury College Geography & Cartography Report

17

Brigham Young University - Provo landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Best Value Geography Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Brigham Young University - Provo is a private not-for-profit institution located in Provo, Utah. The school has a large population, and it awarded 68 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at BYU, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Geography & Cartography Schools” ranking. It costs about $10,333 for Geography students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Brigham Young University - Provo.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.3% 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 92%.

Read full report on Geography & Cartography at Brigham Young University - Provo

18

With a ranking of #18, Ohio State University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Geography Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Ohio State University - Main Campus is located in Columbus, Ohio and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 88 ’s geography degrees to qualified students.

Ohio State also took the #16 spot in our “Best Geography & Cartography Schools” ranking. It costs about $8,581 for geography students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Ohio State.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 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 & Cartography at Ohio State

19

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities landed the #19 spot on the 2023 Best Value Geography Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Minneapolis, Minnesota is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s geography degrees to 56 students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on this list, UMN Twin Cities is in the top on our “Best Geography & Cartography Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 15% of all schools on our “Best Geography & Cartography Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Minnesota - Twin Cities is $8,609 for Geography students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Geography & Cartography at UMN Twin Cities

20
IU Bloomington crest
Indiana University - Bloomington
Bloomington, Indiana

With a ranking of #20, Indiana University - Bloomington did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Geography Schools For Those Making $30-$48k list. Bloomington, Indiana is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s geography degrees to 15 students in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Indiana University - Bloomington is $7,061 for geography students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low undergrad 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%. 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 full report on Geography & Cartography at Indiana University - Bloomington

21

University of Maryland - College Park landed the #21 spot on the 2023 Best Value Geography Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This large school is located in College Park, Maryland, and it awarded 99 ’s geography degrees in 2020-2021.

UMCP also made our “Best Geography & Cartography Schools” list, coming in at #8. The yearly cost to attend UMCP is $11,567 for geography students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%.

Full University of Maryland - College Park Geography & Cartography Report

22

California State University - Los Angeles landed the #22 spot on the 2023 Best Value Geography Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. California State University - Los Angeles is a large public school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 12 ’s geography degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Los Angeles is $2,701 for geography students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.6% 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%.

Full Cal State LA Geography & Cartography Report

23
CNM crest
Central New Mexico Community College
Albuquerque, New Mexico

Central New Mexico Community College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Geography Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #23. This fairly large school is located in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and it awarded 16 ’s geography degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for Central New Mexico Community College is $3,059 for geography students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Geography & Cartography at Central New Mexico Community College

24

University of California - Santa Barbara did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Geography Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #24. Santa Barbara, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s geography degrees to 119 students in 2020-2021.

UCSB also took the #14 spot in our “Best Geography & Cartography Schools” ranking. It costs about $11,606 for Geography students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UCSB.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.

Read more about Geography & Cartography at UCSB

25

California State University - Long Beach came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geography Schools For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. California State University - Long Beach is a large public school situated in Long Beach, California. It awarded 81 ’s geography degrees in 2020-2021.

The estimated yearly cost for CSULB is $7,573 for geography students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full CSULB Geography & Cartography Report

Rest of the Best 36 in Best Value Geography Schools For Those Making $30-$48k

Not only did these schools make the top 36 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

26
27
Florida State crest
Florida State University
Tallahassee, Florida
28
29
UGA crest
University of Georgia
Athens, Georgia
30
Lehman crest
Lehman College
Bronx, New York
31
32
URichmond crest
University of Richmond
University of Richmond, Virginia
33
34
35
American River crest
American River College
Sacramento, California
36
USC crest
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California

Notes and References

References

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