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2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k

49 Ranked Colleges
688 Degrees Awarded
$31,150 Avg Salary
Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor's in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

Geography & Cartography is the 107th most popular major in the country with 8,936 degrees awarded in 2019-2020. In 2017-2018, geography and cartography graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $36,126 and had an average of $23,577 in loans still to pay off.

Across the Great Lakes region, there were 1,189 geography and cartography graduates with average earnings and debt of $31,150 and $24,739 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 688 geography and cartography graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,075 and $25,381 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking analyzed 49 colleges that offered a degree in geography and cartography. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality geography and cartography programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the geography and cartography program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

More Ways to Rank Geography & Cartography Schools

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

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.

Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k

The colleges and universities below are the best for great lakes region bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make $48-$75k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Geography & Cartography (Income $48-$75k) in the Great Lakes Region

#1

University of Chicago

Chicago, Illinois
#1 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Chicago. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. UChicago is a fairly large school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 4 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.

UChicago did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Chicago is $7,934 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Geography students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a freshman retention rate of 100%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 0.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read full report on Geography & Cartography at University of Chicago

#2

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois
#2 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Northwestern University. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k. Located in Evanston, Illinois, this large private not-for-profit school awarded 1 degrees to qualified bachelors’s geography students in 2019-2020.

Northwestern also took the #2 spot in our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Northwestern is $6,452 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Geography students whose families make $48-$75k.

The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. The student loan default rate at the school is 0.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Geography & Cartography at Northwestern University

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. UW - Madison is a large school located in Madison, Wisconsin that handed out 41 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.

UW - Madison not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend UW - Madison is $13,227 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Geography students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Geography & Cartography at UW - Madison

Out of the 49 schools in the Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the #4 spot on the list. UIUC is a public institution located in Champaign, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 30 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UIUC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $13,351 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Geography students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UIUC.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Geography & Cartography at UIUC

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Ohio State University - Main Campus. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. This large school is located in Columbus, Ohio, and it awarded 82 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make $48-$75k list, Ohio State has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Ohio State University - Main Campus is $13,982 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Geography students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low student loan default rate of 4.4% 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%.

Full Ohio State University - Main Campus Geography & Cartography Report

University of Wisconsin - La Crosse came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. UW - La Crosse is a fairly large school located in La Crosse, Wisconsin that handed out 26 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.

UW - La Crosse also made our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #7. The yearly cost to attend UW - La Crosse is $13,304 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Geography students whose families make $48-$75k.

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.

Read more about Geography & Cartography at University of Wisconsin - La Crosse

#7

University of Wisconsin - River Falls

River Falls, Wisconsin
#9 in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - River Falls came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. University of Wisconsin - River Falls is a medium-sized school located in River Falls, Wisconsin that handed out 10 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.

UW - River Falls did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $13,474 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of Wisconsin - River Falls.

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%.

Read more about Geography & Cartography at UW - River Falls

#8

Indiana University - Bloomington

Bloomington, Indiana

Indiana University - Bloomington landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Located in Bloomington, Indiana, this large public school awarded 7 degrees to qualified bachelors’s geography students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make $48-$75k list, IU Bloomington has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for IU Bloomington is $12,060 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make $48-$75k.

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

Full Indiana University - Bloomington Geography & Cartography Report

With a ranking of #9, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Edwardsville, Illinois, this fairly large public school handed out 32 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s geography students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make $48-$75k list, SIUE has also earned the #19 rank in our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $13,705 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Geography students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend SIUE.

Read more about Geography & Cartography at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville

#10

University of Wisconsin - Platteville

Platteville, Wisconsin
#16 in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - Platteville did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #10. Located in Platteville, Wisconsin, this medium-sized public school handed out 3 degrees to qualified bachelors’s geography students in 2019-2020.

UW - Platteville did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UW - Platteville is $15,152 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make $48-$75k.

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

#11

University of Wisconsin - Whitewater

Whitewater, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - Whitewater ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Whitewater, Wisconsin is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s geography degrees to 19 students in 2019-2020.

UW - Whitewater not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend UW - Whitewater is $14,941 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Geography & Cartography at University of Wisconsin - Whitewater

#12

University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire

Eau Claire, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, this fairly large public school handed out 32 degrees to qualified bachelors’s geography students in 2019-2020.

UW - Eau Claire did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire is $14,887 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make $48-$75k.

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

#13

Grand Valley State University

Allendale, Michigan

Grand Valley State University ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Allendale, Michigan is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s geography degrees to 23 students in 2019-2020.

GVSU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $15,775 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Geography students whose families make $48-$75k 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%.

Read more about Geography & Cartography at Grand Valley State University

#14

University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point

Stevens Point, Wisconsin

With a ranking of #14, University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. UW - Stevens Point is located in Stevens Point, Wisconsin and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 6 bachelors’s geography degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make $48-$75k list, UW - Stevens Point has also earned the #20 rank in our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UW - Stevens Point is $14,165 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Geography & Cartography at UW - Stevens Point

#15

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, Illinois

Northern Illinois University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #15. Northern Illinois University is a fairly large school located in Dekalb, Illinois that handed out 13 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at NIU, the school also landed the #22 spot in our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for NIU is $18,346 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full Northern Illinois University Geography & Cartography Report

#16

Eastern Illinois University

Charleston, Illinois

Eastern Illinois University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #16. EIU is located in Charleston, Illinois and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 14 bachelors’s geography degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $13,560 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Geography students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend EIU.

Read full report on Geography & Cartography at Eastern Illinois University

University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. UW Oshkosh is a fairly large school located in Oshkosh, Wisconsin that handed out 11 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.

UW Oshkosh also took the #21 spot in our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UW Oshkosh is $15,236 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Geography students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on Geography & Cartography at UW Oshkosh

With a ranking of #18, Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. IUPUI 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.

The estimated yearly cost for IUPUI is $12,314 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Geography students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Geography & Cartography at Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis

University of Wisconsin - Parkside ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Kenosha, Wisconsin, this small public school handed out 9 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s geography students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $12,166 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Geography students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UW - Parkside.

Read full report on Geography & Cartography at UW - Parkside

#20

Illinois State University

Normal, Illinois

Illinois State University came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Illinois State University is a large school located in Normal, Illinois that handed out 31 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make $48-$75k list, Illinois State has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Illinois State University is $19,080 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Geography students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%.

Read more about Geography & Cartography at Illinois State University

#21

Indiana University - Southeast

New Albany, Indiana

Indiana University - Southeast came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. New Albany, Indiana is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s geography degrees to 14 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Indiana University - Southeast is $12,387 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on Geography & Cartography at Indiana University - Southeast

#22

Ball State University

Muncie, Indiana

Ball State University ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Muncie, Indiana, this large public school handed out 17 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s geography students in 2019-2020.

Ball State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #24 on our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Ball State is $15,185 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full Ball State University Geography & Cartography Report

#23

Augustana College

Rock Island, Illinois
#10 in overall quality

Augustana College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #23. Augustana College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Rock Island, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 17 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Augustana not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $21,453 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Augustana College.

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

Read full report on Geography & Cartography at Augustana College

#24

Central Michigan University

Mount Pleasant, Michigan

Central Michigan University came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Mount Pleasant, Michigan, and it awarded 14 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Central Michigan is $14,591 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Geography students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on Geography & Cartography at Central Michigan

#25

Saginaw Valley State University

University Center, Michigan

Saginaw Valley State University ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Saginaw Valley State University is a medium-sized public school situated in University Center, Michigan. It awarded 7 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Saginaw Valley State University is $14,230 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree geography students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Geography & Cartography at Saginaw Valley State University

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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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