2023 Best Value Colleges for Geography & Cartography (Income $75-$110k) in the Plains States Region
19
Ranked Colleges
494
Degrees Awarded
$20,000
Avg Net Price*
When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Geography Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k” ranking - to help you make that decision.
Geography & Cartography is the 110th most popular major in the country with 8,526 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. 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.
Across the Plains States region, there were 494 geography and cartography graduates with average earnings and debt of $36,544 and $20,546 respectively.
For this year’s “Best Value Geography Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k” ranking, we looked at 19 colleges that offer a degree in geography and cartography. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great geography and cartography programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.
When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the geography and cartography program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
One Size Does Not Fit All
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 in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k”.
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 in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k
The colleges and universities below are the best for plains states region geography students whose families make $75-$110k.
Top 19 Best Value Colleges for Geography & Cartography (Income $75-$110k) in the Plains States Region
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Northwest Missouri State University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Geography Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k. This medium-sized school is located in Maryville, Missouri, and it awarded 32 ’s geography degrees in 2020-2021.
Northwest also made our “Best Geography & Cartography Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #9. The yearly cost to attend Northwest Missouri State University is $14,894 for Plains States Region Geography students whose families make $75-$110k.
Read full report on Geography & Cartography at Northwest Missouri State University
Out of the 19 schools in the Best Value Geography Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities landed the #2 spot on the list. UMN Twin Cities is a large public school situated in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It awarded 56 ’s geography degrees in 2020-2021.
UMN Twin Cities did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Geography & Cartography Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UMN Twin Cities is $18,938 for Plains States Region Geography students whose families make $75-$110k.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%.
Read full report on Geography & Cartography at UMN Twin Cities
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Northern Iowa. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Geography Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k. UNI is a medium-sized school located in Cedar Falls, Iowa that handed out 17 ’s geography degrees in 2020-2021.
UNI also made our “Best Geography & Cartography Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #6. It costs about $18,318 for Plains States Region Geography students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend UNI.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.8% 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%.
Read more about Geography & Cartography at University of Northern Iowa
Out of the 19 schools in the Best Value Geography Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Missouri - Columbia landed the #4 spot on the list. This large school is located in Columbia, Missouri, and it awarded 34 ’s geography degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our plains states region geography students whose families make $75-$110k list, Mizzou has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Geography & Cartography Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Missouri - Columbia is $19,956 for Plains States Region Geography students whose families make $75-$110k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.5% 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 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Geography & Cartography at Mizzou
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of North Dakota. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Geography Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. University of North Dakota is a fairly large school located in Grand Forks, North Dakota that handed out 10 ’s geography degrees in 2020-2021.
UND not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Geography & Cartography Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $17,859 for Plains States Region Geography students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend UND.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.8% 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%.
Read more about Geography & Cartography at UND
University of Iowa came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geography Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Iowa City, Iowa is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s geography degrees to 16 students in 2020-2021.
Iowa also took the #2 spot in our “Best Geography & Cartography Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Iowa is $20,719 for plains states region geography students whose families make $75-$110k.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%. 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 more about Geography & Cartography at University of Iowa
Park University landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Best Value Geography Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Parkville, Missouri is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s geography degrees to 42 students in 2020-2021.
Park University also made our “Best Geography & Cartography Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #4. It costs about $16,660 for plains states region geography students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Park University.
Full Park University Geography & Cartography Report
South Dakota State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Geography Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #8. This fairly large school is located in Brookings, South Dakota, and it awarded 25 ’s geography degrees in 2020-2021.
South Dakota State also took the #7 spot in our “Best Geography & Cartography Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $20,393 for Plains States Region Geography students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend South Dakota State University.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Geography & Cartography at South Dakota State
Minnesota State University - Mankato did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Geography Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #9. Minnesota State University - Mankato is a fairly large school located in Mankato, Minnesota that handed out 22 ’s geography degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Minnesota State Mankato, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best Geography & Cartography Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Minnesota State Mankato is $18,728 for Plains States Region Geography students whose families make $75-$110k.
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%.
Read more about Geography & Cartography at Minnesota State Mankato
Saint Cloud State University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geography Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Saint Cloud State University is a fairly large school located in Saint Cloud, Minnesota that handed out 15 ’s geography degrees in 2020-2021.
St. Cloud State University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best Geography & Cartography Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $17,440 for Plains States Region Geography students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend St. Cloud State University.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Geography & Cartography at St. Cloud State University
University of Kansas landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Best Value Geography Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. KU is a public institution located in Lawrence, Kansas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 20 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
KU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Geography & Cartography Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for KU is $22,804 for plains states region geography students whose families make $75-$110k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full KU Geography & Cartography Report
Kansas State University ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Geography Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. This large school is located in Manhattan, Kansas, and it awarded 20 ’s geography degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at K -State, the school also landed the #11 spot in our “Best Geography & Cartography Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend K -State is $20,156 for plains states region geography students whose families make $75-$110k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full Kansas State University Geography & Cartography Report
University of Missouri - Kansas City ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Geography Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k list. This fairly large school is located in Kansas City, Missouri, and it awarded 20 ’s geography degrees in 2020-2021.
UMKC also made our “Best Geography & Cartography Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #17. It costs about $18,700 for plains states region geography students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend University of Missouri - Kansas City.
The low undergrad 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 University of Missouri - Kansas City
University of Nebraska - Lincoln did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Geography Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #14. University of Nebraska - Lincoln is a public institution located in Lincoln, Nebraska. The school has a large population, and it awarded 7 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
UNL also made our “Best Geography & Cartography Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #15. The estimated yearly cost for University of Nebraska - Lincoln is $19,553 for plains states region geography students whose families make $75-$110k.
With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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 more about Geography & Cartography at UNL
University of Nebraska at Omaha did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Geography Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #15. UNOMAHA is located in Omaha, Nebraska and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 7 ’s geography degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UNOMAHA, the school also landed the #19 spot in our “Best Geography & Cartography Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $17,624 for plains states region geography students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend UNOMAHA.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.0% 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%.
Read full report on Geography & Cartography at UNOMAHA
Missouri State University - Springfield landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Best Value Geography Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Missouri State University - Springfield is located in Springfield, Missouri and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 21 ’s geography degrees to qualified students.
Missouri State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best Geography & Cartography Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Missouri State is $17,994 for plains states region geography students whose families make $75-$110k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full Missouri State Geography & Cartography Report
Gustavus Adolphus College landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Best Value Geography Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Located in Saint Peter, Minnesota, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 10 degrees to qualified ’s geography students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our plains states region geography students whose families make $75-$110k list, Gustavus Adolphus has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Geography & Cartography Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Gustavus Adolphus College is $25,710 for Plains States Region Geography students whose families make $75-$110k.
With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.2% 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%.
Full Gustavus Adolphus Geography & Cartography Report
Macalester College came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geography Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Macalester is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Saint Paul, Minnesota. It awarded 15 ’s geography degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Macalester, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Geography & Cartography Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $23,609 for plains states region geography students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Macalester.
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 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.2% 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 more about Geography & Cartography at Macalester College
University of St Thomas Minnesota landed the #19 spot on the 2023 Best Value Geography Schools in the Plains States Region For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Located in Saint Paul, Minnesota, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school awarded 7 degrees to qualified ’s geography students in 2020-2021.
UST MN did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best Geography & Cartography Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of St Thomas Minnesota is $30,108 for Plains States Region Geography students whose families make $75-$110k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%.
Full UST MN Geography & Cartography Report
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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
- *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.
