2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Geography & Cartography in the Great Lakes Region (With Aid)
It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking - to help you make that 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 Getting Aid” ranking looked at 49 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s 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.
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Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid” 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. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.
Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid
The colleges and universities below are the best for great lakes region bachelor’s degree geography students with aid.
Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Geography & Cartography in the Great Lakes Region (With Aid)
Out of the 49 schools in the Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the #1 spot on the list. UIUC is a large school located in Champaign, Illinois that handed out 30 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.
UIUC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $15,880 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree geography students with aid per year to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Geography & Cartography at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Out of the 49 schools in the Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Wisconsin - La Crosse landed the #2 spot on the list. University of Wisconsin - La Crosse is a fairly large public school situated in La Crosse, Wisconsin. It awarded 26 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.
UW - La Crosse did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend UW - La Crosse is $14,580 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree geography students with aid.
The student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
Read more about Geography & Cartography at University of Wisconsin - La Crosse
Out of the 49 schools in the Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Wisconsin - Madison landed the #3 spot on the list. University of Wisconsin - Madison is located in Madison, Wisconsin and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 41 bachelors’s geography degrees to qualified students.
UW - Madison did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UW - Madison is $17,708 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Geography students with aid.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wisconsin - River Falls. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. UW - 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. The estimated yearly cost for UW - River Falls is $13,748 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree geography students with aid.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full University of Wisconsin - River Falls Geography & Cartography Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wisconsin - Whitewater. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid 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.
In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree geography students with aid list, UW - Whitewater has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Whitewater is $15,249 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Geography students with aid.
Indiana University - Bloomington landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. IU Bloomington is a public institution located in Bloomington, Indiana. The school has a large population, and it awarded 7 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
IU Bloomington did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Indiana University - Bloomington is $13,253 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree geography students with aid.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Geography & Cartography at Indiana University - Bloomington
University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #7. University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh is a public institution located in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 11 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree geography students with aid list, UW Oshkosh has also earned the #21 rank in our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UW Oshkosh is $15,463 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Geography students with aid.
Read full report on Geography & Cartography at University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh
University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, this fairly large public school awarded 32 degrees to qualified bachelors’s geography students in 2019-2020.
UW - Eau Claire also took the #12 spot in our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire is $16,020 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Geography students with aid.
With a ranking of #9, Indiana University - Southeast did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Indiana University - Southeast is a public institution located in New Albany, Indiana. The school has a small population, and it awarded 14 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for Indiana University - Southeast is $10,657 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Geography students with aid.
Full Indiana University - Southeast Geography & Cartography Report
University of Wisconsin - Parkside landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. UW - Parkside is a small school located in Kenosha, Wisconsin that handed out 9 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Parkside is $11,327 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Geography students with aid.
Read full report on Geography & Cartography at UW - Parkside
University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point is a medium-sized school located in Stevens Point, Wisconsin that handed out 6 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree geography students with aid 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. It costs about $14,465 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Geography students with aid per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point.
Read full report on Geography & Cartography at University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point
Ohio State University - Main Campus came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Ohio State University - Main Campus is a large school located in Columbus, Ohio that handed out 82 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.
Ohio State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Ohio State is $17,616 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Geography students with aid.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
Michigan State University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. This large school is located in East Lansing, Michigan, and it awarded 17 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.
Michigan State also made our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #8. The estimated yearly cost for Michigan State University is $19,173 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Geography students with aid.
The low 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
Read more about Geography & Cartography at Michigan State University
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 Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #14. UW - Platteville is located in Platteville, Wisconsin and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 3 bachelors’s geography degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW - Platteville, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UW - Platteville is $15,718 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree geography students with aid.
Read full report on Geography & Cartography at University of Wisconsin - Platteville
Ball State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #14. This large school is located in Muncie, Indiana, and it awarded 17 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.
Ball State also took the #24 spot in our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Ball State University is $15,147 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Geography students with aid.
Read more about Geography & Cartography at Ball State University
Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. IUPUI is a public institution located in Indianapolis, Indiana. The school has a large population, and it awarded 7 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis is $11,285 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Geography students with aid.
Read more about Geography & Cartography at Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis
With a ranking of #17, 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 Getting Aid list. This fairly large school is located in Edwardsville, Illinois, and it awarded 32 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.
SIUE also took the #19 spot in our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is $14,423 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Geography students with aid.
Read full report on Geography & Cartography at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
With a ranking of #18, Northern Illinois University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Dekalb, Illinois, this fairly large public school awarded 13 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s geography students in 2019-2020.
NIU also took the #22 spot in our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Northern Illinois University is $18,259 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree geography students with aid.
Eastern Illinois University ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. This medium-sized school is located in Charleston, Illinois, and it awarded 14 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for EIU is $14,607 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree geography students with aid.
Grand Valley State University landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Grand Valley State University is located in Allendale, Michigan and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 23 bachelors’s geography degrees to qualified students.
GVSU also made our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #11. The estimated yearly cost for Grand Valley State University is $17,646 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree geography students with aid.
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 full report on Geography & Cartography at Grand Valley State University
University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee 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 Getting Aid ranking. Located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, this large public school handed out 16 degrees to qualified bachelors’s geography students in 2019-2020.
It costs about $17,876 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree geography students with aid per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee.
With a ranking of #22, Indiana State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Indiana State is located in Terre Haute, Indiana and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 8 bachelors’s geography degrees to qualified students.
The estimated yearly cost for Indiana State is $13,896 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Geography students with aid.
Read full report on Geography & Cartography at Indiana State University
Illinois State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #23. Illinois State University is a large public school situated in Normal, Illinois. It awarded 31 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.
Illinois State also made our “Best Geography & Cartography Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #6. The estimated yearly cost for Illinois State is $20,895 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree geography students with aid.
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%.
Full Illinois State University Geography & Cartography Report
Central Michigan University landed the #24 spot on the 2022 Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Central Michigan University is a fairly large public school situated in Mount Pleasant, Michigan. It awarded 14 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $15,981 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Geography students with aid per year to attend Central Michigan.
Read full report on Geography & Cartography at Central Michigan
Northeastern Illinois University came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Geography Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Northeastern Illinois University is a medium-sized school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 8 bachelors’s geography degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for Northeastern Illinois University is $15,843 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree geography students with aid.
Read full report on Geography & Cartography at Northeastern Illinois 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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