by our College Data Analytics Team
It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. College Factual has developed its “Schools Highly Focused on Geography Major” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.
In 2021-2022, 8,281 people earned their degree in geography & cartography, making the major the 110th most popular in the United States. In , geography & cartography graduates who were awarded their degree in , earned an average of $39,673 and had an average of $22,654 in loans still to pay off.
For this year’s “Schools Highly Focused on Geography Major” ranking, we looked at 439 colleges that offer a degree in geography & cartography. That schools that top this list have a program in geography & cartography in which the largest percentage of students at the school are enrolled.
See our ranking methodology to learn more.
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 “Schools Highly Focused on Geography Major”.
We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons 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.
The following schools top our list of the Best “Schools Highly Focused on Geography Major”.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Unity College. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Geography Major list. Unity College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in New Gloucester, Maine. It awarded 24 ’s geography degrees in 2021-2022.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.6% 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%.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Clark University. The school came in at #2 for the Schools Highly Focused on Geography Major. Clark University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Worcester, Massachusetts. It awarded 27 ’s geography degrees in 2021-2022.
The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. 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%.
Out of the 439 schools in the Schools Highly Focused on Geography Major that were part of this year’s ranking, United States Air Force Academy landed the #3 spot on the list. USAFA is a small school located in USAF Academy, Colorado that handed out 39 ’s geography degrees in 2021-2022.
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. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Out of the 439 schools in the Schools Highly Focused on Geography Major that were part of this year’s ranking, United States Military Academy landed the #4 spot on the list. West Point is a small public school situated in West Point, New York. It awarded 66 ’s geography degrees in 2021-2022.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
Full United States Military Academy Geography & Cartography Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Pittsburgh - Johnstown. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Geography Major list. Pitt Johnstown is a public institution located in Johnstown, Pennsylvania. The school has a small population, and it awarded 12 ’s degrees in 2021-2022.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Geography & Cartography at Pitt Johnstown
With a ranking of #6, University of Mary Washington did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Geography Major list. University of Mary Washington is a public institution located in Fredericksburg, Virginia. The school has a small population, and it awarded 46 ’s degrees in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
University of Colorado at Colorado Springs ranked #7 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Geography Major list. This fairly large school is located in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and it awarded 51 ’s geography degrees in 2021-2022.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.4% 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%.
Read more about Geography & Cartography at University of Colorado at Colorado Springs
Macalester College did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Geography Major ranking, coming in at #8. Macalester is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Saint Paul, Minnesota. It awarded 0 ’s geography degrees in 2021-2022.
The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Middlebury College landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Geography Major ranking. Middlebury is located in Middlebury, Vermont and, has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 16 ’s geography degrees to qualified students.
With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.1% 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%.
Read full report on Geography & Cartography at Middlebury College
Gustavus Adolphus College landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Geography Major ranking. Saint Peter, Minnesota is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s geography degrees to 14 students in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Geography & Cartography at Gustavus Adolphus
Sonoma State University landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Geography Major ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Rohnert Park, California, and it awarded 73 ’s geography degrees in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Emory and Henry College came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Geography Major ranking. Emory & Henry College is located in Emory, Virginia and, has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 2 ’s geography degrees to qualified students.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Geography & Cartography at Emory and Henry College
Dartmouth College came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Geography Major ranking. Dartmouth is a private not-for-profit institution located in Hanover, New Hampshire. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 28 ’s degrees in 2021-2022.
With a freshman retention rate of 98%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Concord University came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Geography Major ranking. Concord University is a small school located in Athens, West Virginia that handed out 3 ’s geography degrees in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
University of Hawaii at Hilo came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Geography Major ranking. UH Hilo is a small school located in Hilo, Hawaii that handed out 10 ’s geography degrees in 2021-2022.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.3% 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%.
SUNY Oneonta came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Geography Major ranking. SUNY Oneonta is a medium-sized public school situated in Oneonta, New York. It awarded 17 ’s geography degrees in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
With a ranking of #17, Salem State University did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Geography Major list. Salem State University is located in Salem, Massachusetts and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 41 ’s geography degrees to qualified students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.4% 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 ranking of #18, University of North Alabama did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Geography Major list. Florence, Alabama is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s geography degrees to 18 students in 2021-2022.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
University of California - Santa Barbara ranked #19 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Geography Major list. University of California - Santa Barbara is a large public school situated in Santa Barbara, California. It awarded 114 ’s geography degrees in 2021-2022.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.5% 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%. 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 more about Geography & Cartography at University of California - Santa Barbara
Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Geography Major ranking. Albuquerque, New Mexico is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s geography degrees to 0 students in 2021-2022.
Full Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute Geography & Cartography Report
Carthage College did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Geography Major ranking, coming in at #21. Kenosha, Wisconsin is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s geography degrees to 8 students in 2021-2022.
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%.
With a ranking of #22, University of Florida-Online did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Geography Major list. UF Online is a medium-sized public school situated in Gainesville, Florida. It awarded 9 ’s geography degrees in 2021-2022.
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 91%.
Vassar College ranked #23 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Geography Major list. This small school is located in Poughkeepsie, New York, and it awarded 5 ’s geography degrees in 2021-2022.
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 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
Park University came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Geography Major ranking. Park University is a medium-sized school located in Parkville, Missouri that handed out 41 ’s geography degrees in 2021-2022.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Salisbury University landed the #25 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Geography Major ranking. Salisbury University is a public institution located in Salisbury, Maryland. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 25 ’s degrees in 2021-2022.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Geography & Cartography at Salisbury University
Not only did these schools make the top 50 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:
While not in the ’top 50’, these schools make the top 15% of this year’s ranking:
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 51 | Indiana University - Southeast | New Albany, IN |
| 52 | Ohio Wesleyan University | Delaware, OH |
| 53 | Southern Illinois University Edwardsville | Edwardsville, IL |
| 54 | University of Maryland - College Park | College Park, MD |
| 55 | Marshall University | Huntington, WV |
| 56 | Texas State University | San Marcos, TX |
| 57 | Colgate University | Hamilton, NY |
| 58 | Calvin University | Grand Rapids, MI |
| 59 | Millersville University of Pennsylvania | Millersville, PA |
| 60 | California State University - Long Beach | Long Beach, CA |
| 61 | University of Northern Colorado | Greeley, CO |
| 62 | University of Hawaii at Manoa | Honolulu, HI |
| 63 | Worcester State University | Worcester, MA |
| 64 | Central Connecticut State University | New Britain, CT |
| 65 | Auburn University at Montgomery | Montgomery, AL |
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 66 | University of Wisconsin - Madison | Madison, WI |
Read more about our data sources and methodologies
