by our College Data Analytics Team
When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Geography Major” ranking is part of that endeavor.
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.
At the master’s degree level specifically, there were 1,248 geography & cartography graduates with average earnings and debt of $58,979 and $43,370 respectively.
For this year’s “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Geography Major” ranking, we looked at 153 colleges that offer a degree in geography & cartography. The colleges and universities that top this list are recognized because their geography & cartography program is one of the largest majors offered at the school.
For more information, check out our ranking methodology.
When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Geography Major” list to help you make the college decision.
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. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.
The following schools top our list of the Best “Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Geography Major”.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Unity College. The school came in at #1 for the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Geography Major. New Gloucester, Maine is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out masters’s geography degrees to 14 students in 2021-2022.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Clark University. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Geography Major list. Located in Worcester, Massachusetts, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 24 diplomas to qualified masters’s geography students 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%. 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 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.
Read full report on Geography & Cartography at Clark University
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Redlands. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Geography Major list. University of Redlands is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Redlands, California. It awarded 14 masters’s geography degrees in 2021-2022.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Geography & Cartography at University of Redlands
Out of the 153 schools in the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Geography Major that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Mary Washington landed the #4 spot on the list. This small school is located in Fredericksburg, Virginia, and it awarded 2 masters’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%.
Read full report on Geography & Cartography at University of Mary Washington
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Washington - Tacoma Campus. The school came in at #5 for the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Geography Major. Located in Tacoma, Washington, this small public school handed out 13 diplomas to qualified masters’s geography 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 more about Geography & Cartography at University of Washington - Tacoma Campus
Chicago State University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Geography Major ranking, coming in at #6. CSU is a small public school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 1 masters’s geography degrees in 2021-2022.
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%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
Auburn University at Montgomery did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Geography Major ranking, coming in at #7. AUM is a medium-sized school located in Montgomery, Alabama that handed out 1 masters’s geography degrees in 2021-2022.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Geography & Cartography at Auburn University at Montgomery
Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Geography Major ranking. SMU MN is a small school located in Winona, Minnesota that handed out 5 masters’s geography degrees in 2021-2022.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Eastern Illinois University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Geography Major ranking, coming in at #9. Eastern Illinois University is located in Charleston, Illinois and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 1 masters’s geography degrees to qualified students.
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%.
With a ranking of #10, Michigan Technological University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Geography Major list. Located in Houghton, Michigan, this medium-sized public school handed out 5 diplomas to qualified masters’s geography students in 2021-2022.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. 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%.
With a ranking of #11, Northwest Missouri State University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Geography Major list. Northwest Missouri State University is a medium-sized public school situated in Maryville, Missouri. It awarded 16 masters’s geography degrees in 2021-2022.
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%.
Marshall University landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Geography Major ranking. Marshall University is a fairly large public school situated in Huntington, West Virginia. It awarded 15 masters’s geography degrees in 2021-2022.
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 full report on Geography & Cartography at Marshall University
With a ranking of #13, Salem State University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Geography Major list. Salem State is a public institution located in Salem, Massachusetts. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 14 masters’s 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%.
With a ranking of #14, University of Wisconsin - Madison did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Geography Major list. Located in Madison, Wisconsin, this large public school awarded 31 diplomas to qualified masters’s geography students in 2021-2022.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%.
Kent State University at Kent landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Geography Major ranking. Kent State is a large school located in Kent, Ohio that handed out 19 masters’s geography degrees in 2021-2022.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.5% 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%.
Full Kent State University at Kent Geography & Cartography Report
Binghamton University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Geography Major ranking, coming in at #16. Binghamton University is located in Vestal, New York and, has a fairly large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 10 masters’s geography degrees to qualified students.
With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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 Binghamton University
University of Arizona came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Geography Major ranking. This large school is located in Tucson, Arizona, and it awarded 50 masters’s geography degrees in 2021-2022.
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%.
Read full report on Geography & Cartography at University of Arizona
California State University - Long Beach came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Geography Major ranking. This large school is located in Long Beach, California, and it awarded 24 masters’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 freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Geography & Cartography at California State University - Long Beach
South Dakota State University came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Geography Major ranking. South Dakota State University is located in Brookings, South Dakota and, has a fairly large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 8 masters’s geography degrees to qualified students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.7% 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 South Dakota State University
Central Connecticut State University came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Geography Major ranking. CCSU is located in New Britain, Connecticut and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 5 masters’s geography degrees to qualified students.
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%.
University of Denver landed the #21 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Geography Major ranking. Located in Denver, Colorado, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 28 diplomas to qualified masters’s geography 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%. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.
University at Albany came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Geography Major ranking. UAlbany is a fairly large school located in Albany, New York that handed out 7 masters’s geography degrees in 2021-2022.
The undergrad 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 ranking of #23, University of Southern California did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Geography Major list. USC is a large school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 63 masters’s geography degrees in 2021-2022.
With a freshman retention rate of 96%, 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 school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Geography & Cartography at University of Southern California
University of Maryland - College Park came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Geography Major ranking. University of Maryland - College Park is located in College Park, Maryland and, has a large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 45 masters’s geography degrees to qualified students.
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 undergrad student loan default rate of 0.7% 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%.
University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Master’s Highly Focused on Geography Major ranking. CU Anschutz is a large school located in Denver, Colorado that handed out 13 masters’s geography degrees in 2021-2022.
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%.
Read more about our data sources and methodologies