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. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Schools Highly Focused on Geography Major” 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.
For this year’s “Schools Highly Focused on Geography Major” ranking, we looked at 439 colleges that offer a degree in geography and cartography. This a ranking of the schools where the largest percentage of students has enrolled in geography and cartography.
Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Schools Highly Focused on Geography Major” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.
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. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.
The colleges and universities below are the best for geography students.
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 is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Unity, Maine. It awarded 20 ’s geography degrees in 2020-2021.
Out of the 439 schools in the Schools Highly Focused on Geography Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Clark University landed the #2 spot on the list. Clark is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Worcester, Massachusetts. It awarded 81 ’s geography degrees in 2020-2021.
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. 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 87%.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend United States Air Force Academy. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Geography Major list. This small school is located in USAF Academy, Colorado, and it awarded 56 ’s geography degrees in 2020-2021.
Read full report on Geography & Cartography at United States Air Force Academy
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. United States Military Academy is a small public school situated in West Point, New York. It awarded 55 ’s geography degrees in 2020-2021.
Read more about Geography & Cartography at United States Military Academy
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Pittsburgh - Johnstown. The school came in at #5 for the Schools Highly Focused on Geography Major. Pitt Johnstown is located in Johnstown, Pennsylvania and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 21 ’s geography degrees to qualified students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.9% 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%.
University of Mary Washington ranked #6 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Geography Major list. UMW is a public institution located in Fredericksburg, Virginia. The school has a small population, and it awarded 57 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
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%.
University of Colorado at Colorado Springs did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Geography Major ranking, coming in at #7. UCCS is located in Colorado Springs, Colorado and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 73 ’s geography degrees to qualified students.
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%.
Macalester College came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Geography Major ranking. Located in Saint Paul, Minnesota, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 15 diplomas to qualified ’s geography students in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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 ranking of #9, Middlebury College did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Geography Major list. Located in Middlebury, Vermont, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 20 degrees to qualified ’s geography students in 2020-2021.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The low undergrad 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%.
Gustavus Adolphus College came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Geography Major ranking. This small school is located in Saint Peter, Minnesota, and it awarded 10 ’s geography degrees in 2020-2021.
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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
With a ranking of #11, Sonoma State University did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Geography Major list. SSU is located in Rohnert Park, California and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 45 ’s geography degrees to qualified students.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.9% 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%.
Emory and Henry College came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Geography Major ranking. Emory, Virginia is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s geography degrees to 7 students in 2020-2021.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Dartmouth College ranked #13 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Geography Major list. Located in Hanover, New Hampshire, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school awarded 39 diplomas to qualified ’s geography students in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Geography & Cartography at Dartmouth College
Concord University ranked #14 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Geography Major list. Located in Athens, West Virginia, this small public school handed out 8 degrees to qualified ’s geography students in 2020-2021.
Read full report on Geography & Cartography at Concord University
University of Hawaii at Hilo ranked #15 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Geography Major list. University of Hawaii at Hilo is a small public school situated in Hilo, Hawaii. It awarded 13 ’s geography degrees in 2020-2021.
Read full report on Geography & Cartography at University of Hawaii at Hilo
SUNY Oneonta ranked #16 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Geography Major list. SUNY Oneonta is a public institution located in Oneonta, New York. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 27 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
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%.
Salem State University ranked #17 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Geography Major list. Salem State University is a medium-sized school located in Salem, Massachusetts that handed out 32 ’s geography degrees in 2020-2021.
University of North Alabama did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Geography Major ranking, coming in at #18. Florence, Alabama is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s geography degrees to 40 students in 2020-2021.
Full University of North Alabama Geography & Cartography Report
University of California - Santa Barbara ranked #19 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Geography Major list. UCSB is a public institution located in Santa Barbara, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 119 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 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.
Full University of California - Santa Barbara Geography & Cartography Report
Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Geography Major ranking, coming in at #20. SIPI is a public institution located in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The school has a small population, and it awarded 1 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Carthage College did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Geography Major ranking, coming in at #21. This small school is located in Kenosha, Wisconsin, and it awarded 10 ’s geography degrees in 2020-2021.
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%.
University of Florida-Online came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Geography Major ranking. UF Online is a medium-sized public school situated in Gainesville, Florida. It awarded 12 ’s geography degrees in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% 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%.
Full University of Florida-Online Geography & Cartography Report
With a ranking of #23, Vassar College did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Geography Major list. Vassar College is a small school located in Poughkeepsie, New York that handed out 9 ’s geography degrees in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Park University came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Geography Major ranking. Located in Parkville, Missouri, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school handed out 42 degrees to qualified ’s geography students in 2020-2021.
Salisbury University came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Geography Major ranking. Salisbury, Maryland is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s geography degrees to 28 students in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
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
