Best Geography Programs in the Midwest (2026)
Updated
Part of Best Social Sciences Colleges in the Midwest
Regional list from Best Geography Programs in the United States
This page ranks the 37 Geography programs in the Midwest by median earnings of Geography graduates four years after completing, highest first. Southern Illinois University Edwardsville leads the list with median earnings of $75,877 for its graduates four years after completing.
Across the listed schools, the median figure is $53,992, with a spread of $47,858 from a high of $75,877 to a low of $28,019. For 12 of the 37 programs the figure is the two-year completion median rather than the four-year one.
Public institutions account for 33 of the 37 programs, or 89%, alongside 4 private nonprofits. Indiana University-Southeast posts the lowest average net price on the page at $7,888.
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign ranks 35th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions.
The ranked list
| Rank | School | Program Earnings | Average net price | Net price, families under $30K | Admission rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Southern Illinois University Edwardsville · Edwardsville, IL | $75,877 | $14,889 | $8,483 | 97.5% |
| Southern Illinois University Edwardsville ranks 1st on this list with median earnings of $75,877 for its Geography graduates four years after completing, and it reports an admission rate of 98%. | |||||
| 2 | Illinois State University · Normal, IL | $69,383 | $19,398 | $11,568 | 88.2% |
| Illinois State University posts median earnings of $69,383 four years after completing, alongside an average net price of $19,398. | |||||
| 3 | Park University · Parkville, MO | $65,890 | $21,032 | $18,687 | Not reported |
| A private nonprofit university in Parkville, Park University reports median federal debt of $21,685 across all of its borrowers who completed, and its Geography graduates earn a median of $65,890 four years after completing. | |||||
| 4 | Central Michigan University · Mount Pleasant, MI | $62,999 | $17,597 | $12,185 | 89.8% |
| Central Michigan University ranks 4th on this list, and its Geography completers who borrowed left with a median of $26,250 in federal loans. | |||||
| 5 | University of Wisconsin-Whitewater · Whitewater, WI | $62,589 | $14,158 | $8,440 | 85.7% |
| With median earnings of $62,589 four years after completing, University of Wisconsin-Whitewater reports an average net price of $8,440 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
| 6 | University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign · Champaign, IL | $62,504 | $14,355 | $2,038 | 42.4% |
| University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign admits 42% of applicants and ranks 35th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions. | |||||
| 7 | Grand Valley State University · Allendale, MI | $61,831 | $16,317 | $12,272 | 83.0% |
| Grand Valley State University reports median earnings of $61,831 for its Geography graduates four years after completing, with a cohort of 11 graduates in the earnings cohort. | |||||
| 8 | Ohio State University-Main Campus · Columbus, OH | $60,363 | $17,339 | $4,885 | 60.6% |
| Ohio State University-Main Campus ranks 8th on this list, and its Geography graduates earn a median of $60,363 four years after completing. | |||||
| 9 | University of Iowa · Iowa City, IA | $59,578 | $22,531 | $15,316 | 83.6% |
| An average net price of $22,531 coincides with median earnings of $59,578 four years after completing for University of Iowa. | |||||
| 10 | University of Wisconsin-Madison · Madison, WI | $59,424 | $17,354 | $4,200 | 45.2% |
| University of Wisconsin-Madison reports median federal debt of $18,689 among Geography completers who borrowed, and its graduates earn a median of $59,424 four years after completing. | |||||
| 11 | University of Minnesota-Duluth · Duluth, MN | $58,569 | $18,743 | $7,256 | 88.8% |
| For families earning under $30,000, University of Minnesota-Duluth reports an average net price of $7,256, while its Geography graduates earn a median of $58,569 four years after completing. | |||||
| 12 | University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire · Eau Claire, WI | $58,129 | $16,550 | $10,270 | 82.3% |
| University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire ranks 12th on this list, with median earnings of $58,129 for its Geography graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 13 | University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee · Milwaukee, WI | $57,604 | $15,014 | $10,329 | 90.7% |
| Ranks 13th on this list, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee reports median earnings of $57,604 for its Geography graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 14 | Michigan State University · East Lansing, MI | $56,515 | $19,680 | $7,068 | 84.8% |
| Graduates across all fields who borrowed left with a median of $23,250 in federal loans at Michigan State University, which ranks 69th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions. | |||||
| 15 | Ohio University-Main Campus · Athens, OH | $56,381 | $21,637 | $15,673 | 85.0% |
| Ohio University-Main Campus admits 85% of applicants and posts median earnings of $56,381 for its Geography graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 16 | University of Missouri-Columbia · Columbia, MO | $56,191 | $20,268 | $13,841 | 78.5% |
| University of Missouri-Columbia shows an average net price of $13,841 for families earning under $30,000, alongside median earnings of $56,191 for its Geography graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 17 | Minnesota State University-Mankato · Mankato, MN | $56,022 | $19,139 | $12,339 | 88.4% |
| Minnesota State University-Mankato ranks 17th on this list and reports a school-wide median federal debt of $21,106 across all of its borrowers who completed. | |||||
| 18 | Northwest Missouri State University · Maryville, MO | $55,656 | $16,244 | $13,176 | 86.1% |
| With an admission rate of 86%, Northwest Missouri State University reports median earnings of $55,656 for its Geography graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 19 | Ball State University · Muncie, IN | $53,992 | $14,940 | $7,834 | 85.5% |
| Ball State University shows median federal debt of $24,750 among Geography completers who borrowed, and its graduates four years after completing earn a median of $53,992. | |||||
| 20 | University of Minnesota-Twin Cities · Minneapolis, MN | $53,666 | $16,778 | $6,642 | 79.8% |
| University of Minnesota-Twin Cities reports an average net price of $6,642 for families earning under $30,000 and ranks 107th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions. | |||||
| 21 | Kent State University at Kent · Kent, OH | $53,656 | $20,787 | $15,280 | 86.3% |
| Kent State University at Kent ranks 21st on this list, with median earnings of $53,656 for its Geography graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 22 | Eastern Michigan University · Ypsilanti, MI | $53,455 | $15,407 | $13,250 | 79.6% |
| Eastern Michigan University reports median federal debt of $15,001 among Geography completers who borrowed, alongside an admission rate of 80%. | |||||
| 23 | Western Michigan University · Kalamazoo, MI | $49,921 | $15,273 | $5,263 | 84.6% |
| Western Michigan University shows an average net price of $5,263 for families earning under $30,000, and its Geography graduates earn a median of $49,921 four years after completing. | |||||
| 24 | Augustana College · Rock Island, IL | $49,763 | $22,736 | $15,787 | 62.7% |
| A private nonprofit institution in Rock Island, Augustana College reports median earnings of $49,763 for its Geography graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 25 | Northern Illinois University · Dekalb, IL | $47,738 | $13,391 | $10,126 | 69.8% |
| Northern Illinois University reports median earnings of $47,738 for its Geography graduates four years after completing, with 13 graduates in the earnings cohort. | |||||
| 26 | Kansas State University · Manhattan, KS | $42,682 | $19,406 | $13,178 | 81.7% |
| Kansas State University admits 82% of applicants and shows an average net price of $19,406. | |||||
| 27 | Miami University-Oxford · Oxford, OH | $42,682 | $28,384 | $16,015 | 75.4% |
| Miami University-Oxford ranks 626th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions, and its Geography graduates earned a median of $42,682 four years after completing. | |||||
| 28 | Gustavus Adolphus College · Saint Peter, MN | $38,289 | $22,900 | $12,015 | 61.0% |
| A private nonprofit institution in Saint Peter, Gustavus Adolphus College has an average net price of $12,015 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
| 29 | University of Wisconsin-La Crosse · La Crosse, WI | $36,488 | $16,210 | $8,224 | 75.5% |
| University of Wisconsin-La Crosse ranks 29th on this list and reports median earnings of $36,488 for its Geography graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 30 | Indiana University-Indianapolis · Indianapolis, IN | $35,420 | $11,668 | $5,701 | 76.4% |
| Indiana University-Indianapolis posts an average net price of $11,668 and ranks 139th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions. | |||||
| 31 | Carthage College · Kenosha, WI | $33,459 | $26,565 | $23,293 | 87.1% |
| Carthage College reports median earnings of $33,459 for its Geography graduates four years after completing, alongside an admission rate of 87%. | |||||
| 32 | Eastern Illinois University · Charleston, IL | $33,281 | $12,786 | $9,828 | 65.4% |
| Eastern Illinois University has an average net price of $9,828 for families earning under $30,000 and a cohort of 6 graduates in the earnings data. | |||||
| 33 | Missouri State University-Springfield · Springfield, MO | $32,925 | $17,613 | $13,718 | 90.5% |
| Missouri State University-Springfield admits 91% of applicants and its Geography graduates earned a median of $32,925 four years after completing. | |||||
| 34 | Indiana University-Southeast · New Albany, IN | $32,569 | $7,888 | $3,782 | 84.5% |
| Indiana University-Southeast ranks 569th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions and reports an average net price of $7,888. | |||||
| 35 | University of Wisconsin-Platteville · Platteville, WI | $29,685 | $16,032 | $9,009 | 89.4% |
| University of Wisconsin-Platteville reports median earnings of $29,685 for its Geography graduates four years after completing, with 5 graduates in the earnings cohort. | |||||
| 36 | Youngstown State University · Youngstown, OH | $28,598 | $12,767 | $9,328 | 84.5% |
| Youngstown State University has an average net price of $9,328 for families earning under $30,000 and an admission rate of 84%. | |||||
| 37 | Indiana University-Bloomington · Bloomington, IN | $28,019 | $16,264 | $6,324 | 78.2% |
| Indiana University-Bloomington ranks 37th on this list, reporting median earnings of $28,019 for its Geography graduates four years after completing. | |||||
How this list is ordered
Programs are ordered by the median earnings of their Geography graduates four years after completing, highest first. Only programs with a reported earnings cohort in the Midwest appear. The figure is the median earnings for federally aided completers of Geography programs who were working and not enrolled, measured four years after completing. For 12 of the 37 listed programs the figure is the two-year completion median rather than the four-year one. The metric does not adjust for graduate school enrollment, cost, or who enrolls, and it is not a measure of teaching quality. Southern Illinois University Edwardsville leads Illinois State University by $6,494.