[Geographic Information Science](/majors/social-sciences/geography-and-cartography/geographic-information-science/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
College Factual analyzed 8 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best value geographic information science schools.
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Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in geographic information science, balancing cost against outcomes.
Western Illinois University earned the #1 spot for value among geographic information science schools in Illinois. Set in the town of Macomb, Western Illinois University is a moderately-sized public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $14,572. Typical student debt for geographic information science graduates is $27,639. Soon after graduation, geographic information science degree recipients from Western Illinois University generally make around $47,926. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Western Illinois University admits about 71% of applicants.
A rank of #2 makes University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign one of the best values for geographic information science. Located in the city of Champaign, University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign is a very large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $18,267, while out-of-state students pay about $40,096. Typical student debt for geographic information science graduates is $25,000. Soon after graduation, geographic information science degree recipients from University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign generally make around $42,214. That is a strong return on a $25,000 median debt. University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign admits about 42% of applicants.
Students looking for strong value in geographic information science will find it at Depaul University, which ranked #3. Located in the city of Chicago, Depaul University is a very large private not-for-profit university. In-state tuition and fees average $45,405. Students borrow a median of $23,412 to complete the geographic information science program here. Soon after graduation, geographic information science degree recipients from Depaul University generally make around $47,464. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 76% of applicants are accepted.
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 8 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 2 ranked schools only.
- 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).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
