Best Geography Schools Near Champaign, IL (2026)

Updated September 5, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Champaign, Illinois has 5 accredited schools offering geography programs, with tuition ranging from $4,415 to $34,309 per year for indexed programs. Champaign has a population of about 88,822. Median household income is $57,544 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 53.6% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Illinois, the top-earning geography-related role is Geography Teachers, Postsecondary at a median $100,790 annually (BLS, May 2025).

Closest Geography Schools to Champaign

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer geography programs near Champaign, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Champaign city center. The list is rebuilt from federal IPEDS data on every site update.

How We Rank Schools

Every school list on this site is ordered by the BOC Score, computed from the most recent school-level data published by the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and IPEDS). To qualify, a school must be currently operating and accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Each eligible school is then scored on five measures, percentile-ranked against schools at the same credential level:

  • Graduation rate 30%
  • Median earnings, 10 years after entry 25%
  • Average net price (lower is better) 20%
  • Retention rate 15%
  • Fully online availability 10%

Schools without enough outcome data appear after ranked schools, without a score. On this page, schools are ordered by distance from Champaign. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

Ranked by BOC Score — U.S. Dept. of Education outcome data. Advertising never affects rankings.

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#1

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Champaign, IL 2.4 miles from Champaign
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
90.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 86%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $81,054
Avg net price $14,355/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 95%
  • Programs offered: 177

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Illinois schools on the Illinois geography page.

Geography Wages Near Champaign

Champaign is part of the Champaign-Urbana, IL metro area (BLS area code 16580). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Illinois statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Geographers $92,640 IL statewide $99,935
Cartographers and Photogrammetrists $54,680 IL statewide $58,986
Surveyors $75,980 IL statewide $81,963
Urban and Regional Planners $81,840 Champaign-Urbana, IL $88,285
Geoscientists, Except Hydrologists and Geographers $96,950 IL statewide $104,585
Geography Teachers, Postsecondary $100,790 IL statewide $108,727
Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health $65,360 Champaign-Urbana, IL $70,507
Computer Occupations, All Other $78,100 Champaign-Urbana, IL $84,250

Source: BLS, May 2025 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes wage data at the metro (MSA) and state level – not by individual city.

Champaign at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 88,822 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $57,544 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 53.6% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 92.7 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Champaign-Area Cities With Geography Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited geography schools are near Champaign, IL?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering geography programs near Champaign. The closest is University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in Champaign, IL (2.4 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Indiana State University (64.0 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying geography roles near Champaign?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying geography-related roles near Champaign are: Geography Teachers, Postsecondary ($100,790), Geoscientists, Except Hydrologists and Geographers ($96,950), Geographers ($92,640). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Illinois statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Urbana instead of Champaign?

Urbana, IL is 4.0 miles from Champaign and has its own set of local geography programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Champaign an affordable place to study geography?

Champaign’s median household income of $57,544 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Champaign while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Illinois public universities often offer reduced in-state online tuition.

How do I verify a program is accredited?

Confirm institutional accreditation via the U.S. Department of Education database (U.S. Dept. of Education database), and check for any program-specific accreditation listed by the school.

Learn More About Geography Programs

Other Programs Available in Champaign

Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Champaign:

Data verified: September 5, 2026. Salary, employment, and tuition figures on this page are sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2024–2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.

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