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Best Geography Schools Near Valparaiso, IN (2026)
Updated September 5, 2026BLS dataCollege ScorecardOn this page
Valparaiso, Indiana has 5 accredited schools offering geography programs. Valparaiso has a population of about 35,065. In the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area, the top-earning geography-related role is Geoscientists, Except Hydrologists and Geographers at a median $114,030 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Closest Geography Schools to Valparaiso
The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer geography programs near Valparaiso, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Valparaiso 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:
BOCSCORE
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 Valparaiso.
Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
BOC
Ranked by BOC Score — U.S. Dept. of Education outcome data. Advertising never affects rankings.
Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Indiana schools on the Indiana geography page.
Geography Wages Near Valparaiso
Valparaiso is part of the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area (BLS area code 16980). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Indiana statewide.
Occupation
Median Wage
Source
COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Geographers
N/A
IN statewide
–
Cartographers and Photogrammetrists
$74,800
IN statewide
$72,201
Surveyors
$80,060
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN
$77,278
Urban and Regional Planners
$98,840
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN
$95,405
Geoscientists, Except Hydrologists and Geographers
$114,030
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN
$110,068
Geography Teachers, Postsecondary
$103,280
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN
$99,691
Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health
$85,310
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN
$82,346
Computer Occupations, All Other
$101,660
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN
$98,127
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.
Valparaiso at a Glance
Metric
Value
Source
Regional Price Parity (US=100)
103.6 (above U.S. average)
BEA RPP 2024
Other Valparaiso-Area Cities With Geography Programs
How many accredited geography schools are near Valparaiso, IN?
Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering geography programs near Valparaiso. The closest is Valparaiso University in Valparaiso, IN (1.2 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Loyola University Chicago (47.7 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.
What are the highest-paying geography roles near Valparaiso?
Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying geography-related roles near Valparaiso are: Geoscientists, Except Hydrologists and Geographers ($114,030), Geography Teachers, Postsecondary ($103,280), Computer Occupations, All Other ($101,660). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Indiana statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.
Should I look at programs in Portage instead of Valparaiso?
Portage, IN is 10.0 miles from Valparaiso 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.
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.
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.
