Best Geography Schools Near Cottage Grove, MN (2026)

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

Cottage Grove, Minnesota has 5 accredited schools offering geography programs, with tuition ranging from $56,076 to $67,613 per year for indexed programs. Cottage Grove has a population of about 40,124. Median household income is $121,452 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 39.3% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI metro area, the top-earning geography-related role is Geography Teachers, Postsecondary at a median $107,830 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Geography Schools to Cottage Grove

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer geography programs near Cottage Grove, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Cottage Grove 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 Cottage Grove. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

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

Sort:
#1

University of St Thomas

Saint Paul, MN 15.5 miles from Cottage Grove
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
73.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 78%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $73,739
Avg net price $29,155/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 87%
  • Programs offered: 109

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

University of Minnesota-Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN 18.6 miles from Cottage Grove
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
83.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 83%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $69,020
Avg net price $16,778/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 91%
  • Programs offered: 250

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

Sponsored Ad
#3

Gustavus Adolphus College

Saint Peter, MN 61.7 miles from Cottage Grove
  • 4 year
  • Accredited
64.3 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 61%
Graduation rate 76%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $65,607
Avg net price $22,900/yr
Tuition
In‑state$56,076
Out‑of‑state$56,076
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 86%
  • Programs offered: 42

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Minnesota State University-Mankato

Mankato, MN 70.2 miles from Cottage Grove
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
58.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 57%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $56,922
Avg net price $19,139/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 80%
  • Programs offered: 142

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

Sponsored Ad
#5

Saint Cloud State University

Saint Cloud, MN 78.4 miles from Cottage Grove
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
54.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 51%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $55,813
Avg net price $13,529/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 69%
  • Programs offered: 123

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Saint Mary's University of Minnesota

Winona, MN 80.8 miles from Cottage Grove
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
71.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 67%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $58,170
Avg net price $11,704/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 76%
  • Programs offered: 70

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

Sponsored Ad
#7

Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College

Cloquet, MN 131.5 miles from Cottage Grove
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
54.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 37%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $45,665
Avg net price $12,677/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 44%
  • Programs offered: 15

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

University of Minnesota-Duluth

Duluth, MN 144.1 miles from Cottage Grove
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
68.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 65%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $62,616
Avg net price $18,743/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 81%
  • Programs offered: 94

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

Sponsored Ad

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

Geography Wages Near Cottage Grove

Cottage Grove is part of the Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI metro area (BLS area code 33460). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Minnesota statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Geographers N/A MN statewide –
Cartographers and Photogrammetrists $97,820 Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI $93,340
Surveyors $91,750 Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI $87,548
Urban and Regional Planners $103,970 Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI $99,208
Geoscientists, Except Hydrologists and Geographers $83,100 Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI $79,294
Geography Teachers, Postsecondary $107,830 Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI $102,891
Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health $97,860 Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI $93,378
Computer Occupations, All Other $91,730 Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI $87,529

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.

Cottage Grove at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 40,124 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $121,452 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 39.3% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 104.8 (above U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Cottage Grove-Area Cities With Geography Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited geography schools are near Cottage Grove, MN?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering geography programs near Cottage Grove. The closest is Saint Paul College in Saint Paul, MN (12.8 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Gustavus Adolphus College (61.7 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying geography roles near Cottage Grove?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying geography-related roles near Cottage Grove are: Geography Teachers, Postsecondary ($107,830), Urban and Regional Planners ($103,970), Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health ($97,860). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Minnesota statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Woodbury instead of Cottage Grove?

Woodbury, MN is 6.2 miles from Cottage Grove 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 Cottage Grove an affordable place to study geography?

Cottage Grove’s median household income of $121,452 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Cottage Grove while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Minnesota 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 Cottage Grove

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

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.

Back to Best Geography Schools in Minnesota: Online Programs (2026)