Best Geography Schools Near McMinnville, OR (2026)

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

McMinnville, Oregon has 5 accredited schools offering geography programs. McMinnville has a population of about 34,493. Median household income is $70,060 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 26.1% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA metro area, the top-earning geography-related role is Geoscientists, Except Hydrologists and Geographers at a median $105,020 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Geography Schools to McMinnville

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer geography programs near McMinnville, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from McMinnville 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 McMinnville. 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

Portland Community College

Portland, OR 27.3 miles from McMinnville
  • 2 year
  • Offers a fully online program
46.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 19%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $44,592
Avg net price $10,405/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 74

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Portland State University

Portland, OR 32.2 miles from McMinnville
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
65.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 58%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $57,906
Avg net price $9,552/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 75%
  • Programs offered: 147

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

Oregon State University

Corvallis, OR 44.9 miles from McMinnville
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
73.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 67%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $64,010
Avg net price $19,604/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 88%
  • Programs offered: 162

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

University of Oregon

Eugene, OR 80.8 miles from McMinnville
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
71.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 74%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $61,324
Avg net price $22,182/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 86%
  • Programs offered: 115

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

Lane Community College

Eugene, OR 83.4 miles from McMinnville
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
38.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 22%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $38,075
Avg net price $9,123/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 48

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Central Oregon Community College

Bend, OR 120.0 miles from McMinnville
  • 2 year
30.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 25%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $38,940
Avg net price $12,266/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 37

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Geography Wages Near McMinnville

McMinnville is part of the Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA metro area (BLS area code 38900). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Oregon statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Geographers N/A OR statewide –
Cartographers and Photogrammetrists $93,430 Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA $88,643
Surveyors $98,610 Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA $93,558
Urban and Regional Planners $103,070 Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA $97,789
Geoscientists, Except Hydrologists and Geographers $105,020 Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA $99,639
Geography Teachers, Postsecondary $103,470 Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA $98,169
Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health $98,050 Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA $93,027
Computer Occupations, All Other $103,990 Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA $98,662

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.

McMinnville at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 34,493 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $70,060 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 26.1% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 105.4 (above U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other McMinnville-Area Cities With Geography Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited geography schools are near McMinnville, OR?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering geography programs near McMinnville. The closest is Portland Community College in Portland, OR (27.3 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Lane Community College (83.4 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying geography roles near McMinnville?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying geography-related roles near McMinnville are: Geoscientists, Except Hydrologists and Geographers ($105,020), Computer Occupations, All Other ($103,990), Geography Teachers, Postsecondary ($103,470). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Oregon statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Newberg instead of McMinnville?

Newberg, OR is 13.1 miles from McMinnville 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 McMinnville an affordable place to study geography?

McMinnville’s median household income of $70,060 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in McMinnville while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Oregon 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 McMinnville

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

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 Oregon: Online Programs (2026)