Geography and Cartography
Offered at 784 college programs that reported results. Here is what graduates earn and owe at each credential level, and which programs pay best.
By credential level
| Credential | Programs | Typical earnings, 1 yr | Typical earnings, 5 yrs | Typical debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Certificate | 167 | $45,420 | $64,330 | $20,852 |
| Associate | 96 | — | — | — |
| Bachelor's | 257 | $45,212 | $61,512 | $20,713 |
| Post-bacc certificate | 3 | — | — | — |
| Master's | 117 | $69,178 | $93,566 | — |
| Doctoral | 43 | — | — | — |
| Graduate certificate | 101 | $68,267 | $82,513 | — |
"Typical" is the median across programs of each program's median, counting only programs with unsuppressed data (at least three). It describes a typical program, not a national median for all graduates. Certificate figures include certificates earned at four-year colleges, often alongside a bachelor's; see degrees vs. certificates for a cleaner comparison. Source: College Scorecard field of study data.
One year after finishing, a typical certificate program in this field reports median earnings of $45,420, versus $45,212 for a typical bachelor's program.
Highest-earning certificate programs
| # | College | State | Earnings, 1 yr | Earnings, 5 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | DePaul University | IL | — | $69,194 | — |
| 2 | Texas State University | TX | — | $67,961 | — |
| 3 | Portland Community College | OR | — | $67,457 | — |
| 4 | Temple University | PA | $46,274 | $67,329 | $21,202 |
| 5 | University of Pittsburgh-Johnstown | PA | $45,192 | $66,866 | $23,250 |
| 6 | University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus | PA | $45,192 | $66,866 | $23,250 |
| 7 | Front Range Community College | CO | — | $65,009 | $22,827 |
| 8 | Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania | PA | — | $63,651 | $26,000 |
| 9 | Minnesota State University-Mankato | MN | — | $60,585 | $15,770 |
| 10 | Eastern Washington University | WA | — | $60,562 | — |
| 11 | Southeast Community College Area | NE | — | $58,260 | — |
| 12 | Florida Atlantic University | FL | $56,183 | — | $11,500 |
| 13 | Plymouth State University | NH | $43,816 | $54,904 | $26,000 |
| 14 | Arizona State University Campus Immersion | AZ | $51,353 | — | $20,000 |
| 15 | Arizona State University Digital Immersion | AZ | $51,353 | — | $20,000 |
Ranked by 5-year median earnings, or 1-year where 5-year is not reported.
Highest-earning associate programs
| # | College | State | Earnings, 1 yr | Earnings, 5 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Austin Community College District | TX | — | $59,339 | — |
Ranked by 5-year median earnings, or 1-year where 5-year is not reported.
Highest-earning bachelor's programs
| # | College | State | Earnings, 1 yr | Earnings, 5 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | George Washington University | DC | $42,120 | $101,850 | $21,375 |
| 2 | Dartmouth College | NH | $59,300 | $91,099 | — |
| 3 | University of Washington-Seattle Campus | WA | $52,519 | $78,924 | $11,247 |
| 4 | George Mason University | VA | — | $78,310 | — |
| 5 | Syracuse University | NY | — | $76,509 | $21,500 |
| 6 | Binghamton University | NY | $40,492 | $76,153 | $14,584 |
| 7 | University of California-Santa Barbara | CA | $45,501 | $75,751 | $11,817 |
| 8 | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | NC | — | $75,093 | — |
| 9 | SUNY College at Geneseo | NY | — | $74,309 | — |
| 10 | University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign | IL | — | $74,300 | — |
| 11 | Texas A&M University-College Station | TX | $55,165 | $73,911 | $20,927 |
| 12 | University of Maryland-College Park | MD | $49,871 | $73,694 | — |
| 13 | University of Mary Washington | VA | — | $73,086 | — |
| 14 | University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus | OK | $50,001 | $72,653 | — |
| 15 | Park University | MO | $55,394 | $72,453 | $7,938 |
Ranked by 5-year median earnings, or 1-year where 5-year is not reported.
Highest-earning post-bacc certificate programs
| # | College | State | Earnings, 1 yr | Earnings, 5 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus | PA | — | $94,303 | $26,000 |
| 2 | North Carolina State University at Raleigh | NC | $67,122 | — | — |
| 3 | Duke University | NC | $61,539 | — | — |
Ranked by 5-year median earnings, or 1-year where 5-year is not reported.
Highest-earning master's programs
| # | College | State | Earnings, 1 yr | Earnings, 5 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus | PA | $79,400 | $121,454 | — |
| 2 | Pennsylvania State University-World Campus | PA | $79,400 | $121,454 | — |
| 3 | George Mason University | VA | — | $119,954 | — |
| 4 | University of Southern California | CA | $76,900 | $103,913 | — |
| 5 | Clark University | MA | $62,059 | $103,551 | — |
| 6 | University of Denver | CO | — | $100,614 | — |
| 7 | University of Washington-Seattle Campus | WA | — | $96,100 | — |
| 8 | University of Washington-Tacoma Campus | WA | — | $96,100 | — |
| 9 | Johns Hopkins University | MD | $91,051 | $94,643 | — |
| 10 | California State University-Long Beach | CA | $72,004 | $92,489 | — |
| 11 | CUNY Lehman College | NY | — | $88,115 | — |
| 12 | University of Arizona | AZ | $69,954 | $87,172 | — |
| 13 | Texas State University | TX | — | $82,728 | — |
| 14 | Saint Mary's University of Minnesota | MN | — | $79,460 | — |
| 15 | University of Central Arkansas | AR | — | $77,952 | — |
Ranked by 5-year median earnings, or 1-year where 5-year is not reported.
Highest-earning graduate certificate programs
| # | College | State | Earnings, 1 yr | Earnings, 5 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | George Washington University | DC | — | $91,066 | — |
| 2 | University of Southern California | CA | — | $84,125 | — |
| 3 | University of Kentucky | KY | — | $80,901 | — |
| 4 | Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus | PA | $72,514 | — | — |
| 5 | Pennsylvania State University-World Campus | PA | $72,514 | — | — |
| 6 | University of Denver | CO | — | $70,231 | — |
| 7 | Utah State University | UT | $64,020 | — | — |
| 8 | North Carolina State University at Raleigh | NC | $53,431 | — | — |
Ranked by 5-year median earnings, or 1-year where 5-year is not reported.
Related fields
Quick answers
- How much do geography and cartography graduates earn?
- One year after finishing, a typical bachelor's program in geography and cartography reports median earnings of $45,212. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field of study data.
