Geography and Cartography: earnings, debt, and careers
CIP 45.07. Official graduate outcomes from the U.S. Department of Education across 1,164 programs, and the careers this field is linked to.
Graduate earnings by credential level
| Credential | Programs | Graduates (recent year) | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Typical program median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Undergraduate certificate | 257 | 1,685 | $46,721 | $58,705 | $20,852 17 programs |
| Associate's degree | 148 | 363 | $45,792 | $53,052 | Data unavailable |
| Bachelor's degree | 313 | 2,952 | $44,734 | $57,853 | $20,714 54 programs |
| Post-baccalaureate certificate | 30 | 0 | $59,862 | $78,228 | $26,000 1 programs |
| Master's degree | 178 | 1,107 | $66,118 | $79,784 | Data unavailable |
| Doctoral degree | 78 | 173 | $72,603 | $86,469 | Data unavailable |
| Professional degree (JD, MD, and similar) | 1 | 0 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Graduate certificate | 159 | 825 | $62,028 | $72,959 | Data unavailable |
National earnings are published by the Department of Education for each field and credential level Verified data. Typical program median debt is ConnectPrep's calculation: the median across programs of each program's median federal debt Calculated estimate. It covers federal loans only.
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, Most Recent Field of Study Data. Varies by measure; see measure definitions. Published October 15, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Undergraduate certificate programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Florida Atlantic University FL · Public · 23 graduates measured | $56,183 | $59,554 | $11,500 |
| Arizona State University Campus Immersion AZ · Public · 80 graduates measured | $51,353 | Data unavailable | $20,000 |
| Arizona State University Digital Immersion AZ · Public · 80 graduates measured | $51,353 | Data unavailable | $20,000 |
| University of Georgia GA · Public · 17 graduates measured | $48,637 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Temple University PA · Public · 30 graduates measured | $46,274 | $64,668 | $21,202 |
| Grand Valley State University MI · Public · 30 graduates measured | $45,649 | $56,401 | $20,125 |
| University of Pittsburgh-Johnstown PA · Public · 31 graduates measured | $45,192 | $64,681 | $23,250 |
| University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus PA · Public · 31 graduates measured | $45,192 | $64,681 | $23,250 |
| Plymouth State University NH · Public · 23 graduates measured | $43,816 | $57,887 | $26,000 |
| University of Wisconsin-Whitewater WI · Public · 33 graduates measured | $42,409 | Data unavailable | $19,198 |
| Appalachian State University NC · Public · 40 graduates measured | $39,589 | $50,551 | $19,500 |
| Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus PA · Public · 25 graduates measured | $38,806 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Bachelor's degree programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Portland State University OR · Public · 24 graduates measured | $59,400 | $54,310 | Data unavailable |
| Dartmouth College NH · Private, nonprofit · 30 graduates measured | $59,300 | $72,985 | Data unavailable |
| Park University MO · Private, nonprofit · 35 graduates measured | $55,394 | $65,890 | $7,938 |
| Texas A&M University-College Station TX · Public · 60 graduates measured | $55,165 | $65,228 | $20,927 |
| Arizona State University Campus Immersion AZ · Public · 185 graduates measured | $54,367 | $65,759 | $26,043 |
| Arizona State University Digital Immersion AZ · Public · 185 graduates measured | $54,367 | $65,759 | $26,043 |
| Ohio State University-Main Campus OH · Public · 71 graduates measured | $52,705 | $60,363 | $25,277 |
| University of Washington-Seattle Campus WA · Public · 119 graduates measured | $52,519 | $64,950 | $11,247 |
| California State University-Chico CA · Public · 16 graduates measured | $52,155 | $69,500 | Data unavailable |
| Towson University MD · Public · 19 graduates measured | $51,640 | Data unavailable | $20,250 |
| University of Arizona AZ · Public · 29 graduates measured | $50,540 | Data unavailable | $21,250 |
| University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus OK · Public · 23 graduates measured | $50,001 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Salem State University MA · Public · 21 graduates measured | $49,990 | $58,593 | Data unavailable |
| University of Maryland-College Park MD · Public · 25 graduates measured | $49,871 | $63,835 | Data unavailable |
| Oregon State University OR · Public · 25 graduates measured | $49,819 | Data unavailable | $22,843 |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Post-baccalaureate certificate programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Carolina State University at Raleigh NC · Public · 21 graduates measured | $67,122 | $72,630 | Data unavailable |
| Duke University NC · Private, nonprofit · 21 graduates measured | $61,539 | $81,405 | Data unavailable |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Master's degree programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Johns Hopkins University MD · Private, nonprofit · 16 graduates measured | $91,051 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus PA · Public · 69 graduates measured | $79,400 | $102,798 | Data unavailable |
| Pennsylvania State University-World Campus PA · Public · 69 graduates measured | $79,400 | $102,798 | Data unavailable |
| University of Wisconsin-Madison WI · Public · 44 graduates measured | $77,559 | $111,616 | Data unavailable |
| University of Maryland-College Park MD · Public · 27 graduates measured | $77,062 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| University of Southern California CA · Private, nonprofit · 22 graduates measured | $76,900 | $83,256 | Data unavailable |
| California State University-Long Beach CA · Public · 34 graduates measured | $72,004 | $87,165 | Data unavailable |
| University of Arizona AZ · Public · 46 graduates measured | $69,954 | $80,622 | Data unavailable |
| University of Massachusetts-Amherst MA · Public · 17 graduates measured | $68,403 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Temple University PA · Public · 25 graduates measured | $66,794 | $78,144 | Data unavailable |
| University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus CO · Public · 22 graduates measured | $64,840 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Kent State University at Kent OH · Public · 28 graduates measured | $64,112 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Clark University MA · Private, nonprofit · 23 graduates measured | $62,059 | $76,513 | Data unavailable |
| Arizona State University Campus Immersion AZ · Public · 22 graduates measured | $59,470 | $69,050 | Data unavailable |
| Arizona State University Digital Immersion AZ · Public · 22 graduates measured | $59,470 | $69,050 | Data unavailable |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Graduate certificate programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus PA · Public · 71 graduates measured | $72,514 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Pennsylvania State University-World Campus PA · Public · 71 graduates measured | $72,514 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Utah State University UT · Public · 18 graduates measured | $64,020 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| North Carolina State University at Raleigh NC · Public · 30 graduates measured | $53,431 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Careers linked to Geography and Cartography
| Occupation | Median wage, all workers | Change 2025 to 2035 | Typical entry education |
|---|---|---|---|
| Managers, all other | $141,900 | +4.9% | Bachelor's degree |
| Cartographers and photogrammetrists | $81,390 | +7.4% | Bachelor's degree |
| Surveying and mapping technicians | $54,240 | +5.8% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Geographers | $102,040 | -2.1% | Bachelor's degree |
| Geography teachers, postsecondary | $97,590 | +2.7% | Doctoral or professional degree |
Occupations mapped to this field in the NCES and BLS CIP to SOC crosswalk. Occupation wages describe all workers, not recent graduates.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics and U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 Crosswalk. CIP 2020 and SOC 2018 taxonomies. Published April 30, 2020. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, National. May 2025 reference period. Published April 30, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, Table 1.2: Occupational projections, 2025-35, and worker characteristics, 2025. Base year 2025, projected year 2035. Published August 27, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Detailed CIP codes in this field (3)
- 45.0701 Geography
- 45.0702 Geographic Information Science and Cartography
- 45.0799 Geography, Other