Best Geography & Cartography Schools (2026): 15 Ranked by Salary & ROI
These are the top schools offering Geography & Cartography, ranked by TradeSchoolOutlook Score. The score combines graduate earnings, job market demand, and return on tuition investment. The average Geography & Cartography graduate earns $40,903/yr across 15 schools.
BLS projects 3.1% employment growth for occupations in this field from 2024–2034, with approximately 116 annual job openings per related program area.
All Geography & Cartography Programs Ranked
Click any row for full earnings projections and career path breakdown.
| # | School | TSW Score | Earnings | ROI |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Minnesota State University-Mankato
Mankato, MN · Geography & Cartography |
63
58–65 |
$50,411/yr | 52.1x |
| 2 |
Florida Atlantic University
Boca Raton, FL · Geography & Cartography |
66
61–68 |
$42,833/yr | 86.8x |
| 3 |
University of Wisconsin-Whitewater
Whitewater, WI · Geography & Cartography |
59
55–62 |
$42,580/yr | 50.6x |
| 4 |
Portland Community College
Portland, OR · Geography & Cartography |
62
58–65 |
$38,714/yr | 75.8x |
| 5 |
Texas State University
San Marcos, TX · Geography & Cartography |
57
53–59 |
$44,270/yr | 37.7x |
| 6 |
University of Pittsburgh-Johnstown
Johnstown, PA · Geography & Cartography |
55
48–58 |
$40,962/yr | 37.9x |
| 7 |
Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania
Shippensburg, PA · Geography & Cartography |
55
47–59 |
$38,439/yr | 43.8x |
| 8 |
Arizona State University Campus Immersion
Tempe, AZ · Geography & Cartography |
54
51–57 |
$41,627/yr | 33.5x |
| 9 |
Mitchell Technical College
Mitchell, SD · Geography & Cartography |
54
48–56 |
$41,879/yr | 32.0x |
| 10 |
Arizona State University Digital Immersion
Scottsdale, AZ · Geography & Cartography |
53
47–56 |
$41,627/yr | — |
| 11 |
University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus
Pittsburgh, PA · Geography & Cartography |
51
45–54 |
$40,962/yr | 25.5x |
| 12 |
Western Washington University
Bellingham, WA · Geography & Cartography |
51
47–53 |
$34,230/yr | 35.9x |
| 13 |
DePaul University
Chicago, IL · Geography & Cartography |
50
44–52 |
$47,464/yr | 9.7x |
| 14 |
Grand Valley State University
Allendale, MI · Geography & Cartography |
49
45–51 |
$36,895/yr | 24.2x |
| 15 |
Temple University
Philadelphia, PA · Geography & Cartography |
43
36–46 |
$30,645/yr | 17.8x |
Programs by State
Top states by program availability. Click a state for the full in-state ranking.
| State | Programs | Avg Earnings | Avg TSW Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pennsylvania | 4 | $37,752/yr | 41 |
| Arizona | 2 | $41,627/yr | 44 |
| Wisconsin | 1 | $42,580/yr | 49 |
| Washington | 1 | $34,230/yr | 40 |
| Texas | 1 | $44,270/yr | 46 |
| South Dakota | 1 | $41,879/yr | 44 |
| Oregon | 1 | $38,714/yr | 47 |
| Minnesota | 1 | $50,411/yr | 52 |
| Michigan | 1 | $36,895/yr | 39 |
| Illinois | 1 | $47,464/yr | 39 |
| Florida | 1 | $42,833/yr | 49 |
About This Ranking
What we ranked
Best Geography & Cartography Schools ranks 15 programs across the United States by the TradeSchoolOutlook Score, which combines graduate earnings, return on investment, and job-market demand into a single 0-100 metric.
Data sources
Earnings figures come from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard, which tracks graduate income one and five years after program completion. Job-market projections use Bureau of Labor Statistics 2024-2034 employment data.
How to read the table
Use the sort controls below the headline to re-rank by earnings, ROI, or other metrics. Click any school name for full earnings projections, three-scenario modeling, and detailed program data. Most students attend a school within driving distance — local rankings are usually more actionable than national.
Caveats & limitations
Rankings reflect what the data can measure: post-graduation earnings, debt levels, and broad labor-market trends. They cannot capture program quality nuances like instructor expertise, hands-on equipment access, or industry connections. Treat rankings as a starting point — visit schools and talk to current students before committing.
Methodology
Programs are ranked by TradeSchoolOutlook Score, which combines graduate earnings (Year 1 after graduation), job market size (BLS annual openings), and earnings-to-tuition multiple (projected earnings vs. program tuition).
Earnings data comes from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, which reports actual median earnings of graduates — not self-reported surveys.