Geography

CIP Code: 45.0701

A geography degree prepares graduates for careers in Managers, all other, Geographers, Geography teachers, postsecondary and more. 289 colleges and universities offer this program.

Annual Degrees Awarded

3,315

                Colleges Offering
                289
            

                Avg. Career Salary
                $93,105
            

                Top Career Salary
                $136,550
            

Geography Salary by College

Nationally, bachelor’s graduates in this field earn a median $57,853 four years after graduating (middle half: $42,482–$75,644). Where you study it matters: across 117 colleges with reported results, pay ranges from $40,871 to $78,390.

Sort by:

#	College	4 yrs after	Wage-adjusted	1 yr after	Median debt	Outcome Rating
1	George Washington University Washington, DC	$78,390	$68,690	$52,883	$25,000	A+
6	University of Connecticut-Hartford Campus Hartford, CT	$76,851	$69,190	—	—	B+
5	University of Connecticut-Stamford Stamford, CT	$76,851	$69,190	—	—	B+
4	University of Connecticut-Avery Point Groton, CT	$76,851	$69,190	—	—	B+
3	University of Connecticut-Waterbury Campus Waterbury, CT	$76,851	$69,190	—	—	B+
2	University of Connecticut Storrs, CT	$76,851	$69,190	—	—	A
7	Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville Edwardsville, IL	$75,877	$74,549	$44,543	$18,750	C+
8	California State University-Sacramento Sacramento, CA	$75,234	$68,458	$48,227	$15,974	C+
9	University of Nevada-Reno Reno, NV	$74,864	$77,700	$53,079	—	B
10	George Mason University Fairfax, VA	$74,692	$68,014	$49,568	$20,500	B+
11	Dartmouth College Hanover, NH	$72,985	$67,226	$56,756	—	A+
12	Syracuse University Syracuse, NY	$71,543	$68,094	—	$27,000	A
13	Binghamton University Vestal, NY	$71,207	$67,774	$40,434	$20,500	A
14	California State University-Chico Chico, CA	$69,500	$63,240	$40,380	—	B
15	Illinois State University Normal, IL	$69,383	$68,168	$34,952	$16,750	B
16	California State University-Northridge Northridge, CA	$69,323	$63,079	$27,002	$12,500	C
17	Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus University Park, PA	$68,993	$70,166	$46,477	$26,000	A
18	University at Buffalo Buffalo, NY	$68,176	$64,889	$29,390	$24,510	B+
19	University of California-Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, CA	$67,521	$61,440	$37,398	$14,000	A
20	University of New Mexico-Main Campus Albuquerque, NM	$67,336	$77,965	$32,096	—	C
22	University of Florida-Online Gainesville, FL	$67,276	$71,607	$43,856	$16,407	A
21	University of Florida Gainesville, FL	$67,276	$71,607	$43,856	$16,407	A+
23	University of California-Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA	$67,193	$61,141	$36,776	$13,296	A+
24	California State University-Fresno Fresno, CA	$66,863	$60,841	—	—	C+
25	Metropolitan State University of Denver Denver, CO	$66,429	$62,124	$44,861	—	F
26	Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College Baton Rouge, LA	$66,168	$76,594	—	—	A
27	Park University Parkville, MO	$65,890	$70,648	$58,786	—	C+
29	Arizona State University Digital Immersion Scottsdale, AZ	$65,759	$67,568	$49,267	$24,293	B+
28	Arizona State University Campus Immersion Tempe, AZ	$65,759	$67,568	$49,267	$24,293	B+
30	Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University Blacksburg, VA	$65,259	$59,424	$39,328	$19,500	A
31	Texas A & M University-College Station College Station, TX	$65,228	$66,318	$54,204	$16,479	A
32	University of Washington-Seattle Campus Seattle, WA	$64,950	$59,740	$42,489	$17,501	A
33	Brigham Young University Provo, UT	$64,875	$61,486	$40,051	$11,210	A
34	University of Maryland-College Park College Park, MD	$63,835	$56,023	$40,913	$23,250	A+
35	James Madison University Harrisonburg, VA	$63,768	$58,067	$45,094	$19,500	B+
36	San Francisco State University San Francisco, CA	$63,590	$57,863	$24,875	$16,359	B
37	Radford University Radford, VA	$63,552	$57,870	—	$25,000	D
38	Central Michigan University Mount Pleasant, MI	$62,999	$66,425	—	$26,250	C+
39	Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania Slippery Rock, PA	$62,659	$63,725	—	—	C+
40	University of Wisconsin-Whitewater Whitewater, WI	$62,589	$65,127	$37,521	$18,875	C+
41	University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Champaign, IL	$62,504	$61,410	$42,214	$24,623	A+
42	The University of Texas at Austin Austin, TX	$62,438	$63,481	$36,878	$21,500	A+
43	University of Northern Colorado Greeley, CO	$62,369	$58,327	$36,996	—	D
44	Grand Valley State University Allendale, MI	$61,831	$65,194	$35,838	$19,324	B
45	Texas Tech University Lubbock, TX	$60,831	$61,847	—	—	B+
46	Texas State University San Marcos, TX	$60,646	$61,659	$44,909	$20,123	C+
47	Ohio State University-Main Campus Columbus, OH	$60,363	$64,416	$44,789	$20,500	A
48	University of Iowa Iowa City, IA	$59,578	$62,669	$45,566	$19,572	A
49	SUNY College at Geneseo Geneseo, NY	$59,528	$56,658	$33,758	$14,575	B+
50	University of South Carolina-Columbia Columbia, SC	$59,472	$65,945	$46,929	$21,500	A
51	University of Wisconsin-Madison Madison, WI	$59,424	$61,834	$42,997	$18,689	A+
52	Salem State University Salem, MA	$58,593	$51,597	$32,504	$21,500	D
53	University of Minnesota-Duluth Duluth, MN	$58,569	$55,946	—	—	B
54	Salisbury University Salisbury, MD	$58,548	$51,383	$25,255	$25,000	C+
55	Appalachian State University Boone, NC	$58,289	$62,552	$41,648	$18,125	C+
56	University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire Eau Claire, WI	$58,129	$60,486	$40,048	$21,001	B
57	San Diego State University San Diego, CA	$58,004	$52,780	$38,648	$14,999	B
58	Keene State College Keene, NH	$57,900	$53,332	—	—	D
59	Millersville University of Pennsylvania Millersville, PA	$57,825	$58,809	—	—	C+
60	University of Colorado Boulder Boulder, CO	$57,677	$53,939	$32,078	$16,500	B+
61	University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Milwaukee, WI	$57,604	$59,940	$32,052	$22,361	C+
62	Rowan University Glassboro, NJ	$57,567	$50,526	$44,380	$22,500	C
63	Bridgewater State University Bridgewater, MA	$57,550	$50,679	—	$27,000	D
64	California State Polytechnic University-Pomona Pomona, CA	$57,424	$52,252	$35,426	$13,000	B+
65	University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus Denver, CO	$57,285	$53,573	$39,104	$21,500	C+
66	University of North Carolina at Charlotte Charlotte, NC	$57,208	$61,392	$42,210	$22,750	B
67	SUNY Oneonta Oneonta, NY	$57,154	$54,399	$38,784	$20,204	C+
68	West Virginia University Morgantown, WV	$57,075	$67,523	$34,435	$23,089	B+
69	Rutgers University-New Brunswick New Brunswick, NJ	$56,979	$50,010	$26,701	—	A
70	University of Louisville Louisville, KY	$56,775	$64,286	$37,844	—	B
71	Michigan State University East Lansing, MI	$56,515	$59,589	—	—	A
77	Ohio University-Zanesville Campus Zanesville, OH	$56,381	$60,167	$33,199	$26,000	B
76	Ohio University-Main Campus Athens, OH	$56,381	$60,167	$33,199	$26,000	C+
75	Ohio University-Lancaster Campus Lancaster, OH	$56,381	$60,167	$33,199	$26,000	C
74	Ohio University-Southern Campus Ironton, OH	$56,381	$60,167	$33,199	$26,000	B
73	Ohio University-Chillicothe Campus Chillicothe, OH	$56,381	$60,167	$33,199	$26,000	B
72	Ohio University-Eastern Campus Saint Clairsville, OH	$56,381	$60,167	$33,199	$26,000	C
78	University of Missouri-Columbia Columbia, MO	$56,191	$60,249	$38,726	$18,786	A
79	University of Oregon Eugene, OR	$56,165	$56,496	$45,030	$18,917	B
80	Sam Houston State University Huntsville, TX	$56,151	$57,089	$35,936	$18,750	C
81	Minnesota State University-Mankato Mankato, MN	$56,022	$53,513	$40,553	—	C
82	University of Wyoming Laramie, WY	$55,889	$58,249	—	—	B
83	Northwest Missouri State University Maryville, MO	$55,656	$59,675	—	—	C
84	University of North Carolina at Greensboro Greensboro, NC	$55,532	$59,594	$25,975	$19,500	C
85	Central Connecticut State University New Britain, CT	$55,274	$49,764	—	—	C
86	University of South Florida Tampa, FL	$54,944	$58,481	$39,259	—	B+
87	University of Utah Salt Lake City, UT	$54,757	$51,897	$41,052	$13,875	B+
88	The University of Tennessee-Knoxville Knoxville, TN	$54,656	$59,706	$44,553	$24,500	B+
89	Portland State University Portland, OR	$54,310	$54,630	$35,330	$21,771	C+
90	Ball State University Muncie, IN	$53,992	$57,923	$34,274	$24,750	C+
91	Framingham State University Framingham, MA	$53,840	$47,412	—	—	F
92	University of Minnesota-Twin Cities Minneapolis, MN	$53,666	$51,263	$38,019	$19,750	A
93	Kent State University at Kent Kent, OH	$53,656	$57,259	$31,414	—	D
94	Eastern Michigan University Ypsilanti, MI	$53,455	$56,362	$41,103	$15,001	C
95	The University of Texas at San Antonio San Antonio, TX	$53,449	$54,342	—	$16,750	C+
96	Montclair State University Montclair, NJ	$53,285	$46,767	$42,638	—	C+
98	Central Washington University Ellensburg, WA	$53,081	$48,823	$23,553	—	C+
97	University of Mary Washington Fredericksburg, VA	$53,081	$48,335	—	$19,500	C+
99	Kennesaw State University Kennesaw, GA	$53,044	$54,911	$40,020	$35,625	C+
100	University of North Texas Denton, TX	$52,712	$53,593	$39,960	$18,275	C+
101	Macalester College Saint Paul, MN	$52,557	$50,203	$30,053	$19,049	B+
102	Florida State University Tallahassee, FL	$52,537	$55,919	$35,608	$26,707	A
103	University of North Alabama Florence, AL	$50,445	$57,259	$41,076	$29,750	C
104	Western Michigan University Kalamazoo, MI	$49,921	$52,636	—	$22,250	C+
105	Augustana College Rock Island, IL	$49,763	$48,892	$40,683	$27,000	B+
106	Pennsylvania Western University California, PA	$49,517	$50,359	$32,122	—	D
107	University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Chapel Hill, NC	$49,476	$53,095	$42,454	—	A+
108	The University of Alabama Tuscaloosa, AL	$49,269	$55,925	$40,546	$19,750	B+
109	Clark University Worcester, MA	$49,230	$43,352	$29,713	$26,041	C+
110	California State University-Fullerton Fullerton, CA	$48,979	$44,568	$26,040	—	C+
111	University of Colorado Colorado Springs Colorado Springs, CO	$48,892	$45,724	$36,426	$17,500	D
112	California State University-Long Beach Long Beach, CA	$48,715	$44,327	$32,198	$18,000	B
113	Old Dominion University Norfolk, VA	$48,280	$43,963	—	—	D
114	Northern Illinois University Dekalb, IL	$47,738	$46,902	—	—	C+
115	Jacksonville State University Jacksonville, AL	$46,817	$53,141	—	—	D
116	Worcester State University Worcester, MA	$41,054	$36,152	—	—	C
117	University of Vermont Burlington, VT	$40,871	$41,978	$33,424	$16,034	B+

Bachelor’s degrees. Wage-adjusted = pay ÷ √(state wage index). Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard field-of-study data.

What Can You Do With a Geography Degree?

Graduates with this degree pursue careers in the following fields:

Managers, all other

$136,550 +4.5% growth

View Career →

Geographers

$97,200 -3.1% growth

View Career →

Geography teachers, postsecondary

$86,730 +3.3% growth

View Career →

Surveying and mapping technicians

$51,940 +4.5% growth

View Career →

$93,105

Average Salary Across Careers

$136,550

Highest Paying Career

Career Paths Available

Best Colleges for Geography

Ranked by Repit grade, then by degrees awarded. These are the top-rated colleges that produce the most graduates in geography.

#	College	Location	Degrees Awarded	Repit Grade
1	University of California-Los Angeles	Los Angeles, CA	56	A+
2	University of Florida	Gainesville, FL	95	A
3	The University of Texas at Austin	Austin, TX	46	A
4	University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill	Chapel Hill, NC	40	A
5	University of Georgia	Athens, GA	30	A
6	United States Military Academy	West Point, NY	25	A
7	San Diego State University	San Diego, CA	56	B+
8	North Carolina State University at Raleigh	Raleigh, NC	50	B+
9	University of Wisconsin-Madison	Madison, WI	48	B+
10	Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University	Blacksburg, VA	45	B+
11	California State University-Long Beach	Long Beach, CA	41	B+
12	The University of Tennessee-Knoxville	Knoxville, TN	33	B+
13	University of Minnesota-Twin Cities	Minneapolis, MN	29	B+
14	University of Massachusetts-Amherst	Amherst, MA	28	B+
15	University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus	Pittsburgh, PA	27	B+
16	Appalachian State University	Boone, NC	75	B
17	James Madison University	Harrisonburg, VA	52	B
18	University of North Carolina at Charlotte	Charlotte, NC	46	B
19	Arizona State University Campus Immersion	Tempe, AZ	39	B
20	University of Missouri-Columbia	Columbia, MO	38	B
21	California State University-Sacramento	Sacramento, CA	34	B
22	Syracuse University	Syracuse, NY	32	B
23	Miami University-Oxford	Oxford, OH	31	B
24	University of Arizona	Tucson, AZ	30	B
25	George Washington University	Washington, DC	29	B
26	University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire	Eau Claire, WI	28	B
27	California State Polytechnic University-Pomona	Pomona, CA	27	B
28	George Mason University	Fairfax, VA	25	B
29	University of Colorado Colorado Springs	Colorado Springs, CO	43	C+
30	Texas State University	San Marcos, TX	42	C+

Largest Geography Programs

Schools ranked by number of graduates. These institutions produce the most geography graduates annually, including online and distance learning programs.

#	College	Location	Degrees Awarded	Repit Grade
1	University of Florida	Gainesville, FL	95	A
2	Appalachian State University	Boone, NC	75	B
3	Arizona State University Digital Immersion	Scottsdale, AZ	74	C
4	University of California-Los Angeles	Los Angeles, CA	56	A+
5	San Diego State University	San Diego, CA	56	B+
6	James Madison University	Harrisonburg, VA	52	B
7	North Carolina State University at Raleigh	Raleigh, NC	50	B+
8	University of Wisconsin-Madison	Madison, WI	48	B+
9	The University of Texas at Austin	Austin, TX	46	A
10	University of North Carolina at Charlotte	Charlotte, NC	46	B
11	Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University	Blacksburg, VA	45	B+
12	University of Colorado Colorado Springs	Colorado Springs, CO	43	C+
13	Texas State University	San Marcos, TX	42	C+
14	California State University-Long Beach	Long Beach, CA	41	B+
15	University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill	Chapel Hill, NC	40	A
16	Arizona State University Campus Immersion	Tempe, AZ	39	B
17	University of Missouri-Columbia	Columbia, MO	38	B
18	University of North Texas	Denton, TX	36	C+
19	California State University-Sacramento	Sacramento, CA	34	B
20	The University of Tennessee-Knoxville	Knoxville, TN	33	B+
21	Syracuse University	Syracuse, NY	32	B
22	San Francisco State University	San Francisco, CA	32	C+
23	Miami University-Oxford	Oxford, OH	31	B
24	University of Georgia	Athens, GA	30	A
25	University of Arizona	Tucson, AZ	30	B
26	University of Wisconsin-Whitewater	Whitewater, WI	30	C+
27	University of Minnesota-Twin Cities	Minneapolis, MN	29	B+
28	George Washington University	Washington, DC	29	B
29	University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus	Denver, CO	29	C+
30	University of Massachusetts-Amherst	Amherst, MA	28	B+

3,315

Degrees Awarded Annually

289

Colleges Offering Program

Related Careers

About Geography

Geography is a degree program offered at 289 colleges and universities across the United States. Each year, approximately 3,315 students graduate with this degree.

Graduates with this degree can pursue careers such as managers, all other, geographers, geography teachers, postsecondary, surveying and mapping technicians.

Program Classification

CIP Code 45.0701

Field (2-digit CIP) 45

Category (4-digit CIP) 45.07

Frequently Asked Questions

What can I do with a Geography degree?

A Geography degree can lead to careers as a managers, all other, geographers, geography teachers, postsecondary, surveying and mapping technicians, and more. Top earners in related careers can make up to $136,550 annually.

How many colleges offer Geography?

289 colleges and universities in the United States offer Geography as a degree program. Each year, approximately 3,315 students graduate with this degree.

What are the best colleges for Geography?

The best colleges for Geography based on Repit's ratings include University of California-Los Angeles, University of Florida, The University of Texas at Austin, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, University of Georgia. Rankings are based on the college's overall Repit grade and the number of degrees awarded in this program.

What is the salary potential with a Geography degree?

Graduates with a Geography degree can expect average salaries around $93,105 in related careers, with top earners making up to $136,550. Actual salaries depend on the specific career path, experience level, and location.

Geography

Geography Salary by College

What Can You Do With a Geography Degree?

Managers, all other

Geographers

Geography teachers, postsecondary

Surveying and mapping technicians

Best Colleges for Geography

Largest Geography Programs

About Geography

Program Classification

Frequently Asked Questions

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