Best Geography and Cartography Degrees in the US by ROI

Top colleges ranked by estimated 20-year net return on investment across all active states. Data from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.

Programs Analyzed

10

Colleges with salary data

Average 20-Yr Net ROI

+$418,471

Across all programs

Average Annual Cost

$43,228

Cost of attendance

# College State 20-Yr Net ROI Median Salary Annual Cost Avg Debt
1 George Mason University

Grad rate: 69.9%

VA +$656,396 $77,517 $26,972 N/A Full ROI →
2 University of Washington-Tacoma Campus

Grad rate: 58.5%

WA +$561,584 $72,532 $24,528 N/A Full ROI →
3 University of Washington-Seattle Campus

Grad rate: 84.0%

WA +$550,076 $72,532 $30,282 N/A Full ROI →
4 California State University-Long Beach

Grad rate: 71.3%

CA +$443,980 $66,230 $20,310 N/A Full ROI →
5 Clark University

Grad rate: 76.7%

MA +$405,308 $68,708 $64,426 N/A Full ROI →
6 Appalachian State University

Grad rate: 74.1%

NC +$373,572 $62,944 $22,654 N/A Full ROI →
7 University of Southern California

Grad rate: 92.2%

CA +$372,444 $69,090 $84,678 N/A Full ROI →
8 University of Denver

Grad rate: 77.7%

CO +$317,420 $65,373 $75,020 N/A Full ROI →
9 University of Arizona

Grad rate: 66.9%

AZ +$302,674 $59,988 $28,543 N/A Full ROI →
10 Saint Mary's University of Minnesota

Grad rate: 66.5%

MN +$201,260 $57,550 $54,870 N/A Full ROI →

How ROI is calculated

20-Year Net ROI = Gross Earnings (salary × 20) − Total Degree Cost − Debt Payoff (×1.35) − Baseline Opportunity Cost ($42,000 × 20). Data from the U.S. College Scorecard.

Find Best Geography and Cartography Degrees by State

Browse Geography and Cartography programs ranked by 20-year ROI in every state that offers this degree.