UNDERGRADUATE CERTIFICATE OR DIPLOMA · NATIONAL DEGREE OUTCOMES
Is a undergraduate certificate or diploma in Geography and Cartography worth it?
Compare cost, debt and earnings across 17 college programs with reportable data.
Personal baseline needed
$59,554 in median year-4 earnings
A credible return for this credential must start with what the student would otherwise earn. The federal data does not provide that personal baseline.
$59,554Median year-4 earnings
$17,932Average institution net-price context
$22,197Median federal debt
Start with your decision
What do you need to compare?
Outcomes at a glance
$59,554Typical earnings four years after completion
$56,415Average earnings five years after completion
$22,197Typical federal student debt
69thEarnings percentile among the same degree level
238Degrees awarded in 2024–25
15College programs reporting earnings
Degree counts come from the IPEDS Fall 2025 provisional release and cover 15 matched college records. Colleges without a match are not estimated.
Four useful answers about Geography and Cartography
How much do Geography and Cartography undergraduate certificate or diploma graduates earn?
The national median is $59,554 four years after completion across reportable undergraduate certificate or diploma programs in this federal field.
How much federal debt do graduates have?
The median reported federal debt is $22,197. The figure excludes private loans and does not describe every graduate.
Does the college matter for Geography and Cartography?
Yes. The middle half of reporting programs ranges from $57,518 to $64,668 in observed year-4 earnings.
What careers are related to Geography and Cartography?
DegreeVerdict links this field to 5 displayed occupations using the official federal CIP–SOC crosswalk. Occupational wages are career context, not graduate salary promises.
More schooling changes both the cost and the outcome.
Compare the same field at each degree level with reportable data. These are separate groups of graduates, so the differences do not prove that an additional degree caused higher earnings.
CURRENT VIEW
Undergraduate Certificate or Diploma
- Year-4 earnings
- $59,554
- Federal debt
- $22,197
- Programs in the comparison
- 17
Bachelor's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $57,751
- Federal debt
- $22,716
- Programs in the comparison
- 130
Post-baccalaureate Certificate
- Year-4 earnings
- $77,018
- Federal debt
- $20,830
- Programs in the comparison
- 4
Master's Degree
- Year-4 earnings
- $87,165
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Programs in the comparison
- 17
Graduate/Professional Certificate
- Year-4 earnings
- $86,247
- Federal debt
- Not available
- Programs in the comparison
- 3
Where the middle half of programs lands
Year‑4 earnings differ by college. This band shows the 25th percentile, national median and 75th percentile among reporting programs.
Median
25th percentile$57,518National median$59,55475th percentile$64,668
15 programs report year‑4 earnings.BEFORE YOU CHOOSE
Compare price, debt and earnings together
SHORTLIST BY QUESTION
Three useful places to start
Each choice answers a different question. These are observed signals, not an overall winner.
Highest observed earnings
DePaul University
$76,354 four years after completionChicago, IL · inspect the full program →Lowest reported federal debtAppalachian State University
$17,750 among completer borrowersBoone, NC · inspect the full program →Largest recent graduating classArizona State University Digital Immersion
103 reported awards in 2024–25Scottsdale, AZ · inspect the full program →PRICE × EARNINGS MAP
Where colleges sit for this exact degree
Move left for a lower annual college-wide net price and up for higher observed year-4 earnings.
$67,492Observed year-4 earnings$41,828
DePaul University$30,902 price · $76,354 earningsPortland Community College$10,405 price · $67,492 earningsUniversity of Pittsburgh-Johnstown$18,202 price · $64,681 earningsUniversity of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus$30,434 price · $64,681 earningsTemple University$28,198 price · $64,668 earningsFront Range Community College$13,031 price · $62,464 earningsTexas State University$16,805 price · $61,225 earningsFlorida Atlantic University$8,752 price · $59,554 earningsMinnesota State University-Mankato$19,139 price · $59,174 earningsEastern Washington University$13,886 price · $58,134 earningsPlymouth State University$19,216 price · $57,887 earningsShippensburg University of Pennsylvania$23,726 price · $57,518 earningsGrand Valley State University$16,317 price · $56,401 earningsAppalachian State University$16,836 price · $50,551 earningsCollege of Southern Idaho$6,095 price · $41,828 earnings
$6,095Annual college-wide average net price$30,434
Choose colleges offering this exact degree
Start with the highest-earning reported programs below, or open the full directory to search every college.
17 shortlist matchesSelect up to four · 17 shown
Search every reporting program →
See the spread, not just the national number.
1DePaul University$76,3542Portland Community College$67,4923University of Pittsburgh-Johnstown$64,6814University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus$64,6815Temple University$64,6686Front Range Community College$62,4647Texas State University$61,2258Florida Atlantic University$59,5549Minnesota State University-Mankato$59,17410Eastern Washington University$58,134Observed year-4 earnings · top displayed records are not a universal ranking
Jobs this degree may lead to
Federal education-to-career links identify related occupations. They do not imply that every graduate enters the same job.
Pay and projected demand
Related careers do not share one outlook
Bubble size = annual openings2025–35 national projection
Higher median wage ↑
-7%Projected employment growth →12%
Occupation wages describe workers in these jobs, not graduates of this degree. BLS projections are national estimates and do not guarantee hiring.
Managers, All Other$141,900 median wage622,190 jobs nationwide+4.9% projected growth through 2035 · 100,900 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$74,300–$238,270 typical wage rangeGeographers$102,040 median wage1,400 jobs nationwide-2.1% projected growth through 2035 · 100 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$66,770–$136,660 typical wage rangeGeography Teachers, Postsecondary$97,590 median wage3,330 jobs nationwide+2.7% projected growth through 2035 · 300 openings a yearTypical entry education: Doctoral or professional degree$52,550–$165,460 typical wage rangeSurveying and Mapping Technicians$54,240 median wage58,010 jobs nationwide+5.8% projected growth through 2035 · 6,900 openings a yearTypical entry education: High school diploma or equivalent$37,520–$81,630 typical wage rangeCartographers and Photogrammetrists$81,390 median wage14,260 jobs nationwide+7.4% projected growth through 2035 · 900 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$53,740–$126,950 typical wage range
BLS May 2025 wages and 2025–35 projections. Career figures describe occupations, not graduates of a specific college.
This page keeps the field and credential level fixed. Federal categories can still combine multiple catalog programs or concentrations. Automated ROI is limited to associate and bachelor’s degrees because institution-wide annual net price is not a reliable proxy for short certificate prices. ROI is an illustrative scenario, not a federal determination.