POST-BACCALAUREATE CERTIFICATE · NATIONAL DEGREE OUTCOMES
Is a post-baccalaureate certificate in Geography and Cartography worth it?
Compare cost, debt and earnings across 4 college programs with reportable data.
Personal baseline needed
$77,018 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.
$77,018Median year-4 earnings
$24,585Average institution net-price context
$20,830Median federal debt
Start with your decision
What do you need to compare?
Outcomes at a glance
$77,018Typical earnings four years after completion
Not availableAverage earnings five years after completion
$20,830Typical federal student debt
55thEarnings percentile among the same degree level
5Degrees awarded in 2024–25
4College programs reporting earnings
Degree counts come from the IPEDS Fall 2025 provisional release and cover 2 matched college records. Colleges without a match are not estimated.
Four useful answers about Geography and Cartography
How much do Geography and Cartography post-baccalaureate certificate graduates earn?
The national median is $77,018 four years after completion across reportable post-baccalaureate certificate programs in this federal field.
How much federal debt do graduates have?
The median reported federal debt is $20,830. 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 $71,944 to $81,405 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.
OPEN PROFILE
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$71,944National median$77,01875th percentile$81,405
4 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
Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus
$83,548 four years after completionUniversity Park, PA · inspect the full program →Lowest reported federal debtNorth Carolina State University at Raleigh
$20,868 among completer borrowersRaleigh, NC · inspect the full program →Largest recent graduating classUniversity of North Dakota
5 reported awards in 2024–25Grand Forks, ND · inspect the full program →Choose colleges offering this exact degree
Start with the highest-earning reported programs below, or open the full directory to search every college.
4 shortlist matchesSelect up to four · 4 shown
Search every reporting program →
See the spread, not just the national number.
1Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus$83,5482Duke University$81,4053North Carolina State University at Raleigh$72,6304University of North Dakota$71,944Observed 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.