Program directoryPROGRAM-CATEGORY PAYOFF

Geography and Cartography bachelor's degree outcomes at Macalester College

Saint Paul, MN · Private nonprofit · Federal field 4507

Data scope

Federal records group outcomes by college, four-digit field and credential level. A record may cover several catalog programs or concentrations.

The short version

Reported earnings are close to the same-degree benchmark.

$5,296 below the national median for the same field and credential.

Debt pressure
36.2% of annual earnings
Positive-payoff price ceiling
Not reached
10-year scenario
−76% · Negative payoff
Price evidence
College-wide context only
PRICE SENSITIVITY

The price can change the verdict.

Hold observed earnings constant and see how the modeled ten-year payoff changes as annual price rises.

What stays fixed$52,557 observed annual earnings · 4 years of study · $45,000 alternative annual earnings · ten-year horizonThe marked price is this college’s institution-wide average net price, not the exact price of this program category. This is a sensitivity test, not a tuition quote or earnings forecast.
OUTCOME SIGNALS

Graduate outcomes from several angles.

Follow earnings over time and inspect the cohort behind each federal measure.

+90%Earnings growth, year 1 → 5$30,053$57,230
Not availableEarn above high-school thresholdGraduate count in the year-4 cohort
Not availableWorking in the college’s stateGraduate count in the year-4 cohort
28Year-5 earnings observationsCohort behind the year-5 median
31Borrowers representedCohort behind the debt median
Not availableAwarding-school debtDebt attributed to the college granting the credential
Not availableRecent awardsIPEDS 2023–24 first-major completions in this field and credential
NEW FEDERAL PROGRAM CONTEXT

Size, aid and an earnings floor.

The Department of Education’s 2026 informational preview adds current program participation and a preliminary earnings comparison. It does not make a final eligibility determination.

Not reportedStudents receiving federal aid2024–25 Title IV enrollment
Not reportedFederal-aid completers2024–25 program completers
Not reportedPell Grant recipients2024–25 program count
Not reportedFederal loan borrowers2024–25 unduplicated count
Preliminary federal earnings benchmark$34,808Informational preview, not a final accountability result
Observed year-4 earnings$52,557$17,749 above the preliminary benchmark

Source: U.S. Department of Education PPD:2026 informational preview. Program categories use OPEID, four-digit field and credential level; federal-aid counts do not represent every enrolled student.

01 · PRICE CONTEXT$32,149

Institution-wide annual average net price, not this program’s price.

02 · BORROWING$19,049

Median federal debt across schools attended at this academic level.

03 · EARNINGS$52,557

Observed median earnings four full years after completion.

04 · REPAYMENT$202/mo

Estimated standard 10-year federal payment.

WHAT WILL IT COST?

Published college costs provide the starting point.

Your exact offering, aid, residency and time to finish determine the price you actually pay.

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AVERAGE NET PRICE$32,149Institution-wide annual figure
COST OF ATTENDANCE$82,991Institution-wide annual budget
ADMISSION RATE28.5%Institution context
COMPLETION RATE87.1%Institution-wide completion rate
WHAT DO GRADUATES EARN?

Reported earnings after completion.

Each point may represent a different federal cohort. A missing bar means the figure was unavailable or suppressed.

$30,053Year 1
$52,557Year 4
$57,230Year 5
CAN THE EARNINGS SUPPORT THE DEBT?

4.6% of gross monthly earnings

Estimated monthly payment divided by observed gross monthly earnings. This excludes taxes, other debts and income-driven repayment.

Gross monthly earnings$4,380
Estimated loan payment$202
31borrowers represented where reported
HOW DOES IT COMPARE?

$52,557 vs. $57,853

$5,296 below the national median for the same field and credential.

Same-field national median
WHAT WORK CAN IT LEAD TO?

Related occupations, wages and outlook.

Official CIP–SOC links show careers the curriculum may prepare students for, not observed jobs held by this school’s graduates. BLS wages describe everyone working in an occupation.

BLS May 2025 wage estimates and 2025–35 employment projections.
Managers, All Other$152,600 median wageMN estimate · 4,160 jobs · 11-9199+4.9% projected U.S. growth · 100.9k openings/yrTypical entry: Bachelor's degreeGeographers$102,040 median wageU.S. estimate · 1,400 jobs · 19-3092-2.1% projected U.S. growth · 0.1k openings/yrTypical entry: Bachelor's degreeGeography Teachers, Postsecondary$95,890 median wageMN estimate · 120 jobs · 25-1064+2.7% projected U.S. growth · 0.3k openings/yrTypical entry: Doctoral or professional degreeSurveying and Mapping Technicians$73,190 median wageMN estimate · 1,060 jobs · 17-3031+5.8% projected U.S. growth · 6.9k openings/yrTypical entry: High school diploma or equivalentCartographers and Photogrammetrists$99,850 median wageMN estimate · 100 jobs · 17-1021+7.4% projected U.S. growth · 0.9k openings/yrTypical entry: Bachelor's degree
Possible alternatives

Same degree, stronger on at least one reported measure.

Every option below reports higher earnings, lower federal debt or a lower college-wide net price. Same-state options appear first.

Duluth, MN

University of Minnesota-Duluth

$6,012 higher earnings · $13,406 lower annual net price

Earnings
$58,569
Debt
Not available
Annual net price
$18,743
View outcomes →
Mankato, MN

Minnesota State University-Mankato

$3,465 higher earnings · $13,010 lower annual net price

Earnings
$56,022
Debt
Not available
Annual net price
$19,139
View outcomes →
Minneapolis, MN

University of Minnesota-Twin Cities

$1,109 higher earnings · $15,371 lower annual net price

Earnings
$53,666
Debt
$20,500
Annual net price
$16,778
View outcomes →
Sacramento, CA

California State University, Sacramento

$22,677 higher earnings · $3,168 less debt · $22,811 lower annual net price

Earnings
$75,234
Debt
$15,881
Annual net price
$9,338
View outcomes →
Compare these programs →
DATA QUALITY

Check the evidence behind the estimate.

28 observations in the earnings cohort

June 10, 2026 College Scorecard release

Observed, estimated and contextual figures are labeled separately throughout this page

IS IT WORTH IT AT YOUR PRICE?

Your price and current earnings determine the result.

Add your grants, borrowing and current salary to estimate payment pressure, break-even time and ten-year payoff.

Calculate my payoff →