Best Geography Programs in the Northeast (2026)
Updated
Regional list from Best Geography Programs in the United States
This page ranks the 28 Geography programs in the Northeast by median earnings of Geography graduates four years after completing, highest first. University of Connecticut leads the list at $76,851, followed by Dartmouth College at $72,985 and Syracuse University at $71,543.
Across the listed programs, the median stands at $56,126, with figures ranging from $76,851 to $19,227. For 10 of the 28 programs the earnings figure is the two-year completion median rather than the four-year one.
Public institutions account for 24 of the 28 programs, or 86% of the list. CUNY Hunter College posts the lowest average net price at $2,984, while CUNY Hunter College ranks 20th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions.
The ranked list
| Rank | School | Program Earnings | Average net price | Net price, families under $30K | Admission rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Connecticut · Storrs, CT | $76,851 | $25,097 | $15,193 | 52.4% |
| University of Connecticut ranks 1st on this list, reporting $76,851 in median earnings of Geography graduates four years after completing alongside an average net price of $25,097. | |||||
| 2 | Dartmouth College · Hanover, NH | $72,985 | $29,519 | $41 | 5.4% |
| A private nonprofit in Hanover, Dartmouth College admits 5% of applicants and its Geography graduates earn a median of $72,985 four years after completing. | |||||
| 3 | Syracuse University · Syracuse, NY | $71,543 | $38,793 | $15,817 | 45.9% |
| Graduates across all fields who borrowed left with a median of $26,000 in federal loans at Syracuse University, where Geography completers report median earnings of $71,543 four years after completing. | |||||
| 4 | Binghamton University · Vestal, NY | $71,207 | $21,620 | $12,171 | 38.6% |
| Binghamton University posts $71,207 in median earnings of Geography graduates four years after completing and an average net price of $12,171 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
| 5 | Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus · University Park, PA | $68,993 | $32,875 | $19,845 | 60.6% |
| With a cohort of 31 graduates, Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus reports $68,993 in median earnings of Geography graduates four years after completing and an admission rate of 61%. | |||||
| 6 | University at Buffalo · Buffalo, NY | $68,176 | $20,995 | $14,668 | 74.2% |
| University at Buffalo ranks 103rd on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions, and its Geography graduates earn a median of $68,176 four years after completing. | |||||
| 7 | Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania · Slippery Rock, PA | $62,659 | $19,608 | $12,555 | 71.5% |
| The median federal debt across all of Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania's borrowers who completed is $25,000, while its Geography graduates report median earnings of $62,659 four years after completing. | |||||
| 8 | SUNY College at Geneseo · Geneseo, NY | $59,528 | $18,211 | $10,018 | 66.5% |
| SUNY College at Geneseo reports $59,528 in median earnings of Geography graduates four years after completing and an average net price of $18,211. | |||||
| 9 | Salem State University · Salem, MA | $58,593 | $15,996 | $10,516 | 95.9% |
| Salem State University admits 96% of applicants, and its Geography graduates earn a median of $58,593 four years after completing. | |||||
| 10 | Keene State College · Keene, NH | $57,900 | $17,887 | $12,192 | 90.3% |
| Keene State College ranks 903rd on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions, alongside median earnings of $57,900 for its Geography graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 11 | Millersville University of Pennsylvania · Millersville, PA | $57,825 | $20,787 | $14,565 | 86.2% |
| Graduates across all fields who borrowed left with a median of $23,507 in federal loans at Millersville University of Pennsylvania, which reports $57,825 in median earnings of Geography graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 12 | Rowan University · Glassboro, NJ | $57,567 | $22,408 | $15,305 | 77.7% |
| Rowan University reports $57,567 in median earnings of Geography graduates four years after completing and an average net price of $15,305 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
| 13 | SUNY Oneonta · Oneonta, NY | $57,154 | $19,158 | $11,044 | 69.6% |
| SUNY Oneonta reports median earnings of $57,154 for its Geography graduates four years after completing, with 17 graduates in the earnings cohort. | |||||
| 14 | Rutgers University-New Brunswick · New Brunswick, NJ | $56,979 | $24,406 | $16,343 | 58.2% |
| Graduates across all fields who borrowed at Rutgers University-New Brunswick left with a median of $21,500 in federal loans, and the school's Geography graduates earn a median of $56,979 four years after completing. | |||||
| 15 | Central Connecticut State University · New Britain, CT | $55,274 | $16,857 | $13,589 | 73.3% |
| Central Connecticut State University ranks 15th on this list and posts an average net price of $16,857 alongside an admission rate of 73%. | |||||
| 16 | Pennsylvania Western University · California, PA | $49,517 | $18,256 | $13,944 | 94.3% |
| Pennsylvania Western University admits 94% of applicants, and its Geography graduates earn a median of $49,517 four years after completing. | |||||
| 17 | Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania · Shippensburg, PA | $41,193 | $23,726 | $18,709 | 86.5% |
| Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania reports median earnings of $41,193 for its Geography graduates four years after completing, with an average net price of $23,726. | |||||
| 18 | Worcester State University · Worcester, MA | $41,054 | $13,381 | $8,793 | 88.0% |
| Worcester State University carries an average net price of $13,381, and its Geography graduates earn a median of $41,054 four years after completing. | |||||
| 19 | University of Vermont · Burlington, VT | $40,871 | $19,343 | $11,127 | 65.3% |
| University of Vermont ranks 19th on this list, with median earnings of $40,871 for its Geography graduates four years after completing and an admission rate of 65%. | |||||
| 20 | Indiana University of Pennsylvania · Indiana, PA | $39,585 | $16,804 | $12,364 | 90.8% |
| Indiana University of Pennsylvania posts an average net price of $16,804 and median earnings of $39,585 for its Geography graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 21 | West Chester University of Pennsylvania · West Chester, PA | $39,009 | $23,331 | $17,018 | 78.4% |
| West Chester University of Pennsylvania ranks 21st on this list, with median earnings of $39,009 for its Geography graduates four years after completing and an admission rate of 78%. | |||||
| 22 | Kutztown University of Pennsylvania · Kutztown, PA | $33,993 | $21,331 | $15,957 | 90.8% |
| Kutztown University of Pennsylvania ranks 22nd on this list, with an admission rate of 91% and median earnings of $33,993 for its Geography graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 23 | Middlebury College · Middlebury, VT | $33,446 | $31,483 | $12,723 | 10.8% |
| Middlebury College, a private nonprofit institution, reports median earnings of $33,446 for its Geography graduates four years after completing and an admission rate of 11%. | |||||
| 24 | State University of New York at Cortland · Cortland, NY | $33,281 | $22,345 | $12,550 | 59.8% |
| State University of New York at Cortland posts an average net price of $22,345, and its Geography graduates earn a median of $33,281 four years after completing. | |||||
| 25 | Temple University · Philadelphia, PA | $31,305 | $28,198 | $22,694 | 80.4% |
| Temple University reports median earnings of $31,305 for its Geography graduates four years after completing, with a cohort of 12 graduates. | |||||
| 26 | State University of New York at New Paltz · New Paltz, NY | $25,967 | $18,809 | $10,541 | 61.6% |
| State University of New York at New Paltz admits 62% of applicants and carries an average net price of $18,809. | |||||
| 27 | Vassar College · Poughkeepsie, NY | $24,421 | $39,343 | $15,953 | 18.6% |
| A private nonprofit institution in Poughkeepsie, Vassar College ranks 1154th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions. | |||||
| 28 | CUNY Hunter College · New York, NY | $19,227 | $2,984 | $1,029 | 53.8% |
| CUNY Hunter College posts an average net price of $2,984 and an admission rate of 54%. | |||||
How this list is ordered
Programs are ordered by the median earnings of their Geography graduates four years after completing, highest first. Only programs with a reported earnings cohort in the Northeast appear. The median covers federally aided completers of the Geography program who were working and not enrolled, measured four years after completing. For 10 of the 28 listed programs the figure is the two-year completion median rather than the four-year one. The metric does not adjust for graduate school enrollment, cost, or who enrolls, and it is not a measure of teaching quality. The spread from University of Connecticut to the bottom of the list is $57,624, and the gap between University of Connecticut and Dartmouth College is $3,866.
Related rankings
- Best Geography Programs in the United States
- Best Colleges in the Northeast
- Best Geography Programs in the Midwest
- Top Geography Programs in the South by Earnings
- Best Geography Programs in the West
- Social Sciences Colleges in the Northeast for Social Mobility