Top Geography Programs in the South by Earnings (2026)
Updated
Regional list from Best Geography Programs in the United States
This page ranks the 37 Geography programs in the South by median earnings of Geography graduates four years after completing. George Washington University leads the list with median earnings of $78,390 four years after completing, followed by George Mason University at $74,692 and University of Florida at $67,276.
Across the listed programs, median earnings range from $78,390 to $33,993, with a median of $56,151. For 6 of the 37 programs the figure is the two-year completion median rather than the four-year one.
Public institutions account for 97% of the list, with 36 public programs and 1 private nonprofit program. University of Florida reports the lowest average net price on the page at $6,541.
The University of Texas at Austin ranks 9th 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 | George Washington University · Washington, DC | $78,390 | $36,586 | $17,440 | 47.1% |
| George Washington University ranks 1st on this list, reporting median earnings of $78,390 for its Geography graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 2 | George Mason University · Fairfax, VA | $74,692 | $17,915 | $11,942 | 87.5% |
| With an admission rate of 87%, George Mason University posts median earnings of $74,692 for its Geography graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 3 | University of Florida · Gainesville, FL | $67,276 | $6,541 | $1,982 | 24.2% |
| University of Florida carries an average net price of $6,541, and its Geography graduates earn a median of $67,276 four years after completing. | |||||
| 4 | Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College · Baton Rouge, LA | $66,168 | $19,151 | $13,056 | 73.3% |
| At Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College, graduates across all fields who borrowed left with a median of $20,500 in federal loans, while its Geography graduates earned $66,168 four years after completing. | |||||
| 5 | Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University · Blacksburg, VA | $65,259 | $24,953 | $11,689 | 54.8% |
| Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University ranks 112th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions, and its Geography graduates earn a median of $65,259 four years after completing. | |||||
| 6 | Texas A&M University-College Station · College Station, TX | $65,228 | $21,315 | $12,784 | 57.4% |
| With a cohort of 62 graduates in the earnings cohort, Texas A&M University-College Station reports median earnings of $65,228 for its Geography graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 7 | University of Maryland-College Park · College Park, MD | $63,835 | $15,678 | $2,962 | 44.8% |
| University of Maryland-College Park carries an average net price of $15,678, and its Geography graduates earn a median of $63,835 four years after completing. | |||||
| 8 | James Madison University · Harrisonburg, VA | $63,768 | $23,322 | $11,444 | 71.5% |
| James Madison University ranks 8th on this list, with a Geography cohort of 65 graduates in the earnings cohort earning a median of $63,768 four years after completing. | |||||
| 9 | Radford University · Radford, VA | $63,552 | $14,578 | $8,965 | 89.5% |
| Radford University admits 90% of applicants, and its Geography graduates earn a median of $63,552 four years after completing. | |||||
| 10 | The University of Texas at Austin · Austin, TX | $62,438 | $19,857 | $12,553 | 26.6% |
| The University of Texas at Austin ranks 9th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions, alongside median earnings of $62,438 for its Geography graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 11 | Texas Tech University · Lubbock, TX | $60,831 | $19,070 | $12,457 | 72.7% |
| Graduates across all fields who borrowed left with a median of $21,500 in federal loans at Texas Tech University, and its Geography graduates earn a median of $60,831 four years after completing. | |||||
| 12 | Texas State University · San Marcos, TX | $60,646 | $16,805 | $12,715 | 89.3% |
| Texas State University reports an average net price of $16,805, while its Geography graduates earn a median of $60,646 four years after completing. | |||||
| 13 | University of South Carolina-Columbia · Columbia, SC | $59,472 | $22,811 | $12,634 | 60.2% |
| University of South Carolina-Columbia reports median earnings of $59,472 for its Geography graduates four years after completing, alongside an average net price of $22,811. | |||||
| 14 | Salisbury University · Salisbury, MD | $58,548 | $17,743 | $6,743 | 87.5% |
| Salisbury University admits 87% of applicants and its Geography graduates earn a median of $58,548 four years after completing. | |||||
| 15 | Appalachian State University · Boone, NC | $58,289 | $16,836 | $9,325 | 90.1% |
| Graduates across all fields who borrowed at Appalachian State University left with a median of $20,231 in federal loans, and the school ranks 320th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions. | |||||
| 16 | University of North Carolina at Charlotte · Charlotte, NC | $57,208 | $15,435 | $10,357 | 79.6% |
| University of North Carolina at Charlotte ranks 16th on this list, with median earnings of $57,208 for its Geography graduates four years after completing and an average net price of $10,357 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
| 17 | West Virginia University · Morgantown, WV | $57,075 | $15,634 | $9,450 | 89.0% |
| West Virginia University posts a median of $57,075 in earnings for its Geography graduates four years after completing, from a cohort of 9 graduates in the earnings cohort. | |||||
| 18 | University of Louisville · Louisville, KY | $56,775 | $17,988 | $15,138 | 79.4% |
| With an admission rate of 79%, University of Louisville reports median earnings of $56,775 for its Geography graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 19 | Sam Houston State University · Huntsville, TX | $56,151 | $16,404 | $12,474 | 90.3% |
| Sam Houston State University shows median earnings of $56,151 for its Geography graduates four years after completing, and the school ranks 117th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions. | |||||
| 20 | University of North Carolina at Greensboro · Greensboro, NC | $55,532 | $10,965 | $7,305 | 88.5% |
| Graduates across all fields who borrowed at University of North Carolina at Greensboro left with a median of $22,858 in federal loans, while the school's Geography graduates earn a median of $55,532 four years after completing. | |||||
| 21 | University of South Florida · Tampa, FL | $54,944 | $9,812 | $4,122 | 43.2% |
| University of South Florida carries an average net price of $4,122 for families earning under $30,000, and its Geography graduates earn a median of $54,944 four years after completing. | |||||
| 22 | The University of Tennessee-Knoxville · Knoxville, TN | $54,656 | $18,976 | $10,029 | 41.6% |
| The University of Tennessee-Knoxville admits 42% of applicants and ranks 132nd on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions. | |||||
| 23 | The University of Texas at San Antonio · San Antonio, TX | $53,449 | $10,836 | $7,870 | 86.8% |
| The University of Texas at San Antonio reports median earnings of $53,449 for its Geography graduates four years after completing, with an average net price of $10,836. | |||||
| 24 | University of Mary Washington · Fredericksburg, VA | $53,081 | $20,667 | $10,304 | 79.8% |
| Graduates across all fields who borrowed at University of Mary Washington left with a median of $20,500 in federal loans, and the school's Geography graduates earn a median of $53,081 four years after completing. | |||||
| 25 | Kennesaw State University · Kennesaw, GA | $53,044 | $15,048 | $12,235 | 69.2% |
| Kennesaw State University reports median earnings of $53,044 for its Geography graduates four years after completing, with 37 graduates in the earnings cohort. | |||||
| 26 | University of North Texas · Denton, TX | $52,712 | $15,649 | $12,311 | 72.2% |
| Graduates across all fields who borrowed left with a median of $19,250 in federal loans at University of North Texas, which ranks 26th on this list. | |||||
| 27 | Florida State University · Tallahassee, FL | $52,537 | $11,297 | $5,938 | 24.2% |
| Florida State University admits 24% of applicants and posts an average net price of $11,297. | |||||
| 28 | University of North Alabama · Florence, AL | $50,445 | $12,170 | $9,741 | 87.3% |
| University of North Alabama ranks 782nd on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions and reports 10 graduates in the earnings cohort for its Geography program. | |||||
| 29 | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill · Chapel Hill, NC | $49,476 | $11,655 | $2,004 | 15.3% |
| An average net price of $2,004 for families earning under $30,000 coincides with a 15% admission rate at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. | |||||
| 30 | The University of Alabama · Tuscaloosa, AL | $49,269 | $22,420 | $19,169 | 76.7% |
| The University of Alabama ranks 30th on this list, with median earnings of $49,269 for its Geography graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 31 | Old Dominion University · Norfolk, VA | $48,280 | $14,638 | $9,739 | 90.4% |
| Old Dominion University reports a median federal debt of $24,000 across all of its borrowers who completed, alongside an admission rate of 90%. | |||||
| 32 | Towson University · Towson, MD | $42,682 | $17,413 | $6,962 | 82.0% |
| Towson University posts an average net price of $17,413 and ranks 114th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions. | |||||
| 33 | University of Arkansas · Fayetteville, AR | $40,467 | $18,209 | $14,319 | 74.3% |
| University of Arkansas reports median earnings of $40,467 for its Geography graduates four years after completing, with an average net price of $14,319 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
| 34 | University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus · Norman, OK | $37,856 | $15,300 | $10,509 | 76.6% |
| With 20 graduates in the earnings cohort, University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus admits 77% of applicants to its Geography program. | |||||
| 35 | University of Kentucky · Lexington, KY | $37,208 | $18,851 | $12,182 | 92.9% |
| An average net price of $18,851 and an admission rate of 93% accompany the 35th position of University of Kentucky on this list. | |||||
| 36 | University of Georgia · Athens, GA | $35,420 | $13,936 | $8,085 | 37.7% |
| University of Georgia reports median earnings of $35,420 for its Geography graduates four years after completing, alongside an average net price of $8,085 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
| 37 | Western Kentucky University · Bowling Green, KY | $33,993 | $10,990 | $7,087 | 93.9% |
| Western Kentucky University ranks 37th on this list, with median earnings of $33,993 for its Geography graduates four years after completing. | |||||
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 South appear. The figure is the median earnings of federally aided Geography graduates who were working and not enrolled, measured four years after completing. For 6 of the 37 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. George Washington University leads the list at $78,390, with George Mason University trailing by $3,698 at $74,692.