Best Geography Programs in the United States (2026)
Updated
This page ranks 134 Geography programs in the United States by median earnings of Geography graduates four years after completing, highest first. George Washington University leads the list with $78,390 in median earnings four years after completing, followed by University of Connecticut at $76,851 and Southern Illinois University Edwardsville at $75,877.
Across the listed schools, the median figure is $56,086, with a range from $78,390 to $19,227. For 36 of the 134 programs the earnings figure is the two-year completion median rather than the four-year one.
Public institutions account for 93% of the list, with 124 schools alongside 10 private nonprofits. CUNY Hunter College posts the lowest average net price at $2,984, while California State University-Los Angeles ranks 3rd 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 reports median earnings of $78,390 for its Geography graduates four years after completing, from a cohort of 19. | |||||
| 2 | University of Connecticut · Storrs, CT | $76,851 | $25,097 | $15,193 | 52.4% |
| University of Connecticut ranks 2nd on this list and carries an average net price of $25,097. | |||||
| 3 | Southern Illinois University Edwardsville · Edwardsville, IL | $75,877 | $14,889 | $8,483 | 97.5% |
| Southern Illinois University Edwardsville posts median earnings of $75,877 four years after completing, and a median federal debt of $18,750 among Geography completers who borrowed. | |||||
| 4 | California State University-Sacramento · Sacramento, CA | $75,234 | $9,338 | $6,501 | 94.0% |
| California State University-Sacramento admits 94% of applicants and ranks 10th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions. | |||||
| 5 | University of Nevada-Reno · Reno, NV | $74,864 | $15,927 | $12,674 | 73.7% |
| University of Nevada-Reno posts median earnings of $74,864 for its Geography graduates four years after completing, with a cohort of 15. | |||||
| 6 | George Mason University · Fairfax, VA | $74,692 | $17,915 | $11,942 | 87.5% |
| George Mason University ranks 6th on this list and shows an average net price of $11,942 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
| 7 | Dartmouth College · Hanover, NH | $72,985 | $29,519 | $41 | 5.4% |
| Dartmouth College, a private nonprofit university in Hanover, reports median earnings of $72,985 for its Geography graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 8 | Syracuse University · Syracuse, NY | $71,543 | $38,793 | $15,817 | 45.9% |
| Syracuse University carries a median federal debt of $27,000 among Geography completers who borrowed, and an admission rate of 46%. | |||||
| 9 | Binghamton University · Vestal, NY | $71,207 | $21,620 | $12,171 | 38.6% |
| Binghamton University ranks 104th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions, with median earnings of $71,207 four years after completing. | |||||
| 10 | California State University-Chico · Chico, CA | $69,500 | $14,480 | $9,902 | 92.7% |
| California State University-Chico reports an average net price of $14,480, and graduates across all fields who borrowed left with a median of $16,552 in federal loans. | |||||
| 11 | Illinois State University · Normal, IL | $69,383 | $19,398 | $11,568 | 88.2% |
| Illinois State University ranks 11th on this list and posts median earnings of $69,383 for its Geography graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 12 | California State University-Northridge · Northridge, CA | $69,323 | $7,021 | $4,905 | 93.5% |
| California State University-Northridge admits 93% of applicants and carries a median federal debt of $12,500 among Geography completers who borrowed. | |||||
| 13 | Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus · University Park, PA | $68,993 | $32,875 | $19,845 | 60.6% |
| Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus reports median earnings of $68,993 for its Geography graduates four years after completing, alongside an average net price of $32,875. | |||||
| 14 | University at Buffalo · Buffalo, NY | $68,176 | $20,995 | $14,668 | 74.2% |
| University at Buffalo admits 74% of applicants and its Geography completers who borrowed left with a median of $24,510 in federal loans. | |||||
| 15 | University of California-Santa Barbara · Santa Barbara, CA | $67,521 | $16,109 | $9,231 | 33.0% |
| With 100 graduates in the earnings cohort, University of California-Santa Barbara reports median earnings of $67,521 for its Geography graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 16 | University of New Mexico-Main Campus · Albuquerque, NM | $67,336 | $15,489 | $11,938 | 95.2% |
| Graduates across all fields who borrowed at University of New Mexico-Main Campus left with a median of $18,450 in federal loans, and the school reports an average net price of $11,938 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
| 17 | University of Florida · Gainesville, FL | $67,276 | $6,541 | $1,982 | 24.2% |
| University of Florida posts median earnings of $67,276 for its Geography graduates four years after completing, with an average net price of $6,541. | |||||
| 18 | University of California-Los Angeles · Los Angeles, CA | $67,193 | $12,548 | $5,579 | 9.0% |
| With an admission rate of 9%, University of California-Los Angeles reports median federal debt of $13,296 among Geography completers who borrowed. | |||||
| 19 | Metropolitan State University of Denver · Denver, CO | $66,429 | $15,327 | $12,481 | 98.8% |
| Metropolitan State University of Denver ranks 19th on this list and reports median earnings of $66,429 for its Geography graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 20 | Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College · Baton Rouge, LA | $66,168 | $19,151 | $13,056 | 73.3% |
| Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College posts an average net price of $13,056 for families earning under $30,000, and its Geography graduates four years after completing earned a median of $66,168. | |||||
| 21 | Park University · Parkville, MO | $65,890 | $21,032 | $18,687 | Not reported |
| A private nonprofit institution in Parkville, Park University reports median federal debt of $21,685 across all of the school's borrowers who completed. | |||||
| 22 | Arizona State University Campus Immersion · Tempe, AZ | $65,759 | $14,967 | $9,070 | 89.9% |
| Arizona State University Campus Immersion ranks 21st on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions and reports median earnings of $65,759 for its Geography graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 23 | Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University · Blacksburg, VA | $65,259 | $24,953 | $11,689 | 54.8% |
| Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University admits 55% of applicants, and its Geography completers who borrowed left with a median of $19,500 in federal loans. | |||||
| 24 | Texas A&M University-College Station · College Station, TX | $65,228 | $21,315 | $12,784 | 57.4% |
| Texas A&M University-College Station reports median earnings of $65,228 for its Geography graduates four years after completing, with an average net price of $12,784 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
| 25 | University of Washington-Seattle Campus · Seattle, WA | $64,950 | $14,091 | $6,384 | 39.2% |
| University of Washington-Seattle Campus reports median earnings of $64,950 for its Geography graduates four years after completing, alongside an average net price of $6,384 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
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 United States appear. The figure captures federally aided completers who were working and not enrolled four years after graduating. For 36 of the 134 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 gap between first-ranked George Washington University and second-ranked University of Connecticut is $1,539, while the spread from the top of the list to the bottom reaches $59,163.
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