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Geography

Types of Degrees Geography Majors Are Earning

People majoring in Geography can earn degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	4
Associate’s Degree	239
Bachelor’s Degree	2,186
Master’s Degree	724
Doctor’s Degree	117

What Geography Majors Need to Know

Coursework for Geography develop a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Geography graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

According to O*NET, a major in Geography emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• English Language — Importance 4.3 / 5; level 5.0 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 4.7 / 7.
• Law and Government — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 3.7 / 7.
• Administration and Management — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.
• Computers and Electronics — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 3.9 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

The skill set emphasized by a Geography program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.

Abilities

The cognitive and physical abilities most relevant to Geography careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Inductive Reasoning — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Geography graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Getting Information	4.5 / 7
Working with Computers	4.5 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.4 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.3 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.2 / 7
Analyzing Data or Information	4.2 / 7
Processing Information	4.1 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	4.1 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.1 / 7
Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others	4.1 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Geography professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	✓
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Microsoft Project	Project management software	—
Microsoft Access	Data base user interface and query software	—
Microsoft SharePoint	Document management software	—
SAP software	Enterprise resource planning ERP software	—
Microsoft Internet Explorer	Internet browser software	—
Email software	Electronic mail software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Geography graduates include:

• Compliance Director
• Director of Consumer Affairs
• Protective Signal Operations Supervisor
• Hospitality House Supervisor
• Dance Studio Manager
• Billing Manager
• Research and Development Director
• Management Trainee
• Director of Vocational Training
• Director of Professional Services
• Superintendent of Generation
• Publication Director
• Power Superintendent
• Hotel Recreational Facilities Manager
• Director of Health Education

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Geography graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Bachelor’s degree	43.5%
Doctoral degree	24.1%
Master’s degree	8.8%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	7.0%
High school diploma or equivalent	5.1%
Postsecondary certificate	3.3%
Post-master’s certificate	3.1%
Some college courses	2.6%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	2.1%
Post-doctoral training	0.3%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Geography?

Gender Distribution

This field has a relatively balanced gender distribution: 45.4% women and 54.6% men among Geography graduates.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	1,504	45.4%
Men	1,811	54.6%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Geography graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	2,117	63.9%
Asian	127	3.8%
Hispanic or Latino	519	15.7%
Black or African American	130	3.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native	13	0.4%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	3	0.1%
Two or More Races	148	4.5%
Race Unknown	95	2.9%
International Students	163	4.9%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Geography Graduates Earn?

Federal data tracks median earnings of Geography graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Earnings tend to climb steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$43,758
4 years	$52,013
5 years	$59,913

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $59,913 — roughly 37% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online Geography Programs

Online study is reported by IPEDS for Geography. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Associate’s	12	11
Bachelor’s	12	5
Master’s	5	2

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in Geography Worth It?

Strictly by the federal earnings tracker, Geography graduates earn a median of $52,013 four years after completion — roughly 37% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	CIP Code
Geography and Cartography	45.07
Geographic Information Science and Cartography	45.0702
Geography, Other	45.0799
Geography and Anthropology	45.1501
American Government and Politics (United States)	45.1002
Anthropology, General	45.0201
Anthropology, Other	45.0299
Applied Demography	45.0502
Applied Economics	45.0602

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.