by our College Data Analytics TeamIn the latest year, 7 U.S. colleges awarded 35 degrees and certificates in Signal/Geospatial Intelligence. Master’s degrees are the most popular award, at 86% of graduates. Graduates earn a median $63,824 one year after completing, rising to $88,234 after four years.
Studying Signal/Geospatial Intelligence covers Signal/geospatial Intelligence. A Program That Focuses On The Theory, Technology And Operational Aspects Of Collecting, Processing And Exploiting Remote-Sensed, Radar, Acoustic And Other Forms Of Signals Intelligence. Includes Instruction In Applied Physics, Wave Propagation And Capture, Radar Systems, Acoustics And Underwater Systems, Infrared Systems, Synthetic Aperture Systems, Collection And Processing Systems, Signal Phenomenology, Signal Analysis And Exploitation, And Applications To Specific Intelligence Problems. Examples: [Advanced Geospatial Intelligence].
Source: IPEDS 2025; College Scorecard July 2026; BLS; O*NET; College Factual rankings. Data as of: July 2026.
Across the country, signal/geospatial intelligence is a widely-pursued major, with 35 degrees awarded annually. 7 colleges award signal/geospatial intelligence degrees, an average of 5 graduates per school; the largest program awarded 12.
By level, the 35 awards include 5 bachelor’s degrees and 30 master’s degrees.
Women earned 37% of signal/geospatial intelligence degrees and certificates in the latest year (13 of 35). The largest groups of graduates by race and ethnicity are White (25) and Black or African American (2), and international students earned 2.
The most common signal/geospatial intelligence credential is the master’s degree: 30 of the 35 awarded in the latest year. Jobs related to signal/geospatial intelligence call most for Active Listening, Speaking and Reading Comprehension, and for knowledge of Law and Government, Public Safety and Security and English Language, according to O*NET. The most important abilities are Oral Comprehension, Inductive Reasoning and Written Comprehension.
Top skills, rated 0–5:
Top knowledge areas, rated 0–5:
How long a signal/geospatial intelligence degree takes:
| Degree | Typical Program Length | Graduates Annually |
|---|---|---|
| Bachelor’s Degree | 4 years | 5 |
| Master’s Degree | 1-3 years | 30 |
High school diploma or equivalent is the most common level of education among workers in jobs related to signal/geospatial intelligence, at 30.0%.
| Level of Education | Percentage of Workers |
|---|---|
| High school diploma or equivalent | 30.0% |
| Bachelor’s degree | 27.6% |
| Some college courses | 18.9% |
| Associate’s degree (or other 2-year) | 11.7% |
| Postsecondary certificate | 7.3% |
| Master’s degree | 2.9% |
| Post-baccalaureate certificate | 1.7% |
Source: O*NET Online.
7 occupations are related to Signal/Geospatial Intelligence, with an average median salary of $61,746; the strongest outlook belongs to Detectives and Criminal Investigators, at 14.5% projected job growth. Typical job titles include Investigator, Crime Scene Investigator (CSI), Criminalist and Police Investigator.
The occupation related to signal/geospatial intelligence with the most projected jobs is Police Identification and Records Officers, at 532,882.
| Occupation | Projected Jobs | Expected Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Police Identification and Records Officers | 532,882 | 7.1% |
| Detectives and Criminal Investigators | 469,816 | 14.5% |
| Intelligence Analysts | 313,116 | 11.7% |
| First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives | 290,410 | 11.9% |
| Cartographers and Photogrammetrists | 55,239 | -4.8% |
| Special Forces | 40,649 | 4.1% |
| Special Forces Officers | 31,860 | 5.1% |
Signal/Geospatial Intelligence graduates earn a median $63,824 one year after completing their program, $88,234 after four years and $74,598 after five years, according to the U.S. Department of Education’s College Scorecard.
| Years Out | Median Earnings |
|---|---|
| 1 year | $63,824 |
| 4 years | $88,234 |
| 5 years | $74,598 |
Source: College Scorecard.
The highest-paying occupation related to signal/geospatial intelligence is Special Forces Officers, with a median salary of $73,745.
| Occupation | Median Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| Special Forces Officers | $73,745 |
| Intelligence Analysts | $65,483 |
| Detectives and Criminal Investigators | $64,492 |
| Police Identification and Records Officers | $61,847 |
| Special Forces | $56,978 |
| Cartographers and Photogrammetrists | $56,771 |
| First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives | $52,907 |
Signal/Geospatial Intelligence has 5 similar majors in the Military Technologies & Sciences field, which together award 3,976 degrees a year; the largest are Intelligence, General (1,996), Cyber/Electronic Operations and Warfare (1,594) and Strategic Intelligence (304). Browse all Military Technologies & Sciences majors or the full list of college majors.
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Intelligence, General | 1,996 |
| Cyber/Electronic Operations and Warfare | 1,594 |
| Strategic Intelligence | 304 |
| Intelligence, Command Control and Information Operations, Other | 75 |
| Information/Psychological Warfare and Military Media Relations | 7 |
More about our data sources and methodologies.