by our College Data Analytics Team
[Geography And Cartography](/majors/social-sciences/geography-and-cartography/) graduates earn very different salaries depending on where they study. The schools below stand out for the salaries their geography and cartography graduates go on to command.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 5 schools on the early-career earnings of their geography and cartography graduates.
What’s on this page:
Below are the schools whose geography and cartography graduates go on to earn the most.
Michigan State University tops our 2026 list of the highest-paying geography and cartography schools in Michigan. Located in the city of East Lansing, Michigan State University is a public institution. Students who complete the geography and cartography program here go on to a median salary of roughly $72,290.
A rank of #2 makes Central Michigan University one of the highest-paying schools for geography and cartography. Central Michigan University is a public school located in the town of Mount Pleasant. Early-career geography and cartography graduates from Central Michigan University make a median of around $61,764 per year.
Western Michigan University produces some of the highest-paid graduates in geography and cartography, landing the #3 spot this year. Western Michigan University is a public school located in the city of Kalamazoo. After graduating, geography and cartography degree recipients from Western Michigan University typically earn about $47,993 annually.
A rank of #4 makes Eastern Michigan University one of the highest-paying schools for geography and cartography. Set in the suburb of Ypsilanti, Eastern Michigan University is a public institution. After graduating, geography and cartography degree recipients from Eastern Michigan University typically earn about $41,103 annually.
A rank of #5 makes Grand Valley State University one of the highest-paying schools for geography and cartography. Grand Valley State University is a public school located in the town of Allendale. Students who complete the geography and cartography program here go on to a median salary of roughly $52,050.
This list is compiled by College Factual, 2026 edition. The methodology measures the salaries geography and cartography graduates go on to earn early in their careers, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard field-of-study earnings and IPEDS).
Ranking method: College Major Earnings · 5 schools evaluated.
*Salary figures reflect median early-career earnings (about 5 years after graduation) and may vary by how long a person takes to complete their degree.
More about our data sources and methodologies.