[Geographic Information Science](/majors/social-sciences/geography-and-cartography/geographic-information-science/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
College Factual analyzed 17 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best value geographic information science schools.
What’s on this page:
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the geographic information science degrees they offer, see the list below.
For return on investment in geographic information science, no school beat University At Buffalo this year. Set in the suburb of Buffalo, University At Buffalo is a very large public institution. Students from in state pay about $10,936 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $31,536. Students borrow a median of $24,255 to complete the geographic information science program here. Soon after graduation, geographic information science degree recipients from University At Buffalo generally make around $29,390. Set against $24,255 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. University At Buffalo admits about 74% of applicants.
Suny At Binghamton is a great value for students pursuing a degree in geographic information science, landing the #2 spot this year. Suny At Binghamton is a very large public school located in the suburb of Vestal. Students from in state pay about $10,567 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $30,447. Geographic Information Science graduates carry a median of $20,596 in student loans. Soon after graduation, geographic information science degree recipients from Suny At Binghamton generally make around $40,434. Set against $20,596 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 39% of applicants are accepted.
More Geographic Information Science Rankings
View All Geographic Information Science Rankings >
Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 17 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 3 ranked schools only.
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
