[Geographic Information Science](/majors/social-sciences/geography-and-cartography/geographic-information-science/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 10 schools to find the best return on investment for geographic information science students.
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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 Of Minnesota Twin Cities this year. Set in the city of Minneapolis, University Of Minnesota Twin Cities is a very large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $17,214, compared with $38,362 for out-of-state students. Geographic Information Science graduates carry a median of $20,500 in student loans. Geographic Information Science graduates of University Of Minnesota Twin Cities earn a median of $38,019 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $20,500 median debt. Roughly 80% of applicants are accepted.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Minnesota State University Mankato earned it the #2 place for geographic information science. Minnesota State University Mankato is a large public school located in the city of Mankato. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $9,572, with out-of-state students paying around $18,942. Students borrow a median of $25,260 to complete the geographic information science program here. Soon after graduation, geographic information science degree recipients from Minnesota State University Mankato generally make around $45,482. That is a strong return on a $25,260 median debt. Minnesota State University Mankato admits about 88% of applicants.
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Notes and References
This list is compiled 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 · 10 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 1 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.
