Geography and Cartography at Clark University

Clark's geography program sits right in the middle of Massachusetts options but lags significantly behind national outcomes—11th percentile nationally despite relatively modest debt. That $29,713 starting salary trails the national median by over $9,000, though it's fairly typical for Massachusetts geography graduates. The debt load of $26,500, while below the national median, creates a tight first-year budget with a debt-to-earnings ratio near 0.89.

The concerning part isn't just the initial earnings—it's what this means for a selective liberal arts university charging premium tuition. At a school with a 1339 average SAT, you'd expect better career outcomes. Geography can be a stepping stone to graduate work in urban planning, GIS, or environmental science, which might explain why some programs accept lower initial earnings. But without data on longer-term trajectories or graduate school placement, that's speculation.

The small sample size (under 30 graduates) adds real uncertainty here. With so few data points, a handful of students pursuing conservation internships or graduate school could skew the numbers significantly. If your child is committed to geography, ask Clark directly about career services support, alumni outcomes beyond year one, and whether their graduates typically continue to advanced degrees. This isn't a program where the immediate financial return justifies the investment on its own.