Geography and Cartography at College of Staten Island CUNY

A geography degree with earnings around $36,000 within a year of graduation—the typical outcome for similar programs in New York—means starting with a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.57. That's manageable by national standards, especially at a CUNY school where keeping costs down matters for the nearly half of students receiving Pell grants. But it's worth noting that geography programs in the state show significant spread: SUNY Binghamton graduates earn over $40,000 while Buffalo grads start closer to $29,000, suggesting that employment outcomes in this field vary considerably by institution and individual career path.

The field itself doesn't command high starting salaries nationally either—the $38,726 national median is only modestly higher than what New York programs typically produce. Geography and cartography graduates often need to specialize quickly, whether toward GIS technology, urban planning, or environmental consulting, to reach stronger earnings. The estimated $20,548 in debt is below both state and national program medians, which reflects CUNY's affordability advantage, but it still represents about seven months of gross income.

For families weighing this investment, the key question is whether your student has a clear direction within geography. The debt load won't overwhelm them, but the earnings trajectory depends heavily on which specific career they pursue and whether they'll need graduate work to reach their goals.