Geography and Cartography at Frostburg State University

Geography programs in Maryland show striking variation, with graduates from similar institutions earning anywhere from $25,000 to over $40,000 in their first year. Frostburg's program sits in interesting territory: national peers in Geography and Cartography typically produce starting earnings around $39,000, though Maryland's own median for the field runs about $5,600 lower. With an estimated debt load of $24,441—roughly in line with what other Maryland bachelor's programs report—graduates would be facing a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.63, assuming their outcomes match the national pattern.

That ratio suggests manageable repayment under standard terms, but the wide earnings spread across Maryland institutions should make parents ask hard questions about what differentiates outcomes. The University of Maryland-College Park's geography graduates start at $41,000, while Salisbury's begin closer to $25,000—a $16,000 gap that makes a significant difference when you're carrying $24,000 in loans. Without actual outcome data for Frostburg specifically, you're making assumptions based on broader patterns that may or may not hold.

The practical question: can you verify what Frostburg's geography graduates actually do after graduation? Track down career placement information, talk to recent alumni, and understand whether the program channels students toward GIS positions, urban planning, environmental consulting, or other paths that command different salaries. The estimated numbers suggest reasonable value, but those state-level earnings variations mean the program's actual track record matters considerably more than these benchmarks.