Geography and Cartography at Sam Houston State University

Sam Houston State's geography program graduates earn less than typical Texas geography graduates at every benchmark—starting $4,000 below the state median and falling further behind over time. In a state where geography students at Texas A&M start at $54,000 and even UT-Austin grads begin around $37,000, Sam Houston's $35,936 first-year salary ranks in just the 40th percentile statewide. The debt load of $25,156 exceeds both state and national medians, creating a first-year debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.70 that's manageable but not comfortable.

The 26% earnings growth to $45,328 by year four helps close some of the gap, but it's worth noting this data comes from a very small cohort—fewer than 30 graduates. Small samples can swing dramatically year to year, so these numbers may not reflect what your child would actually experience. For a program serving a significant population of Pell grant recipients (40%), these outcomes suggest students are finding work but not necessarily career paths that justify the geographic specialization.

If your child is committed to geography, consider whether in-state tuition makes this worthwhile or if programs at Texas State or UNT—with similar accessibility but stronger earnings—might deliver better returns. The small cohort size makes it impossible to know if this represents a stable pattern or just an off year.