Geography and Cartography at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville's Geography and Cartography program launches graduates into notably higher earnings than most peers nationwide—ranking in the 85th percentile nationally with first-year earnings of $44,543, well above the national median of $38,726. That $6,000 edge matters for a relatively affordable program with manageable debt of $23,775, producing a healthy 0.53 debt-to-earnings ratio that graduates can realistically handle.

Within Illinois, the picture is more competitive but still solid. The program sits at the 60th percentile statewide, nearly matching UIUC's outcomes ($42,214) while serving a more accessible student population at a highly open-admission institution. Earnings growth of 16% over four years suggests graduates are building marketable skills, climbing to $51,648 by year four. For geography and cartography—a field where GIS expertise and technical mapping skills command premium wages—these trajectories indicate the program is delivering practical, career-ready training.

The combination of above-average starting salaries, reasonable debt loads, and steady earnings progression makes this a surprisingly strong value in a niche field. For students interested in spatial analysis and cartography, particularly those planning to stay in the Midwest, this program offers solid economic grounding without the sticker shock of more selective institutions.