Geography and Cartography at University at Buffalo

Buffalo's Geography and Cartography program starts graduates at just $29,390—landing in the bottom 5% nationally and bottom quarter within New York. That first-year figure is nearly $10,000 below the state median and roughly $7,000 behind sister SUNY schools like Oneonta and Binghamton. For parents, this means their graduate will likely struggle with financial independence right out of the gate, even with relatively modest debt of $24,255.

The 33% earnings jump by year four offers some relief, bringing graduates to $39,206, which finally approaches typical starting salaries for this field. However, the small sample size here—fewer than 30 graduates—makes these numbers less reliable. This program may simply have too few data points to establish a clear pattern, or the graduates measured could have landed in unusually specific career paths not representative of typical outcomes.

Given the weak starting position and data uncertainty, parents should probe deeper before committing. Ask the department directly about job placement rates and typical employer partnerships. If your student is set on geography, consider whether Binghamton's program (starting $11,000 higher) justifies any additional cost, or whether this field requires graduate school anyway—making the bachelor's choice less critical than what comes next.