Geography and Cartography at University of Arizona

With just $28,250 in median debt—dramatically lower than most bachelor's programs—University of Arizona's Geography and Cartography degree offers a reasonable entry point into the field. Graduates start at $42,829, which beats three-quarters of similar programs nationally. The debt load means you're looking at roughly 8 months of gross earnings to repay loans, a manageable threshold that gives students breathing room early in their careers.

The caveat here is Arizona-specific competition: U of A graduates earn about $6,000 less than their peers at ASU's programs. That 40th percentile state ranking matters if your child plans to stay in Arizona, though the national perspective is more favorable. Earnings stay essentially flat from year one to year four, suggesting graduates find their salary level quickly rather than building toward higher pay. For a field like cartography—increasingly digital and GIS-focused—this stability might reflect the technical nature of entry-level work.

The small sample size (under 30 graduates tracked) means one or two outlier outcomes could skew these figures significantly. But the fundamentals work: low debt, earnings that clear national benchmarks, and minimal risk of the debt spiral that plagues other programs. If your child is drawn to geographic analysis or mapping technology, this represents a practical path forward, especially if they're open to job markets beyond Arizona where the national ranking advantage could matter more.