Geography and Cartography at University of Colorado Colorado Springs

UCCS Geography and Cartography graduates start at $36,426, which places them below both the national and Colorado medians for this field—actually earning less than typical geography graduates statewide. That's concerning since other Colorado schools like Metropolitan State ($44,861) and CU Denver ($39,104) produce notably stronger outcomes in the same program. The roughly $8,000 gap between UCCS and Metro State is particularly striking for students paying similar tuition rates.

The debt picture offers some compensation: at $17,500, graduates carry about 23% less debt than typical Colorado geography majors. Combined with the modest starting salary, the 0.48 debt-to-earnings ratio isn't terrible—graduates would need roughly six months of gross income to cover their loans. Earnings do climb to $41,964 by year four, showing 15% growth, which brings outcomes closer to competitive territory.

For Colorado families, this program represents middle-of-the-road value at best. The manageable debt prevents it from being a problematic choice, but the earnings lag behind what's clearly achievable at peer institutions. If your student is set on geography at UCCS, the financial outcome won't be disastrous, but Metropolitan State delivers substantially better results in the same field for similar investment.