Geography and Cartography at University of South Carolina-Columbia

This program reports earnings that beat 95% of geography programs nationally—a remarkable showing that would seem to make USC-Columbia a standout choice. However, the critical caveat is that fewer than 30 students provided data, making these numbers potentially unstable. That said, first-year earnings of $47K substantially outpace the national median of $39K, and the debt load of $23,250 translates to a manageable 0.50 ratio that's better than half of similar programs nationwide.

The modest 3% earnings growth over four years is typical for geography graduates, who often enter planning, GIS analysis, or government roles with relatively flat early-career trajectories. What matters more is the starting point, and these graduates appear to be launching from a solid foundation—though it's impossible to know if that reflects the program's quality, South Carolina's job market, or simply which handful of students responded to the survey.

For parents, the reasonable debt burden makes this a relatively low-risk option if your child is genuinely interested in spatial analysis or environmental planning. Just recognize that you're betting on limited data. If those numbers hold up with more graduates, this represents excellent value. If they don't, you're still looking at debt levels that won't be crushing even with more typical geography earnings in the high $30Ks.