Cartographer education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a cartographer. Cartographers usually study geography, geology, or environmental science. 75% of cartographers hold a bachelor's degree, and 9% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 841 real cartographer resumes to see exactly what cartographer education sections show.

The most common colleges for cartographers are the University of Maryland - College Park and the University of Maryland - College Park.

There are also many online cartographer courses to help get the education required to be a cartographer.

There are certain cartographer certifications that you should consider. These cartographer certifications include Geographic Information Systems Professional (GISP) and GEOINT Professional Certification Cartography (GPC).

What education do you need to become a cartographer?

What degree do you need to be a cartographer?

The most common degree for cartographers is bachelor's degree, with 75% of cartographers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 9% and master's degree degree at 9%.

Bachelor's, 75%

Master's, 9%

Associate, 9%

High School Diploma, 3%

Other Degrees, 4%

What should I major in to become a cartographer?

You should major in geography to become a cartographer. 54% of cartographers major in geography. Other common majors for a cartographer include geology and environmental science.

Geography, 54%

Geology, 10%

Environmental Science, 5%

Drafting And Design, 4%

Other Majors, 27%

Most common colleges for cartographers

Cartographers often get their degrees at University of Maryland - College Park, University of Wisconsin Colleges, and University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point. Here are the most common colleges for cartographers in the US based on their resumes.

Cartographer common college	Percentages
University of Maryland - College Park	13.08%
University of Wisconsin Colleges	8.41%
University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point	5.61%
Northern Illinois University	5.61%
Northwest Missouri State University	4.67%

Show more common cartographer colleges

Best majors for cartographers

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Geography	54.0%
2	Geology	9.9%
3	Environmental Science	4.7%
4	Drafting And Design	4.3%
5	Business	3.8%

Show more common cartographer majors

Best colleges for cartographers

The best colleges for cartographers are University of Southern California, Northwestern University, and Johns Hopkins University.

A cartographer with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for cartographers. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become cartographers.

1. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$18,454

Enrollment

40,108

2. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

3. Ferris State University

Big Rapids, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$11,788

Enrollment

11,008

4. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Enrollment

34,564

5. Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi

Corpus Christi, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$9,055

Enrollment

9,672

6. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

7. Ohio State University

Columbus, OH • Private

In-state tuition

$10,726

Enrollment

45,769

8. Georgia Institute of Technology

Atlanta, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$12,424

Enrollment

15,201

9. Dartmouth College

Hanover, NH • Private

In-state tuition

$55,453

Enrollment

4,312

10. Michigan Technological University

Houghton, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$15,646

Enrollment

5,736

20 best online courses for cartographers

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20. Comprehensive Product management for Product managers

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Top 10 most affordable universities for cartographers

The most affordable schools for cartographers are University of Florida, hunter college of the city university of new york, and california state university - fresno.

If the best universities for cartographers are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for cartographers.

1. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

2. Hunter College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,182

Cost of attendance

13,998

3. California State University - Fresno

Fresno, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,587

Cost of attendance

16,915

4. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

5. Florida Atlantic University

Boca Raton, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$4,831

Cost of attendance

19,559

6. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

7. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez

Mayaguez, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$4,094

Cost of attendance

14,302

8. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

9. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

10. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for cartographers

The hardest universities for cartographers to get into are University of Southern California, Northwestern University, and Johns Hopkins University.

Some great schools for cartographers are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for cartographers based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.

1. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

2. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,508

3. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

4. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

Admissions rate

39%

SAT average

1,362

5. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

6. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

7. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

Admissions rate

40%

SAT average

1,376

8. Syracuse University

Syracuse, NY • Private

Admissions rate

50%

SAT average

1,284

9. University of Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

59%

SAT average

1,367

10. Purdue University

West Lafayette, IN • Private

Admissions rate

58%

SAT average

1,309

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for cartographers

The easiest schools for cartographers to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, texas a&m; university - corpus christi, and oregon institute of technology.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a cartographer without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for cartographers.

1. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

2. Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi

Corpus Christi, TX • Private

Admissions rate

87%

SAT average

1,068

3. Oregon Institute of Technology

Klamath Falls, OR • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,139

4. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

5. Saint Cloud State University

Saint Cloud, MN • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

1,086

6. Saint Mary's University of Minnesota

Winona, MN • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,148

7. Ferris State University

Big Rapids, MI • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

1,070

8. Pennsylvania State University - Wilkes-Barre

Lehman, PA • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

1,075

9. Bridgewater State University

Bridgewater, MA • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

1,073

10. Old Dominion University

Norfolk, VA • Private

Admissions rate

87%

SAT average

1,093

Average cartographer salary by education level

Cartographer education level	Cartographer salary
Bachelor's Degree	$64,038

Cartographer education FAQs

What is the best college for Cartographers?

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

Updated January 8, 2025

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