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Geographer education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a geographer. Geographers usually study geography, geology, or environmental science. 79% of geographers hold a bachelor's degree, and 16% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 142 real geographer resumes to see exactly what geographer education sections show.
The most common colleges for geographers are the University of Washington and the University of Washington.
There are also many online geographer courses to help get the education required to be a geographer.
What education do you need to become a geographer?
What degree do you need to be a geographer?
- Bachelor's, 79%
- Master's, 16%
- Associate, 4%
- Doctorate, 2%
What should I major in to become a geographer?
Most common colleges for geographers
| Geographer common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Washington | 14.55% |
| Florida Atlantic University | 9.09% |
| Kansas State University | 7.27% |
| Texas State University | 7.27% |
| University of Kansas | 5.45% |
Best majors for geographers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Geography | 60.2% |
| 2 | Geology | 7.1% |
| 3 | Environmental Science | 6.2% |
| 4 | History | 2.7% |
| 5 | Global Studies | 2.7% |
Best colleges for geographers
The best colleges for geographers are Northwestern University, Johns Hopkins University, and Boston University.
A geographer with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for geographers. 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 geographers.
1. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
2. Dartmouth College
Hanover, NH • Private
In-state tuition
$55,453
Enrollment
4,312
3. Georgia Institute of Technology
Atlanta, GA • Private
In-state tuition
$12,424
Enrollment
15,201
4. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
5. University of Chicago
Chicago, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$58,230
Enrollment
6,600
6. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$53,740
Enrollment
5,567
7. University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$14,184
Enrollment
30,845
8. University of California - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$13,226
Enrollment
31,568
9. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
10. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
In-state tuition
$53,399
Enrollment
7,356
20 best online courses for geographers
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Top 10 most affordable universities for geographers
The most affordable schools for geographers are Brigham Young University, hunter college of the city university of new york, and florida international university.
If the best universities for geographers 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 geographers.
1. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
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. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
4. Florida Atlantic University
Boca Raton, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$4,831
Cost of attendance
19,559
5. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
6. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
7. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
8. University of Puerto Rico - Rio Piedras Campus
San Juan, PR • Private
In-state tuition
$4,094
Cost of attendance
11,299
9. USF St. Petersburg
St. Petersburg, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,821
Cost of attendance
19,849
10. California State University - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,886
Cost of attendance
17,645
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for geographers
The hardest universities for geographers to get into are Northwestern University, Johns Hopkins University, and Boston University.
Some great schools for geographers 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 geographers 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. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
2. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
3. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
4. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
5. SUNY at Binghamton
Vestal, NY • Private
Admissions rate
40%
SAT average
1,376
6. University of Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
59%
SAT average
1,367
7. Syracuse University
Syracuse, NY • Private
Admissions rate
50%
SAT average
1,284
8. Middlebury College
Middlebury, VT • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,439
9. Saint Louis University
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
58%
SAT average
1,304
10. University of Denver
Denver, CO • Private
Admissions rate
56%
SAT average
1,300
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for geographers
The easiest schools for geographers to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, saint mary's university of minnesota, and bridgewater state university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a geographer 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 geographers.
1. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
2. Saint Mary's University of Minnesota
Winona, MN • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,148
3. Bridgewater State University
Bridgewater, MA • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
1,073
4. Old Dominion University
Norfolk, VA • Private
Admissions rate
87%
SAT average
1,093
5. University of Southern Maine
Portland, ME • Private
Admissions rate
85%
SAT average
1,050
6. San Francisco State University
San Francisco, CA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,054
7. William Paterson University of New Jersey
Wayne, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
994
8. Saint Cloud State University
Saint Cloud, MN • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
1,086
9. Auburn University-Montgomery
Montgomery, AL • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,084
10. Salem State University
Salem, MA • Private
Admissions rate
85%
SAT average
1,065
Average geographer salary by education level
| Geographer education level | Geographer salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $67,809 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $62,598 |
| Doctorate Degree | $69,370 |
Geographer education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common life, physical, and social science questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025