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Gis developer education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a gis developer. Gis developers usually study geography, computer science, or environmental science. 64% of gis developers hold a bachelor's degree, and 30% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 392 real gis developer resumes to see exactly what gis developer education sections show.
The most common colleges for gis developers are the Texas State University and the Texas State University.
There are also many online gis developer courses to help get the education required to be a gis developer.
What education do you need to become a gis developer?
What degree do you need to be a gis developer?
- Bachelor's, 64%
- Master's, 30%
- Associate, 3%
- Diploma, 1%
- Other Degrees, 2%
What should I major in to become a gis developer?
- Geography, 30%
- Computer Science, 24%
- Other Majors, 38%
Most common colleges for gis developers
| Gis developer common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Texas State University | 7.55% |
| University of Maryland - College Park | 7.55% |
| Western Washington University | 5.66% |
| University of Washington | 5.66% |
| University of Wisconsin Colleges | 5.66% |
Best majors for gis developers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Geography | 29.6% |
| 2 | Computer Science | 23.8% |
| 3 | Environmental Science | 4.4% |
| 4 | Information Technology | 4.4% |
| 5 | Engineering | 3.9% |
Best colleges for gis developers
The best colleges for gis developers are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Washington University in St Louis.
A gis developer with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for gis developers. 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 gis developers.
1. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
2. Georgia Institute of Technology
Atlanta, GA • Private
In-state tuition
$12,424
Enrollment
15,201
3. Dartmouth College
Hanover, NH • Private
In-state tuition
$55,453
Enrollment
4,312
4. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
5. University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$14,184
Enrollment
30,845
6. University of Chicago
Chicago, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$58,230
Enrollment
6,600
7. University of California - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$13,226
Enrollment
31,568
8. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
9. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
In-state tuition
$53,399
Enrollment
7,356
10. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
20 best online courses for gis developers
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4. Full Stack Web Developer
Design and develop modern web applications.Students will also learn how to deploy a Flask-based web application to the cloud using Docker and Kubernetes...
5. Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
Knowledge of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) is an increasingly sought after skill in industries from agriculture to public health. This Specialization, offered in partnership with ArcGIS developer Esri, will teach the skills you need to successfully use GIS software in a professional setting. You will learn how to analyze your spatial data, use cartography techniques to communicate your results in maps, and collaborate with peers in GIS and GIS-dependent fields. In the final Capstone...
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20. React Development (Part Time)
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Top 10 most affordable universities for gis developers
The most affordable schools for gis developers are Hunter College of the City University of New York, california state university - long beach, and brigham young university.
If the best universities for gis developers 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 gis developers.
1. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
2. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
3. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
4. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
5. California State University - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,886
Cost of attendance
17,645
6. Lehman College of the City University of New York
Bronx, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,210
Cost of attendance
14,359
7. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
8. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
9. California State University - Fresno
Fresno, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,587
Cost of attendance
16,915
10. California State University - Northridge
Northridge, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,893
Cost of attendance
18,870
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for gis developers
The hardest universities for gis developers to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Washington University in St Louis.
Some great schools for gis developers 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 gis developers 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. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
3. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
4. Dartmouth College
Hanover, NH • Private
Admissions rate
9%
SAT average
1,488
5. University of Chicago
Chicago, IL • Private
Admissions rate
7%
SAT average
1,520
6. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
7. Colgate University
Hamilton, NY • Private
Admissions rate
25%
SAT average
1,443
8. Georgia Institute of Technology
Atlanta, GA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,465
9. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
10. Middlebury College
Middlebury, VT • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,439
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for gis developers
The easiest schools for gis developers to get into are Sonoma State University, mount saint mary's university, and nyack college.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a gis developer 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 gis developers.
1. Sonoma State University
Rohnert Park, CA • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
1,072
2. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
3. Nyack College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
999
4. San Francisco State University
San Francisco, CA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,054
5. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
6. Saint Martin's University
Lacey, WA • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,111
7. Bridgewater State University
Bridgewater, MA • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
1,073
8. Saint Mary's University of Minnesota
Winona, MN • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,148
9. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
10. Saint Cloud State University
Saint Cloud, MN • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
1,086
Average gis developer salary by education level
| Gis developer education level | Gis developer salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $108,016 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $98,285 |
| Doctorate Degree | $117,954 |
Gis developer education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common computer and mathematical questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025