Gis manager education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a gis manager. Gis managers usually study geography, geology, or environmental science. 68% of gis managers hold a bachelor's degree, and 18% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 506 real gis manager resumes to see exactly what gis manager education sections show.

The most common colleges for gis managers are the Pennsylvania State University and the Pennsylvania State University.

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

What education do you need to become a gis manager?

What degree do you need to be a gis manager?

The most common degree for gis managers is bachelor's degree, with 68% of gis managers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 18% and master's degree degree at 8%.

Bachelor's, 68%

Master's, 18%

Associate, 8%

Diploma, 2%

Other Degrees, 4%

What should I major in to become a gis manager?

You should major in geography to become a gis manager. 43% of gis managers major in geography. Other common majors for a gis manager include geology and environmental science.

Geography, 43%

Geology, 10%

Environmental Science, 7%

Business, 6%

Other Majors, 34%

Most common colleges for gis managers

Gis managers often get their degrees at Pennsylvania State University, Texas State University, and Texas A&M; University. Here are the most common colleges for gis managers in the US based on their resumes.

Gis manager common college	Percentages
Pennsylvania State University	9.76%
Texas State University	8.54%
Texas A&M University	8.54%
Ball State University	7.32%
University of Washington	6.10%

Show more common gis manager colleges

Best majors for gis managers

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Geography	42.7%
2	Geology	9.6%
3	Environmental Science	7.1%
4	Business	6.4%
5	Urban Planning	3.9%

Show more common gis manager majors

Best colleges for gis managers

The best colleges for gis managers are Northwestern University, Johns Hopkins University, and University of Pennsylvania.

A gis manager 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 managers. 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 managers.

1. California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo

San Luis Obispo, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$9,816

Enrollment

21,047

2. Ohio State University

Columbus, OH • Private

In-state tuition

$10,726

Enrollment

45,769

3. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

4. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

5. Texas A&M University

College Station, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$11,870

Enrollment

53,194

6. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

7. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

In-state tuition

$53,740

Enrollment

5,567

8. Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Blacksburg, VA • Private

In-state tuition

$13,620

Enrollment

27,730

9. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$50,420

Enrollment

7,582

10. University of Texas at Austin

Austin, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$10,610

Enrollment

40,329

20 best online courses for gis managers

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Understanding web programming fundamentals focused on geospatial applications using Leaflet, Turf.js, and Post GIS...

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Basic Web GIS development for non programmer...

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20. [Intermediate] Spatial Data Analysis with R, QGIS & More

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Top 10 most affordable universities for gis managers

The most affordable schools for gis managers are Baruch College of the City University of New York, california state university - long beach, and university of florida.

If the best universities for gis managers 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 managers.

1. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

2. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

3. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

4. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

5. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

6. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

7. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

8. USF Sarasota-Manatee

Sarasota, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,587

Cost of attendance

13,043

9. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

10. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for gis managers

The hardest universities for gis managers to get into are Northwestern University, Johns Hopkins University, and University of Pennsylvania.

Some great schools for gis managers 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 managers 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

SAT average

1,508

2. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

3. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,492

4. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

5. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

6. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,520

7. California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo

San Luis Obispo, CA • Private

Admissions rate

30%

SAT average

1,339

8. University of Miami

Coral Gables, FL • Private

Admissions rate

32%

SAT average

1,365

9. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,512

10. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for gis managers

The easiest schools for gis managers to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, notre dame de namur university, and university of north texas at dallas.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a gis manager 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 managers.

1. Mount Saint Mary's University

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,031

2. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

3. University of North Texas at Dallas

Dallas, TX • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

992

4. Pennsylvania State University - Worthington Scranton

Dunmore, PA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

1,056

5. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

6. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

7. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

8. Pennsylvania State University - Fayette (The Eberly Campus)

Lemont Furnace, PA • Private

Admissions rate

80%

SAT average

1,067

9. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

10. Life University

Marietta, GA • Private

Admissions rate

94%

SAT average

979

Average gis manager salary by education level

According to our data, gis managers with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $90,592 annually. Gis managers with a Bachelor's degree earn an average annual salary of $84,410.

Gis manager education level	Gis manager salary
Master's Degree	$90,592
High School Diploma or Less	$68,922
Bachelor's Degree	$84,410
Doctorate Degree	$82,400
Some College/ Associate Degree	$72,293

Gis manager education FAQs

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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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