Gis project manager education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a gis project manager. Gis project managers usually study geography, geology, or business. 65% of gis project managers hold a bachelor's degree, and 22% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 354 real gis project manager resumes to see exactly what gis project manager education sections show.

The most common colleges for gis project managers are the Louisiana State University and A&M; College and the Louisiana State University and A&M; College.

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

There are certain gis project manager certifications that you should consider. These gis project manager certifications include Geographic Information Systems Professional (GISP) and GIAC Information Security Professional (GISP).

What education do you need to become a gis project manager?

What degree do you need to be a gis project manager?

The most common degree for gis project managers is bachelor's degree, with 65% of gis project managers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 22% and master's degree degree at 9%.

Bachelor's, 65%

Master's, 22%

Associate, 9%

Diploma, 1%

Other Degrees, 3%

What should I major in to become a gis project manager?

You should major in geography to become a gis project manager. 42% of gis project managers major in geography. Other common majors for a gis project manager include geology and business.

Geography, 42%

Geology, 10%

Business, 6%

Environmental Science, 6%

Other Majors, 36%

Most common colleges for gis project managers

Gis project managers often get their degrees at Louisiana State University and A&M; College, University of Florida, and Delta State University. Here are the most common colleges for gis project managers in the US based on their resumes.

Gis project manager common college	Percentages
Louisiana State University and A&M College	8.62%
University of Florida	6.90%
Delta State University	6.90%
Texas State University	6.90%
San Diego State University	6.90%

Show more common gis project manager colleges

Best majors for gis project managers

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Geography	42.4%
2	Geology	9.9%
3	Business	6.4%
4	Environmental Science	6.4%
5	Computer Science	4.4%

Show more common gis project manager majors

Best colleges for gis project managers

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

A gis project 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 project 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 project managers.

1. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

2. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

3. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

4. California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo

San Luis Obispo, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$9,816

Enrollment

21,047

5. Ohio State University

Columbus, OH • Private

In-state tuition

$10,726

Enrollment

45,769

6. Texas A&M University

College Station, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$11,870

Enrollment

53,194

7. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$18,454

Enrollment

40,108

8. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,488

Enrollment

30,018

9. Ball State University

Muncie, IN • Private

In-state tuition

$9,896

Enrollment

15,529

10. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

20 best online courses for gis project managers

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1. Geographic Information Systems (GIS)

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3. Core Spatial Data Analysis: Introductory GIS with R and QGIS

4.4

(1,989)

Become Proficient In Spatial Data Analysis Using R & QGIS By Working On A Real Project - Get A Job In Spatial Data!...

4. Agile Crash Course: Agile Project Management; Agile Delivery

4.5

(82,218)

Agile Project Management Basics (Scrum) & Agile Project Management Essentials (Scrum). Plus Agile Certification (Scrum)...

5. Project Management: Simple Software Project Management

4.4

(1,144)

Project Management for NEW Project Managers - knowledge, tools, techniques, skills, checklists, guidelines, pitfalls...

6. Beginning Project Management: Project Management Level One

4.6

(28,219)

Project Management: Growing a Successful Career as a Project Manager...

7. Project Management: Becoming a Successful Project manager

4.4

(250)

Project Management...

8. Groundwater Potential Zones GIS - Complete Project ArcGIS

4.5

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Also covers, Flood Risk Map, Drought Analysis, Fluctuation from Observed data, Watershed Delineation, Tutorial in depth...

9. Mastering Agile Scrum Project Management

4.5

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Review and master agile development & scrum methodologies for your career...

10. Project Management Course: Master Project Scope Management

4.3

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11. Project Management Training

4.6

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Project Management Certification Training with 4 Full Practice Tests...

12. Apply finance concepts for smart project management

4.2

(338)

Learn to read financial statements and make meaningful interpretations for business decisions in the age of big data...

13. Agile Project Management Bootcamp: Agile Project Management

4.5

(1,916)

This Agile Project Management Bootcamp course will allow you to learn the Agile Way! Agile Project Management (Scrum)...

14. Data Science- Project Management Methodology-CRISP-DM

4.3

(584)

End to End High Level Overview of Data Science & AI projects...

15. Exploring Spatial Information using ArcGIS Pro

4.6

(268)

Arc GIS Pro is the latest in-demand skill for GIS Professionals that you can master using this highly structured course!...

16. Project Management Fundamentals

4.6

(23,399)

Practical Project Management worked example using Gantt Charts, PMI, PMP, APM...

17. Project Management Essentials

4.5

(15,814)

A crash course in the essentials of project management for new project managers...

18. Project Management: Master Project Management - PMP/PMI

4.6

(12,299)

Master Project Management using this practical certification course...

19. OnePagerr Project Management

4.2

(330)

Learn how to create and manage hundreds of small projects efficiently with this one page project management system...

20. The Project Management Course: Beginner to PROject Manager

4.6

(44,976)

The Complete Course For Becoming A Successful Project Manager...

Top 10 most affordable universities for gis project managers

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

If the best universities for gis project 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 project 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. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

4. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

5. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

6. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

7. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

8. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

9. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

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 gis project managers

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

Some great schools for gis project 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 project 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. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,492

3. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

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. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

7. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,407

8. California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo

San Luis Obispo, CA • Private

Admissions rate

30%

SAT average

1,339

9. George Washington University, The

Washington, DC • Private

Admissions rate

42%

SAT average

1,380

10. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,520

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

The easiest schools for gis project managers to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, notre dame de namur university, and oklahoma wesleyan university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a gis project 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 project 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. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

4. University of North Texas at Dallas

Dallas, TX • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

992

5. Pennsylvania State University - Worthington Scranton

Dunmore, PA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

1,056

6. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

7. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

8. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

9. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

10. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

Average gis project manager salary by education level

According to our data, gis project managers with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $96,871 annually. Gis project managers with a Bachelor's degree earn an average annual salary of $92,268.

Gis project manager education level	Gis project manager salary
Master's Degree	$96,871
High School Diploma or Less	$80,247
Bachelor's Degree	$92,268
Doctorate Degree	$90,750
Some College/ Associate Degree	$82,930

Gis project 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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