Mapper education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a mapper. Mappers usually study drafting and design, geography, or business. 49% of mappers hold a bachelor's degree, and 28% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 375 real mapper resumes to see exactly what mapper education sections show.

The most common colleges for mappers are the University of Houston and the University of Houston.

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

What education do you need to become a mapper?

What degree do you need to be a mapper?

The most common degree for mappers is bachelor's degree, with 49% of mappers earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 28% and associate degree degree at 8%.

Bachelor's, 49%

Associate, 28%

High School Diploma, 8%

Diploma, 7%

Other Degrees, 8%

What should I major in to become a mapper?

You should major in drafting and design to become a mapper. 20% of mappers major in drafting and design. Other common majors for a mapper include geography and business.

Drafting And Design, 20%

Geography, 13%

Business, 11%

Computer Science, 10%

Other Majors, 46%

Most common colleges for mappers

Mappers often get their degrees at University of Houston, University of Phoenix, and Arizona State University. Here are the most common colleges for mappers in the US based on their resumes.

Mapper common college	Percentages
University of Houston	9.76%
University of Phoenix	7.32%
Arizona State University	7.32%
Marshall University	4.88%
Appalachian State University	4.88%

Show more common mapper colleges

Best majors for mappers

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Drafting And Design	19.7%
2	Geography	13.1%
3	Business	10.9%
4	Computer Science	10.2%
5	Health Care Administration	4.4%

Show more common mapper majors

Best colleges for mappers

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

A mapper with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for mappers. 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 mappers.

1. Ferris State University

Big Rapids, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$11,788

Enrollment

11,008

2. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$18,454

Enrollment

40,108

3. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

4. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Enrollment

34,564

5. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

6. Georgia Institute of Technology

Atlanta, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$12,424

Enrollment

15,201

7. Dartmouth College

Hanover, NH • Private

In-state tuition

$55,453

Enrollment

4,312

8. Northern Michigan University

Marquette, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$10,729

Enrollment

6,722

9. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

10. New Mexico State University

Las Cruces, NM • Private

In-state tuition

$6,686

Enrollment

11,139

20 best online courses for mappers

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Top 10 most affordable universities for mappers

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

If the best universities for mappers 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 mappers.

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. Florida Atlantic University

Boca Raton, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$4,831

Cost of attendance

19,559

5. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

6. University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez

Mayaguez, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$4,094

Cost of attendance

14,302

7. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

8. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

9. University of Puerto Rico - Rio Piedras Campus

San Juan, PR • Private

In-state tuition

$4,094

Cost of attendance

11,299

10. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for mappers

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

Some great schools for mappers 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 mappers 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. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

Admissions rate

40%

SAT average

1,376

7. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

8. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

9. Syracuse University

Syracuse, NY • Private

Admissions rate

50%

SAT average

1,284

10. Pennsylvania State University

University Park, PA • Private

Admissions rate

56%

SAT average

1,269

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

The easiest schools for mappers to get into are Mount Saint Mary's University, texas a&m; university - corpus christi, and california university of pennsylvania.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a mapper 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 mappers.

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. California University of Pennsylvania

California, PA • Private

Admissions rate

97%

SAT average

1,007

4. Oregon Institute of Technology

Klamath Falls, OR • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,139

5. Saint Cloud State University

Saint Cloud, MN • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

1,086

6. Ferris State University

Big Rapids, MI • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

1,070

7. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

8. Sam Houston State University

Huntsville, TX • Private

Admissions rate

79%

SAT average

1,075

9. South Dakota State University

Brookings, SD • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,149

10. Saint Mary's University of Minnesota

Winona, MN • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,148

Average mapper salary by education level

Mapper education level	Mapper salary
Bachelor's Degree	$78,336

Mapper education FAQs

What is the best college for Mappers?

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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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