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Senior gis analyst education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a senior gis analyst. Senior gis analysts usually study geography, environmental science, or geology. 69% of senior gis analysts hold a bachelor's degree, and 19% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 514 real senior gis analyst resumes to see exactly what senior gis analyst education sections show.

The most common colleges for senior gis analysts are the University of Maryland - College Park and the University of Maryland - College Park.

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

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

What education do you need to become a senior gis analyst?

What degree do you need to be a senior gis analyst?

The most common degree for senior gis analysts is bachelor's degree, with 69% of senior gis analysts earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 19% and master's degree degree at 9%.
  • Bachelor's, 69%
  • Master's, 19%
  • Associate, 9%
  • Diploma, 1%
  • Other Degrees, 2%

What should I major in to become a senior gis analyst?

You should major in geography to become a senior gis analyst. 48% of senior gis analysts major in geography. Other common majors for a senior gis analyst include environmental science and geology.

Most common colleges for senior gis analysts

Senior gis analysts often get their degrees at University of Maryland - College Park, Texas State University, and Pennsylvania State University. Here are the most common colleges for senior gis analysts in the US based on their resumes.
Senior gis analyst common collegePercentages
University of Maryland - College Park10.59%
Texas State University7.06%
Pennsylvania State University7.06%
Texas A&M University7.06%
University of Colorado at Colorado Springs5.88%

Best majors for senior gis analysts

RankMajorPercentages
1Geography48.4%
2Environmental Science10.6%
3Geology8.1%
4Business3.9%
5Computer Science3.9%

Best colleges for senior gis analysts

The best colleges for senior gis analysts are Northwestern University, Johns Hopkins University, and Boston University.

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

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 senior gis analysts

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3. Data Analyst

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Use Python, SQL and Statistics to advance your programming skills and refine your ability to work with messy, complex datasets...

4. Programming for Data Science with R

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Prepare for a data science career by learning the fundamental data programming tools: R, SQL, command line, and git...

5. Geographic Information Systems (GIS)

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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...

6. IBM Data Analyst Capstone Project

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By completing this final capstone project you will apply various Data Analytics skills and techniques that you have learned as part of the previous courses in the IBM Data Analyst Professional Certificate. You will assume the role of an Associate Data Analyst who has recently joined the organization and be presented with a business challenge that requires data analysis to be performed on real-world datasets. You will perform the various tasks that professional data analysts do as part of their...

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15. Data Science (Part Time)

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17. Data Structures and Algorithms

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18. Data Visualization

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20. Introduction to Spatial Databases with PostGIS and QGIS 3

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Learn Spatial SQL and database management for GIS Professionals...

Top 10 most affordable universities for senior gis analysts

The most affordable schools for senior gis analysts are Brigham Young University, hunter college of the city university of new york, and florida international university.

If the best universities for senior gis analysts 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 senior gis analysts.

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 senior gis analysts

The hardest universities for senior gis analysts to get into are Northwestern University, Johns Hopkins University, and Boston University.

Some great schools for senior gis analysts 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 senior gis analysts 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 senior gis analysts

The easiest schools for senior gis analysts 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 senior gis analyst 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 senior gis analysts.

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 senior gis analyst salary by education level

According to our data, senior gis analysts with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $87,379 annually. Senior gis analysts with a Doctorate degree earn an average annual salary of $86,715.
Senior gis analyst education levelSenior gis analyst salary
Master's Degree$87,379
Bachelor's Degree$79,878
Doctorate Degree$86,715
Some College/ Associate Degree$70,825

Senior gis analyst education FAQs

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
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.

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