Geographic Information Science Degree in Alexandria, VA — Salary & ROI 2026
Geographic Information Science degree analysis for Alexandria, VA. COL-adjusted salary data, local tuition costs, ROI calculator, and job market outlook.
Starting Salary
$51K
COL-adjusted
Mid-Career
$80K
COL-adjusted
ROI Payback
6.3 yrs
in Alexandria
Cost of Living
102
index (100 = avg)
Geographic Information Science in Alexandria, VA Overview
Alexandria, Virginia (pop. 159,467) has 8 colleges offering Geographic Information Science programs. The local cost of living index of 102 is near the national average, with average rent near campus at $930/month. Geographic Information Science has seen growing enrollment nationally, reflecting rising employer demand for GIS Software and Remote Sensing skills. The adjusted starting salary in Alexandria is approximately $51,000, growing to $79,560 by mid-career.
Category
STEM
Local Colleges
8
Public Tuition
$14,726/yr
Private Tuition
$40,924/yr
Room & Board
$9,270/yr
Avg Fin. Aid
$8,142/yr
Unemployment
4.5%
Graduation Rate
74%
Geographic Information Science Salary in Alexandria (COL-Adjusted)
Salaries adjusted for Alexandria's cost of living index of 102 (national average = 100).
Note: National average Geographic Information Science salary: $50,000 starting, $78,000 mid-career, $95,000 senior level.Alexandria adjustment factor: 1.02x based on the local cost of living index.
Geographic Information Science ROI Calculator for Alexandria
Estimate your return on investment for a Geographic Information Science degree using local Alexandria tuition and cost of living data.
Public avg: $14,726 | Private avg: $40,924
Alexandria avg aid: $8,142/yr
Federal avg: 6.5% | Private: 4-14%
Total Education Cost
$95,984
tuition + room & board - aid
Annual Earnings Premium
$15,300
vs HS diploma in Alexandria
ROI Payback Period
6.3 years
to break even
Lifetime Return in Alexandria
$414,016
Lifetime earnings premium ($510,000) minus total education cost ($95,984)
Student Loan Payoff for Geographic Information Science in Alexandria
Standard Plan (10 years)
Aggressive Plan (5 years)
Colleges in Alexandria for Geographic Information Science
Virginia Tech Northern Virginia
public
$14,726/yr
$58,904 total
Community Colleges (2-Year Transfer)
Northern Virginia Community College
$5,340/yr
Top Employers for Geographic Information Science in Alexandria
Alexandria offers opportunities in Tech companies, Research labs, Government agencies for Geographic Information Science graduates. National top employers in this field include:
Key Alexandria Hiring Sectors for STEM
Tech companies
Research labs
Government agencies
Startups
Consulting firms
Common Geographic Information Science Job Titles
Geographic Information Science in Nearby Virginia Cities
Virginia Beach, VA
$44K starting · COL 88
13 colleges
Chesapeake, VA
$46K starting · COL 91
12 colleges
Arlington, VA
$71K starting · COL 142.5
9 colleges
Norfolk, VA
$47K starting · COL 93
16 colleges
Richmond, VA
$50K starting · COL 100
11 colleges
Newport News, VA
$46K starting · COL 92.5
7 colleges
Hampton, VA
$49K starting · COL 97
7 colleges
Roanoke, VA
$44K starting · COL 88.5
4 colleges
Other STEM Majors in Alexandria
Prompt Engineering
$51K starting · 1.5 yr ROI
Computational Linguistics
$97K starting · 2 yr ROI
Computer Science
$87K starting · 2.8 yr ROI
Software Engineering
$90K starting · 2.7 yr ROI
Data Science
$84K starting · 3 yr ROI
Actuarial Science
$51K starting · 3 yr ROI
Cybersecurity
$82K starting · 3 yr ROI
Robotics Engineering
$51K starting · 3 yr ROI
Geographic Information Science Degree in Alexandria — FAQ
Data Sources: Salary data from BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook. Cost of living from BLS Regional Data. College data from NCES/IPEDS. Updated March 2026.
Explore More
Compare Geographic Information Science ROI in other cities, or explore other majors in Alexandria.