Geographic Information Science Degree in Brownsville, TX — Salary & ROI 2026
Geographic Information Science degree analysis for Brownsville, TX. COL-adjusted salary data, local tuition costs, ROI calculator, and job market outlook.
Starting Salary
$42K
COL-adjusted
Mid-Career
$65K
COL-adjusted
ROI Payback
6.6 yrs
in Brownsville
Cost of Living
83
index (100 = avg)
Geographic Information Science in Brownsville, TX Overview
Brownsville, Texas (pop. 186,738) has 7 colleges offering Geographic Information Science programs. The local cost of living index of 83 keeps student expenses low, with average rent near campus at $868/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 Brownsville is approximately $41,500, growing to $64,740 by mid-career.
Category
STEM
Local Colleges
7
Public Tuition
$8,416/yr
Private Tuition
$32,593/yr
Room & Board
$12,079/yr
Avg Fin. Aid
$12,908/yr
Unemployment
6.5%
Graduation Rate
46%
Geographic Information Science Salary in Brownsville (COL-Adjusted)
Salaries adjusted for Brownsville's cost of living index of 83 (national average = 100).
Note: National average Geographic Information Science salary: $50,000 starting, $78,000 mid-career, $95,000 senior level.Brownsville adjustment factor: 0.83x based on the local cost of living index.
Geographic Information Science ROI Calculator for Brownsville
Estimate your return on investment for a Geographic Information Science degree using local Brownsville tuition and cost of living data.
Public avg: $8,416 | Private avg: $32,593
Brownsville avg aid: $12,908/yr
Federal avg: 6.5% | Private: 4-14%
Total Education Cost
$81,980
tuition + room & board - aid
Annual Earnings Premium
$12,450
vs HS diploma in Brownsville
ROI Payback Period
6.6 years
to break even
Lifetime Return in Brownsville
$333,020
Lifetime earnings premium ($415,000) minus total education cost ($81,980)
Student Loan Payoff for Geographic Information Science in Brownsville
Standard Plan (10 years)
Aggressive Plan (5 years)
Colleges in Brownsville for Geographic Information Science
University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
public
$8,416/yr
$33,664 total
Community Colleges (2-Year Transfer)
Texas Southmost College
$2,604/yr
Top Employers for Geographic Information Science in Brownsville
Brownsville offers opportunities in Tech companies, Research labs, Government agencies for Geographic Information Science graduates. National top employers in this field include:
Key Brownsville Hiring Sectors for STEM
Tech companies
Research labs
Government agencies
Startups
Consulting firms
Common Geographic Information Science Job Titles
Geographic Information Science in Nearby Texas Cities
Houston, TX
$58K starting · COL 115
90 colleges
San Antonio, TX
$60K starting · COL 120
58 colleges
Dallas, TX
$52K starting · COL 104
82 colleges
Austin, TX
$54K starting · COL 107
30 colleges
Fort Worth, TX
$51K starting · COL 101
19 colleges
El Paso, TX
$47K starting · COL 93
38 colleges
Arlington, TX
$47K starting · COL 93.5
14 colleges
Corpus Christi, TX
$41K starting · COL 82
22 colleges
Other STEM Majors in Brownsville
Prompt Engineering
$42K starting · 1.5 yr ROI
Computational Linguistics
$79K starting · 2 yr ROI
Computer Science
$71K starting · 2.8 yr ROI
Software Engineering
$73K starting · 2.7 yr ROI
Data Science
$68K starting · 3 yr ROI
Astrophysics
$71K starting · 3 yr ROI
Actuarial Science
$42K starting · 3 yr ROI
Cybersecurity
$66K starting · 3 yr ROI
Geographic Information Science Degree in Brownsville — 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 Brownsville.