Geographic Information Science Degree in Columbia, MD — Salary & ROI 2026
Geographic Information Science degree analysis for Columbia, MD. COL-adjusted salary data, local tuition costs, ROI calculator, and job market outlook.
Starting Salary
$64K
COL-adjusted
Mid-Career
$99K
COL-adjusted
ROI Payback
5.4 yrs
in Columbia
Cost of Living
127.2
index (100 = avg)
Geographic Information Science in Columbia, MD Overview
While Columbia has a smaller college scene with 4 institutions, Geographic Information Science students benefit from lower tuition costs. Room and board averages $15,096/year, and the car-friendly layout shapes the student experience. Geographic Information Science has seen growing enrollment nationally, reflecting rising employer demand for GIS Software and Remote Sensing skills. The adjusted starting salary in Columbia is approximately $63,600, growing to $99,216 by mid-career.
Category
STEM
Local Colleges
4
Public Tuition
$10,800/yr
Private Tuition
$42,000/yr
Room & Board
$15,096/yr
Avg Fin. Aid
$11,277/yr
Unemployment
3.6%
Graduation Rate
68%
Geographic Information Science Salary in Columbia (COL-Adjusted)
Salaries adjusted for Columbia's cost of living index of 127.2 (national average = 100).
Note: National average Geographic Information Science salary: $50,000 starting, $78,000 mid-career, $95,000 senior level.Columbia adjustment factor: 1.27x based on the local cost of living index.
Geographic Information Science ROI Calculator for Columbia
Estimate your return on investment for a Geographic Information Science degree using local Columbia tuition and cost of living data.
Public avg: $10,800 | Private avg: $42,000
Columbia avg aid: $11,277/yr
Federal avg: 6.5% | Private: 4-14%
Total Education Cost
$103,584
tuition + room & board - aid
Annual Earnings Premium
$19,080
vs HS diploma in Columbia
ROI Payback Period
5.4 years
to break even
Lifetime Return in Columbia
$532,416
Lifetime earnings premium ($636,000) minus total education cost ($103,584)
Student Loan Payoff for Geographic Information Science in Columbia
Standard Plan (10 years)
Aggressive Plan (5 years)
Colleges in Columbia for Geographic Information Science
Columbia State University
public
$10,473/yr
$41,892 total
University of Columbia
public
$12,187/yr
$48,748 total
Community Colleges (2-Year Transfer)
Columbia Community College
$6,406/yr
Top Employers for Geographic Information Science in Columbia
Columbia offers opportunities in Tech companies, Research labs, Government agencies for Geographic Information Science graduates. National top employers in this field include:
Key Columbia Hiring Sectors for STEM
Tech companies
Research labs
Government agencies
Startups
Consulting firms
Common Geographic Information Science Job Titles
Geographic Information Science in Nearby Maryland Cities
Baltimore, MD
$65K starting · COL 130
22 colleges
Silver Spring, MD
$61K starting · COL 122.5
4 colleges
Frederick, MD
$56K starting · COL 112.5
4 colleges
Waldorf, MD
$60K starting · COL 120.7
4 colleges
Ellicott City, MD
$57K starting · COL 114.2
3 colleges
Glen Burnie, MD
$54K starting · COL 108.8
3 colleges
Rockville, MD
$64K starting · COL 128.5
3 colleges
Bethesda, MD
$58K starting · COL 116.7
3 colleges
Other STEM Majors in Columbia
Prompt Engineering
$64K starting · 1.5 yr ROI
Computational Linguistics
$121K starting · 2 yr ROI
Computer Science
$108K starting · 2.8 yr ROI
Software Engineering
$112K starting · 2.7 yr ROI
Data Science
$104K starting · 3 yr ROI
Actuarial Science
$64K starting · 3 yr ROI
Cybersecurity
$102K starting · 3 yr ROI
Robotics Engineering
$64K starting · 3 yr ROI
Geographic Information Science Degree in Columbia — 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 Columbia.