Geographic Information Science Degree in Garden Grove, CA — Salary & ROI 2026
Geographic Information Science degree analysis for Garden Grove, CA. COL-adjusted salary data, local tuition costs, ROI calculator, and job market outlook.
Starting Salary
$75K
COL-adjusted
Mid-Career
$117K
COL-adjusted
ROI Payback
5.6 yrs
in Garden Grove
Cost of Living
150.3
index (100 = avg)
Geographic Information Science in Garden Grove, CA Overview
Garden Grove, California (pop. 172,646) has 7 colleges offering Geographic Information Science programs. The local cost of living index of 150.3 is higher than average, so budget accordingly, with average rent near campus at $2,160/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 Garden Grove is approximately $75,150, growing to $117,234 by mid-career.
Category
STEM
Local Colleges
7
Public Tuition
$14,500/yr
Private Tuition
$42,000/yr
Room & Board
$17,153/yr
Avg Fin. Aid
$9,754/yr
Unemployment
5.3%
Graduation Rate
66%
Geographic Information Science Salary in Garden Grove (COL-Adjusted)
Salaries adjusted for Garden Grove's cost of living index of 150.3 (national average = 100).
Note: National average Geographic Information Science salary: $50,000 starting, $78,000 mid-career, $95,000 senior level.Garden Grove adjustment factor: 1.50x based on the local cost of living index.
Geographic Information Science ROI Calculator for Garden Grove
Estimate your return on investment for a Geographic Information Science degree using local Garden Grove tuition and cost of living data.
Public avg: $14,500 | Private avg: $42,000
Garden Grove avg aid: $9,754/yr
Federal avg: 6.5% | Private: 4-14%
Total Education Cost
$126,612
tuition + room & board - aid
Annual Earnings Premium
$22,545
vs HS diploma in Garden Grove
ROI Payback Period
5.6 years
to break even
Lifetime Return in Garden Grove
$624,888
Lifetime earnings premium ($751,500) minus total education cost ($126,612)
Student Loan Payoff for Geographic Information Science in Garden Grove
Standard Plan (10 years)
Aggressive Plan (5 years)
Colleges in Garden Grove for Geographic Information Science
Garden Grove State University
public
$13,746/yr
$54,984 total
University of Garden Grove
public
$14,677/yr
$58,708 total
Community Colleges (2-Year Transfer)
Garden Grove Community College
$6,550/yr
Top Employers for Geographic Information Science in Garden Grove
Garden Grove offers opportunities in Tech companies, Research labs, Government agencies for Geographic Information Science graduates. National top employers in this field include:
Key Garden Grove Hiring Sectors for STEM
Tech companies
Research labs
Government agencies
Startups
Consulting firms
Common Geographic Information Science Job Titles
Geographic Information Science in Nearby California Cities
Los Angeles, CA
$71K starting · COL 141
69 colleges
San Diego, CA
$70K starting · COL 140
68 colleges
San Jose, CA
$65K starting · COL 129
95 colleges
San Francisco, CA
$57K starting · COL 114
22 colleges
Fresno, CA
$59K starting · COL 118
37 colleges
Sacramento, CA
$56K starting · COL 112
38 colleges
Long Beach, CA
$58K starting · COL 116
14 colleges
Oakland, CA
$66K starting · COL 132
13 colleges
Other STEM Majors in Garden Grove
Prompt Engineering
$75K starting · 1.5 yr ROI
Computational Linguistics
$143K starting · 2 yr ROI
Computer Science
$128K starting · 2.8 yr ROI
Software Engineering
$132K starting · 2.7 yr ROI
Data Science
$123K starting · 3 yr ROI
Astrophysics
$128K starting · 3 yr ROI
Actuarial Science
$75K starting · 3 yr ROI
Cybersecurity
$120K starting · 3 yr ROI
Geographic Information Science Degree in Garden Grove — 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 Garden Grove.