Geographic Information Science Degree in Glendale, CA — Salary & ROI 2026
Geographic Information Science degree analysis for Glendale, CA. COL-adjusted salary data, local tuition costs, ROI calculator, and job market outlook.
Starting Salary
$81K
COL-adjusted
Mid-Career
$127K
COL-adjusted
ROI Payback
5.1 yrs
in Glendale
Cost of Living
162.4
index (100 = avg)
Geographic Information Science in Glendale, CA Overview
Glendale, California (pop. 196,543) has 8 colleges offering Geographic Information Science programs. The local cost of living index of 162.4 is higher than average, so budget accordingly, with average rent near campus at $2,670/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 Glendale is approximately $81,200, growing to $126,672 by mid-career.
Category
STEM
Local Colleges
8
Public Tuition
$14,500/yr
Private Tuition
$42,000/yr
Room & Board
$16,677/yr
Avg Fin. Aid
$11,738/yr
Unemployment
4.8%
Graduation Rate
54%
Geographic Information Science Salary in Glendale (COL-Adjusted)
Salaries adjusted for Glendale's cost of living index of 162.4 (national average = 100).
Note: National average Geographic Information Science salary: $50,000 starting, $78,000 mid-career, $95,000 senior level.Glendale adjustment factor: 1.62x based on the local cost of living index.
Geographic Information Science ROI Calculator for Glendale
Estimate your return on investment for a Geographic Information Science degree using local Glendale tuition and cost of living data.
Public avg: $14,500 | Private avg: $42,000
Glendale avg aid: $11,738/yr
Federal avg: 6.5% | Private: 4-14%
Total Education Cost
$124,708
tuition + room & board - aid
Annual Earnings Premium
$24,360
vs HS diploma in Glendale
ROI Payback Period
5.1 years
to break even
Lifetime Return in Glendale
$687,292
Lifetime earnings premium ($812,000) minus total education cost ($124,708)
Student Loan Payoff for Geographic Information Science in Glendale
Standard Plan (10 years)
Aggressive Plan (5 years)
Colleges in Glendale for Geographic Information Science
Glendale State University
public
$14,651/yr
$58,604 total
University of Glendale
public
$14,900/yr
$59,600 total
Community Colleges (2-Year Transfer)
Glendale Community College
$6,504/yr
Top Employers for Geographic Information Science in Glendale
Glendale offers opportunities in Tech companies, Research labs, Government agencies for Geographic Information Science graduates. National top employers in this field include:
Key Glendale 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 Glendale
Prompt Engineering
$81K starting · 1.5 yr ROI
Computational Linguistics
$154K starting · 2 yr ROI
Computer Science
$138K starting · 2.8 yr ROI
Software Engineering
$143K starting · 2.7 yr ROI
Data Science
$133K starting · 3 yr ROI
Astrophysics
$138K starting · 3 yr ROI
Actuarial Science
$81K starting · 3 yr ROI
Cybersecurity
$130K starting · 3 yr ROI
Geographic Information Science Degree in Glendale — 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 Glendale.