Geographic Information Science Degree in Grand Prairie, TX — Salary & ROI 2026
Geographic Information Science degree analysis for Grand Prairie, TX. COL-adjusted salary data, local tuition costs, ROI calculator, and job market outlook.
Starting Salary
$47K
COL-adjusted
Mid-Career
$73K
COL-adjusted
ROI Payback
6.8 yrs
in Grand Prairie
Cost of Living
93.8
index (100 = avg)
Geographic Information Science in Grand Prairie, TX Overview
Grand Prairie, Texas (pop. 196,100) has 8 colleges offering Geographic Information Science programs. The local cost of living index of 93.8 is near the national average, with average rent near campus at $795/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 Grand Prairie is approximately $46,900, growing to $73,164 by mid-career.
Category
STEM
Local Colleges
8
Public Tuition
$10,900/yr
Private Tuition
$36,000/yr
Room & Board
$12,959/yr
Avg Fin. Aid
$15,206/yr
Unemployment
4.3%
Graduation Rate
69%
Geographic Information Science Salary in Grand Prairie (COL-Adjusted)
Salaries adjusted for Grand Prairie's cost of living index of 93.8 (national average = 100).
Note: National average Geographic Information Science salary: $50,000 starting, $78,000 mid-career, $95,000 senior level.Grand Prairie adjustment factor: 0.94x based on the local cost of living index.
Geographic Information Science ROI Calculator for Grand Prairie
Estimate your return on investment for a Geographic Information Science degree using local Grand Prairie tuition and cost of living data.
Public avg: $10,900 | Private avg: $36,000
Grand Prairie avg aid: $15,206/yr
Federal avg: 6.5% | Private: 4-14%
Total Education Cost
$95,436
tuition + room & board - aid
Annual Earnings Premium
$14,070
vs HS diploma in Grand Prairie
ROI Payback Period
6.8 years
to break even
Lifetime Return in Grand Prairie
$373,564
Lifetime earnings premium ($469,000) minus total education cost ($95,436)
Student Loan Payoff for Geographic Information Science in Grand Prairie
Standard Plan (10 years)
Aggressive Plan (5 years)
Colleges in Grand Prairie for Geographic Information Science
Grand Prairie State University
public
$10,712/yr
$42,848 total
University of Grand Prairie
public
$9,448/yr
$37,792 total
Community Colleges (2-Year Transfer)
Grand Prairie Community College
$5,844/yr
Top Employers for Geographic Information Science in Grand Prairie
Grand Prairie offers opportunities in Tech companies, Research labs, Government agencies for Geographic Information Science graduates. National top employers in this field include:
Key Grand Prairie 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 Grand Prairie
Prompt Engineering
$47K starting · 1.5 yr ROI
Computational Linguistics
$89K starting · 2 yr ROI
Computer Science
$80K starting · 2.8 yr ROI
Software Engineering
$83K starting · 2.7 yr ROI
Data Science
$77K starting · 3 yr ROI
Astrophysics
$80K starting · 3 yr ROI
Actuarial Science
$47K starting · 3 yr ROI
Cybersecurity
$75K starting · 3 yr ROI
Geographic Information Science Degree in Grand Prairie — 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 Grand Prairie.