Geographic Information Science Degree in Indianapolis, IN — Salary & ROI 2026
Geographic Information Science degree analysis for Indianapolis, IN. 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
6.4 yrs
in Indianapolis
Cost of Living
94
index (100 = avg)
Geographic Information Science in Indianapolis, IN Overview
Indianapolis is one of Indiana's top college towns, with 25 institutions and a student population of 38,913. Public tuition averages $9,944/year here — well below the national average, making it a cost-effective choice. Geographic Information Science has seen growing enrollment nationally, reflecting rising employer demand for GIS Software and Remote Sensing skills. The adjusted starting salary in Indianapolis is approximately $47,000, growing to $73,320 by mid-career.
Category
STEM
Local Colleges
25
Public Tuition
$9,944/yr
Private Tuition
$39,815/yr
Room & Board
$12,486/yr
Avg Fin. Aid
$12,595/yr
Unemployment
4.2%
Graduation Rate
56%
Geographic Information Science Salary in Indianapolis (COL-Adjusted)
Salaries adjusted for Indianapolis's cost of living index of 94 (national average = 100).
Note: National average Geographic Information Science salary: $50,000 starting, $78,000 mid-career, $95,000 senior level.Indianapolis adjustment factor: 0.94x based on the local cost of living index.
Geographic Information Science ROI Calculator for Indianapolis
Estimate your return on investment for a Geographic Information Science degree using local Indianapolis tuition and cost of living data.
Public avg: $9,944 | Private avg: $39,815
Indianapolis avg aid: $12,595/yr
Federal avg: 6.5% | Private: 4-14%
Total Education Cost
$89,720
tuition + room & board - aid
Annual Earnings Premium
$14,100
vs HS diploma in Indianapolis
ROI Payback Period
6.4 years
to break even
Lifetime Return in Indianapolis
$380,280
Lifetime earnings premium ($470,000) minus total education cost ($89,720)
Student Loan Payoff for Geographic Information Science in Indianapolis
Standard Plan (10 years)
Aggressive Plan (5 years)
Colleges in Indianapolis for Geographic Information Science
Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis
public
$9,944/yr
$39,776 total
Butler University
private
$46,710/yr
$186,840 total
University of Indianapolis
private
$32,920/yr
$131,680 total
Community Colleges (2-Year Transfer)
Ivy Tech Community College
$4,540/yr
Top Employers for Geographic Information Science in Indianapolis
Indianapolis offers opportunities in Tech companies, Research labs, Government agencies for Geographic Information Science graduates. National top employers in this field include:
Key Indianapolis Hiring Sectors for STEM
Tech companies
Research labs
Government agencies
Startups
Consulting firms
Common Geographic Information Science Job Titles
Geographic Information Science in Nearby Indiana Cities
Fort Wayne, IN
$52K starting · COL 103
24 colleges
Evansville, IN
$43K starting · COL 86
10 colleges
South Bend, IN
$45K starting · COL 89
9 colleges
Carmel, IN
$53K starting · COL 105.2
4 colleges
Fishers, IN
$50K starting · COL 100.5
4 colleges
Bloomington, IN
$42K starting · COL 83
5 colleges
Hammond, IN
$47K starting · COL 93.1
4 colleges
Lafayette, IN
$42K starting · COL 84.8
3 colleges
Other STEM Majors in Indianapolis
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
Actuarial Science
$47K starting · 3 yr ROI
Cybersecurity
$75K starting · 3 yr ROI
Robotics Engineering
$47K starting · 3 yr ROI
Geographic Information Science Degree in Indianapolis — 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 Indianapolis.