Geographic Information Science Degree in Lake Charles, LA — Salary & ROI 2026
Geographic Information Science degree analysis for Lake Charles, LA. COL-adjusted salary data, local tuition costs, ROI calculator, and job market outlook.
Starting Salary
$40K
COL-adjusted
Mid-Career
$62K
COL-adjusted
ROI Payback
7.8 yrs
in Lake Charles
Cost of Living
80
index (100 = avg)
Geographic Information Science in Lake Charles, LA Overview
Lake Charles, Louisiana (pop. 84,872) has 6 colleges offering Geographic Information Science programs. The local cost of living index of 80 keeps student expenses low, with average rent near campus at $925/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 Lake Charles is approximately $40,000, growing to $62,400 by mid-career.
Category
STEM
Local Colleges
6
Public Tuition
$9,274/yr
Private Tuition
$41,023/yr
Room & Board
$14,078/yr
Avg Fin. Aid
$16,078/yr
Unemployment
3.3%
Graduation Rate
56%
Geographic Information Science Salary in Lake Charles (COL-Adjusted)
Salaries adjusted for Lake Charles's cost of living index of 80 (national average = 100).
Note: National average Geographic Information Science salary: $50,000 starting, $78,000 mid-career, $95,000 senior level.Lake Charles adjustment factor: 0.80x based on the local cost of living index.
Geographic Information Science ROI Calculator for Lake Charles
Estimate your return on investment for a Geographic Information Science degree using local Lake Charles tuition and cost of living data.
Public avg: $9,274 | Private avg: $41,023
Lake Charles avg aid: $16,078/yr
Federal avg: 6.5% | Private: 4-14%
Total Education Cost
$93,408
tuition + room & board - aid
Annual Earnings Premium
$12,000
vs HS diploma in Lake Charles
ROI Payback Period
7.8 years
to break even
Lifetime Return in Lake Charles
$306,592
Lifetime earnings premium ($400,000) minus total education cost ($93,408)
Student Loan Payoff for Geographic Information Science in Lake Charles
Standard Plan (10 years)
Aggressive Plan (5 years)
Colleges in Lake Charles for Geographic Information Science
McNeese State University
public
$9,274/yr
$37,096 total
Community Colleges (2-Year Transfer)
Sowela Technical Community College
$4,236/yr
Top Employers for Geographic Information Science in Lake Charles
Lake Charles offers opportunities in Tech companies, Research labs, Government agencies for Geographic Information Science graduates. National top employers in this field include:
Key Lake Charles Hiring Sectors for STEM
Tech companies
Research labs
Government agencies
Startups
Consulting firms
Common Geographic Information Science Job Titles
Geographic Information Science in Nearby Louisiana Cities
New Orleans, LA
$45K starting · COL 90
23 colleges
Baton Rouge, LA
$41K starting · COL 82
16 colleges
Shreveport, LA
$50K starting · COL 99
14 colleges
Metairie, LA
$45K starting · COL 89.4
6 colleges
Lafayette, LA
$52K starting · COL 104
5 colleges
Bossier City, LA
$44K starting · COL 87.8
3 colleges
Kenner, LA
$46K starting · COL 92.5
3 colleges
Other STEM Majors in Lake Charles
Prompt Engineering
$40K starting · 1.5 yr ROI
Computational Linguistics
$76K starting · 2 yr ROI
Computer Science
$68K starting · 2.8 yr ROI
Software Engineering
$70K starting · 2.7 yr ROI
Data Science
$66K starting · 3 yr ROI
Actuarial Science
$40K starting · 3 yr ROI
Cybersecurity
$64K starting · 3 yr ROI
Robotics Engineering
$40K starting · 3 yr ROI
Geographic Information Science Degree in Lake Charles — 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 Lake Charles.