Geographic Information Science Degree in Lancaster, CA — Salary & ROI 2026
Geographic Information Science degree analysis for Lancaster, CA. COL-adjusted salary data, local tuition costs, ROI calculator, and job market outlook.
Starting Salary
$54K
COL-adjusted
Mid-Career
$84K
COL-adjusted
ROI Payback
6.9 yrs
in Lancaster
Cost of Living
108.2
index (100 = avg)
Geographic Information Science in Lancaster, CA Overview
Lancaster, California (pop. 173,516) has 7 colleges offering Geographic Information Science programs. The local cost of living index of 108.2 is near the national average, with average rent near campus at $1,140/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 Lancaster is approximately $54,100, growing to $84,396 by mid-career.
Category
STEM
Local Colleges
7
Public Tuition
$14,500/yr
Private Tuition
$42,000/yr
Room & Board
$13,522/yr
Avg Fin. Aid
$15,181/yr
Unemployment
5.2%
Graduation Rate
66%
Geographic Information Science Salary in Lancaster (COL-Adjusted)
Salaries adjusted for Lancaster's cost of living index of 108.2 (national average = 100).
Note: National average Geographic Information Science salary: $50,000 starting, $78,000 mid-career, $95,000 senior level.Lancaster adjustment factor: 1.08x based on the local cost of living index.
Geographic Information Science ROI Calculator for Lancaster
Estimate your return on investment for a Geographic Information Science degree using local Lancaster tuition and cost of living data.
Public avg: $14,500 | Private avg: $42,000
Lancaster avg aid: $15,181/yr
Federal avg: 6.5% | Private: 4-14%
Total Education Cost
$112,088
tuition + room & board - aid
Annual Earnings Premium
$16,230
vs HS diploma in Lancaster
ROI Payback Period
6.9 years
to break even
Lifetime Return in Lancaster
$428,912
Lifetime earnings premium ($541,000) minus total education cost ($112,088)
Student Loan Payoff for Geographic Information Science in Lancaster
Standard Plan (10 years)
Aggressive Plan (5 years)
Colleges in Lancaster for Geographic Information Science
Lancaster State University
public
$14,869/yr
$59,476 total
University of Lancaster
public
$15,826/yr
$63,304 total
Community Colleges (2-Year Transfer)
Lancaster Community College
$6,025/yr
Top Employers for Geographic Information Science in Lancaster
Lancaster offers opportunities in Tech companies, Research labs, Government agencies for Geographic Information Science graduates. National top employers in this field include:
Key Lancaster 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 Lancaster
Prompt Engineering
$54K starting · 1.5 yr ROI
Computational Linguistics
$103K starting · 2 yr ROI
Computer Science
$92K starting · 2.8 yr ROI
Software Engineering
$95K starting · 2.7 yr ROI
Data Science
$89K starting · 3 yr ROI
Astrophysics
$92K starting · 3 yr ROI
Actuarial Science
$54K starting · 3 yr ROI
Cybersecurity
$87K starting · 3 yr ROI
Geographic Information Science Degree in Lancaster — 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 Lancaster.