Geographic Information Science Degree in Oceanside, CA — Salary & ROI 2026
Geographic Information Science degree analysis for Oceanside, CA. COL-adjusted salary data, local tuition costs, ROI calculator, and job market outlook.
Starting Salary
$71K
COL-adjusted
Mid-Career
$111K
COL-adjusted
ROI Payback
5.9 yrs
in Oceanside
Cost of Living
142.1
index (100 = avg)
Geographic Information Science in Oceanside, CA Overview
Oceanside, California (pop. 176,218) has 7 colleges offering Geographic Information Science programs. The local cost of living index of 142.1 is higher than average, so budget accordingly, with average rent near campus at $2,040/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 Oceanside is approximately $71,050, growing to $110,838 by mid-career.
Category
STEM
Local Colleges
7
Public Tuition
$14,500/yr
Private Tuition
$42,000/yr
Room & Board
$16,998/yr
Avg Fin. Aid
$8,512/yr
Unemployment
5.3%
Graduation Rate
56%
Geographic Information Science Salary in Oceanside (COL-Adjusted)
Salaries adjusted for Oceanside's cost of living index of 142.1 (national average = 100).
Note: National average Geographic Information Science salary: $50,000 starting, $78,000 mid-career, $95,000 senior level.Oceanside adjustment factor: 1.42x based on the local cost of living index.
Geographic Information Science ROI Calculator for Oceanside
Estimate your return on investment for a Geographic Information Science degree using local Oceanside tuition and cost of living data.
Public avg: $14,500 | Private avg: $42,000
Oceanside avg aid: $8,512/yr
Federal avg: 6.5% | Private: 4-14%
Total Education Cost
$125,992
tuition + room & board - aid
Annual Earnings Premium
$21,315
vs HS diploma in Oceanside
ROI Payback Period
5.9 years
to break even
Lifetime Return in Oceanside
$584,508
Lifetime earnings premium ($710,500) minus total education cost ($125,992)
Student Loan Payoff for Geographic Information Science in Oceanside
Standard Plan (10 years)
Aggressive Plan (5 years)
Colleges in Oceanside for Geographic Information Science
Oceanside State University
public
$14,298/yr
$57,192 total
University of Oceanside
public
$12,583/yr
$50,332 total
Community Colleges (2-Year Transfer)
Oceanside Community College
$5,853/yr
Top Employers for Geographic Information Science in Oceanside
Oceanside offers opportunities in Tech companies, Research labs, Government agencies for Geographic Information Science graduates. National top employers in this field include:
Key Oceanside 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 Oceanside
Prompt Engineering
$71K starting · 1.5 yr ROI
Computational Linguistics
$135K starting · 2 yr ROI
Computer Science
$121K starting · 2.8 yr ROI
Software Engineering
$125K starting · 2.7 yr ROI
Data Science
$117K starting · 3 yr ROI
Astrophysics
$121K starting · 3 yr ROI
Actuarial Science
$71K starting · 3 yr ROI
Cybersecurity
$114K starting · 3 yr ROI
Geographic Information Science Degree in Oceanside — 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 Oceanside.