Geographic Information Science Degree in Renton, WA — Salary & ROI 2026
Geographic Information Science degree analysis for Renton, WA. COL-adjusted salary data, local tuition costs, ROI calculator, and job market outlook.
Starting Salary
$61K
COL-adjusted
Mid-Career
$96K
COL-adjusted
ROI Payback
6 yrs
in Renton
Cost of Living
122.5
index (100 = avg)
Geographic Information Science in Renton, WA Overview
While Renton has a smaller college scene with 5 institutions, Geographic Information Science students benefit from lower tuition costs. Room and board averages $15,923/year, and the car-friendly layout shapes the student experience. Geographic Information Science has seen growing enrollment nationally, reflecting rising employer demand for GIS Software and Remote Sensing skills. The adjusted starting salary in Renton is approximately $61,250, growing to $95,550 by mid-career.
Category
STEM
Local Colleges
5
Public Tuition
$11,800/yr
Private Tuition
$40,000/yr
Room & Board
$15,923/yr
Avg Fin. Aid
$15,424/yr
Unemployment
4.5%
Graduation Rate
64%
Geographic Information Science Salary in Renton (COL-Adjusted)
Salaries adjusted for Renton's cost of living index of 122.5 (national average = 100).
Note: National average Geographic Information Science salary: $50,000 starting, $78,000 mid-career, $95,000 senior level.Renton adjustment factor: 1.23x based on the local cost of living index.
Geographic Information Science ROI Calculator for Renton
Estimate your return on investment for a Geographic Information Science degree using local Renton tuition and cost of living data.
Public avg: $11,800 | Private avg: $40,000
Renton avg aid: $15,424/yr
Federal avg: 6.5% | Private: 4-14%
Total Education Cost
$110,892
tuition + room & board - aid
Annual Earnings Premium
$18,375
vs HS diploma in Renton
ROI Payback Period
6 years
to break even
Lifetime Return in Renton
$501,608
Lifetime earnings premium ($612,500) minus total education cost ($110,892)
Student Loan Payoff for Geographic Information Science in Renton
Standard Plan (10 years)
Aggressive Plan (5 years)
Colleges in Renton for Geographic Information Science
Renton State University
public
$11,303/yr
$45,212 total
University of Renton
public
$13,258/yr
$53,032 total
Community Colleges (2-Year Transfer)
Renton Community College
$5,805/yr
Top Employers for Geographic Information Science in Renton
Renton offers opportunities in Tech companies, Research labs, Government agencies for Geographic Information Science graduates. National top employers in this field include:
Key Renton Hiring Sectors for STEM
Tech companies
Research labs
Government agencies
Startups
Consulting firms
Common Geographic Information Science Job Titles
Geographic Information Science in Nearby Washington Cities
Seattle, WA
$60K starting · COL 120
16 colleges
Spokane, WA
$61K starting · COL 121
20 colleges
Tacoma, WA
$57K starting · COL 113
25 colleges
Vancouver, WA
$54K starting · COL 108.5
7 colleges
Bellevue, WA
$89K starting · COL 178.5
6 colleges
Kent, WA
$58K starting · COL 115.8
6 colleges
Everett, WA
$59K starting · COL 118.2
5 colleges
Spokane Valley, WA
$62K starting · COL 123.1
4 colleges
Other STEM Majors in Renton
Prompt Engineering
$61K starting · 1.5 yr ROI
Computational Linguistics
$116K starting · 2 yr ROI
Computer Science
$104K starting · 2.8 yr ROI
Software Engineering
$108K starting · 2.7 yr ROI
Data Science
$100K starting · 3 yr ROI
Actuarial Science
$61K starting · 3 yr ROI
Cybersecurity
$98K starting · 3 yr ROI
Robotics Engineering
$61K starting · 3 yr ROI
Geographic Information Science Degree in Renton — 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 Renton.