Geographic Information Science Degree in South Bend, IN — Salary & ROI 2026
Geographic Information Science degree analysis for South Bend, IN. COL-adjusted salary data, local tuition costs, ROI calculator, and job market outlook.
Starting Salary
$45K
COL-adjusted
Mid-Career
$69K
COL-adjusted
ROI Payback
6.3 yrs
in South Bend
Cost of Living
89
index (100 = avg)
Geographic Information Science in South Bend, IN Overview
South Bend, Indiana (pop. 103,453) has 9 colleges offering Geographic Information Science programs. The local cost of living index of 89 keeps student expenses low, with average rent near campus at $1,010/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 South Bend is approximately $44,500, growing to $69,420 by mid-career.
Category
STEM
Local Colleges
9
Public Tuition
$9,463/yr
Private Tuition
$60,301/yr
Room & Board
$11,568/yr
Avg Fin. Aid
$8,347/yr
Unemployment
5.2%
Graduation Rate
62%
Geographic Information Science Salary in South Bend (COL-Adjusted)
Salaries adjusted for South Bend's cost of living index of 89 (national average = 100).
Note: National average Geographic Information Science salary: $50,000 starting, $78,000 mid-career, $95,000 senior level.South Bend adjustment factor: 0.89x based on the local cost of living index.
Geographic Information Science ROI Calculator for South Bend
Estimate your return on investment for a Geographic Information Science degree using local South Bend tuition and cost of living data.
Public avg: $9,463 | Private avg: $60,301
South Bend avg aid: $8,347/yr
Federal avg: 6.5% | Private: 4-14%
Total Education Cost
$84,124
tuition + room & board - aid
Annual Earnings Premium
$13,350
vs HS diploma in South Bend
ROI Payback Period
6.3 years
to break even
Lifetime Return in South Bend
$360,876
Lifetime earnings premium ($445,000) minus total education cost ($84,124)
Student Loan Payoff for Geographic Information Science in South Bend
Standard Plan (10 years)
Aggressive Plan (5 years)
Colleges in South Bend for Geographic Information Science
University of Notre Dame
private
$60,301/yr
$241,204 total
Community Colleges (2-Year Transfer)
Ivy Tech Community College South Bend
$4,540/yr
Top Employers for Geographic Information Science in South Bend
South Bend offers opportunities in Tech companies, Research labs, Government agencies for Geographic Information Science graduates. National top employers in this field include:
Key South Bend 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
Indianapolis, IN
$47K starting · COL 94
25 colleges
Fort Wayne, IN
$52K starting · COL 103
24 colleges
Evansville, IN
$43K starting · COL 86
10 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 South Bend
Prompt Engineering
$45K starting · 1.5 yr ROI
Computational Linguistics
$85K starting · 2 yr ROI
Computer Science
$76K starting · 2.8 yr ROI
Software Engineering
$78K starting · 2.7 yr ROI
Data Science
$73K starting · 3 yr ROI
Actuarial Science
$45K starting · 3 yr ROI
Cybersecurity
$71K starting · 3 yr ROI
Robotics Engineering
$45K starting · 3 yr ROI
Geographic Information Science Degree in South Bend — 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 South Bend.