GeographyDegrees.org reviews geography and geographic information systems (GIS) programs one state at a time. Each state guide lists every school we could verify with a geography or GIS credential, from community college GIS certificates to Ph.D. programs, with credit requirements, delivery format, and current tuition taken from the schools' own catalogs and tuition schedules. So far 50 state guides cover 516 schools in the current format.
Quick picks
- Most verified programs: California (40 schools), Texas (26), Michigan (24), and New York (21).
- Lowest in-state bachelor's tuition: Fayetteville State and UNC Pembroke in North Carolina, $1,000 per year under NC Promise.
- Fully online geography or GIS bachelor's degrees: Alabama (Troy, North Alabama), Arizona (ASU, University of Arizona), Florida (UF, Florida Atlantic, FIU), and Georgia (Kennesaw State, Georgia Southern).
- Lowest per-credit rates: Tohono O'odham Community College in Arizona at $36 per credit and California community colleges at $46 per unit.
Figures are resident rates from each state guide, which lists nonresident rates and fees.
Geography and GIS Programs by State
The tables below summarize each reviewed state guide. "Fully online degrees" counts only programs the school officially says can be completed entirely online; many other programs offer some online courses.
Northeast
| State | Schools | Credentials | Fully online degrees | Lowest resident rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Connecticut | 5 | Certificate to Ph.D. | None verified | $192/credit (CT State) |
| Maine | 7 | Certificate to Ph.D. | UMaine | $279/credit (UMaine Fort Kent, Presque Isle) |
| Massachusetts | 14 | Certificate to Ph.D. | None verified | $254/credit with fees (Bristol CC) |
| New Hampshire | 4 | Certificate to Master's | None verified | $520/credit (Plymouth State) |
| New Jersey | 10 | Certificate to Ph.D. | None verified | $185/credit (Warren County CC) |
| New York | 21 | Certificate to Ph.D. | Albany M.S. GIScience, Farmingdale B.S. GIS, Monroe CC A.S. and A.A.S. | $210/credit (BMCC) |
| Pennsylvania | 20 | Certificate to Ph.D. | Penn State | $171/credit (Montgomery County CC) |
| Rhode Island | 3 | Certificate to Master's | None verified | $255/credit (Community College of Rhode Island) |
| Vermont | 4 | Certificate to Bachelor's | None verified | $462/credit (Vermont State University) |
South
| State | Schools | Credentials | Fully online degrees | Lowest resident rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 10 | Certificate to Ph.D. | Troy, North Alabama | $293/credit (Alabama A&M) |
| Arkansas | 5 | Certificate to Ph.D. | Central Arkansas, Arkansas State | $198.50/credit (UA Monticello) |
| Delaware | 1 | Certificate to Ph.D. | None verified | $656/credit (University of Delaware) |
| Florida | 15 | Certificate to Ph.D. | UF, FAU, FIU, UWF, Broward | $104.08/credit (Seminole State) |
| Georgia | 11 | Certificate to Ph.D. | Kennesaw State, Georgia Southern | $189/credit (Georgia Southern, Valdosta State, West Georgia) |
| Kentucky | 6 | Certificate to Ph.D. | None verified | $198/credit (community colleges) |
| Louisiana | 11 | Certificate to Ph.D. | LSU (M.S.) | $133.93/credit (South Louisiana CC) |
| Maryland | 10 | Certificate to Ph.D. | UMD, Salisbury, Johns Hopkins | $138/credit (Montgomery College, in-county) |
| Mississippi | 7 | Certificate to Master's | Delta State | $160/credit (Mississippi Delta CC) |
| North Carolina | 14 | Certificate to Ph.D. | NC State, NC Central, Edgecombe | $76/credit (community colleges) |
| Oklahoma | 6 | Certificate to Ph.D. | OU, Northeastern State | $146.06/credit with fees (Oklahoma City CC) |
| South Carolina | 4 | Certificate to Ph.D. | None verified | $371/credit (Winthrop, full-time) |
| Tennessee | 10 | Certificate to Ph.D. | None verified | $331/credit (Austin Peay) |
| Texas | 26 | Certificate to Ph.D. | Texas State, UTSA, UT Dallas, Texas A&M, and 3 more | $37/credit (Tyler Junior College) |
| Virginia | 16 | Certificate to Ph.D. | Old Dominion, Liberty, George Mason | $175/credit (Paul D. Camp, Mountain Empire, Southwest Virginia) |
| West Virginia | 5 | Certificate to Ph.D. | Marshall, WVU | $332/credit (Marshall) |
Midwest
| State | Schools | Credentials | Fully online degrees | Lowest resident rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Illinois | 20 | Certificate to Ph.D. | Western Illinois, University of Illinois | $124/credit (Lake Land College) |
| Indiana | 7 | Certificate to Ph.D. | Purdue | $257.23/credit (IU Southeast) |
| Iowa | 4 | Certificate to Ph.D. | UNI (M.A. in Geography) | $378/credit (UNI) |
| Kansas | 7 | Certificate to Ph.D. | Fort Hays State (B.S. Geosciences, Geography) | $215.84/credit (Fort Hays State) |
| Michigan | 24 | Certificate to Ph.D. | Calvin, Michigan Tech | $122/billing hour (Lansing CC) |
| Minnesota | 15 | Certificate to Ph.D. | None verified | $196.37/credit (Fond du Lac Tribal & CC) |
| Missouri | 17 | Certificate to Ph.D. | Northwest Missouri State, Missouri S&T | $110/credit (Crowder College, in-district) |
| Nebraska | 5 | Certificate to Master's | Southeast CC | $105/credit (Southeast CC) |
| North Dakota | 4 | Certificate to Master's | UND (GISc PSM) | $195.09/credit (Bismarck State) |
| Ohio | 16 | Certificate to Ph.D. | Ohio State, Cincinnati, Youngstown State, Columbus State | $156.03/credit (Sinclair, Montgomery County) |
| South Dakota | 6 | Certificate to Ph.D. | SDSU | $134/credit (Southeast Tech) |
| Wisconsin | 13 | Certificate to Ph.D. | None verified | $311.39/credit (UW–Parkside) |
West
| State | Schools | Credentials | Fully online degrees | Lowest resident rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska | 2 | Certificate to Ph.D. | UAA (B.S. Geomatics) | $251/credit (UAA, lower-division) |
| Arizona | 7 | Certificate to Ph.D. | ASU, Univ. of Arizona, NAU | $36/credit (Tohono O'odham CC) |
| California | 40 | Certificate to Ph.D. | USC, Redlands, Foothill | $46/credit (community colleges) |
| Colorado | 20 | Certificate to Ph.D. | Mines, Univ. of Denver, CU Denver, Front Range CC, Pikes Peak State | $92/credit (Aims CC) |
| Hawaii | 4 | Certificate to Ph.D. | None verified | $131/credit (UH community colleges) |
| Idaho | 6 | Certificate to Ph.D. | University of Idaho, College of Western Idaho | $155/credit (College of Southern Idaho) |
| Montana | 5 | Certificate to Ph.D. | None verified | $70/credit (Fort Peck CC) |
| Nevada | 3 | Certificate to Ph.D. | None verified | $136.25/credit (community colleges) |
| New Mexico | 10 | Certificate to Ph.D. | NMSU (M.S. in GIS&T) | $41/credit (Southeast New Mexico College, in-district) |
| Oregon | 13 | Certificate to Ph.D. | Oregon State Ecampus, Oregon Tech | $120/credit (Southwestern Oregon CC) |
| Utah | 8 | Certificate to Ph.D. | None verified | $242.13/credit (Utah Tech) |
| Washington | 12 | Certificate to Ph.D. | None verified | $136.14/credit (community colleges) |
| Wyoming | 3 | Certificate to Master's | Univ. of Wyoming, Central Wyoming | $112/credit (Casper, Central Wyoming) |
How to Use These State Guides
Start with the at-a-glance tables
Each guide opens with tables of every verified school, grouped by undergraduate, graduate, and community college credentials, with the format, credit requirement, and one distinguishing feature for each program. School names link to a longer summary further down the page.
Compare resident and nonresident tuition
Public universities charge state residents far less than out-of-state students, so the tuition tables list both rates, plus the required fees that are not included. Private universities usually charge one rate to everyone. Rates are estimates built from published per-credit or flat-rate tuition, so check the basis column before comparing schools.
Check what "online" really means
An online course is not the same as an online degree. Each guide separates programs the school says can be completed fully online from programs that only offer some coursework online, or that require field courses or campus visits.
Studying Online From Any State
Fully online programs let you enroll in another state without moving, and many charge one rate regardless of where you live. Penn State World Campus charges $1,048 per credit for its online GIS master's degrees, Colorado School of Mines charges $1,198 per credit for its online GIS M.S., and Calvin University charges $720 per credit. Others, such as UF Online, still charge more to nonresidents. See our guide to online geography programs for options across the country.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between a GIS certificate and a degree?
A GIS certificate is a short sequence of GIS courses, usually 9 to 30 credits, taken on its own or alongside a degree. A bachelor's or master's degree in geography or GIS adds broader coursework, research methods, and often a capstone, thesis, or internship. Graduate certificates are often open to working professionals who already hold a bachelor's degree.
Which states offer a Ph.D. in geography?
Of the 50 states reviewed in the current format, 43 have at least one geography or GIS doctoral program. In Mississippi, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Wyoming, the highest verified credential is a master's or bachelor's degree. Each state guide names its doctoral programs in the graduate table.
Are community college GIS programs worth considering?
Community college GIS certificates are the lowest-cost credentials in most states, often a few thousand dollars in total for residents. Some lead straight to technician jobs, and associate degrees in geography are designed to transfer into a bachelor's program. Check transfer agreements with the university you plan to attend.
How We Review Programs
Each state guide is checked against the schools' current catalogs, program pages, and tuition schedules, and carries its own review date. We list only credentials we could verify on a school's own site, we do not rank schools, and we note anything we could not confirm. Programs and rates change, so confirm details with each school before applying.