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CIP 45.0701 Social Sciences

Geography

IPEDS Completions, US Department of Education · 2025

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Total graduates

2,635

2025 · 252 schools

International share

4.5%

118 international students

Bachelor's degrees

1,964

1.8% international

Master's degrees

304

14.5% international

Overview

Geography is an interdisciplinary field that explores the relationships between people, places, and the environment. It encompasses both the physical aspects of the Earth, such as landforms, climates, and ecosystems, and the human aspects, including cultures, economies, and urban development. Students studying geography gain a comprehensive understanding of spatial patterns and processes, which is essential for analyzing various global issues.

The discipline is often divided into two main branches: physical geography and human geography. Physical geography focuses on natural phenomena and the physical landscape, examining topics like climate change, land use, and natural hazards. On the other hand, human geography investigates the social, economic, and cultural dimensions of human existence, addressing issues such as migration, urbanization, and globalization.

Geography programs typically emphasize the use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS), remote sensing, and spatial analysis, equipping students with valuable technical skills. These tools enable geographers to visualize and analyze data effectively, making them highly sought after in various industries, including urban planning, environmental consulting, and public policy.

Additionally, geography plays a crucial role in addressing pressing global challenges, such as climate change, resource management, and sustainable development. By providing insights into spatial relationships and human-environment interactions, geography contributes to informed decision-making and the development of effective solutions.

Overall, a degree in geography offers a diverse range of career opportunities and equips graduates with critical thinking, analytical, and technical skills applicable in numerous fields.

Graduates by year

Graduates by degree level (first and second majors)

AssociateBachelor'sMaster'sDoctoral

From 2002 to 2025, graduates fell 49% and the international share went from 4.7% to 4.5%.

International share (%)
Graduates by group, 2025
White
62.8%
Asian
4.4%
Hispanic
16.5%
Black
3.5%
Other
8.3%
Intl.
4.5%

Colleges that award this degree

In 2025, 252 schools awarded this degree as a first major. The table lists those in the 2027 U.S. News National or Liberal Arts rankings, plus the unranked schools with the most graduates.

RankSchoolStateGraduatesInternational
#20 University of California-Los Angeles California 56 10
#27 University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill North Carolina 28 1
#34 University of Florida Florida 8 5
#34 The University of Texas at Austin Texas 28 3
#34 University of Wisconsin-Madison Wisconsin 6 0
#42 Villanova University Pennsylvania 5 0
#44 University of California-Santa Barbara California 32 11
#44 Rutgers University-New Brunswick New Jersey 9 0
#52 University of Georgia Georgia 19 0
#52 Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University Virginia 40 1
#59 George Washington University D.C. 15 0
#59 Florida State University Florida 20 2
#59 University of Massachusetts-Amherst Massachusetts 30 3
#59 University of Minnesota-Twin Cities Minnesota 25 4
#59 Texas A & M University-College Station Texas 28 5
#69 Michigan State University Michigan 11 0
#72 Syracuse University New York 22 1
#73 University of Connecticut Connecticut 1 0
#73 Indiana University-Bloomington Indiana 11 1
#85 University at Buffalo New York 10 1
#90 Texas Christian University Texas 2 0
#95 University of Missouri-Columbia Missouri 17 1
#100 Auburn University Alabama 1 1
#100 University of South Florida-Main Campus Florida 20 2
#100 University of Iowa Iowa 11 0
#109 University of New Hampshire-Main Campus New Hampshire 5 0
#109 Temple University Pennsylvania 4 0
#109 The University of Tennessee-Knoxville Tennessee 35 3
#116 Brigham Young University-Provo Utah 29 1
#121 Arizona State University-Tempe Arizona 33 3
#121 University of Arizona Arizona 21 1
#121 University of Denver Colorado 16 0
#121 SUNY at Albany New York 11 1
#121 University of South Carolina-Columbia South Carolina 35 0
#121 George Mason University Virginia 19 1
#133 University of Vermont Vermont 18 0
#137 California State University--Long Beach California 31 1
#137 San Diego State University California 39 3
#137 San Jose State University California 8 1
#137 University of Maryland-Baltimore County Maryland 3 0
#137 James Madison University Virginia 64 0
#148 California State University-Los Angeles California 12 0
#148 University of Kentucky Kentucky 17 1
#156 California State University-Fullerton California 12 0
#156 Kansas State University Kansas 4 0
#156 University of St Thomas (MN) Minnesota 2 0
#156 Montclair State University New Jersey 4 0
#156 Oregon State University Oregon 7 1
#169 Colorado State University-Fort Collins Colorado 6 0
#169 DePaul University Illinois 9 0
#169 University of Nebraska-Lincoln Nebraska 7 1
#169 University of North Carolina at Charlotte North Carolina 32 3
#179 University of Louisville Kentucky 17 0
#179 CUNY Hunter College New York 13 0
#186 University of Hawaii at Manoa Hawaii 3 0
#191 Samford University Alabama 6 0
#191 University of Arkansas Arkansas 7 0
#191 Rowan University New Jersey 29 0
#191 Hofstra University New York 3 0
#202 Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College Louisiana 16 0
#202 East Carolina University North Carolina 10 4
#208 California State University--Fresno California 4 0
#208 California State University-Sacramento California 28 0
#208 University of Idaho Idaho 7 0
#208 University of North Carolina at Greensboro North Carolina 4 0
#208 University of North Texas Texas 31 0
#219 Illinois State University Illinois 31 0
#219 Indiana University-Purdue University-Indianapolis Indiana 3 0
#219 University of Nevada-Reno Nevada 13 0
#219 University of North Carolina--Wilmington North Carolina 6 0
#227 San Francisco State University California 14 0
#227 Ball State University Indiana 7 0
#227 University of North Dakota North Dakota 7 3
#227 West Chester University of Pennsylvania Pennsylvania 9 0
#227 University of Texas-San Antonio Texas 10 0
#227 West Virginia University West Virginia 17 2
#236 University of Colorado Denver Colorado 32 0
#236 University of New Mexico-Main Campus New Mexico 18 1
#236 Kent State University at Kent Ohio 5 1
#236 Portland State University Oregon 26 1
#236 Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania Pennsylvania 2 0
#250 New Mexico State University-Main Campus New Mexico 5 1
#250 University of Wyoming Wyoming 4 0
#276 Northern Arizona University Arizona 5 0
#276 Western Michigan University Michigan 7 0
#276 Bowling Green State University-Main Campus Ohio 1 0
#288 Texas State University Texas 36 1
#308 Northern Illinois University Illinois 4 1
#308 University of Southern Mississippi Mississippi 9 1
#317 Emory & Henry University Virginia 1 0
#317 Marshall University West Virginia 15 1
#328 Georgia Southern University Georgia 8 3
#332 University of South Alabama Alabama 8 0
#342 University of Northern Colorado Colorado 7 0
#342 Missouri State University Missouri 6 0
#342 Kennesaw State University Georgia 18 0
#353 Jacksonville State University Alabama 4 0
#353 University of West Georgia Georgia 4 0
#353 Youngstown State University Ohio 1 0
#353 University of Houston--Clear Lake Texas 3 0
#353 University of Puerto Rico-Rio Piedras Puerto Rico 10 0
#353 Pennsylvania Western University Pennsylvania 1 0
#365 University of Central Arkansas Arkansas 1 0
#365 Indiana State University Indiana 3 0
#365 The University of Montana Montana 4 1
#365 Liberty University Virginia 20 0
#382 University of Colorado--Colorado Springs Colorado 46 0
#382 Chicago State University Illinois 4 0
#382 University of Southern Maine Maine 1 0
#382 Wright State University-Main Campus Ohio 3 0
LAC #9 The United States Military Academy at West Point New York 13 0
LAC #12 Vassar College New York 4 0
LAC #19 Middlebury College Vermont 9 1
LAC #22 Colgate University New York 8 1
LAC #34 Mount Holyoke College Massachusetts 5 1
LAC #62 Gustavus Adolphus College Minnesota 8 0
LAC #91 Augustana College Illinois 9 0
LAC #100 SUNY College at Geneseo New York 9 0
LAC #116 Ohio Wesleyan University Ohio 2 0
LAC #128 University of Mary Washington Virginia 16 0
LAC #153 University of Hawaii--Hilo Hawaii 12 1
LAC #184 Indiana University-Southeast Indiana 5 0
— Arizona State University Digital Immersion Arizona 62 0
— Park University Missouri 27 0
— California State University-Northridge California 22 0
— Sonoma State University California 22 0
— Salisbury University Maryland 19 1
— Pittsburg State University Kansas 16 0
— Minnesota State University-Mankato Minnesota 16 0
— California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt California 14 0
— Towson University Maryland 14 1
— Central Washington University Washington 14 0
— University of Wisconsin-Whitewater Wisconsin 14 0
— Santa Monica College California 13 2
— Weber State University Utah 13 0
— University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire Wisconsin 13 0
— California State Polytechnic University-Pomona California 12 0
— Salt Lake Community College Utah 12 1
— California State University-Chico California 11 0
— Fullerton College California 11 0
— Sam Houston State University Texas 11 0
— Sierra College California 10 0
— Central Connecticut State University Connecticut 10 0
— Salem State University Massachusetts 10 0
— Central New Mexico Community College New Mexico 10 0
— California State University-Stanislaus California 9 0
— Millersville University of Pennsylvania Pennsylvania 9 0
— Cypress College California 8 0
— Long Beach City College California 8 0
— Pasadena City College California 8 0
— Metropolitan State University of Denver Colorado 8 0
— Eastern Michigan University Michigan 8 0

Purple: international students are 25% or more of the school's graduates.

Related jobs and pay

OccupationUS employmentMean hourly wageMean annual wage
Managers, All Other 622,190 $73.99 $153,890
Surveying and Mapping Technicians 58,010 $27.89 $58,000
Geography Teachers, Postsecondary 3,330 — $102,350
Geographers 1,400 $49.21 $102,350

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025.

Graduate counts: IPEDS Completions, US Department of Education, 2002–2025. Rankings: 2027 U.S. News.