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Geography and Cartography at University of Missouri-Columbia

Columbia, MO · Public · Bachelor's Degree
54 /100
DegreeWorth Score (Base Case)
55
Optimistic
54
Base Case
49
Pessimistic
Earnings $38,726/yr (1% vs median)
AI Risk High (49% exposed)
Job Market Very Large (115,700 openings/yr)

How AI Changes the Outlook

Three scenarios based on how aggressively AI disrupts the career paths available to Geography and Cartography graduates.

Optimistic
No Disruption		 Base Case
Gradual AI		 Pessimistic
Aggressive AI
10-Year Earnings $444K $369K $282K
Earnings Multiple (In-State) 7.9x 6.5x 5.0x
Earnings Multiple (Out-of-State) 3.2x 2.7x 2.1x
Viable Career Paths 5 of 5 5 of 5 5 of 5
DegreeWorth Score 55 54 49

10-Year Earnings Projection

*Year 1 uses actual reported earnings. Scenarios diverge as AI impact compounds over time.

4-Year Tuition (In-State)
$56,520
Out-of-state: $137,352
Median Debt at Graduation
$18,786
5.8 months of Year 1 earnings

Career Paths

Where Geography and Cartography graduates typically work. Raw data — no blending. The scenarios above model how these factors interact. This field has roughly 115,700 combined openings per year.

Career Path Wage Openings/yr Growth AI Risk
Managers, all other $136,550 106,700 +4.5% 47%
Geographers $97,200 100 -3.1% 50%
Geography teachers, postsecondary $86,730 300 +3.3% 48%
Cartographers and photogrammetrists $78,380 1,000 +6.4% 52%
Surveying and mapping technicians $51,940 7,600 +4.5% 50%

Compare & Explore

Geography and Cartography at Other Schools

Park University ($58,786) Dartmouth College ($56,756) Texas A & M University-College Station ($54,204) University of Nevada-Reno ($53,079) George Washington University ($52,883) George Mason University ($49,568) Arizona State University Campus Immersion ($49,267) Arizona State University Digital Immersion ($49,267)

Other Majors at University of Missouri-Columbia

Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering ($85,400) Computer Engineering ($83,243) Industrial Engineering ($79,894) Computer and Information Sciences, General ($72,886) Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing ($72,300) Mechanical Engineering ($71,800) Engineering, General ($70,366) Chemical Engineering ($69,950)

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the DegreeWorth Score for Geography and Cartography at University of Missouri-Columbia?
This program scores 54/100 in the Base Case scenario, factoring in earnings, AI disruption risk, job market size, and earnings multiple. The score ranges from 55 (optimistic) to 49 (pessimistic) depending on AI's impact.
How does AI affect Geography and Cartography career prospects?
We model three scenarios: Optimistic (no disruption), Base Case (gradual AI adoption), and Pessimistic (aggressive AI displacement). In the base case, Geography and Cartography graduates retain 5 of 5 viable career paths. 10-year earnings range from $281,934 (pessimistic) to $443,950 (optimistic).
How many job openings are there for Geography and Cartography graduates?
The career paths mapped to Geography and Cartography have roughly 115,700 combined job openings per year nationally, making this a very large job market.
Is Geography and Cartography at University of Missouri-Columbia worth it?
In the Base Case, this degree earns 6.5x its in-state tuition over 10 years. Even in the Pessimistic scenario, the multiple is 5.0x. The spread between scenarios tells you how sensitive this degree is to AI disruption.
Data: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (earnings, debt), Bureau of Labor Statistics 2024-2034 (employment projections), OpenAI GPTs-are-GPTs research (AI task exposure), Felten et al. AIOE. Scenarios use a continuous weighting function combining AI exposure and BLS job growth projections. "Earnings Multiple" is total 10-year projected earnings divided by tuition — not a discounted financial ROI. Last updated 2025.