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Geography and Cartography at Western Washington University

Bellingham, WA · Public · Certificate
52 /100
TradeSchoolWorth Score (Base Case)
54
Strong Growth
52
Base Case
46
Conservative
Earnings $34,230/yr (-16% vs median)
AI-Proof Moderate (51% shielded)
Job Market Very Large (115,700 openings/yr)

Future-Proof Earnings

Three scenarios modeling future earnings based on technology adoption rates and job market trends for Geography and Cartography graduates.

Strong Growth
Full Stability		 Base Case
Moderate Changes		 Conservative
Max Disruption
10-Year Earnings $392K $326K $249K
Earnings Multiple (In-State) 42.3x 35.1x 26.8x
Earnings Multiple (Out-of-State) 14.1x 11.7x 8.9x
Viable Career Paths 5 of 5 5 of 5 5 of 5
TradeSchoolWorth Score 54 52 46

10-Year Earnings Projection

*Year 1 uses actual reported earnings. Scenarios diverge as technology and market conditions evolve over time.

Program Tuition (In-State)
$9,286
Out-of-state: $27,853

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-Proof
Managers, all other $136,550 106,700 +4.5% 53%
Geographers $97,200 100 -3.1% 50%
Geography teachers, postsecondary $86,730 300 +3.3% 52%
Cartographers and photogrammetrists $78,380 1,000 +6.4% 48%
Surveying and mapping technicians $51,940 7,600 +4.5% 50%

Compare & Explore

Geography and Cartography Overview

View all 15 schools offering Geography and Cartography →

Geography and Cartography at Other Schools

Minnesota State University-Mankato ($50,411) DePaul University ($47,464) Texas State University ($44,270) Florida Atlantic University ($42,833) University of Wisconsin-Whitewater ($42,580) Mitchell Technical College ($41,879) Arizona State University Campus Immersion ($41,627) Arizona State University Digital Immersion ($41,627)

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the TradeSchoolWorth Score for Geography and Cartography at Western Washington University?
This program scores 52/100 in the Base Case scenario, factoring in earnings, AI resilience, job market size, and earnings multiple. The score ranges from 46 (conservative) to 54 (strong growth) depending on market conditions.
How AI-proof is a career in Geography and Cartography?
We model three scenarios: Strong Growth (full career stability), Base Case (moderate changes), and Conservative (maximum disruption). In the base case, Geography and Cartography graduates retain 5 of 5 viable career paths. 10-year earnings range from $249,201 (conservative) to $392,409 (strong growth).
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 Western Washington University worth it?
In the Base Case, this program earns 35.1x its tuition over 10 years. Even in the Conservative scenario, the multiple is 26.8x. The narrow spread between scenarios shows how stable trade careers are compared to desk jobs.
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 model earnings resilience using AI exposure data and BLS job growth projections. "Earnings Multiple" is total 10-year projected earnings divided by tuition — not a discounted financial ROI. Last updated 2026.