Best Geography Schools Near Clearwater, FL (2026)

Updated September 5, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Clearwater, Florida has 1 accredited school offering geography programs, with tuition ranging from $6,410 to $22,859 per year for indexed programs. Clearwater has a population of about 117,075. Median household income is $64,440 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 32.5% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL metro area, the top-earning geography-related role is Computer Occupations, All Other at a median $106,330 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Geography Schools to Clearwater

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer geography programs near Clearwater, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Clearwater city center. The list is rebuilt from federal IPEDS data on every site update.

How We Rank Schools

Every school list on this site is ordered by the BOC Score, computed from the most recent school-level data published by the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and IPEDS). To qualify, a school must be currently operating and accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Each eligible school is then scored on five measures, percentile-ranked against schools at the same credential level:

  • Graduation rate 30%
  • Median earnings, 10 years after entry 25%
  • Average net price (lower is better) 20%
  • Retention rate 15%
  • Fully online availability 10%

Schools without enough outcome data appear after ranked schools, without a score. On this page, schools are ordered by distance from Clearwater. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

Ranked by BOC Score — U.S. Dept. of Education outcome data. Advertising never affects rankings.

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#1

University of South Florida

Tampa, FL 22.0 miles from Clearwater
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
81.8 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 43%
Graduation rate 76%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $57,743
Avg net price $9,812/yr
Tuition
In‑state$6,410
Out‑of‑state$17,324
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 91%
  • Programs offered: 151

Source:Accreditor: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on CollegesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

University of Florida

Gainesville, FL 117.9 miles from Clearwater
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
93.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 89%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $71,588
Avg net price $6,541/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 97%
  • Programs offered: 172

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

Jacksonville University

Jacksonville, FL 178.3 miles from Clearwater
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
54.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 54%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $68,010
Avg net price $25,180/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 75%
  • Programs offered: 78

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL 193.7 miles from Clearwater
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
86.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 83%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $61,675
Avg net price $11,297/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 96%
  • Programs offered: 148

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

Florida Atlantic University

Boca Raton, FL 197.6 miles from Clearwater
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
72.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 63%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $56,746
Avg net price $8,752/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 84%
  • Programs offered: 123

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Broward College

Fort Lauderdale, FL 206.2 miles from Clearwater
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
53.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 38%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $41,939
Avg net price $14,506/yr
Tuition
In‑state$2,830
Out‑of‑state$8,952
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 79

Source:Accreditor: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on CollegesIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#7

Florida International University

Miami, FL 212.7 miles from Clearwater
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
82.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 72%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $60,249
Avg net price $9,288/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 92%
  • Programs offered: 129

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

University of Miami

Coral Gables, FL 218.5 miles from Clearwater
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
74.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 83%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $75,328
Avg net price $37,244/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 93%
  • Programs offered: 187

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Florida schools on the Florida geography page.

Geography Wages Near Clearwater

Clearwater is part of the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL metro area (BLS area code 45300). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Florida statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Geographers N/A FL statewide –
Cartographers and Photogrammetrists $72,140 Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL $71,497
Surveyors $66,390 Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL $65,798
Urban and Regional Planners $82,330 Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL $81,596
Geoscientists, Except Hydrologists and Geographers $95,140 Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL $94,291
Geography Teachers, Postsecondary N/A FL statewide –
Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health $62,680 Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL $62,121
Computer Occupations, All Other $106,330 Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL $105,382

Source: BLS, May 2025 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes wage data at the metro (MSA) and state level – not by individual city.

Clearwater at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 117,075 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $64,440 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 32.5% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 100.9 (above U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Clearwater-Area Cities With Geography Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited geography schools are near Clearwater, FL?

Our directory has 1 accredited schools offering geography programs near Clearwater. The closest is University of South Florida in Tampa, FL (22.0 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is University of South Florida (22.0 miles). 1 of the highlighted schools is flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying geography roles near Clearwater?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying geography-related roles near Clearwater are: Computer Occupations, All Other ($106,330), Geoscientists, Except Hydrologists and Geographers ($95,140), Urban and Regional Planners ($82,330). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Florida statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Dunedin instead of Clearwater?

Dunedin, FL is 4.0 miles from Clearwater and has its own set of local geography programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Clearwater an affordable place to study geography?

Clearwater’s median household income of $64,440 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Clearwater while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Florida public universities often offer reduced in-state online tuition.

How do I verify a program is accredited?

Confirm institutional accreditation via the U.S. Department of Education database (U.S. Dept. of Education database), and check for any program-specific accreditation listed by the school.

Learn More About Geography Programs

Other Programs Available in Clearwater

Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Clearwater:

Data verified: September 5, 2026. Salary, employment, and tuition figures on this page are sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2024–2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.

Back to Best Geography Schools in Florida: Online Programs (2026)