Best Geography Schools Near Panama City, FL (2026)

Panama City, Florida has 2 accredited schools offering geography programs. Panama City has a population of about 34,211. Median household income is $61,125 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 25.5% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Panama City-Panama City Beach, 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 Panama City

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer geography programs near Panama City, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Panama City 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 Panama City. 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

Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL 80.5 miles from Panama City
  • 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

#2

University of West Florida

Pensacola, FL 98.6 miles from Panama City
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
66.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 61%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $49,137
Avg net price $9,364/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 88%
  • Programs offered: 73

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

University of Florida

Gainesville, FL 199.3 miles from Panama City
  • 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

#4

Jacksonville University

Jacksonville, FL 239.5 miles from Panama City
  • 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

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#5

University of South Florida

Tampa, FL 243.2 miles from Panama City
  • 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

#6

Florida Atlantic University

Boca Raton, FL 426.9 miles from Panama City
  • 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

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#7

Broward College

Fort Lauderdale, FL 436.5 miles from Panama City
  • 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

#8

Florida International University

Miami, FL 443.1 miles from Panama City
  • 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

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


Geography Wages Near Panama City

Panama City is part of the Panama City-Panama City Beach, FL metro area (BLS area code 37460). 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 $79,650 FL statewide $81,860
Surveyors $61,720 Panama City-Panama City Beach, FL $63,433
Urban and Regional Planners $80,720 FL statewide $82,960
Geoscientists, Except Hydrologists and Geographers $95,140 FL statewide $97,780
Geography Teachers, Postsecondary N/A FL statewide
Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health $65,450 Panama City-Panama City Beach, FL $67,266
Computer Occupations, All Other $106,330 Panama City-Panama City Beach, FL $109,281

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.


Panama City at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 34,211 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $61,125 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 25.5% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 97.3 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Panama City-Area Cities With Geography Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited geography schools are near Panama City, FL?

Our directory has 2 accredited schools offering geography programs near Panama City. The closest is Florida State University in Tallahassee, FL (80.5 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is University of West Florida (98.6 miles). 2 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying geography roles near Panama City?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying geography-related roles near Panama City are: Computer Occupations, All Other ($106,330), Geoscientists, Except Hydrologists and Geographers ($95,140), Urban and Regional Planners ($80,720). 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 Lynn Haven instead of Panama City?

Lynn Haven, FL is 3.0 miles from Panama City 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 Panama City an affordable place to study geography?

Panama City’s median household income of $61,125 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Panama City 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 Panama City

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

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.