Columbus, Indiana has 5 accredited schools offering geography programs, with tuition ranging from $4,808 to $41,221 per year for indexed programs. Columbus has a population of about 51,970. In the Columbus, IN metro area, the top-earning geography-related role is Computer Occupations, All Other at a median $83,830 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Closest Geography Schools to Columbus
The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer geography programs near Columbus, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Columbus 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:
BOCSCORE
- 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 Columbus.
Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
Graduation rate
81%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$63,742
Avg net price
$16,264/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats
- Retention rate: 91%
- Programs offered: 192
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Acceptance rate
76%
Graduation rate
54%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$55,198
Avg net price
$11,668/yr
TuitionIn‑state$10,762
Out‑of‑state$34,891
Key stats
- Retention rate: 72%
- Programs offered: 204
Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning Commission · IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
40%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$47,596
Avg net price
$7,888/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats
- Retention rate: 67%
- Programs offered: 62
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
65%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$51,833
Avg net price
$14,940/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats
- Retention rate: 77%
- Programs offered: 175
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
46%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$48,387
Avg net price
$10,873/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats
- Retention rate: 67%
- Programs offered: 102
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
78%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$72,424
Avg net price
$14,600/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats
- Retention rate: 92%
- Programs offered: 198
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
73%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$63,191
Avg net price
$18,578/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats
- Retention rate: 77%
- Programs offered: 81
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Indiana schools on the Indiana geography page.
Geography Wages Near Columbus
Columbus is part of the Columbus, IN metro area (BLS area code 18020). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Indiana statewide.
| Occupation |
Median Wage |
Source |
COL-Adjusted (US=100) |
| Geographers |
N/A |
IN statewide |
– |
| Cartographers and Photogrammetrists |
$74,800 |
IN statewide |
$80,430 |
| Surveyors |
$80,510 |
IN statewide |
$86,570 |
| Urban and Regional Planners |
$70,760 |
IN statewide |
$76,086 |
| Geoscientists, Except Hydrologists and Geographers |
$68,240 |
IN statewide |
$73,376 |
| Geography Teachers, Postsecondary |
$82,830 |
IN statewide |
$89,065 |
| Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health |
$64,700 |
IN statewide |
$69,570 |
| Computer Occupations, All Other |
$83,830 |
Columbus, IN |
$90,140 |
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.
Columbus at a Glance
| Metric |
Value |
Source |
| Regional Price Parity (US=100) |
93.0 (below U.S. average) |
BEA RPP 2024 |
Other Columbus-Area Cities With Geography Programs
- Seymour, IN – 18.0 mi away (22,918 pop)
- Franklin, IN – 21.0 mi away (24,867 pop)
- Shelbyville, IN – 23.8 mi away (20,639 pop)
- Greenwood, IN – 29.0 mi away (56,545 pop)
- Bloomington, IN – 32.5 mi away (114,140 pop)
Frequently Asked Questions
How many accredited geography schools are near Columbus, IN?
Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering geography programs near Columbus. The closest is Indiana University-Bloomington in Bloomington, IN (32.5 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Jefferson Community and Technical College (67.0 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.
What are the highest-paying geography roles near Columbus?
Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying geography-related roles near Columbus are: Computer Occupations, All Other ($83,830), Geography Teachers, Postsecondary ($82,830), Surveyors ($80,510). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Indiana statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.
Should I look at programs in Seymour instead of Columbus?
Seymour, IN is 18.0 miles from Columbus 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.
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 Columbus
Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Columbus:
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- Cybercrime programs in Columbus, IN
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- Computer Engineering programs in Columbus, IN
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- Supply Chain Management programs in Columbus, IN
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- Public Health programs in Columbus, IN
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- Project Management programs in Columbus, IN
- Special Education programs in Columbus, IN
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- Finance programs in Columbus, IN
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- Early Childhood Education programs in Columbus, IN
- Elementary Education programs in Columbus, IN
- Biology programs in Columbus, IN
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- Accounting programs in Columbus, IN
- Healthcare Administration programs in Columbus, IN
- Social Work programs in Columbus, IN
- Counseling programs in Columbus, IN
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.
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