Best Geography Schools Near Manhattan, NY (2026)

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

Manhattan, New York has 5 accredited schools offering geography programs. Manhattan has a population of about 1,643,734. In the New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ metro area, the top-earning geography-related role is Computer Occupations, All Other at a median $126,910 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Geography Schools to Manhattan

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

CUNY Hunter College

New York, NY 1.0 miles from Manhattan
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
71.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 58%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $63,163
Avg net price $2,984/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 79%
  • Programs offered: 117

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

CUNY Lehman College

Bronx, NY 7.2 miles from Manhattan
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
66.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 58%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $58,013
Avg net price $3,148/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 73%
  • Programs offered: 75

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

College of Staten Island CUNY

Staten Island, NY 15.8 miles from Manhattan
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
53.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 37%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $53,501
Avg net price $5,579/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 76%
  • Programs offered: 63

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Hofstra University

Hempstead, NY 19.7 miles from Manhattan
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
64.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 67%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $69,039
Avg net price $34,176/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 83%
  • Programs offered: 154

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

Farmingdale State College

Farmingdale, NY 28.2 miles from Manhattan
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
75.7 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 63%
Graduation rate 55%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $69,781
Avg net price $10,867/yr
Tuition
In‑state$8,626
Out‑of‑state$18,536
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 81%
  • Programs offered: 46

Source:Accreditor: Middle States Commission on Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#7

Vassar College

Poughkeepsie, NY 62.5 miles from Manhattan
  • 4 year
65.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 92%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $71,366
Avg net price $39,343/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 95%
  • Programs offered: 47

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

State University of New York at New Paltz

New Paltz, NY 66.4 miles from Manhattan
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
73.7 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 62%
Graduation rate 70%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $58,073
Avg net price $18,809/yr
Tuition
In‑state$8,572
Out‑of‑state$18,822
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 86%
  • Programs offered: 79

Source:Accreditor: Middle States Commission on Higher EducationIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Geography Wages Near Manhattan

Manhattan is part of the New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ metro area (BLS area code 35620). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to New York statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Geographers N/A NY statewide –
Cartographers and Photogrammetrists $85,500 New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ $75,933
Surveyors $83,610 New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ $74,254
Urban and Regional Planners $99,150 New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ $88,055
Geoscientists, Except Hydrologists and Geographers $90,810 New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ $80,648
Geography Teachers, Postsecondary $99,640 New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ $88,490
Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health $85,510 New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ $75,941
Computer Occupations, All Other $126,910 New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ $112,709

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.

Manhattan at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 112.6 (above U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Manhattan-Area Cities With Geography Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited geography schools are near Manhattan, NY?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering geography programs near Manhattan. The closest is CUNY Hunter College in New York, NY (1.0 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Hofstra University (19.7 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying geography roles near Manhattan?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying geography-related roles near Manhattan are: Computer Occupations, All Other ($126,910), Geography Teachers, Postsecondary ($99,640), Urban and Regional Planners ($99,150). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with New York statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in West New York instead of Manhattan?

West New York, NJ is 2.3 miles from Manhattan 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 Manhattan

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

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 New York: Online Programs (2026)