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Best Geography Schools Near Watertown, SD (2026)
Updated September 5, 2026BLS dataCollege ScorecardOn this page
Watertown, South Dakota has 1 accredited school offering geography programs. Watertown has a population of about 22,859. Median household income is $62,721 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 21.2% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In South Dakota, the top-earning geography-related role is Computer Occupations, All Other at a median $105,370 annually (BLS, May 2025).
Closest Geography Schools to Watertown
The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer geography programs near Watertown, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Watertown 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 Watertown.
Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
BOC
Ranked by BOC Score — U.S. Dept. of Education outcome data. Advertising never affects rankings.
Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all South Dakota schools on the South Dakota geography page.
Geography Wages Near Watertown
Occupation
Median Annual Wage (South Dakota, statewide)
Geographers
N/A
Cartographers and Photogrammetrists
$72,910
Surveyors
$77,190
Urban and Regional Planners
$71,180
Geoscientists, Except Hydrologists and Geographers
$71,150
Geography Teachers, Postsecondary
N/A
Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health
$68,230
Computer Occupations, All Other
$105,370
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.
Watertown at a Glance
Metric
Value
Source
Population
22,859
Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income
$62,721
Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+
21.2%
Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Other Watertown-Area Cities With Geography Programs
How many accredited geography schools are near Watertown, SD?
Our directory has 1 accredited schools offering geography programs near Watertown. The closest is South Dakota State University in Brookings, SD (44.8 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is South Dakota State University (44.8 miles). 1 of the highlighted schools is flagged as offering distance education.
What are the highest-paying geography roles in South Dakota?
Based on BLS May 2025 state wage data, the top-paying geography-related roles in South Dakota are: Computer Occupations, All Other ($105,370), Surveyors ($77,190), Cartographers and Photogrammetrists ($72,910). Wages for Watertown workers will track these statewide medians, adjusted for local cost of living.
Should I look at programs in Brookings instead of Watertown?
Brookings, SD is 45.7 miles from Watertown 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 Watertown an affordable place to study geography?
Watertown’s median household income of $62,721 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Watertown while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and South Dakota 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.
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.
