Best Schools for Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences
Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences graduates earn a median of $61,215 within four years of graduating, ranking #144 out of 283 tracked majors — 2% below the median across all fields. There are 195 colleges nationwide with tracked earnings for this major, producing 4,565 recent graduates.
Where you study matters: University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus graduates earn $85,207 while University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez graduates earn $37,839 — a $47,368 difference. Factors like location, employer networks, co-op programs, and curriculum focus drive this gap. Across all fields, though, which major you pick separates earnings more than which college does.
Early career salary growth is modest: Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences graduates see an average 1% increase between year 1 and year 2 post-graduation, reflecting career advancement and skill development in the first years after college.
Public vs Private: Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences
Private schools produce $3,569 more in early earnings on average for Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences graduates. Factor in tuition difference to calculate which offers better ROI.
Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences by State
Also by state: Alabama, Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Utah, Virginia, Wisconsin
Top Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences Schools by Graduate Earnings
University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus
Norman, OK · Public
The University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX · Public
Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Beaver
Monaca, PA · Public
Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus
University Park, PA · Public
Pennsylvania State University-World Campus
University Park, PA · Public
University of California-Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA · Public
Texas A&M University-College Station
College Station, TX · Public
Texas Tech University
Lubbock, TX · Public
San Diego State University
San Diego, CA · Public
California State University-Sacramento
Sacramento, CA · Public
University of California-Davis
Davis, CA · Public
California State Polytechnic University-Pomona
Pomona, CA · Public
Lehigh University
Bethlehem, PA · Private
Colorado State University-Fort Collins
Fort Collins, CO · Public
University of California-Irvine
Irvine, CA · Public
University of South Carolina-Columbia
Columbia, SC · Public
Rutgers University-New Brunswick
New Brunswick, NJ · Public
Rutgers University-Newark
Newark, NJ · Public
California State University-Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA · Public
University of Florida
Gainesville, FL · Public
University of Florida-Online
Gainesville, FL · Public
University of Connecticut
Storrs, CT · Public
University of Connecticut-Waterbury Campus
Waterbury, CT · Public
University of Connecticut-Avery Point
Groton, CT · Public
University of Connecticut-Stamford
Stamford, CT · Public
University of Connecticut-Hartford Campus
Hartford, CT · Public
California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo
San Luis Obispo, CA · Public
University of Wyoming
Laramie, WY · Public
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Champaign, IL · Public
University of Houston
Houston, TX · Public
Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College
Baton Rouge, LA · Public
Western Washington University
Bellingham, WA · Public
Ohio University-Main Campus
Athens, OH · Public
University of Washington-Seattle Campus
Seattle, WA · Public
University of Washington-Bothell Campus
Bothell, WA · Public
West Virginia University
Morgantown, WV · Public
University of California-Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara, CA · Public
Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL · Public
University of Southern Mississippi
Hattiesburg, MS · Public
Montclair State University
Montclair, NJ · Public
The University of Texas at Arlington
Arlington, TX · Public
Iowa State University
Ames, IA · Public
State University of New York at Oswego
Oswego, NY · Public
University of California-Santa Cruz
Santa Cruz, CA · Public
SUNY Oneonta
Oneonta, NY · Public
College of Charleston
Charleston, SC · Public
University of Minnesota-Duluth
Duluth, MN · Public
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
Milwaukee, WI · Public
Eastern Connecticut State University
Willimantic, CT · Public
University of Arizona
Tucson, AZ · Public
Showing top 50 of 195 schools. View all or filter by state above.
Majors with Similar Earnings
Frequently Asked Questions
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Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Earnings are median 2 years after graduation for bachelor's degree holders, from the field-of-study file last updated June 2026. Institution-level figures elsewhere on the site come from the June 2026 release — Scorecard publishes the two separately.
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