Back

Earth & Atmospheric Sciences

Colleges offering this major Rankings Trends

What you'll do in college

This category focuses on the physical processes of our planet and its atmosphere. Coursework leans heavily into physics, chemistry, geology, and advanced math. You will study everything from plate tectonics and deep-ocean currents to severe weather patterns and planetary history. Field work is often central: mapping geological formations, analyzing ice cores, or deploying weather balloons.

What you'll do after college

Grads work for government agencies (USGS, NOAA, NASA), energy and mining companies, meteorological stations, and environmental consulting firms. Day-to-day work often involves fieldwork, operating specialized lab equipment, or running complex predictive computer models. Many pursue graduate degrees for advanced research or specialized industry roles.

Famous graduates

  • Harrison Schmitt — Apollo 17 astronaut and geologist; B.S. in Geology from Caltech
  • Kathryn Sullivan — First American woman to walk in space and former NOAA Administrator; B.S. in Earth Sciences from UC Santa Cruz
  • Stephen Jay Gould — Paleontologist and evolutionary biologist; B.A. in Geology from Antioch College

Selectivity vs. earnings

By acceptance rate

$58,621
926
100–85%
$60,061
2,156
85–72%
$61,413
2,157
72–35%
$62,571
928
34–0%
Acceptance rate · bar = degree-weighted earnings

By SAT median

$59,008
723
400–1120
$59,698
1,653
1120–1260
$62,159
1,660
1260–1420
$63,592
719
1420–1600
Combined SAT composite median (submitters + non-submitters) · bar = degree-weighted earnings

Earnings vs. selectivity rank

$52,339p10 $68,379p90 Military STEM Non-Research Female-only Liberal Arts Public University Religious University Private University Liberal Arts 1–15 Public University 1–15 Private University 1–30 United States Naval Academy · $69,202 United States Air Force Academy · $65,108 Maine Maritime Academy · $74,126 Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University - Daytona Beach · $73,653 SUNY Maritime College · $97,041 Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University - Prescott · $74,106 Cal State Maritime Academy · $65,349 South Dakota School of Mines and Technology · $51,652 Wellesley College · $59,105 Bryn Mawr College · $60,397 Smith College · $58,686 Mount Holyoke College · $58,561 Scripps College · $59,601 Bates College · $62,029 Denison University · $65,401 Vassar College · $59,313 Carleton College · $57,369 Colorado College · $58,391 Skidmore College · $58,856 Trinity University · $64,585 Pitzer College · $58,999 Macalester College · $62,456 Lafayette College · $68,379 Franklin and Marshall College · $64,792 Bucknell University · $68,028 Dickinson College · $68,936 Oberlin College · $56,951 St. Lawrence University · $64,550 Whitman College · $58,640 Furman University · $63,451 Union College · $72,987 Occidental College · $59,094 Earlham College · $60,503 University of the South · $62,688 DePauw University · $67,076 Albion College · $57,771 Cornell College · $61,518 Hope College · $61,712 Augustana College (IL) · $63,805 Eckerd College · $47,803 Beloit College · $54,200 Juniata College · $61,286 St. Mary's College of Maryland · $60,230 Gustavus Adolphus College · $64,394 Hanover College · $57,419 Calvin University · $61,398 Lawrence University · $52,320 Susquehanna University · $61,256 Rocky Mountain College · $58,594 Muskingum University · $60,678 Pacific Lutheran University · $57,910 Hartwick College · $58,819 University of California, Irvine · $62,892 Cal Poly - San Luis Obispo · $49,173 William & Mary · $63,912 Binghamton University · $50,506 San Diego State University · $64,187 Cal State Los Angeles · $52,414 University of California, Santa Barbara · $64,671 University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire · $55,465 University of South Florida · $59,932 University of Washington · $56,273 CUNY City College · $59,639 Cal Poly - Pomona · $65,474 Clemson University · $62,893 Florida International University · $55,553 North Carolina A&T State University · $57,949 University of North Carolina Wilmington · $52,967 University of Maryland, College Park · $64,046 Cal State Long Beach · $59,029 University of California, Davis · $59,774 State University of New York at New Paltz · $52,916 Auburn University · $65,660 Salisbury University · $63,004 University of Tennessee, Knoxville · $51,081 Stony Brook University · $59,036 Ohio State University · $56,252 Texas A&M University - College Station · $72,043 CUNY Brooklyn College · $59,397 CUNY Queens College · $59,899 Cal State Fullerton · $69,828 Florida Atlantic University · $53,303 Northern Illinois University · $66,646 West Chester University of Pennsylvania · $60,515 University of Connecticut · $66,293 Virginia Tech · $65,102 University of South Carolina · $53,999 Pennsylvania State University · $77,249 New Mexico State University · $57,244 Tarleton State University · $50,971 Central Connecticut State University · $59,738 Georgia State University · $58,841 University of Arkansas at Little Rock · $57,017 University of Pittsburgh · $59,816 Illinois State University · $61,120 University of Massachusetts - Amherst · $64,061 University of New Mexico · $62,905 State University of New York at Cortland · $57,047 Frostburg State University · $59,200 Jackson State University · $47,702 Minnesota State University, Mankato · $62,337 Appalachian State University · $54,780 Fresno State · $54,516 University of Hawaii at Hilo · $55,372 University of Minnesota - Twin Cities · $60,177 University of Texas Permian Basin · $56,828 University of Alaska - Fairbanks · $56,167 Ball State University · $58,127 Central Michigan University · $60,045 Eastern Michigan University · $57,660 Kean University · $50,816 Oklahoma State University · $63,283 Rutgers University - New Brunswick · $64,249 University at Albany · $60,101 James Madison University · $57,177 Texas Tech University · $59,901 University of Alaska - Anchorage · $58,779 University of Michigan - Dearborn · $65,475 SUNY Oneonta · $56,384 University at Buffalo · $63,060 University of Louisiana at Monroe · $62,186 Eastern Illinois University · $57,262 Louisiana State University · $69,249 University of Colorado Boulder · $62,763 University of Alabama · $39,991 College of Charleston · $60,406 Cal State Sacramento · $74,184 Concord University · $52,339 East Carolina University · $65,487 George Mason University · $54,524 Georgia Southern University · $64,523 Indiana University - Northwest · $55,691 Marshall University · $58,573 Millersville University of Pennsylvania · $57,130 Missouri State University - Springfield · $59,038 Montclair State University · $58,231 Morehead State University · $61,446 Murray State University · $61,042 Northwest Missouri State University · $58,767 Ohio University · $69,920 Salem State University · $55,556 Southern Illinois University - Carbondale · $58,889 Temple University · $61,387 Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi · $58,118 Texas A&M University - Kingsville · $55,892 University of Delaware · $69,707 University of Houston - Downtown · $57,682 University of Maine at Farmington · $48,135 University of Memphis · $59,108 University of Northern Colorado · $56,591 University of Oklahoma - Norman · $66,405 University of Southern Indiana · $60,281 University of Tennessee, Chattanooga · $60,647 University of Texas at Arlington · $53,216 University of Texas at Dallas · $57,533 Western Illinois University · $61,078 Wright State University · $56,175 Eastern Connecticut State University · $60,503 Texas A&M University - San Antonio · $55,241 University of Pittsburgh - Bradford · $59,429 University of Vermont · $59,465 Miami University - Ohio · $54,730 SUNY College at Geneseo · $52,726 University of Alabama in Huntsville · $61,350 University of Rhode Island · $38,784 Cal State East Bay · $66,599 Oregon State University · $63,952 University of Arkansas · $54,650 University of Idaho · $50,482 University of Mississippi · $60,744 University of Tennessee, Martin · $36,120 University of Wisconsin - Parkside · $48,344 Washington State University · $65,482 University of Houston · $72,429 University of Illinois Chicago · $53,186 Indiana University · $66,895 SUNY Brockport · $54,252 University of Minnesota - Morris · $55,681 Valdosta State University · $52,993 Rowan University · $61,443 Rutgers University - Newark · $62,018 University of Missouri · $59,982 Winona State University · $68,223 University of North Carolina at Charlotte · $57,417 Angelo State University · $57,678 Chico State · $59,691 East Tennessee State University · $60,432 Eastern Kentucky University · $66,610 Fitchburg State University · $57,350 Middle Tennessee State University · $59,449 University of Louisiana at Lafayette · $58,739 University of New Hampshire · $54,006 Youngstown State University · $61,610 Missouri University of Science and Technology · $60,592 Columbus State University · $52,603 Tennessee Technological University · $56,354 Western Carolina University · $56,583 University of Iowa · $62,194 University of West Georgia · $59,686 Cal State Bakersfield · $64,136 Metropolitan State University of Denver · $53,845 Portland State University · $55,784 Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania · $60,679 State University of New York at Oswego · $59,986 University of Minnesota - Duluth · $64,767 University of Nebraska, Lincoln · $64,883 University of Mary Washington · $47,808 San Jose State University · $64,765 SUNY College at Potsdam · $58,012 University of New Orleans · $45,085 Cal Poly - Humboldt · $43,039 California State University, Monterey Bay · $41,069 Colorado State University - Fort Collins · $74,773 Eastern Washington University · $58,661 Indiana University of Pennsylvania · $56,546 Kent State University at Kent · $49,634 Kutztown University of Pennsylvania · $71,601 Sonoma State University · $61,678 University of Nevada, Las Vegas · $44,633 University of North Carolina Asheville · $51,804 University of North Dakota · $65,979 University of Utah · $62,373 University of California, Santa Cruz · $65,242 Savannah State University · $50,535 Southern Connecticut State University · $60,246 Stephen F. Austin State University · $57,323 Western Michigan University · $57,551 University of Nevada, Reno · $57,994 Michigan State University · $61,718 Mississippi State University · $62,084 Wayne State University · $51,685 Boise State University · $59,147 Indiana University - Indianapolis · $60,762 University of South Carolina - Aiken · $56,662 Cal State Dominguez Hills · $58,071 Cal State San Bernardino · $57,623 Cal State Stanislaus · $63,152 Central Washington University · $51,127 Colorado Mesa University · $55,534 Emporia State University · $58,071 Fort Hays State University · $69,956 Fort Lewis College · $49,581 Indiana State University · $62,418 Iowa State University · $55,473 Lamar University · $57,705 Northern Kentucky University · $61,553 SUNY Buffalo State University · $45,604 Saint Cloud State University · $56,749 Southern Utah University · $56,016 Stockton University · $39,347 University of Akron · $63,479 University of Arizona · $65,771 University of Cincinnati · $60,863 University of Maine · $56,363 University of Massachusetts - Lowell · $67,750 West Virginia University · $49,816 Western Colorado University · $45,259 Western Connecticut State University · $54,953 Western Kentucky University · $59,217 Western Oregon University · $52,985 Wichita State University · $54,371 Northern Michigan University · $56,646 Michigan Technological University · $62,701 Bridgewater State University · $39,205 University of Wisconsin - River Falls · $59,021 University of California, Riverside · $53,302 University of Washington - Bothell · $55,722 University of Nebraska at Omaha · $57,578 University of Oregon · $49,093 Arizona State University · $61,902 Cal State Northridge · $62,061 Towson University · $60,530 University of Hawaii at Manoa · $55,258 Minot State University · $60,175 Florida Gulf Coast University · $58,903 University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee · $68,253 Radford University · $56,320 Northern Arizona University · $50,399 University of Kentucky · $62,577 University of Montana · $50,405 University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh · $62,330 SUNY at Fredonia · $53,165 University of Texas at San Antonio · $57,892 University of Wisconsin - Green Bay · $59,326 Old Dominion University · $55,177 North Dakota State University · $65,682 Plymouth State University · $57,064 University of Pittsburgh - Johnstown · $60,858 University of Southern Mississippi · $74,235 University of Kansas · $66,494 Grand Valley State University · $61,138 San Francisco State University · $64,407 Utah State University · $66,942 University of Northern Iowa · $51,720 Western Washington University · $54,293 University of South Alabama · $61,615 Adams State University · $56,124 College of Staten Island CUNY · $60,996 Idaho State University · $55,605 Kansas State University · $64,313 Lewis-Clark State College · $56,501 Midwestern State University · $61,569 Sul Ross State University · $49,705 University of Texas at El Paso · $53,374 University of Wyoming · $73,578 University of California, Merced · $58,754 Austin Peay State University · $52,243 New Mexico Institute of Mining & Technology · $62,174 Sam Houston State University · $59,770 Montana State University · $51,148 Lake Superior State University · $56,391 New Mexico Highlands University · $54,930 Utah Valley University · $58,284 Weber State University · $70,674 Boston College · $68,948 College of Wooster · $60,449 Saint Louis University · $63,920 Southern Methodist University · $67,041 Texas Christian University · $63,323 Baylor University · $63,697 California Lutheran University · $57,321 University of Dayton · $67,180 Cedarville University · $63,578 Brigham Young University · $66,315 University of Tulsa · $66,490 University of Indianapolis · $62,235 Saint Norbert College · $62,129 Valparaiso University · $69,893 University of the Incarnate Word · $57,721 Brigham Young University - Idaho · $61,573 University of Miami · $60,599 Syracuse University · $66,732 University of Rochester · $68,150 George Washington University · $67,603 Marist University · $70,240 Hofstra University · $60,132 Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute · $71,135 Hobart William Smith Colleges · $64,576 Hawaii Pacific University · $57,095 Florida Institute of Technology · $69,706 Westminster University · $60,972 Wilkes University · $59,250 Rider University · $60,869 Drexel University · $70,093 Harrisburg University of Science and Technology · $60,041 Utica University · $59,946 Williams College · $65,608 Pomona College · $65,667 Amherst College · $62,493 Bowdoin College · $63,564 Washington & Lee University · $65,945 Haverford College · $63,690 Middlebury College · $62,984 Colby College · $62,106 Hamilton College · $63,067 Colgate University · $64,047 Georgia Tech · $64,799 University of California, Berkeley · $66,706 University of Michigan - Ann Arbor · $56,554 UCLA · $68,684 University of Florida · $55,011 University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill · $61,677 University of Georgia · $66,143 Purdue University · $60,219 North Carolina State University · $62,210 University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign · $73,420 University of Texas at Austin · $61,987 University of Wisconsin - Madison · $61,926 Florida State University · $64,218 University of California, San Diego · $62,567 MIT · $76,560 Caltech · $70,252 Stanford University · $67,304 Yale University · $66,307 Harvard University · $70,051 University of Chicago · $69,444 Princeton University · $66,153 Brown University · $64,848 Dartmouth · $68,365 University of Pennsylvania · $71,797 Duke University · $66,434 Columbia University · $46,832 Johns Hopkins University · $68,522 Rice University · $65,281 Northwestern University · $75,454 Vanderbilt University · $66,463 Cornell University · $65,400 Washington University in St Louis · $70,751 Tufts University · $64,530 University of Southern California · $61,549 Tulane University · $69,366 Case Western Reserve University · $63,344 Lehigh University · $80,383 Military: mean $74,084 STEM Non-Research: mean $51,652 Female-only: mean $59,270 Liberal Arts: mean $61,143 Public University: mean $58,533 Religious University: mean $63,863 Private University: mean $64,196 Liberal Arts 1–15: mean $63,917 Public University 1–15: mean $63,294 Private University 1–30: mean $67,626 All colleges: p10 $52,339 All colleges: p90 $68,379
Each dot = a college · y = degree-weighted earnings

Majors in this category

Major Colleges Degrees ▼ Male/Female Intl Earnings Employment
Earth & Atmospheric Sciences 431 6,302 48% / 52% 3% $60,497 96%
Geosciences 262 2,638 47% / 53% 2% $60,192 96%
Geology 53 492 53% / 47% 3% $59,484 96%
Marine Sciences 16 423 39% / 61% 1% $58,188 98%
Meteorology 25 315 60% / 40% 0% $61,446 98%
Earth Sciences 19 278 47% / 53% 3% $62,038 93%
Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology 31 260 59% / 41% 1% $61,464 97%
Marine Science 4 202 57% / 43% 2% $52,657 98%
Oceanography 15 190 38% / 62% 3% $64,349 95%
Natural and Applied Sciences 1 147 31% / 69% 3% $55,279
Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences 20 143 38% / 62% 3% $60,171 92%
Earth and Environmental Sciences 8 117 42% / 58% 6% $57,566 96%
Earth Science 11 92 46% / 54% 1% $62,181 96%
Atmospheric Sciences 9 85 62% / 38% 4% $66,010 82%
Earth System Science 4 84 42% / 58% 1% $59,901 91%
Geological and Earth Sciences 10 83 46% / 54% 2% $63,423 97%
Geological Sciences 4 71 49% / 51% 4% $62,956 94%
Geology and Geophysics 3 63 54% / 46% 2% $64,381 88%
Earth and Space Exploration 1 55 60% / 40% 5% $63,697 96%
Hydrology and Water Resources Science 13 44 48% / 52% 2% $60,187 97%
Geophysics 9 41 63% / 37% 12% $63,813 92%
Earth and Planetary Sciences 6 41 54% / 46% 2% $67,172 100%
Atmospheric Science 5 41 61% / 39% 5% $63,926
Earth Systems Science 2 36 42% / 58% 3% $60,869
Earth Systems 1 36 31% / 69% 6% $63,321
Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences 4 31 48% / 52% 6% $64,848 100%
Earth and Environmental Sciences (Geological) 1 30 33% / 67% 3% $59,359 97%
Earth and Environmental Studies 3 28 39% / 61% 4% $56,707
Geological/Earth Sciences 21 24 62% / 38% 0% $58,084
Geology/Earth Science 4 23 43% / 57% 4% $56,519 95%
Atmosphere and Energy 1 18 50% / 50% 6% $75,279
Geophysics and Seismology 12 17 65% / 35% 12% $64,287 98%
Earth and Environmental Science 1 13 38% / 62% 31% $71,797
Planetary Science 6 11 55% / 45% 0% $71,391 80%
Climate System Science and Engineering (Course 1-12) 3 10 10% / 90% 30% $81,166
Atmospheric and Oceanic Science 1 10 70% / 30% 0% $64,227
Earth & Climate Sciences 1 10 70% / 30% 30% $65,352
Engineering Geology 1 10 40% / 60% 0% $68,466 90%
Climate Science 3 9 56% / 44% 11% $57,012
Earth and Atmospheric Sciences 1 9 56% / 44% 11% $63,535
Renewable Energy 1 9 67% / 33% 0% $75,180 100%
Atmospheric, Oceanic, and Space Sciences 1 8 38% / 62% 25% $63,260
Earth and Planetary Science 1 8 38% / 62% 0% $65,135 100%
Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences (Course 12) 1 8 12% / 88% 0% $75,409
Earth and Space Sciences 1 7 86% / 14% 0% $55,722 86%
Geophysical Sciences 1 7 29% / 71% 29% $69,444
Earth, Environmental, and Planetary Sciences 1 6 33% / 67% 0% $64,848
Geochemistry 6 5 60% / 40% 20% $60,720 95%
Earth, Environmental and Planetary Sciences 1 4 50% / 50% 25% $65,281
Geology/Earth Systems Science 1 4 75% / 25% 0% $63,104
Geography and Cartography 1 2 100% / 0% 0% $66,058
Geological and Planetary Sciences 1 2 100% / 0% 0% $69,917
Meteorology and Climate Science 1 2 100% / 0% 0% $64,140