Geology/Earth Science, General

CIP Code: 40.0601

A geology/earth science, general degree prepares graduates for careers in Natural sciences managers, Atmospheric, earth, marine, and space sciences teachers, postsecondary, Geoscientists, except hydrologists and geographers and more. 435 colleges and universities offer this program.

Annual Degrees Awarded

5,715

                Colleges Offering
                435
            

                Avg. Career Salary
                $100,452
            

                Top Career Salary
                $161,180
            

Geology/Earth Science, General Salary by College

Nationally, bachelor’s graduates in this field earn a median $60,190 four years after graduating (middle half: $44,343–$77,573). Where you study it matters: across 138 colleges with reported results, pay ranges from $40,858 to $85,207.

Sort by:

#	College	4 yrs after	Wage-adjusted	1 yr after	Median debt	Outcome Rating
1	University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus Norman, OK	$85,207	$95,667	—	$27,000	A
2	The University of Texas at Austin Austin, TX	$83,481	$84,876	$42,062	$16,993	A+
5	Pennsylvania State University-World Campus University Park, PA	$81,092	$82,471	$53,908	$25,648	C+
4	Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus University Park, PA	$81,092	$82,471	$53,908	$25,648	A
3	Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Beaver Monaca, PA	$81,092	$82,471	$53,908	$25,648	C+
6	University of California-Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA	$79,143	$72,015	—	—	A+
7	Texas A & M University-College Station College Station, TX	$74,594	$75,840	$44,585	$18,686	A
8	Texas Tech University Lubbock, TX	$74,591	$75,837	$49,727	$25,250	B+
9	San Diego State University San Diego, CA	$73,647	$67,014	$41,351	$21,500	B
10	California State University-Sacramento Sacramento, CA	$73,418	$66,806	—	$15,000	C+
11	University of California-Davis Davis, CA	$73,337	$66,732	$43,462	$16,000	A
12	California State Polytechnic University-Pomona Pomona, CA	$73,305	$66,703	$49,406	$19,375	B+
13	Lehigh University Bethlehem, PA	$72,978	$74,219	—	$19,707	A+
14	Colorado State University-Fort Collins Fort Collins, CO	$71,631	$66,989	$41,158	$22,250	C+
15	University of California-Irvine Irvine, CA	$70,820	$64,442	$38,804	$14,916	A
16	University of South Carolina-Columbia Columbia, SC	$70,284	$77,934	$38,432	$23,250	A
18	Rutgers University-Newark Newark, NJ	$70,106	$61,531	$47,045	$24,068	B+
17	Rutgers University-New Brunswick New Brunswick, NJ	$70,106	$61,531	$47,045	$24,068	A
19	California State University-Bakersfield Bakersfield, CA	$69,989	$63,685	—	—	C
21	University of Florida-Online Gainesville, FL	$69,943	$74,445	$40,691	$19,737	A
20	University of Florida Gainesville, FL	$69,943	$74,445	$40,691	$19,737	A+
26	University of Connecticut-Hartford Campus Hartford, CT	$69,610	$62,671	—	—	B+
25	University of Connecticut-Stamford Stamford, CT	$69,610	$62,671	—	—	B+
24	University of Connecticut-Avery Point Groton, CT	$69,610	$62,671	—	—	B+
23	University of Connecticut-Waterbury Campus Waterbury, CT	$69,610	$62,671	—	—	B+
22	University of Connecticut Storrs, CT	$69,610	$62,671	—	—	A
27	California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo San Luis Obispo, CA	$69,227	$62,992	$48,489	$15,000	A+
28	University of Wyoming Laramie, WY	$68,883	$71,791	$45,758	$18,960	B
29	University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Champaign, IL	$68,201	$67,007	$38,867	$21,875	A+
30	University of Houston Houston, TX	$68,127	$69,265	—	$24,875	B+
31	Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College Baton Rouge, LA	$67,493	$78,128	$42,218	$19,500	A
32	Western Washington University Bellingham, WA	$67,208	$61,817	$36,802	$22,969	C+
38	Ohio University-Zanesville Campus Zanesville, OH	$66,922	$71,416	$38,637	$18,500	B
37	Ohio University-Main Campus Athens, OH	$66,922	$71,416	$38,637	$18,500	C+
36	Ohio University-Lancaster Campus Lancaster, OH	$66,922	$71,416	$38,637	$18,500	C
35	Ohio University-Southern Campus Ironton, OH	$66,922	$71,416	$38,637	$18,500	B
34	Ohio University-Chillicothe Campus Chillicothe, OH	$66,922	$71,416	$38,637	$18,500	B
33	Ohio University-Eastern Campus Saint Clairsville, OH	$66,922	$71,416	$38,637	$18,500	C
40	University of Washington-Bothell Campus Bothell, WA	$66,845	$61,483	$29,724	$19,000	A
39	University of Washington-Seattle Campus Seattle, WA	$66,845	$61,483	$29,724	$19,000	A
41	West Virginia University Morgantown, WV	$66,798	$79,026	$36,382	$22,719	B+
42	University of California-Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, CA	$66,788	$60,773	$30,759	$16,298	A
43	Florida State University Tallahassee, FL	$66,157	$70,416	—	—	A
44	University of Southern Mississippi Hattiesburg, MS	$66,142	$80,251	—	—	C
45	Montclair State University Montclair, NJ	$65,826	$57,774	$43,985	$21,750	C+
46	The University of Texas at Arlington Arlington, TX	$65,294	$66,385	$42,788	$25,000	B
47	Iowa State University Ames, IA	$65,204	$68,587	$50,150	$24,781	B+
48	State University of New York at Oswego Oswego, NY	$64,634	$61,518	—	$27,000	C
49	University of California-Santa Cruz Santa Cruz, CA	$64,499	$58,690	$43,362	$20,833	B+
50	SUNY Oneonta Oneonta, NY	$64,410	$61,305	—	—	C+
51	College of Charleston Charleston, SC	$63,993	$70,958	$49,786	$22,659	B
52	University of Minnesota-Duluth Duluth, MN	$63,893	$61,031	—	$27,219	B
53	University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Milwaukee, WI	$63,838	$66,427	$42,932	$26,500	C+
54	Eastern Connecticut State University Willimantic, CT	$63,566	$57,230	$43,915	$24,124	C
55	University of Arizona Tucson, AZ	$63,387	$65,131	$38,617	$24,250	B
56	Auburn University Auburn, AL	$63,298	$71,849	$45,588	$26,000	A
57	University of Utah Salt Lake City, UT	$62,867	$59,583	$49,446	—	B+
58	Michigan State University East Lansing, MI	$62,448	$65,844	$39,997	$28,869	A
59	Southern New Hampshire University Manchester, NH	$62,360	$57,440	$45,727	$20,875	C
60	Mississippi State University Mississippi State, MS	$62,082	$75,325	$42,298	$21,500	B
61	SUNY College at Potsdam Potsdam, NY	$62,004	$59,015	—	—	F
62	Grand Valley State University Allendale, MI	$61,868	$65,233	$38,675	$27,000	B
63	University of Kansas Lawrence, KS	$61,838	$64,198	$41,626	$26,469	B+
64	University of South Alabama Mobile, AL	$61,632	$69,958	—	—	C+
65	University of Illinois Chicago Chicago, IL	$61,206	$60,134	$37,280	$21,500	B+
66	North Carolina State University at Raleigh Raleigh, NC	$61,023	$65,486	$38,871	$20,029	A
67	University of Michigan-Ann Arbor Ann Arbor, MI	$60,949	$64,264	$45,974	$17,875	A+
68	University of Minnesota-Twin Cities Minneapolis, MN	$60,715	$57,996	$44,825	$21,000	A
69	University of South Florida Tampa, FL	$60,472	$64,365	$48,565	$24,405	B+
70	University of Colorado Boulder Boulder, CO	$60,453	$56,535	$46,263	$19,500	B+
71	University of North Carolina Wilmington Wilmington, NC	$60,414	$64,833	$38,459	$22,995	B
72	Northern Arizona University Flagstaff, AZ	$60,402	$62,064	$42,528	$21,251	C+
73	University of West Georgia Carrollton, GA	$60,355	$62,480	$33,344	$22,054	D
74	Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania Bloomsburg, PA	$60,075	$61,097	$43,112	$27,000	C
75	State University of New York at Cortland Cortland, NY	$60,027	$57,133	—	—	C+
76	Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University Blacksburg, VA	$59,969	$54,607	—	—	A
77	University at Buffalo Buffalo, NY	$59,841	$56,956	$39,696	$19,750	B+
78	University of California-Riverside Riverside, CA	$59,677	$54,302	$22,998	—	B+
79	Miami University-Oxford Oxford, OH	$59,558	$63,557	$38,478	$19,500	B
80	Salem State University Salem, MA	$59,424	$52,329	—	—	D
81	Missouri University of Science and Technology Rolla, MO	$59,252	$63,531	$47,352	—	A
82	California State University-Fullerton Fullerton, CA	$58,891	$53,587	$35,509	$16,625	C+
83	The University of Texas at Dallas Richardson, TX	$58,840	$59,823	—	$25,500	A
84	University of Wisconsin-Madison Madison, WI	$58,771	$61,154	$43,068	$24,250	A+
85	Pacific Lutheran University Tacoma, WA	$58,472	$53,782	—	—	B
86	Western Michigan University Kalamazoo, MI	$58,164	$61,327	—	—	C+
87	University of New Hampshire-Main Campus Durham, NH	$58,045	$53,465	—	—	B
88	University of Northern Colorado Greeley, CO	$57,989	$54,231	$46,954	$24,121	D
89	Portland State University Portland, OR	$57,932	$58,273	$37,831	$21,253	C+
90	University of Houston-Downtown Houston, TX	$57,892	$58,859	$50,894	$18,529	C
91	Pennsylvania Western University California, PA	$57,549	$58,528	$38,603	—	D
92	The University of Texas at San Antonio San Antonio, TX	$57,540	$58,501	$42,779	$18,500	C+
95	University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus Pittsburgh, PA	$57,456	$58,433	$38,652	$25,000	A
94	University of Pittsburgh-Johnstown Johnstown, PA	$57,456	$58,433	$38,652	$25,000	B+
93	University of Pittsburgh-Bradford Bradford, PA	$57,456	$58,433	$38,652	$25,000	B
96	Central Michigan University Mount Pleasant, MI	$57,438	$60,562	$35,235	$31,000	C+
97	Wayne State University Detroit, MI	$57,203	$60,314	$30,723	—	C+
98	Lake Superior State University Sault Ste Marie, MI	$56,905	$60,000	—	—	C
99	University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire Eau Claire, WI	$56,739	$59,040	$44,207	$21,000	B
100	Middle Tennessee State University Murfreesboro, TN	$56,405	$61,616	$34,329	$25,789	C
101	Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania Slippery Rock, PA	$56,402	$57,361	$41,094	$25,875	C+
102	Indiana University of Pennsylvania-Main Campus Indiana, PA	$56,380	$57,339	$34,617	—	C
103	Fort Lewis College Durango, CO	$56,304	$52,655	—	—	F
104	Old Dominion University Norfolk, VA	$56,255	$51,225	—	—	D
105	Sam Houston State University Huntsville, TX	$55,954	$56,889	—	—	C
106	SUNY College at Geneseo Geneseo, NY	$55,018	$52,366	$27,395	$22,287	B+
107	Boise State University Boise, ID	$53,995	$57,416	$31,701	$25,360	C+
108	Central Washington University Ellensburg, WA	$53,987	$49,656	—	—	C+
109	Binghamton University Vestal, NY	$53,761	$51,169	—	—	A
110	University of Akron Main Campus Akron, OH	$53,594	$57,193	$39,678	$24,000	D
111	Tennessee Technological University Cookeville, TN	$53,479	$58,420	—	—	C
112	George Mason University Fairfax, VA	$53,441	$48,663	—	—	B+
113	Ohio State University-Main Campus Columbus, OH	$53,381	$56,966	$41,156	$25,000	A
114	California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt Arcata, CA	$53,371	$48,564	$29,476	$19,940	F
115	Illinois State University Normal, IL	$53,272	$52,339	—	—	B
116	Appalachian State University Boone, NC	$53,269	$57,165	$35,021	$22,291	C+
117	University of North Carolina at Charlotte Charlotte, NC	$53,247	$57,142	$37,717	$22,980	B
118	Kutztown University of Pennsylvania Kutztown, PA	$52,378	$53,269	$28,040	$25,669	C
119	University of Nevada-Las Vegas Las Vegas, NV	$52,278	$54,259	$41,963	$15,000	C+
120	Bridgewater State University Bridgewater, MA	$52,219	$45,984	—	$19,500	D
121	The University of Texas at El Paso El Paso, TX	$52,098	$52,968	—	—	C
122	University of Oregon Eugene, OR	$52,007	$52,313	—	$26,909	B
123	James Madison University Harrisonburg, VA	$51,500	$46,895	$48,118	$21,500	B+
124	Columbus State University Columbus, GA	$50,864	$52,655	—	—	F
125	Wright State University-Main Campus Dayton, OH	$50,824	$54,237	$39,321	$26,000	C
126	The University of Tennessee-Knoxville Knoxville, TN	$50,202	$54,840	$30,101	$25,000	B+
127	University of Arkansas Fayetteville, AR	$49,730	$58,603	$31,087	$22,500	B+
128	Montana State University Bozeman, MT	$49,241	$53,788	$29,030	$20,064	C+
129	University of New Orleans New Orleans, LA	$48,987	$56,706	—	—	C
130	Missouri State University-Springfield Springfield, MO	$48,191	$51,671	$34,481	$24,984	C
131	South Dakota School of Mines and Technology Rapid City, SD	$48,069	$51,741	—	—	A
132	University of Wisconsin-Parkside Kenosha, WI	$47,123	$49,034	$29,117	$21,120	C
133	Georgia State University Atlanta, GA	$47,111	$48,769	$39,375	$25,000	D
134	University of Northern Iowa Cedar Falls, IA	$46,986	$49,424	—	—	B
136	Kent State University at Kent Kent, OH	$46,171	$49,271	$40,005	$25,000	D
135	Kent State University at Stark North Canton, OH	$46,171	$49,271	$40,005	$25,000	B
137	Washington State University Pullman, WA	$45,002	$41,392	$33,178	$20,433	B
138	University of Rhode Island Kingston, RI	$40,858	$40,241	—	—	B+

Bachelor’s degrees. Wage-adjusted = pay ÷ √(state wage index). Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard field-of-study data.

What Can You Do With a Geology/Earth Science, General Degree?

Graduates with this degree pursue careers in the following fields:

Natural sciences managers

$161,180 +3.7% growth

View Career →

Atmospheric, earth, marine, and space sciences teachers, postsecondary

$101,390 +2.6% growth

View Career →

Geoscientists, except hydrologists and geographers

$99,240 +3.2% growth

View Career →

Hydrologists

$92,060 -0.1% growth

View Career →

Geological technicians, except hydrologic technicians

$48,390 +1.5% growth

View Career →

$100,452

Average Salary Across Careers

$161,180

Highest Paying Career

Career Paths Available

Best Colleges for Geology/Earth Science, General

Ranked by Repit grade, then by degrees awarded. These are the top-rated colleges that produce the most graduates in geology/earth science, general.

#	College	Location	Degrees Awarded	Repit Grade
1	University of Michigan-Ann Arbor	Ann Arbor, MI	74	A+
2	Columbia University in the City of New York	New York, NY	73	A
3	University of California-Irvine	Irvine, CA	71	A
4	The University of Texas at Austin	Austin, TX	70	A
5	Stanford University	Stanford, CA	63	A
6	University of California-Santa Barbara	Santa Barbara, CA	53	A
7	University of California-San Diego	La Jolla, CA	51	A
8	Brown University	Providence, RI	36	A
9	Yale University	New Haven, CT	31	A
10	University of Florida	Gainesville, FL	29	A
11	University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill	Chapel Hill, NC	29	A
12	Vanderbilt University	Nashville, TN	25	A
13	Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus	University Park, PA	68	B+
14	Purdue University-Main Campus	West Lafayette, IN	67	B+
15	Texas A & M University-College Station	College Station, TX	65	B+
16	University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus	Pittsburgh, PA	55	B+
17	University of South Florida	Tampa, FL	42	B+
18	Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University	Blacksburg, VA	38	B+
19	University of Minnesota-Twin Cities	Minneapolis, MN	37	B+
20	Ohio State University-Main Campus	Columbus, OH	35	B+
21	University of Wisconsin-Madison	Madison, WI	31	B+
22	University of Massachusetts-Amherst	Amherst, MA	31	B+
23	University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign	Champaign, IL	29	B+
24	Florida International University	Miami, FL	28	B+
25	Rutgers University-New Brunswick	New Brunswick, NJ	26	B+
26	Mississippi State University	Mississippi State, MS	147	B
27	Washington State University	Pullman, WA	119	B
28	University of Arizona	Tucson, AZ	68	B
29	University of California-Santa Cruz	Santa Cruz, CA	67	B
30	University of North Carolina at Charlotte	Charlotte, NC	65	B

Largest Geology/Earth Science, General Programs

Schools ranked by number of graduates. These institutions produce the most geology/earth science, general graduates annually, including online and distance learning programs.

#	College	Location	Degrees Awarded	Repit Grade
1	Mississippi State University	Mississippi State, MS	147	B
2	Washington State University	Pullman, WA	119	B
3	University of Michigan-Ann Arbor	Ann Arbor, MI	74	A+
4	Columbia University in the City of New York	New York, NY	73	A
5	University of California-Irvine	Irvine, CA	71	A
6	The University of Texas at Austin	Austin, TX	70	A
7	Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus	University Park, PA	68	B+
8	University of Arizona	Tucson, AZ	68	B
9	Purdue University-Main Campus	West Lafayette, IN	67	B+
10	University of California-Santa Cruz	Santa Cruz, CA	67	B
11	Texas A & M University-College Station	College Station, TX	65	B+
12	University of North Carolina at Charlotte	Charlotte, NC	65	B
13	Montana State University	Bozeman, MT	64	C+
14	Stanford University	Stanford, CA	63	A
15	Western Washington University	Bellingham, WA	59	B
16	University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus	Pittsburgh, PA	55	B+
17	University of California-Santa Barbara	Santa Barbara, CA	53	A
18	University of California-San Diego	La Jolla, CA	51	A
19	Ohio University-Main Campus	Athens, OH	50	C+
20	University of Houston	Houston, TX	48	B
21	Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania	Bloomsburg, PA	43	C+
22	University of South Florida	Tampa, FL	42	B+
23	University of Hawaii at Manoa	Honolulu, HI	41	B
24	University of Colorado Boulder	Boulder, CO	40	B
25	University of Nevada-Las Vegas	Las Vegas, NV	40	C+
26	Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University	Blacksburg, VA	38	B+
27	University of Minnesota-Twin Cities	Minneapolis, MN	37	B+
28	Brown University	Providence, RI	36	A
29	Colorado State University-Fort Collins	Fort Collins, CO	36	B
30	Ohio State University-Main Campus	Columbus, OH	35	B+

5,715

Degrees Awarded Annually

435

Colleges Offering Program

Related Careers

About Geology/Earth Science, General

Geology/Earth Science, General is a degree program offered at 435 colleges and universities across the United States. Each year, approximately 5,715 students graduate with this degree.

Graduates with this degree can pursue careers such as natural sciences managers, atmospheric, earth, marine, and space sciences teachers, postsecondary, geoscientists, except hydrologists and geographers, hydrologists, geological technicians, except hydrologic technicians.

Program Classification

CIP Code 40.0601

Field (2-digit CIP) 40

Category (4-digit CIP) 40.06

Frequently Asked Questions

What can I do with a Geology/Earth Science, General degree?

A Geology/Earth Science, General degree can lead to careers as a natural sciences managers, atmospheric, earth, marine, and space sciences teachers, postsecondary, geoscientists, except hydrologists and geographers, hydrologists, geological technicians, except hydrologic technicians, and more. Top earners in related careers can make up to $161,180 annually.

How many colleges offer Geology/Earth Science, General?

435 colleges and universities in the United States offer Geology/Earth Science, General as a degree program. Each year, approximately 5,715 students graduate with this degree.

What are the best colleges for Geology/Earth Science, General?

The best colleges for Geology/Earth Science, General based on Repit's ratings include University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, Columbia University in the City of New York, University of California-Irvine, The University of Texas at Austin, Stanford University. Rankings are based on the college's overall Repit grade and the number of degrees awarded in this program.

What is the salary potential with a Geology/Earth Science, General degree?

Graduates with a Geology/Earth Science, General degree can expect average salaries around $100,452 in related careers, with top earners making up to $161,180. Actual salaries depend on the specific career path, experience level, and location.

Geology/Earth Science, General

Geology/Earth Science, General Salary by College

What Can You Do With a Geology/Earth Science, General Degree?

Natural sciences managers

Atmospheric, earth, marine, and space sciences teachers, postsecondary

Geoscientists, except hydrologists and geographers

Hydrologists

Geological technicians, except hydrologic technicians

Best Colleges for Geology/Earth Science, General

Largest Geology/Earth Science, General Programs

About Geology/Earth Science, General

Program Classification

Frequently Asked Questions

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