BACHELOR'S DEGREE · NATIONAL DEGREE OUTCOMES

Is a bachelor's degree in Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology worth it?

Compare cost, debt and earnings across 20 college programs with reportable data.

Based onObserved earnings + college priceEstimate10-year payoff
Estimated 10-year payoff
Negative payoff

−$117,022 over 10 years

National scenario across reporting bachelor's degree programs, using median year-4 earnings, their institutions’ average net prices and a typical 4-year duration.

17.9 yrsTime to earn back the modeled cost
−44%Estimated return after 10 years
$59,760Observed earnings · year 4
Not reachedHighest annual price before payoff reaches $0
Start with your decision

What do you need to compare?

PRICE SENSITIVITY

The price can change the verdict.

Hold observed earnings constant and see how the modeled ten-year payoff changes as annual price rises.

What stays fixed$59,760 observed annual earnings · 4 years of study · $45,000 alternative annual earnings · ten-year horizonThe marked price is the average college-wide net-price context across reporting institutions. This is a sensitivity test, not a tuition quote or earnings forecast.
WHAT THIS DEGREE PAYS

Outcomes at a glance

$59,760Typical earnings four years after completion
$60,843Average earnings five years after completion
$25,500Typical federal student debt
45thEarnings percentile among the same degree level
1Degrees awarded in 2024–25
18College programs reporting earnings

Degree counts come from the IPEDS Fall 2025 provisional release and cover 1 matched college records. Colleges without a match are not estimated.

A PRACTICAL READ

Four useful answers about Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology

How much do Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology bachelor's degree graduates earn?

The national median is $59,760 four years after completion across reportable bachelor's degree programs in this federal field.

How much federal debt do graduates have?

The median reported federal debt is $25,500. The figure excludes private loans and does not describe every graduate.

Does the college matter for Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology?

Yes. The middle half of reporting programs ranges from $55,790 to $66,943 in observed year-4 earnings.

What careers are related to Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology?

DegreeVerdict links this field to 4 displayed occupations using the official federal CIP–SOC crosswalk. Occupational wages are career context, not graduate salary promises.

COLLEGE-TO-COLLEGE RANGE

Where the middle half of programs lands

Year‑4 earnings differ by college. This band shows the 25th percentile, national median and 75th percentile among reporting programs.

Median
25th percentile$55,790National median$59,76075th percentile$66,943
18 programs report year‑4 earnings.
BEFORE YOU CHOOSE

Compare price, debt and earnings together

$66,94375th-percentile year-4 earnings among reporting programs
$25,500Median federal debt across programs that report it
4Programs with earnings in the top quarter and debt at or below the median
SHORTLIST BY QUESTION

Three useful places to start

Each choice answers a different question. These are observed signals, not an overall winner.

Highest observed earnings

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University-Prescott

$76,421 four years after completionPrescott, AZ · inspect the full program →
Lowest reported federal debt

University of Missouri-Columbia

$18,625 among completer borrowersColumbia, MO · inspect the full program →
Largest recent graduating class

Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus

59 reported awards in 2024–25University Park, PA · inspect the full program →
PRICE × EARNINGS MAP

Where colleges sit for this exact degree

Move left for a lower annual college-wide net price and up for higher observed year-4 earnings.

All reporting colleges Lower-price, higher-earnings quadrantAxes trim the outer 5% for readability; outliers remain pinned to the chart edge. Price is institution-wide context, not exact program tuition.
Build your shortlist

Choose colleges offering this exact degree

Start with the highest-earning reported programs below, or open the full directory to search every college.

18 shortlist matchesSelect up to four · 18 shown
Search every reporting program →
WHERE OUTCOMES ARE STRONGEST

See the spread, not just the national number.

1Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University-Prescott$76,4212Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University-Daytona Beach$76,4213University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign$71,4254Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus$69,0835Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University$67,8926Florida State University$66,9437SUNY Maritime College$65,0688University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus$63,1049Valparaiso University$60,09210State University of New York at Oswego$59,427

Observed year-4 earnings · top displayed records are not a universal ranking

Career outlook

Jobs this degree may lead to

Federal education-to-career links identify related occupations. They do not imply that every graduate enters the same job.

Pay and projected demand

Related careers do not share one outlook

Bubble size = annual openings2025–35 national projection

Occupation wages describe workers in these jobs, not graduates of this degree. BLS projections are national estimates and do not guarantee hiring.

Natural Sciences Managers$167,220 median wage108,690 jobs nationwide+8.2% projected growth through 2035 · 9,200 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$79,710–$316,850 typical wage rangeAtmospheric, Earth, Marine, and Space Sciences Teachers, Postsecondary$103,170 median wage9,900 jobs nationwide+2.4% projected growth through 2035 · 800 openings a yearTypical entry education: Doctoral or professional degree$59,700–$203,190 typical wage rangeAtmospheric and Space Scientists$99,070 median wage10,000 jobs nationwide+2.6% projected growth through 2035 · 800 openings a yearTypical entry education: Bachelor's degree$53,060–$161,890 typical wage rangeLife, Physical, and Social Science Technicians, All Other$62,280 median wage73,910 jobs nationwide+4.4% projected growth through 2035 · 11,200 openings a yearTypical entry education: Associate's degree$39,000–$102,690 typical wage range

BLS May 2025 wages and 2025–35 projections. Career figures describe occupations, not graduates of a specific college.

This page keeps the field and credential level fixed. Federal categories can still combine multiple catalog programs or concentrations. Automated ROI is limited to associate and bachelor’s degrees because institution-wide annual net price is not a reliable proxy for short certificate prices. ROI is an illustrative scenario, not a federal determination.