Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology: degree ROI, salary & best colleges
Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology graduates earn a median $60,997 four years after finishing — $12,637/yr above the $48,360 high-school baseline. At a typical $16,906/yr net price ($67,624 over four years), that pays back in about 5.4 years. Federal data pools 78 bachelor's programs graduating roughly 723 students a year. (Scorecard field-of-study, 2026 · our math.)
Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology ranks #104 of 202 bachelor's fields by earnings — pays more than 49% of majors.
| # | College | State | Grad earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University-Daytona Beach | FL | $76,421 |
| 2 | Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University-Prescott | AZ | $76,421 |
| 3 | University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign | IL | $71,425 |
| 4 | Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus | PA | $69,083 |
| 5 | Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University | VA | $67,892 |
| 6 | Florida State University | FL | $66,943 |
| 7 | SUNY Maritime College | NY | $65,068 |
| 8 | University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus | OK | $63,104 |
| 9 | Valparaiso University | IN | $60,092 |
| 10 | State University of New York at Oswego | NY | $59,427 |
| 11 | Saint Cloud State University | MN | $57,108 |
| 12 | Vermont State University | VT | $56,630 |
College Scorecard field-of-study (2026), program-level median earnings for this CIP · our ranking.
How we compute this. Earnings are the national median for graduates of this field measured 1 and 4 years after completion (Scorecard field-of-study, bachelor's). Premium = 4-year earnings − the $48,360 high-school baseline. Payback = a representative 4-year net cost (median college net price × 4) ÷ premium. Field medians blend every school — a specific program can pay far more or less. Full method on the methodology page; the field ranking is on ROI by major.