Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences: degree ROI, salary & best colleges
Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences graduates earn a median $60,190 four years after finishing — $11,830/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 5.7 years. Federal data pools 434 bachelor's programs graduating roughly 5,334 students a year. (Scorecard field-of-study, 2026 · our math.)
Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences ranks #106 of 202 bachelor's fields by earnings — pays more than 48% of majors.
| # | College | State | Grad earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus | OK | $85,207 |
| 2 | The University of Texas at Austin | TX | $83,481 |
| 3 | Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus | PA | $81,092 |
| 4 | Pennsylvania State University-World Campus | PA | $81,092 |
| 5 | University of California-Los Angeles | CA | $79,143 |
| 6 | Texas A&M University-College Station | TX | $74,594 |
| 7 | Texas Tech University | TX | $74,591 |
| 8 | San Diego State University | CA | $73,647 |
| 9 | California State University-Sacramento | CA | $73,418 |
| 10 | University of California-Davis | CA | $73,337 |
| 11 | California State Polytechnic University-Pomona | CA | $73,305 |
| 12 | Lehigh University | PA | $72,978 |
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.