Best Colleges for Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology

Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology graduates enter a field where scientific precision meets real-world impact. With only 21 schools nationwide offering specialized programs in this discipline, students have focused options for pursuing weather and climate science careers. Graduates typically earn around $34,509 annually in entry-level positions, with strong potential for growth in government agencies, private consulting, and broadcast meteorology.

When evaluating programs, prioritize schools with modern weather monitoring equipment, radar systems, and computational resources. Look for faculty actively engaged in atmospheric research and programs offering hands-on forecasting experience. Strong mathematics and physics foundations are essential, so seek curricula emphasizing these core sciences alongside specialized meteorological coursework and field work opportunities.

Schools Ranked

$34,509

Avg. Program Earnings

71.5%

Avg. Graduation Rate

Top 21 Schools

College rankings
#	School	Median Earnings	Graduation Rate	School Type
1	SUNY Maritime College Throggs Neck, New York	$47,260	74.9%	public
2	Florida State University Tallahassee, Florida	$39,009	83.0%	public
3	University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Champaign, Illinois	$38,289	84.9%	public
4	Northern Illinois University Dekalb, Illinois	$38,289	49.6%	public
5	University of Washington-Seattle Campus Seattle, Washington	$37,748	83.7%	public
6	Texas A & M University-College Station College Station, Texas	$37,208	83.8%	public
7	Iowa State University Ames, Iowa	$36,848	75.5%	public
8	University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus Norman, Oklahoma	$36,134	75.3%	public
9	Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University-Daytona Beach Daytona Beach, Florida	$35,416	67.4%	private-nonprofit
10	Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University Blacksburg, Virginia	$35,416	86.3%	public
11	Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University-Prescott Prescott, Arizona	$35,416	69.8%	private-nonprofit
12	SUNY Brockport Brockport, New York	$35,060	56.6%	public
13	University of Missouri-Columbia Columbia, Missouri	$33,993	76.2%	public
14	Millersville University of Pennsylvania Millersville, Pennsylvania	$33,138	54.4%	public
15	Central Michigan University Mount Pleasant, Michigan	$32,925	61.8%	public
16	Valparaiso University Valparaiso, Indiana	$30,771	67.0%	private-nonprofit
17	Florida Institute of Technology Melbourne, Florida	$30,366	65.5%	private-nonprofit
18	University of California-Los Angeles Los Angeles, California	$30,126	92.7%	public
19	State University of New York at Oswego Oswego, New York	$28,598	60.4%	public
20	Ohio State University-Main Campus Columbus, Ohio	$27,494	87.7%	public
21	Western Illinois University Macomb, Illinois	$25,194	44.8%	public