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# Best Meteorology Programs in the Midwest (2026)

Updated September 30, 2026

Part of [Best Physical Sciences Colleges in the Midwest](/rankings/best-physical-sciences-colleges-in-the-midwest/)

Regional list from [Best Meteorology Programs in the United States](/rankings/best-meteorology-programs/)

This page ranks the 8 Meteorology programs in the Midwest by median earnings of Meteorology graduates four years after completing. [University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign](/school/university-of-illinois-urbana-champaign/majors/) ranks 1st on this list, with median earnings of $71,425 for its graduates four years after completing.

Across the listed programs, the figure ranges from $71,425 to $27,494, with a median of $54,288. For 2 of the 8 listed programs the figure is the two-year completion median rather than the four-year one.

Public institutions account for 88% of the list. University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign ranks 35th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions. Northern Illinois University posts the lowest average net price, at $13,391.

## The ranked list

8 schools in list order

| Rank | School | Program Earnings | Average net price | Net price, families under $30K | Admission rate |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign · Champaign, IL | $71,425 | $14,355 | $2,038 | 42.4% |
|  | [University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign](/school/university-of-illinois-urbana-champaign/majors/) reports [$71,425 in median earnings](/school/university-of-illinois-urbana-champaign/outcomes/) of Meteorology graduates four years after completing and ranks 1st on this list, with a 42% admission rate. |
| 2 | Valparaiso University · Valparaiso, IN | $60,092 | $18,578 | $11,043 | 89.4% |
|  | [Valparaiso University](/school/valparaiso-university/majors/), a private nonprofit university in Valparaiso, posts [median federal debt of $27,000](/school/valparaiso-university/cost/) among Meteorology completers who borrowed alongside earnings of $60,092 four years after completing. |
| 3 | Saint Cloud State University · Saint Cloud, MN | $57,108 | $13,529 | $8,909 | 94.8% |
|  | [Saint Cloud State University](/school/saint-cloud-state-university/majors/) [admits 95% of applicants](/school/saint-cloud-state-university/admissions/) and shows an average net price of $8,909 for families earning under $30,000. |
| 4 | University of Missouri-Columbia · Columbia, MO | $55,790 | $20,268 | $13,841 | 78.5% |
|  | [University of Missouri-Columbia](/school/university-of-missouri-columbia/majors/) ranks 4th on this list with [median earnings of $55,790](/school/university-of-missouri-columbia/outcomes/) four years after completing and a cohort of 29 graduates in the earnings cohort. |
| 5 | Iowa State University · Ames, IA | $52,786 | $18,589 | $10,582 | 88.7% |
|  | Graduates across all fields who borrowed at [Iowa State University](/school/iowa-state-university/majors/) left with a [median of $22,869](/school/iowa-state-university/outcomes/) in federal loans, and the school's Meteorology graduates earn $52,786 four years after completing. |
| 6 | Northern Illinois University · Dekalb, IL | $49,198 | $13,391 | $10,126 | 69.8% |
|  | [Northern Illinois University](/school/northern-illinois-university/majors/) reports an [average net price of $13,391](/school/northern-illinois-university/cost/) and ranks 116th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions. |
| 7 | Central Michigan University · Mount Pleasant, MI | $32,925 | $17,597 | $12,185 | 89.8% |
|  | [Central Michigan University](/school/central-michigan-university/majors/) posts [$32,925 in median earnings](/school/central-michigan-university/outcomes/) of Meteorology graduates four years after completing and an average net price of $12,185 for families earning under $30,000. |
| 8 | Ohio State University-Main Campus · Columbus, OH | $27,494 | $17,339 | $4,885 | 60.6% |
|  | [Ohio State University-Main Campus](/school/ohio-state-university-main-campus/majors/) [ranks 90th on Azimuth's composite ranking](/school/ohio-state-university-main-campus/) among nonprofit four-year institutions and admits 61% of applicants. |

## How this list is ordered

Programs are ordered by the median earnings of their Meteorology graduates four years after completing, highest first. Only programs with a reported earnings cohort in the Midwest appear. The figures cover federally aided completers of Meteorology who were working and not enrolled, measured four years after completing. For 2 of the 8 listed programs the figure is the two-year completion median rather than the four-year one. The metric does not adjust for graduate school enrollment, cost, or who enrolls, and it is not a measure of teaching quality. University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign leads Valparaiso University by $11,333, and the spread from the top to the bottom of the list is $43,931.

## Related rankings

-   [Best Meteorology Programs in the United States](/rankings/best-meteorology-programs/)
-   [Best Colleges in the Midwest](/rankings/best-colleges-in-the-midwest/)
-   Meteorology Programs in the South
-   [Best Physical Sciences Colleges in the Midwest](/rankings/best-physical-sciences-colleges-in-the-midwest/)
-   Physical Sciences Colleges in the Midwest for Social Mobility