Best Meteorology Programs in the United States (2026)
Updated
Part of Best Physical Sciences Colleges in the United States
This page ranks the 18 Meteorology programs in the United States by median earnings of Meteorology graduates four years after completing. University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign leads the list at $71,425, followed by Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus at $69,083 and Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University at $67,892.
The median across the listed schools is $55,192, with figures ranging from $71,425 to $27,494.
Public institutions account for 16 of the 18 programs, alongside 2 private nonprofit schools. Florida State University posts the lowest average net price on the list at $11,297, while University of California-Los Angeles ranks 22nd on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions.
The ranked list
| 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 reports median earnings of $71,425 for its Meteorology graduates four years after completing, alongside an average net price of $2,038 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
| 2 | Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus · University Park, PA | $69,083 | $32,875 | $19,845 | 60.6% |
| Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus ranks 2nd on this list, with a median of $26,000 in federal debt among Meteorology completers who borrowed and an admission rate of 61%. | |||||
| 3 | Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University · Blacksburg, VA | $67,892 | $24,953 | $11,689 | 54.8% |
| Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University posts median earnings of $67,892 for its Meteorology graduates four years after completing and an average net price of $24,953. | |||||
| 4 | Florida State University · Tallahassee, FL | $66,943 | $11,297 | $5,938 | 24.2% |
| Florida State University admits 24% of applicants and reports median earnings of $66,943 for its Meteorology graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 5 | University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus · Norman, OK | $63,104 | $15,300 | $10,509 | 76.6% |
| University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus shows a median of $20,000 in federal debt among Meteorology completers who borrowed, with a cohort of 53 graduates in the earnings cohort. | |||||
| 6 | Valparaiso University · Valparaiso, IN | $60,092 | $18,578 | $11,043 | 89.4% |
| Valparaiso University, a private nonprofit university in Valparaiso, reports median earnings of $60,092 for its Meteorology graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 7 | State University of New York at Oswego · Oswego, NY | $59,427 | $16,236 | $8,714 | 80.6% |
| State University of New York at Oswego ranks 337th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions and reports an average net price of $8,714 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
| 8 | Saint Cloud State University · Saint Cloud, MN | $57,108 | $13,529 | $8,909 | 94.8% |
| Saint Cloud State University reports median earnings of $57,108 for its Meteorology graduates four years after completing, and graduates across all fields who borrowed left with a median of $21,058 in federal loans. | |||||
| 9 | University of Missouri-Columbia · Columbia, MO | $55,790 | $20,268 | $13,841 | 78.5% |
| University of Missouri-Columbia shows a median of $18,625 in federal debt among Meteorology completers who borrowed and an admission rate of 78%. | |||||
| 10 | Texas A&M University-College Station · College Station, TX | $54,593 | $21,315 | $12,784 | 57.4% |
| Texas A&M University-College Station reports median earnings of $54,593 for its Meteorology graduates four years after completing, with a cohort of 29 graduates in the earnings cohort. | |||||
| 11 | Iowa State University · Ames, IA | $52,786 | $18,589 | $10,582 | 88.7% |
| Iowa State University admits 89% of applicants, and graduates across all fields who borrowed left with a median of $22,869 in federal loans. | |||||
| 12 | Northern Illinois University · Dekalb, IL | $49,198 | $13,391 | $10,126 | 69.8% |
| Northern Illinois University reports an average net price of $10,126 for families earning under $30,000 and median earnings of $49,198 for its Meteorology graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 13 | University of Washington-Seattle Campus · Seattle, WA | $37,748 | $14,091 | $6,384 | 39.2% |
| University of Washington-Seattle Campus reports $37,748 in median earnings of Meteorology graduates four years after completing and an average net price of $14,091. | |||||
| 14 | Millersville University of Pennsylvania · Millersville, PA | $33,138 | $20,787 | $14,565 | 86.2% |
| Millersville University of Pennsylvania admits 86% of applicants and ranks 743rd on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions. | |||||
| 15 | Central Michigan University · Mount Pleasant, MI | $32,925 | $17,597 | $12,185 | 89.8% |
| Central Michigan University ranks 15th on this list with $32,925 in median earnings of Meteorology graduates four years after completing and an average net price of $12,185 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
| 16 | Florida Institute of Technology · Melbourne, FL | $30,366 | $35,639 | $29,108 | 57.7% |
| A private nonprofit university in Melbourne, Florida Institute of Technology reports $30,366 in median earnings of Meteorology graduates four years after completing and an admission rate of 58%. | |||||
| 17 | University of California-Los Angeles · Los Angeles, CA | $30,126 | $12,548 | $5,579 | 9.0% |
| University of California-Los Angeles ranks 22nd on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions and carries an average net price of $12,548. | |||||
| 18 | Ohio State University-Main Campus · Columbus, OH | $27,494 | $17,339 | $4,885 | 60.6% |
| Ohio State University-Main Campus reports $27,494 in median earnings of Meteorology graduates four years after completing alongside an average net price of $4,885 for families earning under $30,000. | |||||
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 United States appear. The figure reflects federally aided completers who were working and not enrolled, measured four years after completing. For 6 of the 18 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. The range and median below cover the 18 schools with a published figure. The gap between first-ranked University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and second-ranked Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus is $2,342.
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