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# Best Meteorology Programs in the United States (2026)

Updated September 30, 2026

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

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](/school/university-of-illinois-urbana-champaign/majors/) leads the list at $71,425, followed by [Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus](/school/pennsylvania-state-university-main-campus/majors/) at $69,083 and [Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University](/school/virginia-polytechnic-institute-and-state-university/majors/) 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

18 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 [median earnings of $71,425](/school/university-of-illinois-urbana-champaign/outcomes/) 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](/school/pennsylvania-state-university-main-campus/majors/) ranks 2nd on this list, with a [median of $26,000](/school/pennsylvania-state-university-main-campus/outcomes/) 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](/school/virginia-polytechnic-institute-and-state-university/majors/) posts [median earnings of $67,892](/school/virginia-polytechnic-institute-and-state-university/outcomes/) 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](/school/florida-state-university/majors/) [admits 24% of applicants](/school/florida-state-university/admissions/) 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](/school/university-of-oklahoma-norman-campus/majors/) shows a [median of $20,000](/school/university-of-oklahoma-norman-campus/outcomes/) 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](/school/valparaiso-university/majors/), a private nonprofit university in Valparaiso, reports [median earnings of $60,092](/school/valparaiso-university/outcomes/) 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](/school/state-university-of-new-york-at-oswego/majors/) [ranks 337th on Azimuth's composite ranking](/school/state-university-of-new-york-at-oswego/) 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](/school/saint-cloud-state-university/majors/) reports [median earnings of $57,108](/school/saint-cloud-state-university/outcomes/) 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](/school/university-of-missouri-columbia/majors/) shows a [median of $18,625](/school/university-of-missouri-columbia/outcomes/) 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](/school/texas-am-university-college-station/majors/) reports [median earnings of $54,593](/school/texas-am-university-college-station/outcomes/) 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](/school/iowa-state-university/majors/) [admits 89% of applicants](/school/iowa-state-university/admissions/), 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](/school/northern-illinois-university/majors/) reports an [average net price of $10,126](/school/northern-illinois-university/cost/) 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](/school/university-of-washington-seattle-campus/majors/) reports [$37,748 in median earnings](/school/university-of-washington-seattle-campus/outcomes/) 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](/school/central-michigan-university/majors/) ranks 15th on this list with [$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. |
| 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](/school/florida-institute-of-technology/majors/) reports [$30,366 in median earnings](/school/florida-institute-of-technology/outcomes/) 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](/school/university-of-california-los-angeles/majors/) [ranks 22nd on Azimuth's composite ranking](/school/university-of-california-los-angeles/) 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](/school/ohio-state-university-main-campus/majors/) reports [$27,494 in median earnings](/school/ohio-state-university-main-campus/outcomes/) of Meteorology graduates four years after completing alongside an average net price of $4,885 for families earning under $30,000. |

By region[Best Meteorology Programs in the Midwest](/rankings/best-meteorology-programs-in-the-midwest/)

## 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.

## Related rankings

-   [Best Physical Sciences Colleges in the United States](/rankings/best-physical-sciences-colleges/)
-   Physical Sciences Colleges for Social Mobility