The List of All U.S. Colleges With a Geoscience Major

If you care about the environment and want to discover new, innovative ways to conserve and develop natural resources, reduce the impacts of natural disasters, or otherwise use your knowledge about the earth and its systems to solve a problem, geoscience may be the right field of study for you. Geoscientists gather, interpret, and apply knowledge about the earth to improve our understanding of planets and planetary systems. They provide the essential knowledge needed to manage resources, protect the environment, and solve global problems through math and science.

Students interested in pursuing a degree in geoscience will find many programs available at the undergraduate level, at schools ranging from large public universities to small, private colleges. If you want to learn more about getting into a geoscience program and where you can find these programs, you won’t want to miss this post.

Why Major in Geoscience?

The earth, its climate, and its natural resource supply are all changing rapidly. Geoscience is a field that aims to help minimize the negative impacts of these changes. With the goal of understanding these changes on a planetary scale, geoscientists are also invested in situating these changes within our natural history.

On a daily basis, geoscientists might find that their schedules vary widely. One day they may be in the field gathering samples and logging data. Another day they may be immersed in the creation of a forecasting model. On still other days they may be writing a scientific report or meeting with industry leaders to present findings. The variety of work can keep geoscientists busy and engaged. With such a large field of study, geoscientists have the potential to work in several sub specialities related to different large-scale structures within and around the earth. Geoscientists may also specialize in certain areas of physics, mathematics, chronology, and more.

Geoscience is a secure job field. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that the field will grow 14% by 2026, which is significantly more than the national average for all occupations. It also reports that the median salary for a geoscientist is over $91,000. Geoscience provides a solid career trajectory and good earning potential.

How to Increase Your Chances of Getting In

As the demand for geoscientists continues to grow, so do the number of students applying to STEM fields related to earth science. Getting into the program of your choice may not be easy, but we have some tips to help along the way.

• Take High Level Science Classes

Taking advanced STEM field classes in high school is almost an unspoken requirement of STEM field undergraduate applicants. Take the most challenging classes that you’re capable of succeeding in. Hopefully this will include courses like AP Environmental Science, AP Chemistry, and AP Calculus. These classes won’t just reinforce your skills and interest in the field; they can also sometimes help you to place out of introductory level classes when you begin your degree.

• Get Involved in Environmental Causes

Geoscientists are inherently concerned with environmental issues because their career charges them with understanding and solving these problems. You can get a head start in high school by taking on environmental issues through your extracurriculars. Things like the Conservation Club or environmental service projects  can be especially helpful.

• Build a Strong Admissions Team

As college admissions become increasingly competitive, it helps to begin building your applicant profile as early as possible. If this seems daunting, don’t worry—it isn’t something you need to go into blind. This is why we designed the CollegeVine Early Advising Program, which pairs high school ninth and tenth graders with successful students at top-30 schools to provide advice on everything from selecting classes and extracurriculars to setting and achieving long term goals.

List of All Colleges with a Geoscience Major

Ashland University

Barnard College

Bloomsburg University | BloomU

Boise State University | BSU

Boston College | BC

Boston University | BU

Bowdoin College

Bucknell University

California State University, Chico | CSU Chico

California State University, Long Beach | Long Beach State

California University of Pennsylvania | Cal U

Cedarville University

Clarion University

Colby College

Dallas Baptist University | DBU

DePauw University

Drexel University

Duke University

East Tennessee State University | ETSU

Eckerd College

Florida International University | FIU

Franklin and Marshall College | F&M

Hamilton College

Hardin–Simmons University | HSU

Hobart and William Smith Colleges | HWS

Hope College

Indiana State University | ISU

Juniata College

Lawrence University

Louisiana Tech University | La. Tech

Mansfield University of Pennsylvania

Metropolitan State University of Denver | MSU Denver

Michigan State University

Middle Tennessee State University | MTSU

Midwestern State University

Millsaps College

Minnesota State University Moorhead | MSUM

Minnesota State University, Mankato | MNSU

Missouri University of Science & Technology | Missouri S&T

New York University | NYU

Olivet Nazarene University | ONU

Pacific Lutheran University | PLU

Pennsylvania State University | PSU

Princeton University

Purdue University

Rider University

Rutgers University–Newark

Skidmore College

Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania | SRU

Smith College

Southern Methodist University | SMU

Stanford University

State University of New York at Cortland | SUNY Cortland

State University of New York at Oswego | SUNY Oswego

State University of New York at Plattsburgh | SUNY Plattsburgh

Tennessee Technological University | Tennessee Tech

Texas Tech University | TTU

The State University of New York at Binghamton | SUNY Binghamton

The State University of New York at Buffalo | SUNY Buffalo

The State University of New York at Geneseo | SUNY Geneseo

Trinity University

United States Air Force Academy | Air Force

University of Alaska Fairbanks | UAF

University of Arkansas at Little Rock | UA Little Rock

University of Arkansas–Fort Smith | UAFS

University of California, Berkeley | UC Berkeley

University of California, Irvine | UC Irvine

University of California, Merced | UC Merced

University of California, Santa Barbara | UCSB

University of Chicago

University of Houston

University of Houston–Downtown | UHD

University of Kansas

University of Massachusetts Lowell | UMass Lowell

University of Minnesota, Twin Cities | Minnesota

University of Montana

University of North Carolina at Wilmington | UNC Wilmington

University of Pittsburgh | Pitt

University of Rochester

University of South Carolina | USC

University of Texas at Arlington | UT Arlington

University of Texas at Dallas | UT Dallas

University of Tulsa

University of Wisconsin–Green Bay | UW–Green Bay

University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee | UWM

University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point | UW–Stevens Point

Utica College

Virginia Tech

Weber State University

Wellesley College

Williams College

Winona State University | WSU

Yale University

There is a wide range of options to choose from when it comes to selecting a geoscience major. You can start narrowing down your choices by thinking about your own priorities. These usually include things like geographic location, school size, cost, and student resources. Once you have narrowed down your list a little, consider admissions statistics. How do your test scores and GPA stack up to those of admitted students? This will help you to further refine your college list.

Curious about your chances of acceptance to your dream school? Our free chancing engine takes into account your GPA, test scores, extracurriculars, and other data to predict your odds of acceptance at over 500 colleges across the U.S. We’ll also let you know how you stack up against other applicants and how you can improve your profile. Sign up for your free CollegeVine account today to get started!