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Broadcast meteorologist education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a broadcast meteorologist. Broadcast meteorologists usually study meteorology, journalism, or communication. 89% of broadcast meteorologists hold a bachelor's degree, and 5% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 117 real broadcast meteorologist resumes to see exactly what broadcast meteorologist education sections show.

The most common colleges for broadcast meteorologists are the Florida State University and the Florida State University.

There are also many online broadcast meteorologist courses to help get the education required to be a broadcast meteorologist.

What education do you need to become a broadcast meteorologist?

What degree do you need to be a broadcast meteorologist?

The most common degree for broadcast meteorologists is bachelor's degree, with 89% of broadcast meteorologists earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 5% and master's degree degree at 2%.
  • Bachelor's, 89%
  • Master's, 5%
  • Associate, 2%
  • Diploma, 2%
  • Other Degrees, 2%

What should I major in to become a broadcast meteorologist?

You should major in meteorology to become a broadcast meteorologist. 59% of broadcast meteorologists major in meteorology. Other common majors for a broadcast meteorologist include journalism and communication.

Most common colleges for broadcast meteorologists

Broadcast meteorologists often get their degrees at Florida State University, Saint Cloud State University, and University of Oklahoma. Here are the most common colleges for broadcast meteorologists in the US based on their resumes.
Broadcast meteorologist common collegePercentages
Florida State University19.05%
Saint Cloud State University9.52%
University of Oklahoma7.14%
Mississippi State University7.14%
University of North Carolina at Greensboro4.76%

Best majors for broadcast meteorologists

RankMajorPercentages
1Meteorology58.6%
2Journalism7.1%
3Communication5.7%
4Geography4.3%
5Geology2.9%

Best colleges for broadcast meteorologists

The best colleges for broadcast meteorologists are Northwestern University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Northeastern University.

A broadcast meteorologist with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for broadcast meteorologists. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become broadcast meteorologists.

1. Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Cambridge, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,832

Enrollment

4,550

2. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

3. University of Washington

Seattle, WA • Private

In-state tuition

$11,207

Enrollment

30,905

4. University of Georgia

Athens, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$11,830

Enrollment

29,474

5. University of Miami

Coral Gables, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$50,226

Enrollment

10,873

6. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

7. University of Texas at Austin

Austin, TX • Private

In-state tuition

$10,610

Enrollment

40,329

8. San Jose State University

San Jose, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,796

Enrollment

27,125

9. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Enrollment

34,564

10. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

20 best online courses for broadcast meteorologists

Advertising disclosure

1. Build a Full-Stack Server for API Requests - NodeJS and Pug

coursera

By the end of this project, you will create a website which reports the weather for a specific city. We will learn how to use NodeJS to send API requests to Accuweather, and Pug and CSS to present the weather to the users.. We will use VSCode throughout this course. Building a full-stack website is a highly sought after skillset and this course is a great way to get started by building a simple weather website. This guided project is for anyone who is comfortable with JavaScript and has some...

2. Build a Website using an API with HTML, JavaScript, and JSON

coursera

In this project, you’ll support a European travel agency’s effort to increase booking by building a webpage that provides visitors with a 7-day weather forecast for major European cities. Accomplishing this task will require you to retrieve real-time weather data from an external service. In creating the webpage, you’ll request, process, and present the weather data using HTML, JavaScript, and JSON. There isn’t just one right approach or solution in this scenario, which means you can create a...

3. Build a Weather App With Python and Django

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4.2
(322)

Learn API Driven Web Development With Django and Python!...

4. UAS/Drone Remote Pilot Test Prep for Part 107

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Don't learn just enough to pass the exam (updated 2023)...

5. How to do a live broadcast on Facebook

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Learn how to run a live broadcast on Facebook...

6. Use the Apache Spark Structured Streaming API with MongoDB

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By the end of this project, you will use the Apache Spark Structured Streaming API with Python to stream data from two different sources, store a dataset in the MongoDB database, and join two datasets. The Apache Spark Structured Streaming API is used to continuously stream data from various sources including the file system or a TCP/IP socket. One application is to continuously capture data from weather stations for historical purposes...

7. Flutter Bloc Essential Course (English)

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(cover version 8.0) Learn and practice the concept of state management using Flutter Bloc, a Flutter state management so...

8. The Beginner's Guide to Vegetable Gardening

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Learn where, when and what to plant in your backyard garden...

9. Driving business towards the Sustainable Development Goals

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Extreme weather events, wars, famine and environmental destruction are just a few of the wicked problems faced by humanity. That’s why in 2015 the United Nations adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. This agenda includes 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that target the big challenges such as how to eliminate poverty, how to protect the environment and how to bring about peace. Every member state committed to achieving these goals by 2030. What can businesses do to counter...

10. Creating a Visual Tasks Guide with Microsoft PowerPoint

coursera

By the end of this project, you will have created a Visual Tasks Guide to use with your students. As teachers, we are always looking for ways to help our students grow. For students with special needs or students who need organizational support, completing tasks in the correct order can be a challenge. By providing a visual guide, students are able to gain independence as they practice tasks such as dressing for the weather or getting ready for school...

11. Top Python and Django Web Development Bundle!

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4.3
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Learn Python Programming and The Django Web Framework In One Awesome Bundle! Learn How To Build Websites Fast!...

12. Ace Your 104, Bareboat Cruising Written Sailing Exam

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Essential knowledge for living the sailing cruising life...

13. Strategies for winning. Meteorology in a round the world regatta

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In this course you can learn about the mechanics of global weather, the foundations of ocean meteorology, predictive modeling and how sailors receive data via satellite and use high-performance navigation software. This course looks at oceanic meteorology and climatology through the lens of the sport of sailing. You will gain a basic knowledge of meteorology needed by sailors to take part in a regatta such as the Barcelona World Race, the only double-handed, round the world regatta with no...

14. Processing Data with Python

coursera

Processing data is used in virtually every field these days. It is used for analyzing web traffic to determine personal preferences, gathering scientific data for biological analysis, analyzing weather patterns, business practices, and on. Data can take on many different forms and come from many different sources. Python is an open-source (free) programming language that is used in web programming, data science, artificial intelligence, and many scientific applications. It has libraries that...

15. Internet of Things (IoT) - The Mega Course

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Make Your Surroundings a Better Place with exciting projects on Io T...

16. ArcSWAT Model with ArcGIS - Run for any Study Area - GIS

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Watershed Simulation using Arc SWAT. Get Discharge, Rainfall‐Runoff Modeling of Ungauged Catchments. This is advance GIS...

17. Predictive Modelling with Azure Machine Learning Studio

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In this project, we will use Azure Machine Learning Studio to build a predictive model without writing a single line of code! Specifically, we will predict flight delays using weather data provided by the US Bureau of Transportation Statistics and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA). You will be provided with instructions on how to set up your Azure Machine Learning account with $200 worth of free credit to get started with running your experiments! This course runs on...

18. Chinese for Beginners

coursera

Immerse yourself in the captivating world of Chinese culture and language with our ABC Chinese course for beginners. This comprehensive course provides an introduction to Mandarin phonetics and essential daily expressions, enabling learners to achieve a fundamental understanding and confidently engage in basic conversations. Our carefully crafted curriculum covers practical topics and real-life situations, ranging from exchanging personal information and discussing daily schedules to conversing...

19. UAS FAR 107 FAA Drone Exam Preparation - INCLUDES NEW RULES

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4.5
(293)

Prepare to pass the FAA knowledge test for UAS Remote Pilot Certification (RPC)...

20. Part 1 FAA Private Pilot Ground School (Part 61)

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Introduction to flight training, Aircraft Structure, Systems and Flight Instruments...

Top 10 most affordable universities for broadcast meteorologists

The most affordable schools for broadcast meteorologists are University of Florida, baruch college of the city university of new york, and california state university - long beach.

If the best universities for broadcast meteorologists are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for broadcast meteorologists.

1. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

2. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

3. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

4. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

5. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

6. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

7. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

8. City College of New York of the City University of New York, The

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,140

Cost of attendance

14,430

9. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

10. University of Washington

Seattle, WA • Private

In-state tuition

$11,207

Cost of attendance

25,275

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for broadcast meteorologists

The hardest universities for broadcast meteorologists to get into are Northwestern University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Northeastern University.

Some great schools for broadcast meteorologists are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for broadcast meteorologists based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.

1. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

2. Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

7%

SAT average

1,545

3. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

4. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

5. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

6. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

7. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

8. University of Miami

Coral Gables, FL • Private

Admissions rate

32%

SAT average

1,365

9. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

5%

SAT average

1,520

10. University of California, Berkeley

Berkeley, CA • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,448

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for broadcast meteorologists

The easiest schools for broadcast meteorologists to get into are Barry University, university of the incarnate word, and oklahoma wesleyan university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a broadcast meteorologist without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for broadcast meteorologists.

1. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

2. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

3. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

4. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

5. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

6. The University of Texas at El Paso

El Paso, TX • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,035

7. Saint Joseph's College of Maine

Standish, ME • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,069

8. William Paterson University of New Jersey

Wayne, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

994

9. Rochester University

Rochester Hills, MI • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,002

10. Our Lady of the Lake University

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,002

Average broadcast meteorologist salary by education level

According to our data, broadcast meteorologists with a Bachelor's degree earn the highest average salary, at $62,669 annually. Broadcast meteorologists with a Associate degree earn an average annual salary of $50,093.
Broadcast meteorologist education levelBroadcast meteorologist salary
High School Diploma or Less$45,591
Bachelor's Degree$62,669
Some College/ Associate Degree$50,093

Broadcast meteorologist education FAQs

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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