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Chief meteorologist education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a chief meteorologist. Chief meteorologists usually study meteorology, geology, or communication. 80% of chief meteorologists hold a bachelor's degree, and 9% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 211 real chief meteorologist resumes to see exactly what chief meteorologist education sections show.
The most common colleges for chief meteorologists are the Mississippi State University and the Mississippi State University.
There are also many online chief meteorologist courses to help get the education required to be a chief meteorologist.
What education do you need to become a chief meteorologist?
What degree do you need to be a chief meteorologist?
- Bachelor's, 80%
- Master's, 9%
- Associate, 7%
- Diploma, 1%
- Other Degrees, 3%
What should I major in to become a chief meteorologist?
- Meteorology, 54%
- Geology, 10%
- Communication, 9%
- Mathematics, 5%
- Other Majors, 22%
Most common colleges for chief meteorologists
| Chief meteorologist common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Mississippi State University | 25.35% |
| Pennsylvania State University | 12.68% |
| Florida State University | 8.45% |
| Northern Illinois University | 7.04% |
| Texas A&M University | 5.63% |
Best majors for chief meteorologists
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Meteorology | 54.4% |
| 2 | Geology | 9.6% |
| 3 | Communication | 8.8% |
| 4 | Mathematics | 5.1% |
| 5 | Journalism | 4.4% |
Best colleges for chief meteorologists
The best colleges for chief meteorologists are Princeton University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and New York University.
A chief 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 chief 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 chief meteorologists.
1. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,832
Enrollment
4,550
2. Princeton University
Princeton, NJ • Private
In-state tuition
$50,340
Enrollment
5,301
3. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$55,188
Enrollment
15,105
4. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
5. University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$14,184
Enrollment
30,845
6. University of California - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$13,226
Enrollment
31,568
7. University of Wisconsin - Madison
Madison, WI • Private
In-state tuition
$10,555
Enrollment
30,360
8. University of Maryland - College Park
College Park, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$10,595
Enrollment
30,184
9. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Enrollment
32,072
10. North Carolina State University
Raleigh, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$9,101
Enrollment
23,708
20 best online courses for chief meteorologists
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2. Build a Full-Stack Server for API Requests - NodeJS and Pug
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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...
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In this course, you will learn to think like a data scientist and ask questions of your data. You will use interactive features in MATLAB to extract subsets of data and to compute statistics on groups of related data. You will learn to use MATLAB to automatically generate code so you can learn syntax as you explore. You will also use interactive documents, called live scripts, to capture the steps of your analysis, communicate the results, and provide interactive controls allowing others to...
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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...
10. Creating a Visual Tasks Guide with Microsoft PowerPoint
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11. Understanding Climate
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13. Strategies for winning. Meteorology in a round the world regatta
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14. Driving business towards the Sustainable Development Goals
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...
15. R Programming: Advanced Analytics In R For Data Science
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16. Event Management for Beginners
Learn the process for creating great events...
17. Predictive Modelling with Azure Machine Learning Studio
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. Learn how to become an Event Planner
Join one of the most lucrative, and fastest growing industries... Learn how to become an Event Planner...
19. ArcSWAT Model with ArcGIS - Run for any Study Area - GIS
Watershed Simulation using Arc SWAT. Get Discharge, Rainfall‐Runoff Modeling of Ungauged Catchments. This is advance GIS...
20. Jupyter Notebook for Data Science
Collaborate, create interactive visualizations, and manipulate big data in the language of your choice...
Top 10 most affordable universities for chief meteorologists
The most affordable schools for chief meteorologists are Purdue University, florida state university, and suny stony brook.
If the best universities for chief 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 chief meteorologists.
1. Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$9,992
Cost of attendance
22,430
2. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
3. SUNY Stony Brook
Stony Brook, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$9,625
Cost of attendance
24,718
4. San Jose State University
San Jose, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,796
Cost of attendance
24,514
5. University of Wyoming
Laramie, WY • Private
In-state tuition
$5,400
Cost of attendance
19,777
6. Metropolitan State University of Denver
Denver, CO • Private
In-state tuition
$7,666
Cost of attendance
21,702
7. SUNY College at Brockport
Brockport, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,412
Cost of attendance
22,901
8. North Carolina A & T State University
Greensboro, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$6,612
Cost of attendance
17,639
9. SUNY Maritime College
Throggs Neck, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,283
Cost of attendance
25,308
10. 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
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for chief meteorologists
The hardest universities for chief meteorologists to get into are Princeton University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and New York University.
Some great schools for chief 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 chief 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. Princeton University
Princeton, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,503
2. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
7%
SAT average
1,545
3. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
4. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
Admissions rate
23%
SAT average
1,434
5. Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN • Private
Admissions rate
58%
SAT average
1,309
6. SUNY Stony Brook
Stony Brook, NY • Private
Admissions rate
42%
SAT average
1,326
7. University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, CA • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,448
8. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,471
9. Saint Louis University
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
58%
SAT average
1,304
10. University of Miami
Coral Gables, FL • Private
Admissions rate
32%
SAT average
1,365
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for chief meteorologists
The easiest schools for chief meteorologists to get into are University of the Incarnate Word, suny maritime college, and saint cloud state university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a chief 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 chief meteorologists.
1. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
2. SUNY Maritime College
Throggs Neck, NY • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,176
3. Saint Cloud State University
Saint Cloud, MN • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
1,086
4. University of Wyoming
Laramie, WY • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,202
5. Metropolitan State University of Denver
Denver, CO • Private
Admissions rate
59%
SAT average
1,016
6. Valparaiso University
Valparaiso, IN • Private
Admissions rate
89%
SAT average
1,204
7. Western Kentucky University
Bowling Green, KY • Private
Admissions rate
97%
SAT average
1,162
8. San Jose State University
San Jose, CA • Private
Admissions rate
55%
SAT average
1,143
9. Western Illinois University
Macomb, IL • Private
Admissions rate
59%
SAT average
1,037
10. South Dakota School of Mines and Technology
Rapid City, SD • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
1,268
Average chief meteorologist salary by education level
| Chief meteorologist education level | Chief meteorologist salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $63,894 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $53,743 |
| Doctorate Degree | $75,390 |
Chief meteorologist education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025