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Earth science teacher education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become an earth science teacher. Earth science teachers usually study geology, biology, or education. 69% of earth science teachers hold a bachelor's degree, and 24% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 749 real earth science teacher resumes to see exactly what earth science teacher education sections show.
The most common colleges for earth science teachers are the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University and the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.
There are also many online earth science teacher courses to help get the education required to be an earth science teacher.
What education do you need to become an earth science teacher?
What degree do you need to be an earth science teacher?
- Bachelor's, 69%
- Master's, 24%
- Associate, 4%
- Doctorate, 2%
- Other Degrees, 1%
What should I major in to become an earth science teacher?
Most common colleges for earth science teachers
| Earth science teacher common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University | 6.82% |
| University of Florida | 5.68% |
| Virginia Commonwealth University | 5.68% |
| Old Dominion University | 5.68% |
| University of Phoenix | 5.68% |
Best majors for earth science teachers
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Geology | 17.6% |
| 2 | Biology | 16.8% |
| 3 | Education | 12.3% |
| 4 | Elementary Education | 8.3% |
| 5 | General Education, Specific Areas | 7.9% |
Best colleges for earth science teachers
The best colleges for earth science teachers are Harvard University, Northwestern University, and University of Pennsylvania.
An earth science teacher with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for earth science teachers. 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 earth science teachers.
1. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$50,420
Enrollment
7,582
2. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
3. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
4. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
5. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
6. University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$14,184
Enrollment
30,845
7. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
8. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
9. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
10. University of California - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$13,226
Enrollment
31,568
20 best online courses for earth science teachers
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Top 10 most affordable universities for earth science teachers
The most affordable schools for earth science teachers are Hunter College of the City University of New York, university of florida, and california state university - long beach.
If the best universities for earth science teachers 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 earth science teachers.
1. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
2. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
3. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
4. Lehman College of the City University of New York
Bronx, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,210
Cost of attendance
14,359
5. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
6. Queens College of the City University of New York
Queens, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,338
Cost of attendance
14,281
7. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
8. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
9. 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
10. California State University - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,886
Cost of attendance
17,645
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for earth science teachers
The hardest universities for earth science teachers to get into are Harvard University, Northwestern University, and University of Pennsylvania.
Some great schools for earth science teachers 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 earth science teachers 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. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
2. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
3. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
4. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
5. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
6. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
7. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
8. University of Chicago
Chicago, IL • Private
Admissions rate
7%
SAT average
1,520
9. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
10. University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, IN • Private
Admissions rate
18%
SAT average
1,502
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for earth science teachers
The easiest schools for earth science teachers to get into are Barry University, wayland baptist university, and mount saint mary's university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an earth science teacher 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 earth science teachers.
1. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
2. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
3. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
4. San Francisco State University
San Francisco, CA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,054
5. The University of Texas Permian Basin
Odessa, TX • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,046
6. Texas A&M University - Kingsville
Kingsville, TX • Private
Admissions rate
89%
SAT average
1,035
7. College of New Rochelle, The
New Rochelle, NY • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
982
8. Fresno Pacific University
Fresno, CA • Private
Admissions rate
85%
SAT average
1,053
9. California University of Pennsylvania
California, PA • Private
Admissions rate
97%
SAT average
1,007
10. Our Lady of the Lake University
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,002
Average earth science teacher salary by education level
| Earth science teacher education level | Earth science teacher salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $77,387 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $61,611 |
| Doctorate Degree | $78,502 |
Earth science teacher education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common education, training, and library questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025