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Geology instructor education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a geology instructor. Geology instructors usually study geology, environmental science, or education. 55% of geology instructors hold a bachelor's degree, and 32% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 107 real geology instructor resumes to see exactly what geology instructor education sections show.

The most common colleges for geology instructors are the California State University - San Bernardino and the California State University - San Bernardino.

There are also many online geology instructor courses to help get the education required to be a geology instructor.

What education do you need to become a geology instructor?

What degree do you need to be a geology instructor?

The most common degree for geology instructors is bachelor's degree, with 55% of geology instructors earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 32% and master's degree degree at 7%.
  • Bachelor's, 55%
  • Master's, 32%
  • Doctorate, 7%
  • Associate, 4%
  • Other Degrees, 2%

What should I major in to become a geology instructor?

You should major in geology to become a geology instructor. 64% of geology instructors major in geology. Other common majors for a geology instructor include environmental science and education.

Most common colleges for geology instructors

Geology instructors often get their degrees at California State University - San Bernardino, Ohio University, and University of Northern Colorado. Here are the most common colleges for geology instructors in the US based on their resumes.
Geology instructor common collegePercentages
California State University - San Bernardino8.33%
Ohio University8.33%
University of Northern Colorado5.56%
Kansas State University5.56%
Wright State University5.56%

Best majors for geology instructors

RankMajorPercentages
1Geology63.8%
2Environmental Science4.3%
3Education4.3%
4Biology2.1%
5Geological Engineering2.1%

Best colleges for geology instructors

The best colleges for geology instructors are Northwestern University, Johns Hopkins University, and Washington University in St Louis.

A geology instructor with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for geology instructors. 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 geology instructors.

1. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

2. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

3. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Enrollment

18,946

4. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

In-state tuition

$53,740

Enrollment

5,567

5. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

In-state tuition

$53,399

Enrollment

7,356

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. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Enrollment

34,564

9. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Enrollment

31,503

10. Colgate University

Hamilton, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$55,870

Enrollment

2,934

20 best online courses for geology instructors

Advertising disclosure

1. The Science of the Solar System

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Learn about the science behind the current exploration of the solar system in this free class. Use principles from physics, chemistry, biology, and geology to understand the latest from Mars, comprehend the outer solar system, ponder planets outside our solar system, and search for habitability in our neighborhood and beyond. This course is generally taught at an advanced level assuming a prior knowledge of undergraduate math and physics, but the majority of the concepts and lectures can be...

2. Planet Earth...and You!

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Earthquakes, volcanoes, mountain building, ice ages, landslides, floods, life evolution, plate motions—all of these phenomena have interacted over the vast expanses of deep time to sculpt the dynamic planet that we live on today. Planet Earth presents an overview of several aspects of our home, from a geological perspective. We begin with earthquakes—what they are, what causes them, what effects they have, and what we can do about them. We will emphasize that plate tectonics—the grand unifying...

3. Physical Geology

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The Ultimate Course to Master All the Essentials of Earth Science...

4. Fundamentals of Remote Sensing and Geospatial Analysis

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Become proficient in satellite remote sensing, spatial analysis principles, methods, applications, sensors, and GIS!...

5. Emergence of Life

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How did life emerge on Earth? How have life and Earth co-evolved through geological time? Is life elsewhere in the universe? Take a look through the 4-billion-year history of life on Earth through the lens of the modern Tree of Life! This course will evaluate the entire history of life on Earth within the context of our cutting-edge understanding of the Tree of Life. This includes the pioneering work of Professor Carl Woese on the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign campus which...

6. Extinctions: Past, Present, & Future

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This course introduces you to the five mass extinctions of the pre-human past, their causes and significance to the history of life on earth, and the current mass extinction happening during our time. We’ll also explore the history of paleontology and geological study and review the key players that influenced the science today. Regardless of your familiarity with the topic, you'll get portable handouts, lively demonstrations, and quizzes that bridge and enhance your knowledge...

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Instructional design to create online courses or teach online on Thinkific Elearning. Create an online course & sell...

10. Become a Microbiology Laboratory Technician

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Are you ready for the CCNA exam? You sure? Check your knowledge with our ICND1 Exam Prep Labs. Make sure you know topics...

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13. The Real Estate Pro Forma Modeling Master Class

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14. OSHA Workplace Safety (General Industry 6 Hr Class)

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Learn the requirements and standards associated with OSHA and workplace safety. Safety best practices for the workplace...

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12000+ enrollments Learn the Business Process Management methods used by the world's most successful organizations...

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17. Group Life Coaching Certification (Accredited)

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Training for life coaches who want to grow their business through offering life coaching groups...

18. Complete Carbon Capture Usage and Storage course

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CCUS...

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TSHOOT Labs in Routing, Switching, BGP, IPv6, IP Services, MPLS, and Security for CCNA, CCNP, and CCIE Students...

20. The complete Instructional Designer course

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Learn the skills to become an e Learning Instructional Designer for Corporate Learning and Development...

Top 10 most affordable universities for geology instructors

The most affordable schools for geology instructors are University of Florida, california state university - long beach, and hunter college of the city university of new york.

If the best universities for geology instructors 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 geology instructors.

1. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

2. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

3. Hunter College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,182

Cost of attendance

13,998

4. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

5. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

6. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

7. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

8. California State University - Fullerton

Fullerton, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,886

Cost of attendance

17,645

9. Lehman College of the City University of New York

Bronx, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,210

Cost of attendance

14,359

10. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for geology instructors

The hardest universities for geology instructors to get into are Northwestern University, Johns Hopkins University, and Washington University in St Louis.

Some great schools for geology instructors 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 geology instructors 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. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

3. Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, MO • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,506

4. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

5. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

6. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

7. Colgate University

Hamilton, NY • Private

Admissions rate

25%

SAT average

1,443

8. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

9. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

10. Middlebury College

Middlebury, VT • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,439

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for geology instructors

The easiest schools for geology instructors to get into are Wayland Baptist University, william paterson university of new jersey, and the university of texas permian basin.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a geology instructor 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 geology instructors.

1. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

2. William Paterson University of New Jersey

Wayne, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

994

3. The University of Texas Permian Basin

Odessa, TX • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,046

4. University of Houston - Downtown

Houston, TX • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

1,012

5. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

6. San Francisco State University

San Francisco, CA • Private

Admissions rate

72%

SAT average

1,054

7. California University of Pennsylvania

California, PA • Private

Admissions rate

97%

SAT average

1,007

8. Gwynedd Mercy University

Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private

Admissions rate

92%

SAT average

1,031

9. Nyack College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

999

10. Old Dominion University

Norfolk, VA • Private

Admissions rate

87%

SAT average

1,093

Average geology instructor salary by education level

According to our data, geology instructors with a Doctorate degree earn the highest average salary, at $65,099 annually. Geology instructors with a Master's degree earn an average annual salary of $54,299.
Geology instructor education levelGeology instructor salary
Master's Degree$54,299
Doctorate Degree$65,099

Geology instructor 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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