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Geoscience specialist education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a geoscience specialist. Geoscience specialists usually study geology, marine engineering, or business. 69% of geoscience specialists hold a bachelor's degree, and 19% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 34 real geoscience specialist resumes to see exactly what geoscience specialist education sections show.
The most common colleges for geoscience specialists are the United States Coast Guard Academy and the United States Coast Guard Academy.
There are also many online geoscience specialist courses to help get the education required to be a geoscience specialist.
What education do you need to become a geoscience specialist?
What degree do you need to be a geoscience specialist?
- Bachelor's, 69%
- Master's, 19%
- Associate, 13%
What should I major in to become a geoscience specialist?
- Geology, 35%
- Marine Engineering, 13%
- Business, 9%
- Geography, 9%
- Other Majors, 34%
Most common colleges for geoscience specialists
| Geoscience specialist common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| United States Coast Guard Academy | 18.75% |
| University of Houston | 6.25% |
| University of Colorado at Boulder | 6.25% |
| California State University - San Bernardino | 6.25% |
| Kansas State University | 6.25% |
Best majors for geoscience specialists
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Geology | 34.8% |
| 2 | Marine Engineering | 13.0% |
| 3 | Business | 8.7% |
| 4 | Geography | 8.7% |
| 5 | Linguistics | 4.3% |
Best colleges for geoscience specialists
The best colleges for geoscience specialists are Northwestern University, Johns Hopkins University, and University of Southern California.
A geoscience specialist with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for geoscience specialists. 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 geoscience specialists.
1. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$8,987
Enrollment
18,946
2. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
3. University of Texas at Austin
Austin, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$10,610
Enrollment
40,329
4. University of California - Davis
Davis, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$14,402
Enrollment
30,698
5. San Jose State University
San Jose, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,796
Enrollment
27,125
6. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
7. Texas A&M University
College Station, TX • Private
In-state tuition
$11,870
Enrollment
53,194
8. University of Massachusetts Amherst
Amherst, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$15,887
Enrollment
23,202
9. Georgia Institute of Technology
Atlanta, GA • Private
In-state tuition
$12,424
Enrollment
15,201
10. Dartmouth College
Hanover, NH • Private
In-state tuition
$55,453
Enrollment
4,312
20 best online courses for geoscience specialists
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Top 10 most affordable universities for geoscience specialists
The most affordable schools for geoscience specialists are Brigham Young University, university of florida, and florida international university.
If the best universities for geoscience specialists 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 geoscience specialists.
1. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
2. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
3. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
4. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
5. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
6. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
7. California State University - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,886
Cost of attendance
17,645
8. Florida Atlantic University
Boca Raton, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$4,831
Cost of attendance
19,559
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 - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for geoscience specialists
The hardest universities for geoscience specialists to get into are Northwestern University, Johns Hopkins University, and University of Southern California.
Some great schools for geoscience specialists 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 geoscience specialists 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. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
4. Washington University in St Louis
Saint Louis, MO • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,506
5. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
6. Dartmouth College
Hanover, NH • Private
Admissions rate
9%
SAT average
1,488
7. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC • Private
Admissions rate
23%
SAT average
1,398
8. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
9. University of Chicago
Chicago, IL • Private
Admissions rate
7%
SAT average
1,520
10. Middlebury College
Middlebury, VT • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,439
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for geoscience specialists
The easiest schools for geoscience specialists to get into are San Francisco State University, william paterson university of new jersey, and old dominion university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a geoscience specialist 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 geoscience specialists.
1. San Francisco State University
San Francisco, CA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,054
2. William Paterson University of New Jersey
Wayne, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
994
3. Old Dominion University
Norfolk, VA • Private
Admissions rate
87%
SAT average
1,093
4. Bridgewater State University
Bridgewater, MA • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
1,073
5. Mount Saint Mary's University
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,031
6. Saint Cloud State University
Saint Cloud, MN • Private
Admissions rate
86%
SAT average
1,086
7. Sonoma State University
Rohnert Park, CA • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
1,072
8. Salem State University
Salem, MA • Private
Admissions rate
85%
SAT average
1,065
9. Portland State University
Portland, OR • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
1,111
10. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
Average geoscience specialist salary by education level
| Geoscience specialist education level | Geoscience specialist salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $60,857 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $50,987 |
| Doctorate Degree | $69,481 |
Geoscience specialist education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025