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Weather forecaster education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a weather forecaster. Weather forecasters usually study meteorology, business, or general studies. 52% of weather forecasters hold a bachelor's degree, and 28% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 590 real weather forecaster resumes to see exactly what weather forecaster education sections show.
The most common colleges for weather forecasters are the Pennsylvania State University and the Pennsylvania State University.
There are also many online weather forecaster courses to help get the education required to be a weather forecaster.
What education do you need to become a weather forecaster?
What degree do you need to be a weather forecaster?
- Bachelor's, 52%
- Associate, 28%
- High School Diploma, 11%
- Master's, 4%
- Other Degrees, 5%
What should I major in to become a weather forecaster?
- Meteorology, 39%
- Business, 11%
- General Studies, 5%
- Liberal Arts, 4%
- Other Majors, 41%
Most common colleges for weather forecasters
| Weather forecaster common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Pennsylvania State University | 10.45% |
| Thomas College | 10.45% |
| American University | 8.96% |
| Mississippi State University | 7.46% |
| Thomas Edison State University | 5.97% |
Best majors for weather forecasters
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Meteorology | 39.0% |
| 2 | Business | 11.0% |
| 3 | General Studies | 5.0% |
| 4 | Liberal Arts | 4.1% |
| 5 | Environmental Science | 3.7% |
Best colleges for weather forecasters
The best colleges for weather forecasters are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and New York University.
A weather forecaster with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for weather forecasters. 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 weather forecasters.
1. SUNY Stony Brook
Stony Brook, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$9,625
Enrollment
17,407
2. New York University
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$51,828
Enrollment
26,339
3. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Champaign, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$15,094
Enrollment
32,974
4. Howard University
Washington, DC • Private
In-state tuition
$26,756
Enrollment
6,166
5. SUNY at Albany
Albany, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$10,011
Enrollment
13,434
6. SUNY Maritime College
Throggs Neck, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,283
Enrollment
1,581
7. SUNY College at Oswego
Oswego, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,440
Enrollment
7,039
8. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
9. Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$18,454
Enrollment
40,108
10. Ball State University
Muncie, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$9,896
Enrollment
15,529
20 best online courses for weather forecasters
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Top 10 most affordable universities for weather forecasters
The most affordable schools for weather forecasters are SUNY Farmingdale, california state university - bakersfield, and baruch college of the city university of new york.
If the best universities for weather forecasters 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 weather forecasters.
1. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
2. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
3. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,262
Cost of attendance
14,046
4. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
5. 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
6. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
7. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
8. Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$9,992
Cost of attendance
22,430
9. SUNY Polytechnic Institute
Utica, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,238
Cost of attendance
21,567
10. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for weather forecasters
The hardest universities for weather forecasters to get into are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and New York University.
Some great schools for weather forecasters 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 weather forecasters 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. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
2. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
3. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
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. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,471
7. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
8. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
Admissions rate
23%
SAT average
1,434
9. University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, CA • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,448
10. Villanova University
Villanova, PA • Private
Admissions rate
29%
SAT average
1,407
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for weather forecasters
The easiest schools for weather forecasters to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, notre dame de namur university, and university of the incarnate word.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a weather forecaster 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 weather forecasters.
1. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
2. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
983
3. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
4. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions rate
70%
SAT average
849
5. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
6. LIM College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
1,061
7. Presentation College
Aberdeen, SD • Private
Admissions rate
97%
SAT average
1,050
8. Nyack College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
999
9. Oregon Institute of Technology
Klamath Falls, OR • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,139
10. D'Youville College
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,072
Average weather forecaster salary by education level
| Weather forecaster education level | Weather forecaster salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $65,167 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $54,565 |
| Doctorate Degree | $77,228 |
Weather forecaster education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025