Appalachian State Geology and Earth Science (Bachelor's): Tuition, Graduate Salary, and Debt
- Bachelor's in Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences
- Public university
- Boone, NC
- About 25 graduates a year
College Scorecard June 2026 release · BLS wages May 2025
The short answer
Appalachian State geology and earth science graduates earn less than graduates of most geology and earth science programs nationally, $35,021 in their first year. The typical graduate leaves with $22,853 in federal loans, close to the national median of $25,000. Several North Carolina programs report higher pay.
How it compares
Each figure is the median for graduates of the program. The North Carolina and national columns are the medians across all geology and earth science bachelor's programs that report the figure.
Five years out, Appalachian State graduates earn less than the national figure and about the same as the North Carolina median.
Debt and first-year pay at every North Carolina geology and earth science program
Programs in the upper left give graduates higher pay for less debt. Dashed lines mark the North Carolina medians.
Hover over or tap a dot to see the school. Only programs that report both earnings and debt are shown.
What graduates earn over time
Pay rises about 49% between the first and fifth year.
Year 1 and year 5 figures come from different graduating classes, so the growth rate is an estimate.
Paying back the loans
On a standard 10-year plan, the median debt means a payment of about $242 a month, or 8.3% of a graduate's typical monthly pay in the first year.
Where graduates work, and what the pay is worth
79% of graduates (19 of 24) were working in North Carolina one year after graduating. Prices in the parts of North Carolina outside metro areas are about 12% below the national average, so a $35,021 salary here buys what about $39,612 buys in a typical US city.
Careers this field leads to
These are the jobs that the federal crosswalk from fields of study to occupations links to geology and earth science, largest first. Pay is the median across all experience levels.
Natural Sciences Managers
$173,870Median pay in North Carolina. 6,010 people work in this job in North Carolina. Nationally, jobs are projected to grow 8% from 2025 to 2035, with about 9,200 openings a year. Typical education to start: bachelor's degree, plus 5 years or more of related work experience.
Geoscientists, Except Hydrologists and Geographers
$95,260Median pay in North Carolina. 570 people work in this job in North Carolina. Nationally, jobs are projected to grow 5% from 2025 to 2035, with about 1,800 openings a year. Typical education to start: bachelor's degree.
Geological Technicians, Except Hydrologic Technicians
$48,090Median pay in North Carolina. 250 people work in this job in North Carolina. Nationally, jobs are projected to grow 4% from 2025 to 2035, with about 1,000 openings a year. Typical education to start: associate's degree.
Hydrologists
$81,770Median pay in North Carolina. 150 people work in this job in North Carolina. Nationally, jobs are projected to grow 2% from 2025 to 2035, with about 400 openings a year. Typical education to start: bachelor's degree.
About Appalachian State
Geology and Earth Science ranks 25th of 52 bachelor's programs at Appalachian State by first-year earnings. The top three are Nursing ($69,420), Computer Science ($68,675), and Construction Management ($59,809).
Common questions
The median graduate earns $35,021 one year after graduating and $52,194 five years after. The median across geology and earth science bachelor's programs in North Carolina is $38,459.
The median federal loan balance is $22,853, which ranks 3rd lowest of 5 geology and earth science bachelor's programs in North Carolina. That works out to about $242 a month over 10 years.
It depends on your other options. Debt equals 65% of first-year earnings, against a national median of 60%. Compare the cost with other North Carolina programs before deciding.
Most do. 79% (19 of 24) were working in North Carolina one year after graduating.
About this data
- Earnings and debt only include students who received federal financial aid (grants or loans).
- Earnings only count graduates who were working and not enrolled in more school. Graduates who went straight to further study are not included.
- Debt only includes federal loans. Private loans and credit cards are not counted.
- Some schools with several campuses report one combined figure for all of them. We count each of those schools once, and leave them out of North Carolina comparisons when their main campus is in another state.
- Scorecard figures describe graduating classes from several years ago. BLS wages are from May 2025.
- School-level numbers like tuition, admission rate, and graduation rate are for the whole school, not the geology and earth science program.
Sources
- U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, field of study and institution files, June 2026 release
- Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025
- Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025 to 2035
- Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities, 2024
- NCES, CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk, and IPEDS institution directory, 2024