NC State Geology and Earth Science (Bachelor's): Tuition, Graduate Salary, and Debt
- Bachelor's in Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences
- Public university
- Raleigh, NC
- About 34 graduates a year
College Scorecard June 2026 release · BLS wages May 2025
The short answer
NC State geology and earth science graduates earn about what geology and earth science graduates earn nationally, $38,871 in their first year. The typical graduate leaves with $22,234 in federal loans, close to the national median of $25,000. One other North Carolina program reports 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.
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.
Does family income change the outcome?
Graduates who received Pell Grants, which go to students from lower-income families, earned more in their first year than other graduates, but borrowed more: a median of $28,500 against $21,725.
Paying back the loans
On a standard 10-year plan, the median debt means a payment of about $236 a month, or 7.3% of a graduate's typical monthly pay in the first year.
The government publishes these as ranges to protect privacy. They were measured in 2018 to 2020, partly during the pandemic pause on federal loan payments, so the forbearance share may be higher than usual.
Where graduates work, and what the pay is worth
73% of graduates (27 of 37) were working in North Carolina one year after graduating. Prices in the Raleigh area are about 2% below the national average, so a $38,871 salary here buys what about $39,601 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 NC State
Geology and Earth Science ranks 41st of 59 bachelor's programs at NC State by first-year earnings. The top three are Computer Science ($85,809), Computer Engineering ($82,997), and Chemical Engineering ($81,492).
Common questions
The median graduate earns $38,871 one year after graduating. The median across geology and earth science bachelor's programs in North Carolina is $38,459.
The median federal loan balance is $22,234, which ranks 2nd lowest of 5 geology and earth science bachelor's programs in North Carolina. That works out to about $236 a month over 10 years.
On the numbers, yes for most students. Debt equals 57% of first-year earnings, against a national median of 60%.
Most do. 73% (27 of 37) 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