Ohio University Geology and Earth Science (Bachelor's): Tuition, Graduate Salary, and Debt
- Bachelor's in Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences
- Public university
- Athens, OH
- About 8 graduates a year
College Scorecard June 2026 release ยท BLS wages May 2025
The short answer
Ohio University geology and earth science graduates earn about what geology and earth science graduates earn nationally, $38,637 in their first year. Where this program stands out is debt. The typical graduate leaves with $19,500 in federal loans, less than at 85% of geology and earth science programs in the country. Strong value, but not one of the highest-paying geology and earth science degrees in Ohio.
How it compares
Each figure is the median for graduates of the program. The Ohio 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 Ohio geology and earth science program
Programs in the upper left give graduates higher pay for less debt. Dashed lines mark the Ohio medians.
Hover over or tap a dot to see the school. Only programs that report both earnings and debt are shown.
Paying back the loans
On a standard 10-year plan, the median debt means a payment of about $207 a month, or 6.4% of a graduate's typical monthly pay in the first year.
Where graduates work, and what the pay is worth
70% of graduates (21 of 30) were working in Ohio one year after graduating. Prices in the parts of Ohio outside metro areas are about 12% below the national average, so a $38,637 salary here buys what about $43,751 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
$137,170Median pay in Ohio. 1,560 people work in this job in Ohio. 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
$81,220Median pay in Ohio. 410 people work in this job in Ohio. 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
$48,890Median pay in Ohio. 130 people work in this job in Ohio. 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
$98,200Median pay in Ohio. 390 people work in this job in Ohio. 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 Ohio University
Geology and Earth Science ranks 28th of 53 bachelor's programs at Ohio University by first-year earnings. The top three are Nursing ($75,809), Computer Science ($73,932), and Industrial Engineering ($70,199).
Common questions
The median graduate earns $38,637 one year after graduating. The median across geology and earth science bachelor's programs in Ohio is $39,500.
The median federal loan balance is $19,500, which ranks the lowest of 6 geology and earth science bachelor's programs in Ohio. That works out to about $207 a month over 10 years.
On the numbers, yes for most students. Debt equals 50% of first-year earnings, against a national median of 60%. If the highest possible early salary is the main goal, several Ohio programs report higher pay, usually with more debt.
Most do. 70% (21 of 30) were working in Ohio 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 Ohio 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