How much debt do UH-Downtown geology and earth science graduates have?

The median federal loan balance is $20,250, which ranks 3rd lowest of 6 geology and earth science bachelor's programs in Texas. That works out to about $215 a month over 10 years.

Is a geology and earth science degree from UH-Downtown worth it?

On the numbers, yes for most students. Debt equals 40% of first-year earnings, against a national median of 60%.

UH-Downtown Geology and Earth Science (Bachelor's): Tuition, Graduate Salary, and Debt

Bachelor's in Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences
Public university
Houston, TX
About 12 graduates a year

College Scorecard June 2026 release · BLS wages May 2025

The short answer

UH-Downtown geology and earth science graduates earn more than graduates of most geology and earth science programs nationally, $50,894 in their first year. Where this program stands out is debt. The typical graduate leaves with $20,250 in federal loans, less than at 82% of geology and earth science programs in the country. It is one of the higher-paying geology and earth science degrees in Texas.

First-year earnings$50,89498th percentile of 95 programs nationally

Median federal debt$20,2503rd lowest of 6 Texas programs

Debt-to-earnings40%Texas median 46%, national 60%

How it compares

Each figure is the median for graduates of the program. The Texas and national columns are the medians across all geology and earth science bachelor's programs that report the figure.

	UH-Downtown	Texas	National
Earnings, 1 year after graduating	$50,894	$43,687	$40,005
Median federal debt at graduation	$20,250	$22,919	$25,000
Debt as share of first-year pay	40%	46%	60%
Programs compared		6	95

Debt and first-year pay at every Texas geology and earth science program

Programs in the upper left give graduates higher pay for less debt. Dashed lines mark the Texas medians.

UH-DowntownOther Texas programs

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 $215 a month, or 5.1% of a graduate's typical monthly pay in the first year.

Where graduates work, and what the pay is worth

Prices in the Houston area are about 1% below the national average, so a $50,894 salary here buys what about $51,601 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

$129,960

Median pay in Texas. 7,470 people work in this job in Texas. 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.

Bottom 10%: $74,200Top 10%: $213,280

Geoscientists, Except Hydrologists and Geographers

$145,220

Median pay in Texas. 4,900 people work in this job in Texas. 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.

Bottom 10%: $60,100Top 10%: $287,180

Geological Technicians, Except Hydrologic Technicians

$46,840

Median pay in Texas. 2,190 people work in this job in Texas. 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.

Bottom 10%: $29,790Top 10%: $104,420

Hydrologists

$81,080

Median pay in Texas. 220 people work in this job in Texas. Nationally, jobs are projected to grow 2% from 2025 to 2035, with about 400 openings a year. Typical education to start: bachelor's degree.

Bottom 10%: $54,650Top 10%: $126,440

About UH-Downtown

In-state tuition and fees	$7,708 / year
Out-of-state tuition and fees	$17,548 / year
Average net price after aid	$10,542 / year
Admission rate	90%
Graduation rate (within 6 years)	33%
Undergraduate students	12,555

Geology and Earth Science ranks 7th of 28 bachelor's programs at UH-Downtown by first-year earnings. The top three are Computer Engineering Technology ($68,144), Computer and Information Science ($56,475), and Accounting ($54,128).

Common questions

The median graduate earns $50,894 one year after graduating. The median across geology and earth science bachelor's programs in Texas is $43,687.

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 Texas 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

Geology and Earth Science bachelor's programs in Texas, ranked6 programs by pay and debt Geology and Earth Science bachelor's programs in the US, ranked95 programs by pay and debt All UH-Downtown programs, ranked28 programs by pay and debt