Bachelor's · University Park, Pennsylvania
Is Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences at Pennsylvania State University-World Campus worth it?
High confidence High confidence: 100+ graduates behind the earnings figures.
The verdict · all families, in-state, half paid with loans
Pays back fast: graduates typically recover the cost in about 2.5 years.
- Earnings 1 year after graduating
- $60,576
- Treasury AY2020-21, AY2021-22 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars
- Earnings 4 years after graduating
- $87,103
- Treasury AY2017-2018, AY2018-2019 pooled earnings cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars
- Typical federal debt at graduation
- $24,250
- NSLDS pooled AY2022-23, AY2023-24 cohort
- Net cost to graduate, all families
- $54k (likely $54k – $73k)
- AcadYr 2024-25, reported in IPEDS DCY2025-26
- Earnings bump, year 4
- $48k a year vs high-school graduates aged 25–34 in PA
- 2023 ACS 5-year pooled, adjusted to 2024 dollars
- Payback
- 2.5 years (likely 2.1–3.1)
- Bump vs net cost plus loan interest
- 10-year net return
- $213k (likely $133k – $296k)
- Today's dollars
- 20-year net return
- $788k (likely $609k – $990k)
- Today's dollars
- Odds of finishing (school-wide)
- 51%
- Fall 2019 or AcadYr 2019-20 cohort (differs by institutional calendar), reported in IPEDS DCY2025-26
- Borrowers making progress / in default, 2 years in
- not reported / ≤ 10%
- NSLDS AY2016-17, AY2017-18 pooled cohorts measured in 2018-19, 2019-20
Change income, residency or loans Compare Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences at other schools
🌱 Getting ready in high school
Students heading toward animals, plants & the planet majors like this one often take these classes. Every school offers a different mix, so check with your counselor.
AP classes
- AP Biology
- AP Environmental Science
- AP Chemistry
- AP Statistics
IB Higher Level
- Biology HL
- Environmental Systems and Societies
Build my roadmap 🗺️ Middle school to career, plus high schools near you that offer these classes.
Other majors at Pennsylvania State University-World Campus
- Computer and Information Sciences, General (Master's)$166,387
- Information Science/Studies (Master's)$158,815
- Physics (Master's)$150,865
- Systems Engineering (Master's)$145,507
- Computer Engineering (Master's)$140,393
- Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods (Master's)$139,676
- Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations (Master's)$138,103
- Computational Science (Master's)$137,367
- Statistics (Master's)$129,392
- Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's)$127,665
- Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's)$120,729
- Computer/Information Technology Administration and Management (Master's)$119,536
Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences at other schools in Pennsylvania
- Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Beaver$81,092
- Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus$81,092
- Lehigh University$72,978
- Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania$60,075
- Pennsylvania Western University$57,549
- University of Pittsburgh-Bradford$57,456
- University of Pittsburgh-Johnstown$57,456
- University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus$57,456
- Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania$56,402
- Indiana University of Pennsylvania$56,380