2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Atmospheric Sciences & Meteorology (Income $0-$30k) in the Plains States Region

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value Meteorology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

In 2019-2020, 1,167 people earned their degree in atmospheric sciences and meteorology, making the major the 230th most popular in the United States. In 2017-2018, atmospheric sciences and meteorology graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $31,050 and had an average of $25,463 in loans still to pay off.

Across the Plains States region, there were 110 atmospheric sciences and meteorology graduates with average earnings and debt of $31,800 and $24,625 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 85 atmospheric sciences and meteorology graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,786 and $25,576 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Meteorology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, we looked at 3 colleges that offer a degree in atmospheric sciences and meteorology. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great atmospheric sciences and meteorology programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the atmospheric sciences and meteorology program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Meteorology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

Best Value Meteorology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Meteorology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k.

Top 3 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Atmospheric Sciences & Meteorology (Income $0-$30k) in the Plains States Region

#1

University of Missouri - Columbia

Columbia, Missouri

#1 in overall quality

$10,940 Average Net Price

$34,348 Average Early-Career Earnings

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Missouri - Columbia. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Meteorology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k. Columbia, Missouri is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s meteorology degrees to 28 students in 2019-2020.

Mizzou also made our “Best Atmospheric Sciences & Meteorology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #1. The yearly cost to attend University of Missouri - Columbia is $10,940 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Meteorology students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Atmospheric Sciences & Meteorology at University of Missouri - Columbia

#2

Iowa State University

Ames, Iowa

#3 in overall quality

$10,054 Average Net Price

$32,925 Average Early-Career Earnings

Out of the 3 schools in the Best Value Meteorology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Iowa State University landed the #2 spot on the list. Iowa State is a large public school situated in Ames, Iowa. It awarded 10 bachelors’s meteorology degrees in 2019-2020.

Iowa State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Atmospheric Sciences & Meteorology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Iowa State University is $10,054 for plains states region bachelor’s degree meteorology students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 3.3% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Iowa State Atmospheric Sciences & Meteorology Report

#3

University of Kansas

Lawrence, Kansas

#2 in overall quality

$14,387 Average Net Price

Out of the 3 schools in the Best Value Meteorology Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Kansas landed the #3 spot on the list. University of Kansas is located in Lawrence, Kansas and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 14 bachelors’s meteorology degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at KU, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Atmospheric Sciences & Meteorology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $14,387 for plains states region bachelor’s degree meteorology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Kansas.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.

Read full report on Atmospheric Sciences & Meteorology at University of Kansas

• Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Atmospheric Sciences & Meteorology (Income $0-$30k)

Notes and References

References

• The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of our data about colleges.
• Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
• Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

• *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
• Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.

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