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2025 Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in North Carolina

6 Colleges in North Carolina
249 Geology Degrees Awarded
$43,196 Avg Early-Career Salary
If you plan on majoring in geological & earth sciences, you won't be alone since the degree program is ranked #95 in the country in terms of popularity. So, you have a fair amount of options to choose from when looking for a school.

In 2025, College Factual analyzed 6 schools in order to identify the top ones for its Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in North Carolina ranking. Combined, these schools handed out 249 degrees in geological & earth sciences to qualified students.

What's on this page: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great Geological & Earth Sciences School

Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in North Carolina Your choice of geological & earth sciences school matters, so we have put together these rankings to help you make your decision. In order to come up with a best overall ranking for geological & earth sciences schools, we combine our degree-level rankings, weighting them by the number of degrees awarded at each level.

In order to find the schools that are the best fit for you, you may want to filter to one of the degree levels below.

Pick Your Geological & Earth Sciences Degree Level

Bachelor's Degrees in Geology
Master's Degrees in Geology
Doctor's Degrees in Geology

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we've developed the Best Geological & Earth Sciences Schools in North Carolina ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision. More interested in schools in a specific area of the country? Filter this list by region or state.

To further help you make the college decision, we've developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Read more about College Factual's methodology.

Best Schools for Geological & Earth Sciences in North Carolina

If you aren't interested in a particular degree level and want to know which schools are the overall best at delivering an education for the geology degrees they offer, see the list below.

Top North Carolina Schools in Geology

1
Doctor's Degree Highest Degree Type
4th Most Popular In NC

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a good choice for students pursuing a degree in geological & earth sciences. Located in the city of Chapel Hill, UNC Chapel Hill is a public university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #38 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means UNC Chapel Hill is a great university overall.

There were roughly 27 geological & earth sciences students who graduated with this degree at UNC Chapel Hill in the most recent data year.

More information about a degree in geological & earth sciences from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

2
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
39 Geology Degrees Awarded
17.9% Growth in Graduates

It's hard to beat North Carolina State University if you wish to pursue a degree in geological & earth sciences. Located in the large city of Raleigh, NC State is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #122 out of 2,152 colleges nationwide means NC State is a great university overall.

There were roughly 39 geological & earth sciences students who graduated with this degree at NC State in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, geology degree recipients generally earn about $38,871 in the first five years of their career.

More information about a degree in geological & earth sciences from North Carolina State University

Sponsored
Bachelors Degree Type
BS in Geosciences Program Name

Gain the analytical, technical and science communications skills you need to begin your career with this specialized online bachelor's from Southern New Hampshire University.

More information about a degree in BS in Geosciences from Southern New Hampshire University

Related Programs

3
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
79 Geology Degrees Awarded
5.1% Growth in Graduates

University of North Carolina at Charlotte is a great decision for students pursuing a degree in geological & earth sciences. UNC Charlotte is a fairly large public university located in the city of Charlotte. This university ranks 10th out of 93 colleges for overall quality in the state of North Carolina.

There were about 79 geological & earth sciences students who graduated with this degree at UNC Charlotte in the most recent year we have data available. Graduates who receive their degree from the geology program earn about $37,717 in the first couple years of their career.

More information about a degree in geological & earth sciences from University of North Carolina at Charlotte

4
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
40 Geology Degrees Awarded
$38,459 Median Starting Salary

Any student pursuing a degree in geological & earth sciences has to take a look at University of North Carolina at Wilmington. UNCW is a large public university located in the city of Wilmington. This university ranks 12th out of 93 colleges for overall quality in the state of North Carolina.

There were approximately 40 geological & earth sciences students who graduated with this degree at UNCW in the most recent data year. Students who receive their degree from the geology program make an average of $38,459 for their early career.

More information about a degree in geological & earth sciences from University of North Carolina at Wilmington

5

Appalachian State is a fairly large public university located in the town of Boone. This university ranks 11th out of 93 schools for overall quality in the state of North Carolina.

There were roughly 27 geological & earth sciences students who graduated with this degree at Appalachian State in the most recent data year. After graduating, geology degree recipients generally make about $35,021 at the beginning of their careers.

More information about a degree in geological & earth sciences from Appalachian State University

6
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
$44,961 Median Starting Salary

Located in the city of Greenville, ECU is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #275 out of 2,152 schools nationwide means ECU is a great university overall.

There were roughly 16 geological & earth sciences students who graduated with this degree at ECU in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the geology program state that they receive average early career income of $44,961.

More information about a degree in geological & earth sciences from East Carolina University

Best Geological & Earth Sciences Colleges in the Southeast Region

Explore all the Best Geological & Earth Sciences Colleges in the Southeast Area or other specific states within that region.

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Georgia 287 92
Florida 282 221
Virginia 274 143
Tennessee 269 189
South Carolina 248 64
Kentucky 244 44
Louisiana 242 137
Mississippi 234 217
Arkansas 234 45
Alabama 233 38
West Virginia 207 61

View All Rankings >

One of 8 majors within the Physical Sciences area of study, Geological & Earth Sciences has other similar majors worth exploring.

Geology Concentrations

Major Annual Graduates
Geology & Earth Sciences 190
Chemical & Physical Oceanography 51
Hydrology & Water Resources Science 4
Other Geological & Earth Sciences/Geosciences 4

View All Geology Concentrations >

Related Major Annual Graduates
Chemistry 819
Physics 376
Atmospheric Sciences & Meteorology 40
Other Physical Science 34
Materials Sciences 7
General Physical Sciences 5

View All Geology Related Majors >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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