MAJORS · 69 OF 115 SUBFIELDS BY ROI
Is a geology & earth sciences degree worth it?
Part of Physical Sciences — see the whole category’s numbers.
On average, yes — the mean lifetime ROI is +$341,355. But the spread is the real story.
MEAN LIFETIME ROI · FREOPP 2021 · COHORT-WEIGHTED
+$341,355
across 205 bachelor’s programs · 7,523 graduates
MEDIAN GRADUATE
+$307K
MIDDLE 50% LAND BETWEEN
+$146K ⟷ +$467K
NEVER BREAK EVEN
7.2%
MEDIAN BREAK-EVEN AGE
35
ADJUSTED FOR REAL COMPLETION RATES
+$200K
IF YOU DROP OUT
−$109K
Questions
- Is a geology & earth sciences degree worth it?
- On average yes — across 205 U.S. bachelor’s programs (FREOPP 2021, cohort-weighted), the mean lifetime ROI for Geology & Earth Sciences is +$341,355 and the median is +$306,801. 7.2% of graduates in this field never break even on the degree. The honest answer depends heavily on the specific program and school: the middle half of graduates land between +$145,908 and +$466,827.
- How long until a geology & earth sciences degree pays off?
- Among Geology & Earth Sciences programs that do break even, the median graduate crosses into positive ROI at age 35 (FREOPP 2021). 7.2% of graduates in the field are in programs that never break even at all.
- Does the school matter for a geology & earth sciences major?
- Enormously. The middle 50% of Geology & Earth Sciences graduates span +$145,908 to +$466,827 — a +$321K spread within one major. The same field can be a strong trade at one school and a losing one at another, which is why the per-school number matters more than the field average.
↓ Download the data (CSV) · All 115 subfields with full statistics. Free to cite with attribution. · Methodology
Cite this:
LE TEEN (2026). “Geology & Earth Sciences: lifetime ROI statistics.” Data: FREOPP 2021. https://le-teen.com/majors/geology-and-earth-sciences