Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology at North Carolina State University at Raleigh

A bachelor's in atmospheric sciences typically leads to first-year earnings around $41,000 nationally, which is where peer programs suggest NC State's graduates land. The estimated debt load of $24,250 creates a manageable 0.59 debt-to-earnings ratio—you'd owe roughly 59 cents for every dollar earned in that first year. For a technical field where entry-level positions often lead to stable careers in government weather services, consulting firms, or broadcast meteorology, these numbers paint a reasonable financial picture.

What limits our certainty here is that both earnings and debt figures are estimated from similar programs nationally rather than NC State's actual graduate outcomes. The university's strong academic profile—a 1380 average SAT and selective 40% admission rate—suggests their meteorology program likely prepares students well, but we can't confirm whether their graduates earn more or less than the $41,000 national median. The debt estimate comes from other NC State bachelor's programs, which is probably reliable given consistent institutional aid policies.

The practical takeaway: if your child is genuinely passionate about weather science and understands the career paths (which can range from operational forecasting to climate research), the estimated financial metrics don't raise red flags. Just recognize you're making this decision without school-specific outcome data, so direct conversations with NC State's atmospheric sciences department about recent graduate placements would help fill that gap.