Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences at University of South Florida

While the sample size here is small enough to warrant caution, University of South Florida's geosciences program shows earnings that significantly outpace typical outcomes for this field. At $48,565 in the first year—jumping to over $55,000 by year four—graduates earn roughly $15,000 more than their counterparts at other Florida programs and nearly $9,000 above the national median. That's exceptional performance for a geosciences degree, ranking in the 95th percentile nationally.

The debt picture is reasonable: $24,002 represents less than half of first-year earnings, meaning graduates could theoretically pay off their loans in under a year if they dedicated 50% of their income to it. The steady 14% earnings growth also suggests graduates are building marketable skills that translate into career advancement. Interestingly, while USF dominates nationally for this program, it sits at just the 60th percentile within Florida—meaning there's either high variability among Florida schools or other programs with even stronger outcomes.

The limited sample size means a few particularly successful (or struggling) graduates could skew these numbers significantly. But if you're considering geosciences and USF is within reach, these outcomes suggest strong industry connections or program quality that gets graduates into better-paying roles than most geology majors see. The manageable debt and solid earnings growth make this a financially sensible choice, assuming these results hold with larger cohorts.