Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences at William & Mary

William & Mary's selectivity (33% admission rate, 1458 SAT) creates high expectations, but the estimated first-year earnings of $40,000 for this geosciences program land well below what other Virginia schools produce. James Madison reports actual outcomes of $48,000 for their geology graduates—nearly 20% higher than what peer programs nationally suggest for William & Mary's cohort. That $8,000 gap matters when you're carrying estimated debt of $25,000, though the 0.62 debt-to-earnings ratio remains manageable by most standards.

The disconnect becomes more puzzling when you consider geosciences typically offers solid career paths in environmental consulting, resource management, and research. Either this particular program struggles to connect graduates with the industry opportunities available in Virginia's growing environmental sector, or the small cohort size (hence the suppressed data) means outcomes vary dramatically year to year. Given that similar programs nationally produce these modest returns, it's not uniquely problematic—but for a school of William & Mary's caliber, you'd expect outcomes closer to the state median.

Your child would enter a competitive program at a respected institution, but the financial picture based on comparable programs suggests tempering expectations about immediate post-graduation earnings. If geology feeds into graduate school plans or eventual career pivots where the William & Mary credential carries weight, the investment makes more sense than if they're counting on strong first-year industry placement.