Best Liberal Arts Colleges for Earth Sciences Degrees 2025

Badge for BEST FOR EARTH SCIENCES LIBERAL ARTS COLLEGES

Updated: Oct 1, 2024

The best earth sciences liberal arts colleges are those with rich histories of influence, proven through the work produced by the program’s faculty and alumni. Beyond demonstrating scholarly impact in the field, the best earth sciences degree programs maximize your opportunities to interact with outstanding earth sciences faculty.

Key Takeaways

Earth science is a broad field, but this is a great major, especially for those who dream of making a positive impact. The versatility of this major allows students to contribute to the advances in alternative energies, sustainability, agriculture, environmental conservation, and food production, among others.
There are different specialties within Earth science, and most likely, students will complete a set of core courses in STEM-related subject areas. Aside from the highly specialized electives, students should also take common courses to supplement their knowledge in the field.
Because of the many fields of specialization within Earth science, students also have a wide selection of career paths.

Table of Contents

Top 10 Liberal Arts Colleges Earth Sciences Programs in 2025

Amherst College
+3
Swarthmore College
+1
Williams College
+2
Oberlin College
+19
Wellesley College
+3
United States Naval Academy
+3
Vassar College
+11
Haverford College
+12
Pomona College
–8
Washington and Lee University
+11

2025 Ranking Update

Our Influence Ranking Engine™ leverages machine learning to track the real-world influence of colleges and universities over time. Below you’ll see which schools gained or lost ground for the 2025 school year.

In 2025, the top ten schools in our ranking of the best liberal arts colleges for earth science degrees saw a large amount of movement. Oberlin College gained the most ranking positions as the college expanded its Earth and Environmental Sciences Program with new courses focusing on climate change, renewable energy, and geospatial technologies. Additionally, Oberlin has upgraded its research labs with state-of-the-art equipment for environmental monitoring and geoscience research. The college has also strengthened its fieldwork opportunities, partnering with local and global environmental organizations to offer students hands-on experience in sustainability projects, conservation, and natural resource management. These developments provide earth science students with enhanced learning opportunities and practical experience in addressing critical environmental challenges.

Featured Programs

Best Liberal Arts Colleges for Earth Sciences Degree

Career Outlook for Students with Earth Sciences Degree

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Geology/Earth Science

Degree Level: Bachelor's

Location: The U.S. (Private Schools)
Avg. Cost of Degree*: $11,497
Avg. Expenses*: $18,161
Avg. Starting Salary*: $40,078
Avg. Salary after 4 Years*: $51,621
Avg. Cost Recoup Time**: 11 years
Job Growth: 6.40%
Number of Jobs: 156,200
* denotes ‘annually’
** denotes ‘at 15% of annual salary’

Career Salaries

Career	Job Growth	Avg. Salary
Natural Sciences Managers	7.49%	$157,740
Atmospheric, Earth, Marine, and Space Sciences Teachers, Postsecondary	4.17%	$100,690
Geoscientists, Except Hydrologists and Geographers	5.38%	$92,580
Hydrologists	3.08%	$88,770
Chemistry Teachers, Postsecondary	3.15%	$85,810
Hydrologic Technicians	3.12%	$55,890
Geological Technicians, Except Hydrologic Technicians	3.26%	$52,440

Top Industries

Industry	Avg. Salary
Natural Sciences Managers	$157,740
Atmospheric, Earth, Marine, and Space Sciences Teachers, Postsecondary	$100,690
Geoscientists, Except Hydrologists and Geographers	$92,580
Hydrologists	$88,770
Chemistry Teachers, Postsecondary	$85,810
Hydrologic Technicians	$55,890
Geological Technicians, Except Hydrologic Technicians	$52,440

Data from The Bureau of Labor Statistics, The Department of Education College Scorecard, The Department of Education NCES, and The Council for Community and Economic Research.

A bachelor’s degree in earth sciences is an excellent starting point for a career in meteorology, environmental conservation, renewable energy, and many other innovative fields. As an earth sciences major, you’ll study the Earth, its atmosphere, the materials and substances that compose them, and the processes that produce weather patterns, climate shifts, geological events, and more.

Your earth sciences degree will incorporate four primary sub-disciplines—geology, meteorology, oceanography, and astronomy, as well as foundational courses in subjects such as mineralogy, climatology, hydrology, paleontology, agriculture, conservation, and preservation.

The best schools for earth sciences are those which are regionally accredited, which offer a full array of earth sciences concentrations, and which give you the chance to work with the best and most influential professors and classmates.

Bottom Line: Earth science is a very broad field that has numerous concentrations. Earning a degree in Earth science from a liberal arts college can open a number of career opportunities for graduates.

Frequently Asked Questions About Earth Science Bachelor’s Degrees

Scientific careers tend to involve specialized, challenging, and well-paying jobs, and earth sciences is no different. Whether as an environmental scientist, geologist, or atmospheric scientist, landing a job in a branch of earth sciences can lead to a big paycheck.

Whether studying minerals, crystals, and magma deep within the Earth, or measuring patterns of atmospheric change, earth science majors lead interesting careers full of discovery, investigation, and problem-solving opportunities. Today, top influencers in earth sciences are bringing new light to volcanology, climate change, sustainability, and much more.

Earth sciences is a great major if you aspire to positively impact the earth and environment. This versatile degree gives you the opportunity to contribute to advances in sustainability, alternative energies, environmental conservation, agriculture, food production, and more. Your degree in earth sciences could put you in a position to produce findings, technology and innovations that could solve some of the world’s greatest challenges from global hunger to climate change.

Once you’ve declared your major in earth sciences, you will likely be required to complete a set of core courses in a number of STEM-related subject areas. While your concentration will give you a chance to choose from a wide range of highly-specialized earth sciences electives, there are several common courses that most earth sciences majors will be required to take, including:

Earth Materials
Earth Processes
Earth Climate and History
Paleontology
Geology
Climatology
Mineralogy
Petrology
Atmospheric Thermodynamics
Sedimentation and Tectonics
Atmospheric Instrumentation
Hydrology

With such a wide range of specialization options, earth science majors have an equally wide selection of career paths. Keep in mind, your major specialization largely determines your professional specialization, so if, for instance, you want to work as a geologist, we would recommend specializing in geology; if you plan to become a climate scientiest, specialize in meteorology. With the right focus, your earth sciences major can lead to a wide range of career opportunities, including these top jobs:

Related: How to Major in Earth Sciences

Earth scientists are professionals who study natural hazards, groundwater, climate, and environmental change, oceans, lakes, volcanoes, earthquakes, minerals, fossils, tectonics, sediments, rocks, and soils—basically the Earth itself. These scientists explore and study the active processes on our planet from its origin to today.

The Branches of Earth Science

There are numerous concentrations within the field of Earth science, but generally speaking, all branches of earth science are connected. Here are some of the major branches of Earth science.

Geology

Also known as Earth science or geoscience, geology studies the structure, dynamics, and evolution of the Earth and its natural energy and mineral resources. This field explores the means that shaped the Earth some 4500 million years ago.

Oceanography

This field applies geology, chemistry, biology, meteorology, and other sciences to study the ocean. This field is especially important today as pollution, climate change, and other factors threaten the ocean and its marine life. There are many branches of oceanography, including:

Physical oceanography studies water movements like ocean currents and waves
Marine geology studies structures and solid earth rocks in ocean basins
Chemical oceanography studies the natural elements in the ocean and is concerned with where carbon dioxide goes into the oceans

Meteorology and Climatology

Contrary to popular belief, meteorologists do not study meteors—but the atmosphere, the thin layer of gas surrounding the Earth. Meteorology includes the study of clouds, weather patterns, tornadoes, and hurricanes. With the use of satellites and radars, meteorologists work on forecasting or predicting the weather. Climatologists also study the Earth’s atmosphere and how climate will change in response to global warming.

Environmental Science

Environmental scientists study people’s effects on the environment, including landscape, water, atmosphere, and living things. Those seeking to pursue careers in this field ask questions about how Earth’s systems are changing because of human actions and predict what changes will come in the future.

Astronomy

It is the study of outer space and other physical bodies beyond Earth. Astronomers usually use a telescope to see things far beyond what our human eye can see. These professionals help design satellites or spacecraft that travel into space and send information about faraway places.

Reasons to Study Earth Science at a Liberal Arts College

There are many reasons to dive into the broad field of Earth science, but here are some of the top reasons:

If you love doing experiments in laboratories, Earth science provides you with a lot of opportunities to gain hands-on experience working on real-life challenges.
If you love science of all kinds, obtaining a degree in earth science allows you to further hone and complement your knowledge in chemistry, physics, biology, and math with that of geology and mineralogy.
If you love the outdoors, studying earth science allows you to do fieldwork in the environment you enjoy.

What courses will I take as an Earth sciences major at a liberal arts college?

Earth science is a general term for various science fields that relate to the planet Earth. It is simply a branch of planetary science. Think of it as the ‘owner’s manual’ for the planet.

In classes in Earth science, you will generally learn the nature of science and its application to Earth processes. You will learn about how the different parts of the Earth are interrelated.

Topics for classes in Earth science include:

Rocks and minerals
Earthquakes and faults
Plate tectonics
Landslides
Volcanoes
Floods and other natural disasters
Natural resources and ore deposits
Coasts and oceans
The weather and the atmosphere
The Earth’s climate and climate change
The Earth’s place in the solar system and the universe

Key Point: Earning a degree in Earth science at a liberal arts college will also mean that you will be taking classes that will broaden your scope of learning. Students don’t focus only on STEM courses, but liberal arts courses as well.

Earth science classes are not dry and boring at all! They are filled with theoretical data. Instead, you will be learning more about what is surrounding you and what is affecting you—from the latest pollution to earthquakes and even the gas price.

Students also use geography, chemistry, physics, mathematics, and chronology tools to understand how the Earth system works and evolves.

If you think a research university may be a better fit for you, see our ranking of the best research universities for a bachelor’s in earth sciences.

Go to all Liberal Arts Colleges for Earth Sciences programs

The Best Earth Sciences Schools in Your State

Learn More About Earth Sciences

If you want to know more about Earth sciences, then check out our related content:

Learn how to major in earth sciences
Think about your next step and what you can do with a master’s degree in earth sciences
Learn more about earth sciences from our interviews with influential earth scientists
Find out who are the most influential earth scientists today

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Best Liberal Arts Colleges for Earth Sciences Degrees 2025

Key Takeaways

Top 10 Liberal Arts Colleges Earth Sciences Programs in 2025

2025 Ranking Update

Featured Programs

Best Liberal Arts Colleges for Earth Sciences Degree

Last Year’s Ranking:

Career Outlook for Earth Sciences degree at Amherst College

Most Influential Alumni

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Career Outlook for Earth Sciences degree at Swarthmore College

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Career Outlook for Earth Sciences degree at Williams College

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Williams College Earth Sciences Major:

Career Outlook for Earth Sciences degree at Oberlin College

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Career Outlook for Earth Sciences degree at Wellesley College

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Career Outlook for Earth Sciences degree at Washington and Lee University

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