Home › University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign › Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology

Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Champaign, IL · Public · Bachelor's Degree
49 /100
DegreeWorth Score (Base Case)
56
Optimistic
49
Base Case
41
Pessimistic
Earnings $41,026/yr (2% vs median)
AI Risk Very High (52% exposed)
Job Market Medium (20,800 openings/yr)

How AI Changes the Outlook

Three scenarios based on how aggressively AI disrupts the career paths available to Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology graduates.

Optimistic
No Disruption		 Base Case
Gradual AI		 Pessimistic
Aggressive AI
10-Year Earnings $923K $511K $296K
Earnings Multiple (In-State) 14.4x 8.0x 4.6x
Earnings Multiple (Out-of-State) 6.7x 3.7x 2.1x
Viable Career Paths 4 of 4 4 of 4 4 of 4
DegreeWorth Score 56 49 41

10-Year Earnings Projection

*Year 1 uses actual reported earnings. Scenarios diverge as AI impact compounds over time.

4-Year Tuition (In-State)
$64,016
Out-of-state: $138,004
Median Debt at Graduation
$21,334
6.2 months of Year 1 earnings
Reported Earnings (5 Year)
$77,106
88% growth from Year 1

Career Paths

Where Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology graduates typically work. Raw data — no blending. The scenarios above model how these factors interact. This field has roughly 20,800 combined openings per year.

Career Path Wage Openings/yr Growth AI Risk
Natural sciences managers $161,180 8,500 +3.7% 50%
Atmospheric, earth, marine, and space sciences teachers, postsecondary $101,390 1,000 +2.6% 48%
Atmospheric and space scientists $97,450 700 +0.7% 57%
Life, physical, and social science technicians, all other $60,130 10,600 +3.5% 55%

Compare & Explore

Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology at Other Schools

University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus ($44,270) Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University ($43,494) Texas A & M University-College Station ($41,519) Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University-Prescott ($41,515) Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University-Daytona Beach ($41,515) University of Missouri-Columbia ($41,430) Florida State University ($39,967) Ball State University ($36,920)

Other Majors at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Computer Science ($124,530) Computer and Information Sciences, General ($113,503) Mathematics and Computer Science ($109,843) Computer Engineering ($103,123) Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering ($86,483) Systems Engineering ($81,785) Nuclear Engineering ($81,134) Mechanical Engineering ($80,187)

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the DegreeWorth Score for Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign?
This program scores 49/100 in the Base Case scenario, factoring in earnings, AI disruption risk, job market size, and earnings multiple. The score ranges from 56 (optimistic) to 41 (pessimistic) depending on AI's impact.
How does AI affect Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology career prospects?
We model three scenarios: Optimistic (no disruption), Base Case (gradual AI adoption), and Pessimistic (aggressive AI displacement). In the base case, Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology graduates retain 4 of 4 viable career paths. 10-year earnings range from $295,858 (pessimistic) to $922,616 (optimistic).
How many job openings are there for Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology graduates?
The career paths mapped to Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology have roughly 20,800 combined job openings per year nationally, making this a medium job market.
Is Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign worth it?
In the Base Case, this degree earns 8.0x its in-state tuition over 10 years. Even in the Pessimistic scenario, the multiple is 4.6x. The spread between scenarios tells you how sensitive this degree is to AI disruption.
Data: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (earnings, debt), Bureau of Labor Statistics 2024-2034 (employment projections), OpenAI GPTs-are-GPTs research (AI task exposure), Felten et al. AIOE. Scenarios use a continuous weighting function combining AI exposure and BLS job growth projections. "Earnings Multiple" is total 10-year projected earnings divided by tuition — not a discounted financial ROI. Last updated 2025.