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2026 Best Value Meteorology Schools in the The Plains States Region

[Meteorology](/majors/physical-sciences/atmospheric-sciences-meteorology/meteorology/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.

For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 2 schools to find the best return on investment for meteorology students.

What’s on this page:

• Best Value Meteorology Schools in the The Plains States Region

2026 Best Value Meteorology Schools in the The Plains States Region

If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the meteorology degrees they offer, see the list below.

Best Value Meteorology Schools

1

Saint Cloud State University
Saint Cloud, MN

$10,245 In-State Tuition & Fees

$25,076 Avg Student Debt

$55,813 Median Earnings (10yr)

Leading the list is Saint Cloud State University, our #1 best value for meteorology in the The Plains States Region. Set in the city of Saint Cloud, Saint Cloud State University is a large public institution. Students from in state pay about $10,245 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for meteorology graduates is $25,076. Early-career meteorology graduates make about $51,625. Set against $25,076 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Saint Cloud State University admits about 95% of applicants.

2

Iowa State University
Ames, IA

$10,787 In-State Tuition & Fees

$23,495 Avg Student Debt

$63,386 Median Earnings (10yr)

Students looking for strong value in meteorology will find it at Iowa State University, which ranked #2. Set in the city of Ames, Iowa State University is a very large public institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $10,787, while out-of-state students pay about $28,881. Typical student debt for meteorology graduates is $23,495. Soon after graduation, meteorology degree recipients from Iowa State University generally make around $53,900. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 89% of applicants are accepted.

View All Meteorology Rankings >

Notes and References

The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).

Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 2 schools evaluated.

*Averages shown above reflect the top 1 ranked schools only.

• The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), serves as the core of our data about colleges.
• Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).

More about our data sources and methodologies.