Best Universities for Oceanography in the World

Updated: February 29, 2024

Ranking by academic field

Below is a list of best universities in the World ranked based on their research performance in Oceanography. A graph of 123M citations received by 4.84M academic papers made by 4,376 universities in the World was used to calculate publications' ratings, which then were adjusted for release dates and added to final scores.

We don't distinguish between undergraduate and graduate programs nor do we adjust for current majors offered. You can find information about granted degrees on a university page but always double-check with the university website.

1. University of Washington - Seattle

United States | Washington

For Oceanography

#1 in North America

#1 in the United States

Acceptance Rate: 48%
Receiving Aid: 58%
Average Aid: $14,731
Enrollment: 52,319

2. Massachusetts Institute of Technology

United States | Massachusetts

For Oceanography

#2 in North America

#2 in the United States

Acceptance Rate: 4%
Average SAT: 1555
Average ACT: 36
Net Price: $20,232

3. University of Tokyo

For Oceanography

#1 in Asia

#1 in Japan

Acceptance Rate: 36%
Enrollment: 28,218
Founded: 1877

4. University of California - Berkeley

United States | California

For Oceanography

#3 in North America

#3 in the United States

Acceptance Rate: 11%
Receiving Aid: 60%
Average Aid: $21,669
Enrollment: 45,307

5. Stanford University

United States | California

For Oceanography

#4 in North America

#4 in the United States

Acceptance Rate: 4%
Average SAT: 1540
Average ACT: 34
Net Price: $18,279

6. Columbia University

United States | New York State

For Oceanography

#5 in North America

#5 in the United States

Acceptance Rate: 4%
Average SAT: 1535
Average ACT: 35
Net Price: $22,058

7. University of Cambridge

United Kingdom | England

For Oceanography

#1 in Europe

#1 in the United Kingdom

Acceptance Rate: 21%
Founded: 1209

8. University of Wisconsin - Madison

United States | Wisconsin

For Oceanography

#6 in North America

#6 in the United States

Acceptance Rate: 49%
Average SAT: 1425
Average ACT: 29
Receiving Aid: 58%

9. Pennsylvania State University

United States | Pennsylvania

For Oceanography

#7 in North America

#7 in the United States

Acceptance Rate: 55%
Average SAT: 1300
Average ACT: 29
Receiving Aid: 68%

10. University of California-San Diego

United States | California

For Oceanography

#8 in North America

#8 in the United States

Acceptance Rate: 24%
Receiving Aid: 61%
Average Aid: $20,782
Enrollment: 42,006

11. University of Colorado Boulder

United States | Colorado

For Oceanography

#9 in North America

#9 in the United States

Acceptance Rate: 81%
Average SAT: 1275
Average ACT: 29
Receiving Aid: 68%

12. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

United States | Michigan

For Oceanography

#10 in North America

#10 in the United States

Acceptance Rate: 18%
Average SAT: 1440
Average ACT: 33
Receiving Aid: 74%

13. Tsinghua University

China | Beijing

For Oceanography

#2 in Asia

#1 in China

Enrollment: 48,739
Founded: 1911

14. University of Oxford

United Kingdom | England

For Oceanography

#2 in Europe

#2 in the United Kingdom

Acceptance Rate: 22%
Founded: 1096

15. Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich

Switzerland | Zurich

For Oceanography

#3 in Europe

#1 in Switzerland

Acceptance Rate: 8%
Enrollment: 23,420

16. Princeton University

United States | New Jersey

For Oceanography

#11 in North America

#11 in the United States

Acceptance Rate: 6%
Average SAT: 1535
Average ACT: 34
Net Price: $18,698

17. University of Illinois at Urbana - Champaign

United States | Illinois

For Oceanography

#12 in North America

#12 in the United States

Acceptance Rate: 45%
Average SAT: 1415
Average ACT: 32
Receiving Aid: 64%

18. University of British Columbia

Canada | British Columbia

For Oceanography

#13 in North America

#1 in Canada

Acceptance Rate: 52%
Enrollment: 20,893
Founded: 1908

19. Oregon State University

United States | Oregon

For Oceanography

#14 in North America

#13 in the United States

Acceptance Rate: 83%
Receiving Aid: 91%
Average Aid: $9,260
Enrollment: 34,292

20. Harvard University

United States | Massachusetts

For Oceanography

#15 in North America

#14 in the United States

Acceptance Rate: 3%
Average SAT: 1535
Average ACT: 35
Net Price: $19,491

21. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

United States | Minnesota

For Oceanography

#16 in North America

#15 in the United States

Acceptance Rate: 75%
Average SAT: 1395
Average ACT: 30
Receiving Aid: 82%

22. Texas A&M University - College Station

United States | Texas

For Oceanography

#17 in North America

#16 in the United States

Acceptance Rate: 63%
Average SAT: 1270
Average ACT: 28
Receiving Aid: 74%

23. University of California - Davis

United States | California

For Oceanography

#18 in North America

#17 in the United States

Acceptance Rate: 37%
Receiving Aid: 63%
Average Aid: $20,548
Enrollment: 39,679

24. University of Maryland - College Park

United States | Maryland

For Oceanography

#19 in North America

#18 in the United States

Acceptance Rate: 45%
Average SAT: 1440
Average ACT: 32
Receiving Aid: 63%

25. University of Florida

United States | Florida

For Oceanography

#20 in North America

#19 in the United States

Acceptance Rate: 23%
Average SAT: 1395
Average ACT: 31
Receiving Aid: 94%

26. Cornell University

United States | New York State

For Oceanography

#21 in North America

#20 in the United States

Acceptance Rate: 7%
Average SAT: 1520
Average ACT: 34
Net Price: $26,060

27. University of California - Santa Barbara

United States | California

For Oceanography

#22 in North America

#21 in the United States

Acceptance Rate: 26%
Receiving Aid: 59%
Average Aid: $20,389
Enrollment: 26,420

28. University of Toronto

Canada | Ontario

For Oceanography

#23 in North America

#2 in Canada

Enrollment: 27,651
Founded: 1827

29. Kyoto University

For Oceanography

#3 in Asia

#2 in Japan

Acceptance Rate: 11%
Enrollment: 22,455
Male:Female: 76:24
Founded: 1897

30. University of California - Los Angeles

United States | California

For Oceanography

#24 in North America

#22 in the United States

Acceptance Rate: 9%
Receiving Aid: 57%
Average Aid: $21,766
Enrollment: 46,430

31. University of Texas at Austin

United States | Texas

For Oceanography

#25 in North America

#23 in the United States

Acceptance Rate: 31%
Average SAT: 1365
Average ACT: 30
Receiving Aid: 89%

32. Utrecht University

Netherlands | Utrecht

For Oceanography

#4 in Europe

#1 in the Netherlands

Acceptance Rate: 22%
Founded: 1636

33. Delft University of Technology

Netherlands | Delft

For Oceanography

#5 in Europe

#2 in the Netherlands

Acceptance Rate: 50%
Enrollment: 24,703
Founded: 1842

34. University of Queensland

Australia | St Lucia

For Oceanography

#1 in Australia

Enrollment: 48,771
Founded: 1909

35. Imperial College London

United Kingdom | England

For Oceanography

#6 in Europe

#3 in the United Kingdom

Enrollment: 17,565
Founded: 1907

36. Georgia Institute of Technology

United States | Georgia

For Oceanography

#26 in North America

#24 in the United States

Acceptance Rate: 17%
Average SAT: 1460
Average ACT: 33
Receiving Aid: 73%

37. Pierre and Marie Curie University

France | Ile-de-France

For Oceanography

#7 in Europe

#1 in France

Acceptance Rate: 20%
Enrollment: 35,114
Founded: 1150

38. Tohoku University

For Oceanography

#4 in Asia

#3 in Japan

Acceptance Rate: 30%
Enrollment: 17,591
Founded: 1907

39. Colorado State University - Fort Collins

United States | Colorado

For Oceanography

#27 in North America

#25 in the United States

Acceptance Rate: 91%
Average SAT: 1185
Average ACT: 26
Receiving Aid: 84%

40. University of Southampton

United Kingdom | England

For Oceanography

#8 in Europe

#4 in the United Kingdom

Enrollment: 21,335
Founded: 1952

41. Wageningen University

Netherlands | Wageningen

For Oceanography

#9 in Europe

#3 in the Netherlands

Enrollment: 12,819
Founded: 1918

42. Zhejiang University

China | Hangzhou

For Oceanography

#5 in Asia

#2 in China

Enrollment: 60,739
Founded: 1897

43. Ohio State University

United States | Ohio

For Oceanography

#28 in North America

#26 in the United States

Acceptance Rate: 53%
Average SAT: 1395
Average ACT: 31
Receiving Aid: 83%

44. University of New South Wales

Australia | Sydney

For Oceanography

#2 in Australia

Acceptance Rate: 60%
Founded: 1949

45. North Carolina State University at Raleigh

United States | North Carolina

For Oceanography

#29 in North America

#27 in the United States

Acceptance Rate: 47%
Average SAT: 1370
Average ACT: 31
Receiving Aid: 80%

46. University of Arizona

United States | Arizona

For Oceanography

#30 in North America

#28 in the United States

Acceptance Rate: 87%
Average SAT: 1255
Average ACT: 25
Receiving Aid: 98%

47. University College London

United Kingdom | England

For Oceanography

#10 in Europe

#5 in the United Kingdom

Enrollment: 42,000
Founded: 1826

48. University of Miami

United States | Florida

For Oceanography

#31 in North America

#29 in the United States

Acceptance Rate: 19%
Average SAT: 1395
Average ACT: 32
Net Price: $36,467

49. McGill University

Canada | Quebec State

For Oceanography

#32 in North America

#3 in Canada

Acceptance Rate: 46%
Enrollment: 37,888
Founded: 1821

50. University of Copenhagen

Denmark | Copenhagen

For Oceanography

#11 in Europe

Acceptance Rate: 37%
Founded: 1479

51. Stockholm University

Sweden | Stockholm

For Oceanography

#12 in Europe

#1 in Sweden

Enrollment: 37,484
Founded: 1878

52. Ocean University of China

China | Qingdao

For Oceanography

#6 in Asia

#3 in China

Acceptance Rate: 40%
Enrollment: 26,000
Founded: 1924

53. Rutgers University - New Brunswick

United States | New Jersey

For Oceanography

#33 in North America

#30 in the United States

Acceptance Rate: 66%
Average SAT: 1375
Average ACT: 31
Receiving Aid: 70%

54. Technical University of Denmark

Denmark | Kongens Lyngby

For Oceanography

#13 in Europe

Acceptance Rate: 38%
Founded: 1829

55. James Cook University

Australia | Townsville

For Oceanography

#3 in Australia

Founded: 1970

56. Lund University

For Oceanography

#14 in Europe

#2 in Sweden

Enrollment: 40,000
Founded: 1666

57. Yale University

United States | Connecticut

For Oceanography

#34 in North America

#31 in the United States

Acceptance Rate: 5%
Average SAT: 1540
Average ACT: 34
Net Price: $18,647

58. Australian National University

Australia | Canberra

For Oceanography

#4 in Australia

Acceptance Rate: 71%
Founded: 1946

59. University of Alberta

Canada | Alberta

For Oceanography

#35 in North America

#4 in Canada

Enrollment: 31,185
Founded: 1908

60. National University of Singapore

Singapore | Singapore City

For Oceanography

#7 in Asia

#1 in Singapore

Enrollment: 30,098
Founded: 1905

61. Peking University

China | Beijing

For Oceanography

#8 in Asia

#4 in China

Enrollment: 44,730
Founded: 1898

62. University of East Anglia

United Kingdom | England

For Oceanography

#15 in Europe

#6 in the United Kingdom

Acceptance Rate: 22%
Founded: 1963

63. University of Hawaii at Manoa

United States | Hawaii

For Oceanography

#36 in North America

#32 in the United States

Acceptance Rate: 73%
Average SAT: 1180
Average ACT: 21
Receiving Aid: 80%

64. University of Sydney

Australia | Sydney

For Oceanography

#5 in Australia

Enrollment: 63,602
Founded: 1850

65. University of Leeds

United Kingdom | England

For Oceanography

#16 in Europe

#7 in the United Kingdom

Founded: 1904

66. Hokkaido University

Japan | Sapporo

For Oceanography

#9 in Asia

#4 in Japan

Acceptance Rate: 27%
Enrollment: 17,541
Founded: 1918

67. University of Alaska Fairbanks

United States | Alaska

For Oceanography

#37 in North America

#33 in the United States

Acceptance Rate: 100%
Receiving Aid: 100%
Average Aid: $8,704
Enrollment: 6,607

68. University of Reading

United Kingdom | England

For Oceanography

#17 in Europe

#8 in the United Kingdom

Founded: 1892

69. University of Melbourne

Australia | Melbourne

For Oceanography

#6 in Australia

Acceptance Rate: 77%
Enrollment: 49,000
Founded: 1853

70. University of Hong Kong

China | Hong Kong

For Oceanography

#10 in Asia

#5 in China

Acceptance Rate: 17%
Enrollment: 21,652
Founded: 1911

71. Harbin Institute of Technology

For Oceanography

#11 in Asia

#6 in China

Acceptance Rate: 16%
Founded: 1920

72. Shanghai Jiao Tong University

China | Shanghai

For Oceanography

#12 in Asia

#7 in China

Enrollment: 47,000
Founded: 1896

73. Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne

Switzerland | Lausanne

For Oceanography

#18 in Europe

#2 in Switzerland

Enrollment: 12,576

74. California Institute of Technology

United States | California

For Oceanography

#38 in North America

#34 in the United States

Acceptance Rate: 3%
Net Price: $20,755
Receiving Aid: 71%
Average Aid: $59,192

75. Purdue University

United States | Indiana

For Oceanography

#39 in North America

#35 in the United States

Acceptance Rate: 53%
Average SAT: 1335
Average ACT: 31
Receiving Aid: 60%

76. Duke University

United States | North Carolina

For Oceanography

#40 in North America

#36 in the United States

Acceptance Rate: 6%
Average SAT: 1530
Average ACT: 35
Net Price: $23,694

77. Michigan State University

United States | Michigan

For Oceanography

#41 in North America

#37 in the United States

Acceptance Rate: 88%
Average SAT: 1260
Average ACT: 28
Receiving Aid: 94%

78. Ghent University

Belgium | Ghent

For Oceanography

#19 in Europe

Enrollment: 41,669
Founded: 1817

79. Aarhus University

Denmark | Aarhus

For Oceanography

#20 in Europe

Acceptance Rate: 42%
Enrollment: 33,020
Founded: 1928

80. University of Manchester

United Kingdom | England

For Oceanography

#21 in Europe

#9 in the United Kingdom

Founded: 1824

81. University of Western Australia

Australia | Crawley

For Oceanography

#7 in Australia

Enrollment: 25,000
Founded: 1911

82. Dalhousie University

Canada | Nova Scotia

For Oceanography

#42 in North America

#5 in Canada

Acceptance Rate: 82%
Enrollment: 30,867
Founded: 1818

83. Norwegian University of Science and Technology

Norway | Trondheim

For Oceanography

#22 in Europe

#1 in Norway

Enrollment: 42,031
Founded: 1996

84. Seoul National University

South Korea | Seoul

For Oceanography

#13 in Asia

#1 in South Korea

Acceptance Rate: 20%
Enrollment: 28,378
Founded: 1946

85. University of Sao Paulo

Brazil | Sao Paulo

For Oceanography

#1 in Latin America

#1 in Brazil

Acceptance Rate: 9%
Enrollment: 97,964
Founded: 1827

86. Arizona State University - Tempe

United States | Arizona

For Oceanography

#43 in North America

#38 in the United States

Acceptance Rate: 90%
Receiving Aid: 93%
Average Aid: $12,381
Enrollment: 80,065

87. University of Bristol

United Kingdom | England

For Oceanography

#23 in Europe

#10 in the United Kingdom

Acceptance Rate: 63%
Enrollment: 27,513
Founded: 1909

88. University of Edinburgh

United Kingdom | Scotland

For Oceanography

#24 in Europe

#11 in the United Kingdom

Acceptance Rate: 51%
Founded: 1583

89. University of Delaware

United States | Delaware

For Oceanography

#44 in North America

#39 in the United States

Acceptance Rate: 74%
Average SAT: 1275
Average ACT: 29
Receiving Aid: 93%

90. Johns Hopkins University

United States | Maryland

For Oceanography

#45 in North America

#40 in the United States

Acceptance Rate: 7%
Average SAT: 1545
Average ACT: 35
Net Price: $24,034

91. University of Helsinki

Finland | Helsinki

For Oceanography

#25 in Europe

Acceptance Rate: 12%
Enrollment: 31,312
Founded: 1640

92. National Taiwan University

Taiwan | Taipei

For Oceanography

#14 in Asia

#1 in Taiwan

Enrollment: 31,799
Founded: 1945

93. University of Hamburg

Germany | Hamburg State

For Oceanography

#26 in Europe

Enrollment: 43,957
Founded: 1919

94. Kyushu University

Japan | Fukuoka

For Oceanography

#15 in Asia

#5 in Japan

Acceptance Rate: 14%
Enrollment: 18,560
Founded: 1911

95. Catholic University of Leuven

Belgium | Leuven

For Oceanography

#27 in Europe

Enrollment: 62,693
Founded: 1425

96. Osaka University

For Oceanography

#16 in Asia

#6 in Japan

Acceptance Rate: 13%
Enrollment: 23,123
Male:Female: 68:32
Founded: 1931

97. Nanyang Technological University

Singapore | Singapore City

For Oceanography

#17 in Asia

#2 in Singapore

Enrollment: 33,000
Founded: 1955

98. Nanjing University

China | Nanjing

For Oceanography

#18 in Asia

#8 in China

Enrollment: 56,068
Founded: 1902

99. University of Bergen

Norway | Bergen

For Oceanography

#28 in Europe

#2 in Norway

Enrollment: 16,900
Founded: 1946

100. University of Georgia

United States | Georgia

For Oceanography

#46 in North America

#41 in the United States

Acceptance Rate: 43%
Average SAT: 1320
Average ACT: 30
Receiving Aid: 94%

Environmental Science subfields in the World

Agricultural Science4195

Earth science and Geophysics3596

Environmental Chemistry3606

Environmental Engineering2765

Environmental Management4209

Geography and Cartography6422

Geotechnical Engineering3318

Hydrology and Water resources management1021

Meteorology and Atmospheric Science4352

Mining Engineering1031

Paleontology5892

Petrology and Geochemistry2713

Urban and Regional planning1321

Wildlife and Fisheries Management & Conservation3195