Best Universities for Oceanography in the World

Updated: July 18, 2023

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 1.8B citations received by 83.2M academic papers made by 4,076 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: 53%
Receiving Aid: 54%
Average Aid: $15,895
Enrollment: 52,434

2. Massachusetts Institute of Technology

United States | Massachusetts

For Oceanography

#2 in North America

#2 in the United States

Acceptance Rate: 4%
Net Price: $30,958
Receiving Aid: 100%
Average Aid: $32,562

3. University of Tokyo

For Oceanography

#1 in Asia

#1 in Japan

Acceptance Rate: 35%
Enrollment: 28,133
Founded: 1877

4. University of California - Berkeley

United States | California

For Oceanography

#3 in North America

#3 in the United States

Acceptance Rate: 14%
Receiving Aid: 61%
Average Aid: $21,406
Enrollment: 45,036

5. Stanford University

United States | California

For Oceanography

#4 in North America

#4 in the United States

Acceptance Rate: 4%
Average SAT: 1520
Average ACT: 35
Net Price: $14,402

6. Columbia University

United States | New York State

For Oceanography

#5 in North America

#5 in the United States

Acceptance Rate: 4%
Average SAT: 1520
Average ACT: 35
Net Price: $12,411

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: 60%
Average SAT: 1410
Average ACT: 29
Receiving Aid: 64%

9. University of California-San Diego

United States | California

For Oceanography

#7 in North America

#7 in the United States

Acceptance Rate: 34%
Receiving Aid: 54%
Average Aid: $18,083
Enrollment: 41,885

10. Pennsylvania State University

United States | Pennsylvania

For Oceanography

#8 in North America

#8 in the United States

Acceptance Rate: 55%
Receiving Aid: 73%
Average Aid: $8,719
Enrollment: 40,363

11. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

United States | Michigan

For Oceanography

#9 in North America

#9 in the United States

Acceptance Rate: 20%
Receiving Aid: 70%
Average Aid: $16,326
Enrollment: 50,278

12. University of Colorado Boulder

United States | Colorado

For Oceanography

#10 in North America

#10 in the United States

Acceptance Rate: 80%
Average SAT: 1280
Average ACT: 28
Receiving Aid: 65%

13. Oregon State University

United States | Oregon

For Oceanography

#11 in North America

#11 in the United States

Acceptance Rate: 89%
Average SAT: 1245
Average ACT: 25
Receiving Aid: 93%

14. University of British Columbia

Canada | British Columbia

For Oceanography

#12 in North America

#1 in Canada

Acceptance Rate: 53%
Enrollment: 59,659
Founded: 1908

15. Princeton University

United States | New Jersey

For Oceanography

#13 in North America

#12 in the United States

Acceptance Rate: 4%
Average SAT: 1515
Average ACT: 34
Net Price: $20,908

16. University of Oxford

United Kingdom | England

For Oceanography

#2 in Europe

#2 in the United Kingdom

Acceptance Rate: 18%
Founded: 1096

17. University of Illinois at Urbana - Champaign

United States | Illinois

For Oceanography

#14 in North America

#13 in the United States

Acceptance Rate: 60%
Average SAT: 1415
Average ACT: 32
Receiving Aid: 85%

18. Tsinghua University

China | Beijing

For Oceanography

#2 in Asia

#1 in China

Enrollment: 48,739
Founded: 1911

19. Texas A&M University - College Station

United States | Texas

For Oceanography

#15 in North America

#14 in the United States

Acceptance Rate: 64%
Average SAT: 1260
Average ACT: 28
Receiving Aid: 78%

20. Harvard University

United States | Massachusetts

For Oceanography

#16 in North America

#15 in the United States

Acceptance Rate: 4%
Average SAT: 1530
Average ACT: 35
Net Price: $13,910

21. University of California - Davis

United States | California

For Oceanography

#17 in North America

#16 in the United States

Acceptance Rate: 49%
Receiving Aid: 65%
Average Aid: $17,628
Enrollment: 40,050

22. University of California - Santa Barbara

United States | California

For Oceanography

#18 in North America

#17 in the United States

Acceptance Rate: 29%
Receiving Aid: 58%
Average Aid: $18,107
Enrollment: 26,124

23. Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich

Switzerland | Zurich

For Oceanography

#3 in Europe

#1 in Switzerland

Acceptance Rate: 27%
Enrollment: 23,420

24. University of Florida

United States | Florida

For Oceanography

#19 in North America

#18 in the United States

Acceptance Rate: 30%
Average SAT: 1385
Average ACT: 31
Receiving Aid: 94%

25. University of California - Los Angeles

United States | California

For Oceanography

#20 in North America

#19 in the United States

Acceptance Rate: 11%
Receiving Aid: 56%
Average Aid: $17,592
Enrollment: 46,116

26. University of Texas at Austin

United States | Texas

For Oceanography

#21 in North America

#20 in the United States

Acceptance Rate: 29%
Average SAT: 1365
Average ACT: 30
Receiving Aid: 71%

27. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

United States | Minnesota

For Oceanography

#22 in North America

#21 in the United States

Acceptance Rate: 73%
Average SAT: 1400
Average ACT: 30
Receiving Aid: 82%

28. University of Toronto

Canada | Ontario

For Oceanography

#23 in North America

#2 in Canada

Acceptance Rate: 43%
Enrollment: 95,055
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. Cornell University

United States | New York State

For Oceanography

#24 in North America

#22 in the United States

Acceptance Rate: 9%
Average SAT: 1505
Average ACT: 34
Net Price: $24,262

31. University of Maryland - College Park

United States | Maryland

For Oceanography

#25 in North America

#23 in the United States

Acceptance Rate: 52%
Average SAT: 1420
Average ACT: 32
Receiving Aid: 68%

32. Utrecht University

Netherlands | Utrecht

For Oceanography

#4 in Europe

#1 in the Netherlands

Acceptance Rate: 14%
Founded: 1636

33. University of Queensland

Australia | St Lucia

For Oceanography

#1 in Australia

Enrollment: 48,771
Founded: 1909

34. Delft University of Technology

Netherlands | Delft

For Oceanography

#5 in Europe

#2 in the Netherlands

Acceptance Rate: 82%
Enrollment: 24,703
Founded: 1842

35. Georgia Institute of Technology

United States | Georgia

For Oceanography

#26 in North America

#24 in the United States

Acceptance Rate: 16%
Average SAT: 1405
Average ACT: 32
Receiving Aid: 72%

36. Imperial College London

United Kingdom | England

For Oceanography

#6 in Europe

#3 in the United Kingdom

Acceptance Rate: 15%
Enrollment: 17,565
Founded: 1907

37. University of Southampton

United Kingdom | England

For Oceanography

#7 in Europe

#4 in the United Kingdom

Acceptance Rate: 84%
Enrollment: 21,335
Founded: 1952

38. Colorado State University - Fort Collins

United States | Colorado

For Oceanography

#27 in North America

#25 in the United States

Acceptance Rate: 90%
Average SAT: 1185
Average ACT: 26
Receiving Aid: 84%

39. Ohio State University

United States | Ohio

For Oceanography

#28 in North America

#26 in the United States

Acceptance Rate: 57%
Average SAT: 1345
Average ACT: 29
Receiving Aid: 83%

40. University of Miami

United States | Florida

For Oceanography

#29 in North America

#27 in the United States

Acceptance Rate: 28%
Average SAT: 1380
Average ACT: 32
Net Price: $34,492

41. University of Arizona

United States | Arizona

For Oceanography

#30 in North America

#28 in the United States

Acceptance Rate: 87%
Average SAT: 1245
Average ACT: 25
Receiving Aid: 95%

42. Tohoku University

For Oceanography

#4 in Asia

#3 in Japan

Acceptance Rate: 41%
Enrollment: 17,665
Founded: 1907

43. University of New South Wales

Australia | Sydney

For Oceanography

#2 in Australia

Acceptance Rate: 60%
Founded: 1949

44. North Carolina State University at Raleigh

United States | North Carolina

For Oceanography

#31 in North America

#29 in the United States

Acceptance Rate: 47%
Average SAT: 1355
Average ACT: 30
Receiving Aid: 74%

45. McGill University

Canada | Quebec State

For Oceanography

#32 in North America

#3 in Canada

Acceptance Rate: 47%
Enrollment: 40,036
Founded: 1821

46. Zhejiang University

China | Hangzhou

For Oceanography

#5 in Asia

#2 in China

Enrollment: 60,739
Founded: 1897

47. University of Copenhagen

Denmark | Copenhagen

For Oceanography

#8 in Europe

Acceptance Rate: 37%
Founded: 1479

48. Yale University

United States | Connecticut

For Oceanography

#33 in North America

#30 in the United States

Acceptance Rate: 5%
Average SAT: 1530
Average ACT: 34
Net Price: $20,605

49. James Cook University

Australia | Townsville

For Oceanography

#3 in Australia

Acceptance Rate: 40%
Founded: 1970

50. Ocean University of China

China | Qingdao

For Oceanography

#6 in Asia

#3 in China

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

51. Stockholm University

Sweden | Stockholm

For Oceanography

#9 in Europe

#1 in Sweden

Acceptance Rate: 24%
Enrollment: 37,484
Founded: 1878

52. Wageningen University

Netherlands | Wageningen

For Oceanography

#10 in Europe

#3 in the Netherlands

Enrollment: 12,819
Founded: 1918

53. University of East Anglia

United Kingdom | England

For Oceanography

#11 in Europe

#5 in the United Kingdom

Acceptance Rate: 22%
Founded: 1963

54. Rutgers University - New Brunswick

United States | New Jersey

For Oceanography

#34 in North America

#31 in the United States

Acceptance Rate: 68%
Average SAT: 1355
Average ACT: 30
Receiving Aid: 69%

55. Lund University

For Oceanography

#12 in Europe

#2 in Sweden

Acceptance Rate: 34%
Enrollment: 40,000
Founded: 1666

56. University of Alaska Fairbanks

United States | Alaska

For Oceanography

#35 in North America

#32 in the United States

Acceptance Rate: 65%
Average SAT: 1235
Average ACT: 22
Receiving Aid: 92%

57. Australian National University

Australia | Canberra

For Oceanography

#4 in Australia

Acceptance Rate: 35%
Founded: 1946

58. University of Hawaii at Manoa

United States | Hawaii

For Oceanography

#36 in North America

#33 in the United States

Acceptance Rate: 70%
Average SAT: 1185
Average ACT: 24
Receiving Aid: 79%

59. University of Reading

United Kingdom | England

For Oceanography

#13 in Europe

#6 in the United Kingdom

Acceptance Rate: 86%
Founded: 1892

60. National University of Singapore

Singapore | Singapore City

For Oceanography

#7 in Asia

#1 in Singapore

Enrollment: 30,098
Founded: 1905

61. University of Alberta

Canada | Alberta

For Oceanography

#37 in North America

#4 in Canada

Acceptance Rate: 58%
Founded: 1908

62. Technical University of Denmark

Denmark | Kongens Lyngby

For Oceanography

#14 in Europe

Acceptance Rate: 46%
Founded: 1829

63. University of Sydney

Australia | Sydney

For Oceanography

#5 in Australia

Acceptance Rate: 30%
Enrollment: 63,602
Founded: 1850

64. Hokkaido University

Japan | Sapporo

For Oceanography

#8 in Asia

#4 in Japan

Acceptance Rate: 36%
Enrollment: 17,541
Founded: 1918

65. University of Melbourne

Australia | Melbourne

For Oceanography

#6 in Australia

Acceptance Rate: 70%
Enrollment: 49,000
Founded: 1853

66. University of Leeds

United Kingdom | England

For Oceanography

#15 in Europe

#7 in the United Kingdom

Founded: 1904

67. University College London

United Kingdom | England

For Oceanography

#16 in Europe

#8 in the United Kingdom

Enrollment: 42,000
Founded: 1826

68. California Institute of Technology

United States | California

For Oceanography

#38 in North America

#34 in the United States

Acceptance Rate: 4%
Net Price: $30,162
Receiving Aid: 67%
Average Aid: $47,556

69. University of Western Australia

Australia | Crawley

For Oceanography

#7 in Australia

Acceptance Rate: 38%
Enrollment: 25,000
Founded: 1911

70. Michigan State University

United States | Michigan

For Oceanography

#39 in North America

#35 in the United States

Acceptance Rate: 83%
Average SAT: 1210
Average ACT: 26
Receiving Aid: 72%

71. Shanghai Jiao Tong University

China | Shanghai

For Oceanography

#9 in Asia

#4 in China

Enrollment: 47,000
Founded: 1896

72. Dalhousie University

Canada | Nova Scotia

For Oceanography

#40 in North America

#5 in Canada

Acceptance Rate: 78%
Enrollment: 18,500
Founded: 1818

73. Duke University

United States | North Carolina

For Oceanography

#41 in North America

#36 in the United States

Acceptance Rate: 6%
Average SAT: 1513
Average ACT: 34
Net Price: $27,297

74. Harbin Institute of Technology

For Oceanography

#10 in Asia

#5 in China

Acceptance Rate: 50%
Founded: 1920

75. Peking University

China | Beijing

For Oceanography

#11 in Asia

#6 in China

Enrollment: 35,915
Founded: 1898

76. University of Delaware

United States | Delaware

For Oceanography

#42 in North America

#37 in the United States

Acceptance Rate: 72%
Average SAT: 1248
Average ACT: 29
Receiving Aid: 90%

77. Aarhus University

Denmark | Aarhus

For Oceanography

#17 in Europe

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

78. Ghent University

Belgium | Ghent

For Oceanography

#18 in Europe

Enrollment: 41,669
Founded: 1817

79. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

United States | North Carolina

For Oceanography

#43 in North America

#38 in the United States

Acceptance Rate: 20%
Average SAT: 1260
Average ACT: 25
Receiving Aid: 60%

80. Purdue University

United States | Indiana

For Oceanography

#44 in North America

#39 in the United States

Acceptance Rate: 69%
Average SAT: 1310
Average ACT: 30
Receiving Aid: 73%

81. University of Manchester

United Kingdom | England

For Oceanography

#19 in Europe

#9 in the United Kingdom

Founded: 1824

82. Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne

Switzerland | Lausanne

For Oceanography

#20 in Europe

#2 in Switzerland

Enrollment: 12,576

83. University of Bergen

Norway | Bergen

For Oceanography

#21 in Europe

#1 in Norway

Acceptance Rate: 29%
Enrollment: 16,900
Founded: 1946

84. Arizona State University - Tempe

United States | Arizona

For Oceanography

#45 in North America

#40 in the United States

Acceptance Rate: 88%
Receiving Aid: 92%
Average Aid: $12,201
Enrollment: 77,881

85. Norwegian University of Science and Technology

Norway | Trondheim

For Oceanography

#22 in Europe

#2 in Norway

Acceptance Rate: 39%
Enrollment: 42,031
Founded: 1996

86. University of Helsinki

Finland | Helsinki

For Oceanography

#23 in Europe

Acceptance Rate: 17%
Enrollment: 31,312
Founded: 1640

87. National Taiwan University

Taiwan | Taipei

For Oceanography

#12 in Asia

#1 in Taiwan

Enrollment: 32,500
Founded: 1945

88. Kyushu University

Japan | Fukuoka

For Oceanography

#13 in Asia

#5 in Japan

Acceptance Rate: 42%
Enrollment: 18,560
Founded: 1911

89. Seoul National University

South Korea | Seoul

For Oceanography

#14 in Asia

#1 in South Korea

Acceptance Rate: 17%
Enrollment: 28,378
Founded: 1946

90. University of Edinburgh

United Kingdom | Scotland

For Oceanography

#24 in Europe

#10 in the United Kingdom

Acceptance Rate: 51%
Founded: 1583

91. University of Bristol

United Kingdom | England

For Oceanography

#25 in Europe

#11 in the United Kingdom

Acceptance Rate: 68%
Enrollment: 27,513
Founded: 1909

92. Monash University

Australia | Clayton

For Oceanography

#8 in Australia

Acceptance Rate: 40%
Enrollment: 78,000
Founded: 1958

93. University of Sao Paulo

Brazil | Sao Paulo

For Oceanography

#1 in Latin America

#1 in Brazil

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

94. University of Oslo

For Oceanography

#26 in Europe

#3 in Norway

Enrollment: 26,650
Founded: 1811

95. Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College

United States | Louisiana

For Oceanography

#46 in North America

#41 in the United States

Acceptance Rate: 71%
Average SAT: 1225
Average ACT: 26
Receiving Aid: 95%

96. University of California - Irvine

United States | California

For Oceanography

#47 in North America

#42 in the United States

Acceptance Rate: 29%
Receiving Aid: 79%
Average Aid: $16,868
Enrollment: 36,505

97. Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

United States | Virginia

For Oceanography

#48 in North America

#43 in the United States

Acceptance Rate: 56%
Average SAT: 1310
Average ACT: 29
Receiving Aid: 72%

98. University of Tasmania

Australia | Hobart

For Oceanography

#9 in Australia

Acceptance Rate: 75%
Enrollment: 33,879
Founded: 1890

99. Nagoya University

For Oceanography

#15 in Asia

#6 in Japan

Acceptance Rate: 41%
Enrollment: 16,376
Founded: 1939

100. University of Rhode Island

United States | Rhode Island

For Oceanography

#49 in North America

#44 in the United States

Acceptance Rate: 76%
Average SAT: 1190
Average ACT: 28
Receiving Aid: 97%

Environmental Science subfields in the World

Agricultural Science3920

Earth science and Geophysics3354

Environmental Chemistry3327

Environmental Engineering2524

Environmental Management3919

Geography and Cartography6271

Geotechnical Engineering3062

Hydrology and Water resources management1009

Meteorology and Atmospheric Science4101

Mining Engineering1000

Paleontology5684

Petrology and Geochemistry2438

Urban and Regional planning1184

Wildlife and Fisheries Management & Conservation2946