Best Environmental Scientist programs in Illinois, ranked by enrollment
Conduct research or perform investigation for the purpose of identifying, abating, or eliminating sources of pollutants or hazards that affect either the environment or public health.
34 schools in Illinois run programs that feed this job, graduating 935 people a year. The job pays a median of $81,590 in Illinois across about 1,550 jobs (BLS OEWS May 2025).
Fields of study in Illinois that lead to this job
Grouped at the 4-digit CIP level. Numbers are graduates per year in this state.
6 programs in Illinois that lead to this job
Ranked by graduates per year in Illinois (IPEDS completions). Graduate earnings and debt are national College Scorecard figures reported at the 4-digit CIP level, so specializations within one field share a figure. Each program also links to its own Illinois page.
| # | Program | Graduates / yr | Share of pipeline | Schools | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CIP 03.0104In Illinois → | 326 | 34.9% | 16 | $34,020 | $23,032 |
| 2 | Sustainability Studiesmain feeder CIP 30.3301In Illinois → | 283 | 30.3% | 8 | $37,223 | $20,968 |
| 3 | CIP 03.0103In Illinois → | 241 | 25.8% | 19 | $34,020 | $23,032 |
| 4 | CIP 51.2202In Illinois → | 46 | 4.9% | 3 | $36,762 | $25,076 |
| 5 | CIP 30.4401In Illinois → | 38 | 4.1% | 3 | — | — |
| 6 | CIP 40.0509In Illinois → | 1 | 0.1% | 1 | $42,620 | $23,900 |
Top 25 schools in Illinois
Ranked by graduates per year into this job. Graduate earnings are reported for 9 of the 34 schools in this state.
| # | School | Graduates / yr | Top feeder program | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Grad rate | Net price | Acceptance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Illinois Urbana - Champaign Champaign, IL Public · 3 feeder programs | 233 | Environmental Science | $31,369 | 85% | — | 42% |
| 2 | Loyola University Chicago Chicago, IL Private not-for-profit · 4 feeder programs | 109 | Environmental Science | $30,797 | 73% | $33,454 | 82% |
| 3 | University of Illinois Chicago Chicago, IL Public · 1 feeder programs | 84 | Sustainability Studies | $30,548 | 62% | — | 77% |
| 4 | Northwestern University Evanston, IL Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 70 | Sustainability Studies | — | 95% | $14,799 | 8% |
| 5 | University of Illinois Springfield Springfield, IL Public · 3 feeder programs | 56 | Environmental Health | — | 53% | — | 86% |
| 6 | DePaul University Chicago, IL Private not-for-profit · 3 feeder programs | 51 | Environmental Studies | $26,381 | 68% | $28,141 | 76% |
| 7 | Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Edwardsville, IL Public · 2 feeder programs | 47 | Geography and Environmental Studies | — | 57% | — | 97% |
| 8 | University of Chicago Chicago, IL Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 43 | Environmental Studies | — | 96% | $13,333 | 4% |
| 9 | Illinois State University Normal, IL Public · 2 feeder programs | 28 | Environmental Science | — | 65% | — | 88% |
| 10 | Northern Illinois University Dekalb, IL Public · 1 feeder programs | 27 | Environmental Studies | $36,409 | 49% | — | 70% |
| 11 | Southern Illinois University - Carbondale Carbondale, IL Public · 1 feeder programs | 23 | Environmental Studies | — | 62% | — | 87% |
| 12 | Illinois Institute of Technology Chicago, IL Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 21 | Sustainability Studies | — | 75% | $19,899 | 55% |
| 13 | Knox College Galesburg, IL Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 20 | Environmental Science | $28,757 | 68% | $24,240 | 71% |
| 14 | Augustana College Rock Island, IL Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 14 | Environmental Studies | $35,669 | 73% | $14,960 | 63% |
| 15 | Lake Forest College Lake Forest, IL Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 13 | Environmental Studies | $26,998 | 78% | $25,052 | 57% |
| 16 | North Central College Naperville, IL Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 13 | Environmental Studies | — | 64% | $20,052 | 77% |
| 17 | Wheaton College Wheaton, IL Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 12 | Environmental Science | — | 85% | $23,461 | 87% |
| 18 | Aurora University Aurora, IL Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 9 | Environmental Studies | — | 60% | $18,431 | 81% |
| 19 | Illinois Wesleyan University Bloomington, IL Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 8 | Environmental Studies | — | 75% | $26,849 | 39% |
| 20 | Millikin University Decatur, IL Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 8 | Environmental Studies | — | 55% | $8,373 | 67% |
| 21 | Northeastern Illinois University Chicago, IL Public · 2 feeder programs | 8 | Environmental Studies | $30,490 | 22% | — | 75% |
| 22 | Roosevelt University Chicago, IL Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 5 | Sustainability Studies | — | 35% | $21,085 | 97% |
| 23 | Elmhurst University Elmhurst, IL Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 4 | Environmental Studies | — | 70% | $20,794 | 74% |
| 24 | Eureka College Eureka, IL Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 4 | Environmental Science | — | 42% | $22,446 | 85% |
| 25 | Bradley University Peoria, IL Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 3 | Environmental Science | — | 76% | $21,768 | 77% |
All 34 schools in Illinois
Every school in Illinois with a program that feeds this job, ordered by graduates per year. Earnings are shown for the ranked schools above; open a school profile for the rest.
| School | City | Control | Graduates / yr | Feeder programs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Illinois Urbana - Champaign | Champaign | Public | 233 | 3 |
| Loyola University Chicago | Chicago | Private not-for-profit | 109 | 4 |
| University of Illinois Chicago | Chicago | Public | 84 | 1 |
| Northwestern University | Evanston | Private not-for-profit | 70 | 2 |
| University of Illinois Springfield | Springfield | Public | 56 | 3 |
| DePaul University | Chicago | Private not-for-profit | 51 | 3 |
| Southern Illinois University Edwardsville | Edwardsville | Public | 47 | 2 |
| University of Chicago | Chicago | Private not-for-profit | 43 | 1 |
| Illinois State University | Normal | Public | 28 | 2 |
| Northern Illinois University | Dekalb | Public | 27 | 1 |
| Southern Illinois University - Carbondale | Carbondale | Public | 23 | 1 |
| Illinois Institute of Technology | Chicago | Private not-for-profit | 21 | 2 |
| Knox College | Galesburg | Private not-for-profit | 20 | 2 |
| Augustana College | Rock Island | Private not-for-profit | 14 | 1 |
| Lake Forest College | Lake Forest | Private not-for-profit | 13 | 1 |
What environmental scientists and specialists, including health earn in Illinois
What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.
U.S. median $82,220. Illinois pays below the national figure.
1.00× means the state has its expected share of these jobs.
Metro areas in Illinois
Job outlook
Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections, 2024 to 2034.
Growth and openings are national. The Bureau of Labor Statistics does not publish employment projections at state level, so these figures describe the occupation across the whole U.S., not this state alone.
How to get in
The full skills, tools, and day-to-day breakdown lives on the national Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health page.
How to become a Environmental Scientist
Job zone 4 of 5 · SVP 7.0 to < 8.0- Typical entry education
- Bachelor's degree
Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
A considerable amount of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, an accountant must complete four years of college and work for several years in accounting to be considered qualified.
Employees in these occupations usually need several years of work-related experience, on-the-job training, and/or vocational training.
Top skills
The same job in other states
Where else this occupation employs the most people, and what it pays there.
Related careers in Illinois
Every major mapped to this job
The official federal mapping behind the rankings above.
All 11 majors mapped to Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health11 of them graduated someone in the latest IPEDS year. NCES CIP 2020 → SOC 2018 crosswalk.+
- 03.0103Environmental Studies
- 03.0104Environmental Science
- 26.1004Toxicology
- 26.1005Molecular Toxicology
- 26.1006Environmental Toxicology
- 30.3201Marine Sciences
- 30.3301Sustainability Studies
- 30.4101Environmental Geosciences
- 30.4401Geography and Environmental Studies
- 40.0509Environmental Chemistry
- 51.2202Environmental Health
Common questions
Answers for people weighing environmental scientists and specialists, including health programs in Illinois.
What degree do you need to become an Environmental Scientist?+
Bachelor's degree is the typical entry-level education BLS reports for this occupation. The most common program people actually graduate from is Environmental Science, which awarded 326 degrees in Illinois in 2024-25, 34.9% of everyone graduating from a program that feeds this career.
Which college majors lead to becoming an Environmental Scientist?+
The NCES CIP-to-SOC crosswalk maps 6 programs to this occupation. The largest are Natural Resources Conservation and Research, Sustainability Studies, Public Health, Geography and Environmental Studies, plus 1 more. Together they graduate about 935 people a year in Illinois.
How much do environmental scientists and specialists, including health earn in Illinois?+
The median is $81,590 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). That is 0.8% below the U.S. median of $82,220. This is pay for people already working in the occupation, not the same thing as graduate earnings one year after finishing a degree.
Is demand for environmental scientists and specialists, including health growing?+
BLS projects a +4.4% change in employment between 2024 and 2034, about as fast as average, with roughly 8,500 openings a year nationally once retirements and job changes are counted.
How many schools offer programs for this career in Illinois?+
34 institutions in Illinois reported graduates from at least one of the 6 programs that feed this occupation in IPEDS 2024-25. Rankings on this page use graduates per year, because the federal data publishes no enrollment count by program.
What other job titles do environmental scientists and specialists, including health work under?+
Employers advertise this work under many names. O*NET records Ecologist, Policy Analyst, Climate Analyst, Research Scientist, Restoration Ecologist, Environmental Scientist among the most commonly reported, all mapping to SOC 19-2041.
About the data on this page
Rankings use IPEDS completions 2024–25, degrees awarded per year. That is the closest federal measure of how many people a program puts into a career, because no federal dataset publishes enrollment by program. Wages and employment come from BLS OEWS May 2025, growth and openings from BLS Employment Projections 2024-34, and which majors lead to which jobs from the NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk. Occupation descriptions, tasks, skills and tools are O*NET 30.3 (CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor/ETA).
BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics
May 2025Wages, employment counts, location quotients and metro breakdowns.
BLS Employment Projections
2024–34Projected growth, annual openings and typical entry-level education.
IPEDS Completions
2024-25 (provisional)Graduates per year by program and institution — the ranking metric.
College Scorecard, Field of Study
2020-21 cohortsMedian graduate earnings one year after completion, and median debt.
Census Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes
latest availableGraduate earnings 1/5/10 years out, where the state participates.
NCES CIP 2020 and the CIP-to-SOC 2018 crosswalk
CIP 2020 / SOC 2018Which college programs officially lead to this occupation.
O*NET Database 30.3
30.3Tasks, skills, knowledge, tools, job zone and alternate job titles.
Official source →CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor / ETA
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