Best Environmental Scientist programs in North Carolina, 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.
30 schools in North Carolina run programs that feed this job, graduating 1,005 people a year. The job pays a median of $74,130 in North Carolina across about 4,150 jobs (BLS OEWS May 2025).
Fields of study in North Carolina that lead to this job
Grouped at the 4-digit CIP level. Numbers are graduates per year in this state.
6 programs in North Carolina that lead to this job
Ranked by graduates per year in North Carolina (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 North Carolina page.
| # | Program | Graduates / yr | Share of pipeline | Schools | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CIP 03.0104In North Carolina → | 439 | 43.7% | 17 | $34,020 | $23,032 |
| 2 | CIP 03.0103In North Carolina → | 377 | 37.5% | 17 | $34,020 | $23,032 |
| 3 | CIP 30.4401In North Carolina → | 79 | 7.9% | 3 | — | — |
| 4 | CIP 51.2202In North Carolina → | 65 | 6.5% | 4 | $36,762 | $25,076 |
| 5 | Sustainability Studiesmain feeder CIP 30.3301In North Carolina → | 27 | 2.7% | 5 | $37,223 | $20,968 |
| 6 | CIP 26.1004In North Carolina → | 18 | 1.8% | 3 | $39,202 | $18,000 |
Top 25 schools in North Carolina
Ranked by graduates per year into this job. Graduate earnings are reported for 10 of the 30 schools in this state.
| # | School | Graduates / yr | Top feeder program | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Grad rate | Net price | Acceptance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Chapel Hill, NC Public · 5 feeder programs | 194 | Environmental Science | $33,976 | 91% | — | 15% |
| 2 | Appalachian State University Boone, NC Public · 3 feeder programs | 170 | Environmental Studies | $27,631 | 75% | — | 90% |
| 3 | North Carolina State University at Raleigh Raleigh, NC Public · 3 feeder programs | 118 | Environmental Science | $32,948 | 85% | — | 42% |
| 4 | Duke University Durham, NC Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 106 | Environmental Studies | $28,121 | 97% | $16,260 | 6% |
| 5 | University of North Carolina Wilmington Wilmington, NC Public · 1 feeder programs | 104 | Environmental Science | $28,935 | 71% | — | 64% |
| 6 | University of North Carolina Asheville Asheville, NC Public · 2 feeder programs | 46 | Environmental Studies | $25,758 | 54% | — | 92% |
| 7 | University of North Carolina at Greensboro Greensboro, NC Public · 2 feeder programs | 38 | Environmental Studies | — | 56% | — | 89% |
| 8 | Warren Wilson College Swannanoa, NC Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 27 | Environmental Studies | — | 42% | $22,259 | 71% |
| 9 | Elon University Elon, NC Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 26 | Environmental Science | — | 84% | $33,688 | 66% |
| 10 | Western Carolina University Cullowhee, NC Public · 2 feeder programs | 26 | Environmental Science | — | 60% | — | 82% |
| 11 | Davidson College Davidson, NC Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 21 | Environmental Studies | — | 91% | $16,628 | 13% |
| 12 | Wake Forest University Winston-Salem, NC Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 20 | Environmental Science | — | 89% | $20,914 | 22% |
| 13 | Catawba College Salisbury, NC Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 19 | Environmental Science | $27,389 | 47% | $17,916 | 75% |
| 14 | East Carolina University Greenville, NC Public · 1 feeder programs | 19 | Environmental Health | $35,628 | 63% | — | 89% |
| 15 | North Carolina Central University Durham, NC Public · 1 feeder programs | 11 | Environmental Science | — | 42% | — | 87% |
| 16 | University of North Carolina at Pembroke Pembroke, NC Public · 2 feeder programs | 11 | Environmental Studies | $38,400 | 44% | — | 93% |
| 17 | University of North Carolina at Charlotte Charlotte, NC Public · 1 feeder programs | 8 | Sustainability Studies | — | 69% | — | 80% |
| 18 | Guilford College Greensboro, NC Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 6 | Sustainability Studies | — | 46% | $25,345 | 80% |
| 19 | Campbell University Buies Creek, NC Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 5 | Environmental Science | — | 61% | $23,331 | 87% |
| 20 | Montreat College Montreat, NC Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 5 | Environmental Science | — | 50% | $25,763 | 69% |
| 21 | Brevard College Brevard, NC Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 4 | Environmental Studies | — | 49% | $21,334 | 42% |
| 22 | Elizabeth City State University Elizabeth City, NC Public · 1 feeder programs | 4 | Sustainability Studies | — | 44% | — | 64% |
| 23 | Lenoir - Rhyne University Hickory, NC Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 4 | Sustainability Studies | — | 48% | $23,920 | 85% |
| 24 | Salem College Winston-Salem, NC Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 3 | Environmental Studies | — | 57% | $19,415 | 77% |
| 25 | Meredith College Raleigh, NC Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 2 | Environmental Studies | — | 70% | $19,552 | 74% |
All 30 schools in North Carolina
Every school in North Carolina 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 North Carolina at Chapel Hill | Chapel Hill | Public | 194 | 5 |
| Appalachian State University | Boone | Public | 170 | 3 |
| North Carolina State University at Raleigh | Raleigh | Public | 118 | 3 |
| Duke University | Durham | Private not-for-profit | 106 | 2 |
| University of North Carolina Wilmington | Wilmington | Public | 104 | 1 |
| University of North Carolina Asheville | Asheville | Public | 46 | 2 |
| University of North Carolina at Greensboro | Greensboro | Public | 38 | 2 |
| Warren Wilson College | Swannanoa | Private not-for-profit | 27 | 2 |
| Elon University | Elon | Private not-for-profit | 26 | 2 |
| Western Carolina University | Cullowhee | Public | 26 | 2 |
| Davidson College | Davidson | Private not-for-profit | 21 | 1 |
| Wake Forest University | Winston-Salem | Private not-for-profit | 20 | 2 |
| Catawba College | Salisbury | Private not-for-profit | 19 | 1 |
| East Carolina University | Greenville | Public | 19 | 1 |
| North Carolina Central University | Durham | Public | 11 | 1 |
What environmental scientists and specialists, including health earn in North Carolina
What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.
U.S. median $82,220. North Carolina pays below the national figure.
Concentrated here: North Carolina employs more of this job per worker than the U.S. average.
Metro areas in North Carolina
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 North Carolina
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 North Carolina.
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 439 degrees in North Carolina in 2024-25, 43.7% 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, Geography and Environmental Studies, Public Health, Sustainability Studies, plus 1 more. Together they graduate about 1,005 people a year in North Carolina.
How much do environmental scientists and specialists, including health earn in North Carolina?+
The median is $74,130 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). That is 9.8% 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 North Carolina?+
30 institutions in North Carolina 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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