Best degree programs for Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health, ranked by enrollment
11 college programs and 1,012 schools train Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health. Compare graduates per year, cost and pay, $82,220 median wage, 89,250 U.S. jobs. Federal data.
11 college programs at 1,012 schools train environmental scientists and specialists, including health, graduating 28,505 people a year (IPEDS completions). The largest is Environmental Science. The job pays a median of $82,220 (BLS OEWS May 2025).
About environmental scientists and specialists, including health
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. Using knowledge of various scientific disciplines, may collect, synthesize, study, report, and recommend action based on data derived from measurements or observations of air, food, soil, water, and other sources.
Fields of study that lead to this job
Grouped at the 4-digit CIP level, the tier our program pages are built on. Numbers are graduates per year.
11 degree programs that lead to this job
Ranked by graduates per year (IPEDS completions). Graduate earnings and debt are College Scorecard figures for people who finished the program, reported at the 4-digit CIP level, so specializations within one field share a figure. That is a different measurement from the occupation-wide wages further down this page.
| # | Program | Graduates / yr | Share of pipeline | Schools | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CIP 03.0104 | 10,966 | 38.5% | 635 | $34,020 | $23,032 |
| 2 | CIP 03.0103 | 9,602 | 33.7% | 470 | $34,020 | $23,032 |
| 3 | Sustainability Studiesmain feeder CIP 30.3301 | 4,424 | 15.5% | 226 | $37,223 | $20,968 |
| 4 | CIP 51.2202 | 1,306 | 4.6% | 88 | $36,762 | $25,076 |
| 5 | CIP 30.4401 | 1,229 | 4.3% | 70 | — | — |
| 6 | Marine Sciencesmain feeder CIP 30.3201 | 624 | 2.2% | 39 | $27,337 | $22,400 |
| 7 | CIP 26.1004 | 173 | 0.6% | 28 | $39,202 | $18,000 |
| 8 | CIP 30.4101 | 90 | 0.3% | 11 | — | — |
| 9 | CIP 26.1006 | 69 | 0.2% | 12 | $39,202 | $18,000 |
| 10 | CIP 40.0509 | 19 | 0.1% | 10 | $42,620 | $23,900 |
| 11 | CIP 26.1005 | 3 | 0.0% | 1 | $39,202 | $18,000 |
Top 50 schools by graduates into this job
Counting every feeder program a school offers, not just its largest one.
| # | School | Graduates / yr | Top feeder program | Grad rate | Net price | Acceptance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Wisconsin - Madison Madison, WI Public · 6 feeder programs | 612 | Environmental Studies | 90% | — | 45% |
| 2 | Harvard University Cambridge, MA Private not-for-profit · 3 feeder programs | 549 | Sustainability Studies | 98% | $15,013 | 4% |
| 3 | Southern New Hampshire University Manchester, NH Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 504 | Environmental Science | 43% | $34,565 | 100% |
| 4 | Columbia University in the City of New York New York, NY Private not-for-profit · 4 feeder programs | 494 | Sustainability Studies | 96% | $15,315 | 4% |
| 5 | University of California - Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, CA Public · 3 feeder programs | 431 | Environmental Studies | 83% | — | 33% |
| 6 | University of Washington - Seattle Campus Seattle, WA Public · 4 feeder programs | 412 | Environmental Science | 85% | — | 39% |
| 7 | University of California - Berkeley Berkeley, CA Public · 6 feeder programs | 364 | Environmental Studies | 93% | — | 11% |
| 8 | University of Colorado Boulder Boulder, CO Public · 2 feeder programs | 357 | Environmental Studies | 74% | — | 78% |
| 9 | American Public University System Charles Town, WV Private for-profit · 3 feeder programs | 331 | Environmental Science | 57% | $10,199 | — |
| 10 | Western Washington University Bellingham, WA Public · 5 feeder programs | 315 | Environmental Science | 65% | — | 93% |
| 11 | University of California - Davis Davis, CA Public · 4 feeder programs | 302 | Environmental Science | 86% | — | 42% |
| 12 | University of Vermont Burlington, VT Public · 3 feeder programs | 302 | Environmental Studies | 79% | — | 65% |
| 13 | Oregon State University Corvallis, OR Public · 4 feeder programs | 287 | Environmental Science | 70% | — | 77% |
| 14 | Ohio State University - Main Campus Columbus, OH Public · 6 feeder programs | 273 | Environmental Science | 88% | — | 61% |
| 15 | University of South Florida Tampa, FL Public · 3 feeder programs | 241 | Environmental Science | 77% | — | 43% |
| 16 | Yale University New Haven, CT Private not-for-profit · 3 feeder programs | 237 | Environmental Studies | 96% | $27,025 | 4% |
| 17 | University of Illinois Urbana - Champaign Champaign, IL Public · 3 feeder programs | 233 | Environmental Science | 85% | — | 42% |
| 18 | University of California - Santa Cruz Santa Cruz, CA Public · 4 feeder programs | 227 | Environmental Studies | 75% | — | 66% |
| 19 | University of Oregon Eugene, OR Public · 3 feeder programs | 213 | Environmental Studies | 72% | — | 88% |
| 20 | University of Michigan - Ann Arbor Ann Arbor, MI Public · 4 feeder programs | 209 | Environmental Studies | 93% | — | 16% |
| 21 | Cornell University Ithaca, NY Private not-for-profit · 3 feeder programs | 206 | Environmental Science | 95% | $17,613 | 9% |
| 22 | California State University - Monterey Bay Seaside, CA Public · 3 feeder programs | 204 | Marine Sciences | 59% | — | 97% |
| 23 | Arizona State University Campus Immersion Tempe, AZ Public · 3 feeder programs | 194 | Environmental Studies | 68% | — | 90% |
| 24 | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Chapel Hill, NC Public · 5 feeder programs | 194 | Environmental Science | 91% | — | 15% |
| 25 | University of Utah Salt Lake City, UT Public · 4 feeder programs | 192 | Sustainability Studies | 65% | — | 86% |
| 26 | University of Minnesota - Twin Cities Minneapolis, MN Public · 5 feeder programs | 190 | Environmental Science | 85% | — | 80% |
| 27 | Arizona State University Digital Immersion Scottsdale, AZ Public · 2 feeder programs | 186 | Environmental Studies | 0% | — | 67% |
| 28 | Texas A&M University - College Station College Station, TX Public · 6 feeder programs | 186 | Environmental Studies | 84% | — | 57% |
| 29 | University of Florida Gainesville, FL Public · 5 feeder programs | 186 | Sustainability Studies | 91% | — | 24% |
| 30 | Northern Arizona University Flagstaff, AZ Public · 4 feeder programs | 177 | Environmental Studies | 61% | — | 90% |
| 31 | Ohio University - Main Campus Athens, OH Public · 4 feeder programs | 176 | Environmental Studies | 65% | — | 85% |
| 32 | University of California - Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA Public · 5 feeder programs | 173 | Environmental Science | 93% | — | 9% |
| 33 | Appalachian State University Boone, NC Public · 3 feeder programs | 170 | Environmental Studies | 75% | — | 90% |
| 34 | University of Maine Orono, ME Public · 3 feeder programs | 163 | Environmental Science | 55% | — | 97% |
| 35 | Northeastern University Boston, MA Private not-for-profit · 2 feeder programs | 160 | Environmental Science | 91% | $18,925 | 5% |
| 36 | University of Oklahoma - Norman Campus Norman, OK Public · 4 feeder programs | 157 | Sustainability Studies | 75% | — | 77% |
| 37 | The University of Texas at Austin Austin, TX Public · 3 feeder programs | 153 | Sustainability Studies | 89% | — | 27% |
| 38 | Johns Hopkins University Baltimore, MD Private not-for-profit · 5 feeder programs | 152 | Environmental Health | 94% | $11,888 | 6% |
| 39 | University of Iowa Iowa City, IA Public · 5 feeder programs | 151 | Sustainability Studies | 75% | — | 84% |
| 40 | Indiana University - Bloomington Bloomington, IN Public · 3 feeder programs | 147 | Environmental Studies | 80% | — | 78% |
| 41 | University of Phoenix - Arizona Phoenix, AZ Private for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 144 | Environmental Studies | 21% | $15,478 | — |
| 42 | University of Georgia Athens, GA Public · 7 feeder programs | 137 | Sustainability Studies | 90% | — | 38% |
| 43 | Michigan State University East Lansing, MI Public · 5 feeder programs | 136 | Environmental Studies | 81% | — | 85% |
| 44 | Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University Blacksburg, VA Public · 3 feeder programs | 133 | Sustainability Studies | 86% | — | 55% |
| 45 | University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia, PA Private not-for-profit · 1 feeder programs | 127 | Environmental Studies | 97% | $22,055 | 5% |
| 46 | San Diego State University San Diego, CA Public · 3 feeder programs | 126 | Environmental Studies | 76% | — | 36% |
| 47 | Florida Gulf Coast University Fort Myers, FL Public · 3 feeder programs | 124 | Environmental Studies | 57% | — | 63% |
| 48 | Montana State University Bozeman, MT Public · 2 feeder programs | 122 | Environmental Science | 57% | — | 82% |
| 49 | University of Massachusetts - Amherst Amherst, MA Public · 4 feeder programs | 121 | Environmental Science | 83% | — | 60% |
| 50 | California State Polytechnic University - Humboldt Arcata, CA Public · 2 feeder programs | 119 | Environmental Science | 49% | — | 98% |
What environmental scientists and specialists, including health earn
What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.
Top-paying states
Top-paying metro areas
Job outlook
Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections, 2024 to 2034.
Where the jobs are, state by state
Pick a state for in-state pay, the schools there, and the programs they run.
| State | Median pay | Jobs | Concentration | Schools | Graduates / yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | $106,510 | 12,490 | 1.19× | 97 | 3,535 |
| New York | $82,160 | 3,700 | 0.67× | 91 | 2,121 |
| Massachusetts | $100,640 | 2,930 | 1.40× | 44 | 1,540 |
| Florida | $60,830 | 5,950 | 1.04× | 36 | 1,430 |
| Pennsylvania | $76,110 | 3,020 | 0.87× | 72 | 1,089 |
| Texas | $92,000 | 5,630 | 0.70× | 41 | 1,078 |
| Ohio | $78,540 | 2,460 | 0.77× | 42 | 1,042 |
| North Carolina | $74,130 | 4,150 | 1.46× | 30 | 1,005 |
| Wisconsin | $72,820 | 920 | 0.54× | 23 | 1,002 |
| Washington | $98,300 | 4,470 | 2.19× | 19 | 970 |
| Arizona | $80,600 | 1,970 | 1.06× | 20 | 935 |
| Illinois | $81,590 | 1,550 | 0.44× | 34 | 935 |
| Michigan | $76,080 | 3,100 | 1.23× | 30 | 837 |
| Colorado | $85,990 | 2,580 | 1.56× | 13 | 793 |
| Oregon | $97,440 | 1,370 | 1.21× | 16 | 782 |
| New Hampshire | $80,810 | 480 | 1.23× | 12 | 747 |
| Virginia | $82,230 | 2,850 | 1.21× | 23 | 577 |
| Minnesota | $88,000 | 2,260 | 1.34× | 28 | 484 |
| Vermont | $77,460 | 490 | 2.79× | 10 | 483 |
| Maryland | $84,190 | 1,760 | 1.11× | 20 | 479 |
| New Jersey | $79,210 | 3,150 | 1.28× | 26 | 461 |
| Georgia | $85,710 | 1,750 | 0.62× | 19 | 454 |
| Connecticut | $82,070 | 620 | 0.64× | 14 | 409 |
| West Virginia | $82,100 | 250 | 0.63× | 6 | 405 |
| Maine | $66,480 | 530 | 1.45× | 10 | 400 |
| Indiana | $64,700 | 1,290 | 0.70× | 29 | 367 |
| Missouri | $61,050 | 1,380 | 0.82× | 17 | 351 |
| Utah | $90,710 | 1,020 | 1.02× | 9 | 331 |
| Iowa | $78,780 | 690 | 0.77× | 14 | 323 |
| Alabama | $72,490 | 870 | 0.72× | 12 | 301 |
| District of Columbiamoderate | $132,620 | 1,270 | 3.15× | 4 | 250 |
| Montana | $80,260 | 570 | 1.94× | 8 | 244 |
| South Carolina | $74,910 | 490 | 0.37× | 13 | 231 |
| Tennessee | $76,840 | 1,230 | 0.65× | 14 | 230 |
| Oklahoma | $75,910 | 520 | 0.53× | 9 | 229 |
| Kentucky | $71,040 | 1,000 | 0.87× | 13 | 202 |
| Louisiana | $69,820 | 1,600 | 1.44× | 7 | 171 |
| Idaho | $70,350 | 670 | 1.36× | 5 | 161 |
| Kansas | $78,210 | 590 | 0.72× | 5 | 154 |
| Rhode Island | $100,730 | 330 | 1.15× | 7 | 153 |
| Hawaiimoderate | $79,510 | 670 | 1.85× | 4 | 122 |
| Arkansas | $57,220 | 270 | 0.36× | 8 | 113 |
| Nebraska | $64,040 | 510 | 0.87× | 8 | 98 |
| Nevadamoderate | $83,050 | 490 | 0.55× | 4 | 91 |
| Delawarelimited | $64,690 | 290 | 1.04× | 2 | 87 |
| South Dakota | $68,230 | 240 | 0.91× | 6 | 65 |
| Wyomingmoderate | $74,050 | 410 | 2.55× | 3 | 46 |
| New Mexico | $86,630 | 940 | 1.88× | 8 | 34 |
| North Dakota | $84,570 | 240 | 0.96× | 6 | 29 |
| Alaskamoderate | $91,960 | 860 | 4.59× | 4 | 26 |
| Mississippimoderate | $57,780 | 390 | 0.58× | 3 | 21 |
Skills and tools
From O*NET, the U.S. Department of Labor's occupational database. Importance is a 1 to 5 scale.
What they do day to day
- Communicate scientific or technical information to the public, organizations, or internal audiences through oral briefings, written documents, workshops, conferences, training sessions, or public hearings.
- Monitor effects of pollution or land degradation and recommend means of prevention or control.
- Collect, synthesize, analyze, manage, and report environmental data, such as pollution emission measurements, atmospheric monitoring measurements, meteorological or mineralogical information, or soil or water samples.
- Review and implement environmental technical standards, guidelines, policies, and formal regulations that meet all appropriate requirements.
- Provide scientific or technical guidance, support, coordination, or oversight to governmental agencies, environmental programs, industry, or the public.
- Process and review environmental permits, licenses, or related materials.
- Conduct environmental audits or inspections or investigations of violations.
- Provide advice on proper standards and regulations or the development of policies, strategies, or codes of practice for environmental management.
Skills
- Reading Comprehension4.1
- Active Listening4.0
- Critical Thinking3.9
- Writing3.9
- Speaking3.9
- Active Learning3.6
- Science3.4
- Monitoring3.4
Knowledge areas
- English Language3.9
- Mathematics3.6
- Biology3.6
- Law and Government3.5
- Engineering and Technology3.2
- Computers and Electronics3.1
Abilities
- Written Comprehension4.0
- Deductive Reasoning4.0
- Inductive Reasoning4.0
- Written Expression4.0
- Oral Expression4.0
- Oral Comprehension4.0
Core activities
- Getting Information4.6
- Working with Computers4.4
- Analyzing Data or Information4.4
- Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge4.2
- Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates4.2
- Communicating with People Outside the Organization4.2
Tools and technology
hotmarks an O*NET hot technologyHow to get in
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.
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
Related careers
Jobs O*NET identifies as close to this one, with their own pay and outlook.
Common questions
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 10,966 degrees in 2024-25, 38.5% 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 11 programs to this occupation. The largest are Natural Resources Conservation and Research, Sustainability Studies, Public Health, Geography and Environmental Studies, plus 4 more. Together they graduate about 28,505 people a year.
How much do environmental scientists and specialists, including health earn?+
The median is $82,220 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). The middle range runs from $52,520 at the 10th percentile to $140,010 at the 90th. 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?+
1,012 institutions reported graduates from at least one of the 11 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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