### SUMMARY

 Choosing to study Environmental Science is a valuable choice and often an obligatory first step for undergrads intending to pursue a career as a climatologist, an environmental research scientist, or an environmental geologist. In fact, environmental science is fairly popular ranking as the 66th most popular degree. In the last year, there were 7,289 environmental science graduates. In-state tuition for environmental science at private colleges is, on average, 4.4 times more costly than their public peers.

 There are 496 institutions which offer environmental science. This number of colleges is on par with other majors offered in the United States. If you are looking to surround yourself with other environmental science majors, look at colleges in California which have more undergraduates admitted to environmental science than any other state. More generally, the best region to major in environmental science is in the Far West region with [Humboldt State University](/colleges/humboldt-state-university), [University of Washington-Seattle Campus](/colleges/university-of-washington-seattle-campus), and [Western Washington University](/colleges/western-washington-university) best representing the region. Interestingly, our pick of the top conference to study environmental science is the Pacific-12 Conference with [University of California-Berkeley](/colleges/university-of-california-berkeley), [University of California-Los Angeles](/colleges/university-of-california-los-angeles), and [University of Washington-Seattle Campus](/colleges/university-of-washington-seattle-campus) representing the conference. That said, our belief is that the best school for environmental science is [Columbia University in the City of New York](/colleges/columbia-university-in-the-city-of-new-york). You may also want to check out our list of the [best colleges](/rankings/best-colleges).

 The overall 'best' school does not mean it is the best school for you. There can be lots more factors to think about when selecting school. Features such as campus amenities, transportation services, and food would definitely modify your thoughts of which school to attend. At Authority, we have examined the pros and cons for you. If, for example, you are interested in which environmental science school has the best campus, the answer is [Northeastern University](/colleges/northeastern-university). If you are mostly interested in which school has the best campus, then we have an entire list [dedicated to that](/rankings/best-college-campuses). We have carefully pored through government databases, professor reviews, student reviews, and more so we can compare every U.S. major in an unbiased and informative way. You can find our comprehensive list for the schools with the [best student life](/rankings/best-student-life)&nbsphere and from that list, our pick of the university with the best student life for environmental science is [Barnard College](/colleges/barnard-college). Are you curious why? Continue scrolling to learn more about Authority's top selections. Some of our picks might surprise you.

 If expense is a primary influence in your decisions, you might consider avoiding [Columbia University in the City of New York](/colleges/columbia-university-in-the-city-of-new-york). [Columbia University in the City of New York](/colleges/columbia-university-in-the-city-of-new-york)&nbspis our most expensive college for environmental science, at least regarding out of state enrollment. We do have a page for the [most expensive](/rankings/most-expensive-colleges)&nbspcolleges that could put the expense of [Columbia University in the City of New York](/colleges/columbia-university-in-the-city-of-new-york)&nbspinto perspective. Additionally, you may want to know that environmental science is the 60th most expensive program in the nation, with an average expense of $46,600. On a broader scale, the most costly state for environmental science on our list is District of Columbia demonstrated with a cost of $49,070 at the main university in District of Columbia American University. Even more broadly, the most expensive region for environmental science is the Mid East region which is best demonstrated with [Columbia University in the City of New York](/colleges/columbia-university-in-the-city-of-new-york) with a cost of $57,763, [Bucknell University](/colleges/bucknell-university) with a cost of $57,882, and [Franklin and Marshall College](/colleges/franklin-and-marshall-college) with a cost of $58,615.

 Our cheapest region for environmental science is the Southeast region which is represented by [University of North Carolina at Pembroke](/colleges/university-of-north-carolina-at-pembroke) with a cost of $5,000, [Western Carolina University](/colleges/western-carolina-university) with a cost of $5,000, and [American Public University System](/colleges/american-public-university-system) with a cost of $6,804. On the bright side, the most affordable school for environmental science is [SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry](/colleges/suny-college-of-environmental-science-and-forestry). Authority's comprehensive list of the most affordable colleges can be explored [here](/rankings/most-affordable-colleges).

 In-state attendees can anticipate paying in the neighborhood of $10,100 for a degree in environmental science. That cost grows substantially to a median of $24,600 for an out-of-state public-school student. On that note, our pick for the school with the best value for environmental science: [Columbia University in the City of New York](/colleges/columbia-university-in-the-city-of-new-york). Through this link you will see our comprehensive list of the universities we see as being the [best value](/rankings/best-value-colleges)&nbspoverall. Bear in mind, this list is predicated on being an out-of-state student. The value proposition changes when in-state tuition is considered, but we do not know where you live (and are not trying to collect that kind of data).

 Earnings for environmental science students vary widely, but within two years completing the major students will regularly make in the neighborhood of $44,900. While there is a lot of variation in pay; top earners can experience pay up to $78,200. Even right out of university, the lowest end opportunities within the environmental science space earn $26,000, which is an alright wage. The highest earning grads from environmental science graduated from [Columbia University in the City of New York](/colleges/columbia-university-in-the-city-of-new-york)&nbspand if you are looking for universities with all of the [highest earning graduates](/rankings/highest-earning-graduates), Authority has that too.

 The general diversity of environmental science ranks subpar, arriving in the 45th percentile of all majors. The university with the highest composite diversity for environmental science is [Brown University](/colleges/brown-university)&nbspand here you can find our general list for the universities with the [most diversity](/rankings/most-diverse-colleges). The overall financial diversity of the Environmental Science major is only within the 37th percentile compared to all other majors. Racial diversity is even less in the 37th percentile. White undergraduates compose the largest share at 67% of those majoring in environmental science. Additionally, 59% of undergrads seeking an environmental science degree are women.

 The median rating of environmental science professors is 3.3 stars, a ranking that is 18% below the median across all majors; this is a subpar score. If you are looking for the most popular environmental science instructor in the country, consider looking up We have insufficient professors data for environmental science to make the conclusions we normally would have made in this sentence. If we incorporate data other than just rankings it becomes clear that the college with the overall best instructors for environmental science is [Columbia University in the City of New York](/colleges/columbia-university-in-the-city-of-new-york). You can find more detail on our ever evolving ranking methodology of the [best overall professors here](/rankings/best-professors), as well as some of the finest professors in the U.S.

 Finally, the hardest college to get into for environmental science is [Columbia University in the City of New York](/colleges/columbia-university-in-the-city-of-new-york). While we are unsure why you would be interested, we do have a detailed page of the [hardest colleges to get into](/rankings/hardest-colleges-to-get-into). Although, we do hope you understand that looking at higher education with a perspective mainly formed from superlatives might create issues. We encourage you to look at some of our other pages on individual schools and read some of Authority's informative background articles on essential things to look out for as you continue your college search.



 ### POPULARITY

 Environmental science is the 66th most popular degree in America, with 7,289 students receiving their bachelors degree last year. It just beat out #67 [Information Technology Administration and Management](/rankings/best-colleges-for-information-technology-administration-and-management), and narrowly lost to #65 [Neuroscience](/rankings/best-colleges-for-neuroscience).

 The degree is offered at a total of 496 colleges across the nation, and is the 40th most widely offered degree. Given that environmental science is offered at 37% of the Top 100 [Best Colleges](/rankings/best-colleges) in America, you can be sure this is a critical degree and the skillsets acquired are likely to last for a long time.

 It is also worth noting that 52% of colleges offering environmental science are public making it a pretty accessible field.

 The far west produces the most environmental science graduates, largely led by [Humboldt State University](/colleges/humboldt-state-university), while it’s the Pacific-12 Conference that leads conference totals. As far as states, California ranks highest, with particular help from [California State University-Sacramento](/colleges/california-state-university-sacramento) and [University of California-Davis](/colleges/university-of-california-davis).

 All that being said, no individual school produces more environmental science graduates than [Tuskegee University](/colleges/tuskegee-university), which graduated 269 students last year alone. Although size is critical, another important factor to consider is the program’s density (the percent of all students that study environmental science). More students studied environmental science as a percentage of total students at [Northwest Indian College](/colleges/northwest-indian-college) than any other college.



 ### COST

 Environmental science is the 60th most expensive major in the US, with a median cost of $46,550 amongst the top 50 programs (just ahead of #61, [Biophysics](rankings/best-colleges-for-biophysics), with a median cost of $46,176).

 The Mid East has the most expensive colleges with top 50 environmental science programs led by [Columbia University in the City of New York](/colleges/columbia-university-in-the-city-of-new-york) with an annual cost of $58,920. District of Columbia is the most expensive state for environmental science led by [American University](/colleges/american-university).

 Public schools with good programs by and large charge 77.3% less than private schools for in-state students. However, when looking at out-of-state tuition, the median top 50 Public school charges 44.57% less than the median private school. So make sure to take a look at public shools in your state sooner rather than later.

 The most pricey option in the top 25 is [Columbia University in the City of New York](/colleges/columbia-university-in-the-city-of-new-york), which is the 3rd most expensive college in the nation. The most affordable option in the top 100 is [University of South Florida-St Petersburg](/colleges/university-of-south-florida-st-petersburg). It costs just $15,121 per year, but it is ranked 82nd for its environmental science program. If you’re looking for a higher ranked, but still affordable school, [SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry](/colleges/suny-college-of-environmental-science-and-forestry)  is probably right for you, ranked #4 with an in-state cost of just $7,070. Another more affordable pick would be #23, [Massachusetts Maritime Academy](/colleges/massachusetts-maritime-academy) in Barnstable County, MA with a cost of $1,836 for in-state students and $17,570 for out-of-state students.



### SALARY

 Starting college is a major investment for most students. It's important to lack doubt you justify your cash outlay. It is our goal that the following job placement and earnings info help you in deciding your major at college.

 The average Environmental Science graduate makes a first year income of $36,958 a year (close to national median 53rd percentile). Further into their occupations, they commonly take home somewhere between $26,043 and $78,232, but average roughly $44,890. To put it in context, that is 16% higher than the American average.

 The most popular job title for an Environmental Science graduate is Analyst, which often earn approximately $54,000; next are Consultant and Field Service Technician, which by and large earn more or less $56,000 and $45,000 respectively.

 The best paid region for Environmental Science graduates is The Southeast. AL has the most well paid Environmental Science graduates of any state. Patriot League has the best paid Environmental Science graduates of any conference..



### PROFESSORS

 Fast Facts for Environmental Science: Median Professor Rating: 3.3 / 5, which is below average.

 Instructors again and again have an immense influence your college experience, no matter what you study. An amazing professor could help a student find their passion and set one up for future success. Conversely, an unpleasant professor can cause unwanted anxiety or even worse... fail you!

 Professors of Environmental Science, sadly, only have a median student rating of 3.3 / 5, putting these professors in the bottom 3 percent in the US based on student approval. For context that's 17.5% lower than the national median professor rating for all subjects. Environmental Science professors barely edged-out those from ["Portuguese Language and Literature"](/rankings/best-colleges-for-portuguese-language-and-literature), whereas ["Biophysics"](/rankings/best-colleges-for-biophysics)&nbspprofessors ranked one slot above Environmental Science.

 Now for some statistics about Environmental Science professors. Colleges located in distant towns tend to have the best Environmental Science professors. The Great Midwest Athletic Conference has the highest rated Environmental Science professors. The Great Lakes region has the highest rated Environmental Science professors. Public schools tend to have higher rated Environmental Science professors than private universities. Finally, Ohio has the highest rated Environmental Science professors in the US.

 

### STUDENTS

 College can be one of the most consequential periods of one's life; it's a chance for personal growth and maturation. Scholars attempt to capture who they dream to be and forge the necessary skills to be a successful member of society. But growth isn't confined to a classroom - the late nights discussing Robert Heinlein with a peer, the life lesson gained from a tenured instructor, the exposure to a different outlook. As such, a diverse student experience vastly improves what you gain from your time spent at school.

 Environmental Science is a less ethnically diverse major than average\*. 67% of America's Environmental Science majors are white students, followed by latino students (12%), students of other races\*\*(11%), and asian students (8%). The most racially diverse college\* in the top 100 is [San Jose State University](/colleges/san-jose-state-university) located in San Jose, CA.

 Furthermore, Environmental Science significatly skews female, with 59% of students majoring in Environmental Science identifying as women. [Clarkson University](/colleges/clarkson-university) in Potsdam, NY has the most gender balanced student body in the top 100.

 Another significant type of diversity is financial diversity. Sadly, Environmental Science is less socioeconomically diverse than 63% of majors in the US. 31% of its students come from families with $110,000 plus annual incomes, 16% are from homes with $48,000 to $75,000 annual incomes, and 23% grew up in households who earn south of $30,000 a year. [Goshen College](/colleges/goshen-college) has the most financially diverse student body in the top 100.

 Considering each type of diversity, overall CA is the most diverse state for Environmental Science. The Far West is the most diverse region, and the Mountain West Conference is the most diverse conference.

   \* diversity calculations and comparisons are based on [Simpson's Diversity Index](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diversity_index)   
  \*\* other races is used to refer to non asian, black, latino, or white

  #### Diversity Statistics

  ##### Racial Diversity

 * Asian: 8%
* Black: 2%
* Latino: 12%
* White: 67%
* Other: 11%
  ##### Gender Diversity

 * Male: 41%
* Female: 59%
  ##### Socioeconomic Diversity (By Household Income)

 * Under 30k: 23%
* 30k - 48k: 15%
* 48k - 75k: 16%
* 75k - 110k: 15%
* Over 110k: 31%
  ##### Geographic Diversity

 * In State: 66%
* Out of State: 27%
* International: 7%


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2023 Environmental Science Popularity

There are about 28,081 students enrolled in Environmental Science in the USA.

POPULARITY