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Environmental Policy & Sustainability

Colleges offering this major Rankings Trends

What you'll do in college

This interdisciplinary group focuses on how human systems interact with the environment. Coursework blends environmental science with economics, political science, sociology, urban design, and geography. You will learn how to draft environmental policy, design sustainable supply chains, map demographic data using GIS, or analyze the social impacts of climate change.

What you'll do after college

The career path here is rapidly growing as climate concerns reshape the business world. Grads work as sustainability coordinators, urban planners, GIS analysts, environmental lawyers, and policy advisors. They often find roles in tech firms tracking ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) goals, NGOs, or local government planning departments.

Selectivity vs. earnings

By acceptance rate

$54,485
703
100–86%
$54,192
1,621
86–71%
$57,825
1,654
71–20%
$68,991
711
20–0%
Acceptance rate · bar = degree-weighted earnings

By SAT median

$51,483
570
400–1130
$53,943
1,364
1140–1270
$56,337
1,304
1270–1440
$62,642
573
1450–1600
Combined SAT composite median (submitters + non-submitters) · bar = degree-weighted earnings

Earnings vs. selectivity rank

$46,703p10 $66,464p90 Arts Military Female-only Liberal Arts Public University Religious University Private University Liberal Arts 1–15 Public University 1–15 Private University 1–30 Art Center College of Design · $66,959 Everglades University · $55,569 Barnard College · $67,149 Muhlenberg College · $57,709 St. Lawrence University · $45,873 Furman University · $56,458 University of the South · $66,464 Berry College · $52,763 Allegheny College · $51,515 Chatham University · $27,724 Taylor University · $54,060 Hood College · $53,184 York College of Pennsylvania · $56,771 Guilford College · $47,122 Keene State College · $49,991 Batten University · $53,868 Aquinas College · $69,369 Pacific University · $54,689 Goshen College · $55,319 Hartwick College · $54,368 University of Montana Western · $58,015 University of South Florida · $47,999 Clemson University · $54,759 Florida International University · $38,547 University of Maryland, College Park · $61,159 Cal State Long Beach · $60,051 University of California, Davis · $68,135 University of Tennessee, Knoxville · $58,185 Stony Brook University · $58,240 Ohio State University · $53,262 Florida Atlantic University · $48,481 University of Connecticut · $51,990 Pennsylvania State University · $58,022 New Mexico State University · $54,276 Tarleton State University · $49,498 University of Massachusetts - Amherst · $57,657 Arkansas State University · $52,974 University of Minnesota - Twin Cities · $53,065 University of Alaska - Fairbanks · $50,872 Central Michigan University · $47,254 Kean University · $49,902 Rutgers University - New Brunswick · $54,100 Texas State University · $53,092 Louisiana State University · $61,729 University of Colorado Boulder · $65,897 University of Alabama · $51,944 George Mason University · $60,963 Indiana University - Kokomo · $54,383 Indiana University - South Bend · $51,403 Indiana University Southeast · $53,085 Missouri State University - Springfield · $44,417 Montclair State University · $54,246 Northeastern State University · $54,011 Ohio University · $56,612 Temple University · $60,232 University of Delaware · $47,053 University of Northern Colorado · $53,849 University of Oklahoma - Norman · $60,371 University of Vermont · $50,266 SUNY College at Geneseo · $52,643 University of Rhode Island · $50,714 Oregon State University · $51,628 University of Idaho · $53,551 University of Louisville · $53,789 University of Wisconsin - Parkside · $53,791 University of Houston · $57,481 University of Wisconsin - Superior · $53,619 Elizabeth City State University · $45,724 University of New Hampshire · $49,372 Coastal Carolina University · $50,683 Tennessee Technological University · $47,320 Western Carolina University · $43,766 University of Nebraska, Lincoln · $54,766 Indiana University - East · $56,241 SUNY College at Potsdam · $37,036 Cal Poly - Humboldt · $42,150 Colorado State University - Fort Collins · $65,033 Kent State University at Kent · $41,041 Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania · $52,037 University of Utah · $48,238 Stephen F. Austin State University · $54,085 University of Nevada, Reno · $45,702 Michigan State University · $62,813 Mississippi State University · $58,018 Arkansas Tech University · $55,480 Iowa State University · $62,667 Southern Oregon University · $51,813 Stockton University · $46,518 University of Arizona · $48,056 University of South Dakota · $51,987 West Virginia University · $49,912 Western Oregon University · $52,566 University of Alaska - Southeast · $56,003 Michigan Technological University · $59,214 University of Wisconsin - River Falls · $54,454 University of California, Riverside · $52,218 University of Oregon · $45,638 Arizona State University · $55,135 Towson University · $58,282 University of Hawaii at Manoa · $48,573 University of Wisconsin - Platteville · $70,991 Florida Gulf Coast University · $33,988 University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee · $79,014 University of Kentucky · $59,602 University of Montana · $44,433 University of North Alabama · $53,716 University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point · $55,892 University of Texas at San Antonio · $50,068 Plymouth State University · $52,092 University of Southern Mississippi · $58,729 Grand Valley State University · $46,703 Western Washington University · $56,037 University of South Alabama · $54,573 Kansas State University · $71,873 Eastern Oregon University · $52,245 Montana State University · $47,178 Southwestern Oklahoma State University · $58,678 Creighton University · $61,932 Messiah University · $52,005 Toccoa Falls College · $46,665 St. John Fisher University · $53,936 California Baptist University · $50,210 Pepperdine University · $61,084 College of St. Scholastica · $66,026 Shenandoah University · $56,942 Loyola University Chicago · $60,268 University of Indianapolis · $57,346 Mount Mercy University · $55,353 Marywood University · $55,618 Otterbein University · $57,617 Xavier University · $58,835 Oral Roberts University · $54,755 DePaul University · $53,110 University of Miami · $50,526 Thomas University · $50,803 Jacksonville University · $56,159 George Washington University · $63,252 Marist University · $71,817 Hofstra University · $39,644 Worcester Polytechnic Institute · $72,634 Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute · $69,068 Hawaii Pacific University · $56,815 Florida Institute of Technology · $62,108 University of New England · $62,989 Paul Smiths College of Arts and Science · $51,210 Daemen University · $58,840 Maryville University of Saint Louis · $58,860 Roosevelt University · $55,095 Colby College · $54,214 University of California, Berkeley · $77,854 University of Florida · $66,179 North Carolina State University · $69,691 University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign · $62,959 University of Texas at Austin · $54,305 University of Wisconsin - Madison · $60,284 Florida State University · $48,590 Harvard University · $71,005 University of Chicago · $66,829 Columbia University · $79,288 Vanderbilt University · $72,606 Cornell University · $59,246 Washington University in St Louis · $65,254 New York University · $66,075 Arts: mean $66,959 Military: mean $55,569 Female-only: mean $67,149 Liberal Arts: mean $53,367 Public University: mean $53,563 Religious University: mean $56,356 Private University: mean $58,655 Liberal Arts 1–15: mean $54,214 Public University 1–15: mean $62,837 Private University 1–30: mean $68,615 All colleges: p10 $46,703 All colleges: p90 $66,464
Each dot = a college · y = degree-weighted earnings

Majors in this category

Major Colleges Degrees ▼ Male/Female Intl Earnings Employment
Environmental Policy & Sustainability 186 4,910 38% / 62% 4% $56,873 95%
Sustainability Studies 98 1,175 36% / 64% 3% $56,538 97%
Environmental Science and Policy 22 711 37% / 63% 2% $57,176 95%
Natural Resources/Conservation 19 613 35% / 65% 3% $53,791 94%
Wildlife, Fish and Wildlands Science and Management 11 381 46% / 54% 0% $48,511 97%
Environmental/Natural Resources Management and Policy 8 279 39% / 61% 2% $53,479 97%
Environmental Design 9 264 46% / 54% 5% $59,255 94%
Environmental/Natural Resource Economics 5 243 40% / 60% 17% $64,448 97%
Sustainability 12 172 33% / 67% 4% $56,233 100%
Environmental Economics and Policy 2 137 19% / 81% 7% $61,032 94%
Environmental Science and Management 1 131 31% / 69% 11% $68,135 92%
Human Environmental Sciences 1 96 36% / 64% 2% $51,944 89%
Environmental Policy Analysis and Planning 1 92 33% / 67% 7% $68,135 92%
Natural Resources and Conservation 9 86 58% / 42% 0% $61,687 99%
Earth, Society, and Environmental Sustainability 1 71 44% / 56% 4% $62,959 100%
Environmental and Sustainability Studies 4 65 49% / 51% 18% $57,416 89%
Sustainability, Ecology and Policy 1 49 29% / 71% 0% $50,266 93%
Natural Resources Conservation and Research 3 48 38% / 62% 6% $62,195 97%
Environmental and Urban Studies 1 43 42% / 58% 0% $66,829
Sustainability and the Environment 1 42 21% / 79% 5% $38,547 92%
Water, Wetlands, and Marine Resources Management 6 35 49% / 51% 0% $57,252 95%
Environmental Policy and Decision Making 1 28 57% / 43% 0% $46,523 98%
Environmental Science and Public Policy 1 23 65% / 35% 9% $71,005
Sustainability and the Built Environment 1 23 91% / 9% 0% $77,072 100%
Sustainable Environmental Design 1 21 19% / 81% 5% $67,094
Environmental/Natural Resources Law Enforcement and Protective Services 1 20 85% / 15% 0% $58,678
Sustainability Science 1 20 0% / 100% 0% $57,955
Natural Resources Conservation 4 16 31% / 69% 0% $54,776 96%
Energy and Environmental Policy 1 7 57% / 43% 0% $55,542
Environmental and Natural Resource Economics 1 6 33% / 67% 0% $58,951
Environmental Policy 1 5 100% / 0% 0% $55,569 96%
Marine Resources Management 1 5 0% / 100% 0% $61,599
Environmental Economics and Management 1 2 0% / 100% 0% $58,333
Natural Resources Planning and Interpretation 1 1 100% / 0% 0% $42,150 94%