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

$56,056

355

100–82%

$55,985

1,003

80–55%

$57,215

951

55–14%

$85,129

383

11–0%

Acceptance rate · bar = degree-weighted adjusted 5-year earnings

By SAT median

$52,341

306

400–1110

$53,337

711

1115–1270

$57,386

651

1270–1400

$62,631

295

1400–1600

Median SAT · bar = degree-weighted adjusted 5-year earnings

Majors in this category

Major	Colleges	Degrees ▼	Male/Female	Intl	5yr Earn
Environmental Policy & Sustainability	182	4,578	40% / 60%	3%	$59,802
Sustainability Studies	93	1,113	39% / 61%	3%	$64,365
Environmental Science and Policy	22	643	36% / 64%	2%	$55,908
Natural Resources/Conservation	19	512	40% / 60%	1%	$56,212
Wildlife, Fish and Wildlands Science and Management	11	370	46% / 54%	1%	$49,764
Environmental/Natural Resources Management and Policy	8	286	42% / 58%	1%	$55,932
Environmental Design	9	236	43% / 57%	4%	$67,344
Environmental Economics and Policy	2	224	33% / 67%	11%	$70,662
Sustainability	12	164	29% / 71%	1%	$45,142
Environmental Science and Management	1	132	30% / 70%	13%	$66,227
Human Environmental Sciences	1	111	31% / 69%	2%	$61,202
Environmental and Sustainability Studies	4	83	46% / 54%	7%	$61,352
Environmental/Natural Resource Economics	4	80	44% / 56%	6%	$63,865
Environmental Policy Analysis and Planning	1	73	26% / 74%	10%	$66,227
Earth, Society, and Environmental Sustainability	1	69	49% / 51%	9%
Natural Resources Conservation and Research	3	68	37% / 63%	1%	$73,878
Water, Wetlands, and Marine Resources Management	6	60	45% / 55%	0%	$58,763
Natural Resources and Conservation	7	59	58% / 42%	2%	$57,339
Sustainability and the Environment	1	50	28% / 72%	8%
Environmental and Urban Studies	1	35	46% / 54%	3%
Sustainability and the Built Environment	1	27	85% / 15%	0%
Natural Resources Conservation	5	26	42% / 58%	0%	$62,353
Sustainable Environmental Design	1	25	36% / 64%	8%
Environmental Policy and Decision Making	1	24	38% / 62%	0%	$48,590
Environmental/Natural Resources Law Enforcement and Protective Services	1	20	90% / 10%	0%
Environmental Science and Public Policy	1	19	53% / 47%	16%
Sustainability, Ecology and Policy	1	19	47% / 53%	0%	$51,290
Sustainability Science	1	12	8% / 92%	0%
Environmental Policy	1	11	73% / 27%	0%
Environmental and Natural Resource Economics	1	10	40% / 60%	0%
Energy and Environmental Policy	1	8	50% / 50%	0%
Environmental Economics and Management	1	3	33% / 67%	0%
Marine Resources Management	1	3	0% / 100%	0%
Natural Resources Planning and Interpretation	1	2	50% / 50%	0%	$42,150
Natural Resources Management and Policy	1	1	100% / 0%	100%