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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

$58,999
716
100–88%
$59,098
1,731
88–71%
$59,424
1,694
71–18%
$71,126
760
16–0%
Acceptance rate · bar = degree-weighted earnings

By SAT median

$57,420
584
400–1130
$59,994
1,378
1140–1250
$58,084
1,330
1260–1440
$66,096
598
1450–1600
Combined SAT composite median (submitters + non-submitters) · bar = degree-weighted earnings

Earnings by acceptance rate and institution category

$49,339p10 $68,035p90 Art & Music STEM, Business & Military Liberal Arts Public University Religious University Private University 20–30% 10–20% 0–10% Art Center College of Design · $71,266 Florida Institute of Technology · $59,232 Worcester Polytechnic Institute · $67,570 Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute · $69,951 Michigan Technological University · $54,221 Muhlenberg College · $61,946 St. Lawrence University · $45,872 Furman University · $59,241 University of the South · $67,694 Allegheny College · $38,637 Champlain College · $61,431 Berry College · $63,823 Chatham University · $27,769 Keuka College · $52,824 Taylor University · $61,937 Lipscomb University · $66,081 Hood College · $60,629 York College of Pennsylvania · $55,526 Guilford College · $50,230 Batten University · $48,542 Aquinas College · $69,369 Keene State College · $53,358 University of the Northwest (Pacific University) · $53,043 Goshen College · $53,362 Wilson College · $52,107 Hartwick College · $53,337 University of Montana Western · $52,815 University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign · $62,959 North Carolina State University · $77,891 University of South Florida · $47,999 University of Wisconsin - Madison · $63,805 University of Tennessee, Knoxville · $61,675 Clemson University · $49,806 University of Maryland, College Park · $65,208 Cal State Long Beach · $54,286 University of California, Davis · $65,045 Stony Brook University · $60,517 Ohio State University · $70,209 Tarleton State University · $49,498 University of Connecticut · $59,920 Pennsylvania State University · $59,730 New Mexico State University · $57,703 Florida Atlantic University · $61,305 University of Massachusetts - Amherst · $64,663 Florida International University · $38,547 University of Minnesota - Twin Cities · $62,633 University of Alaska - Fairbanks · $56,012 Western Carolina University · $53,125 Kean University · $53,190 Rutgers University - New Brunswick · $54,604 University of Colorado Boulder · $67,696 Louisiana State University · $55,415 University of Alabama · $65,022 University of Delaware · $47,624 College of Charleston · $60,981 University of Vermont · $54,659 SUNY College at Geneseo · $63,757 University of Rhode Island · $58,594 University of Idaho · $56,218 University of Louisville · $64,180 University of Wisconsin - Parkside · $53,900 University of Houston · $62,455 University of Wisconsin - Superior · $55,917 Elizabeth City State University · $52,445 University of Oklahoma - Norman · $68,732 University of New Hampshire · $57,170 Arkansas State University · $55,827 Oregon State University · $59,883 Coastal Carolina University · $53,944 Tennessee Technological University · $46,921 University of Nebraska, Lincoln · $54,737 Indiana University - East · $59,164 SUNY College at Potsdam · $37,035 Kent State University at Kent · $55,935 Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania · $57,147 University of Utah · $49,777 University of Nevada, Reno · $57,918 Michigan State University · $78,607 Stephen F. Austin State University · $57,616 University of Arizona · $57,611 Mississippi State University · $59,349 Indiana University - Kokomo · $55,189 Southern Oregon University · $52,627 Stockton University · $64,661 West Virginia University · $62,880 Western Oregon University · $53,215 Ohio University · $64,025 University of Alaska - Southeast · $55,474 Indiana University Southeast · $55,764 University of Wisconsin - River Falls · $54,510 Indiana University - South Bend · $54,397 University of California, Riverside · $58,376 Temple University · $61,822 George Mason University · $60,798 University of Oregon · $47,129 Iowa State University · $57,115 Towson University · $57,424 University of Hawaii at Manoa · $53,755 University of Wisconsin - Platteville · $68,839 Arizona State University · $50,902 Colorado State University - Fort Collins · $65,031 University of Northern Colorado · $63,460 Florida Gulf Coast University · $39,512 University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee · $79,013 Montclair State University · $64,407 University of Montana · $48,357 University of North Alabama · $54,751 University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point · $58,944 Central Michigan University · $53,975 University of Texas at San Antonio · $58,095 Texas State University · $58,164 Pennsylvania State University - Harrisburg · $58,737 Plymouth State University · $55,221 University of Southern Mississippi · $56,736 Missouri State University - Springfield · $55,970 Grand Valley State University · $53,271 Cal Poly - Humboldt · $45,265 University of Kentucky · $62,347 Western Washington University · $58,227 University of South Alabama · $53,611 Kansas State University · $70,561 Arkansas Tech University · $58,086 University of South Dakota · $64,398 Eastern Oregon University · $53,873 Northeastern State University · $60,772 Montana State University · $48,131 Southwestern Oklahoma State University · $62,482 Creighton University · $58,094 Toccoa Falls College · $45,488 St. John Fisher University · $61,651 California Baptist University · $55,545 Pepperdine University · $64,388 College of St. Scholastica · $63,389 Shenandoah University · $62,388 Loyola University Chicago · $49,339 University of Indianapolis · $62,780 Mount Mercy University · $55,392 Saint Joseph's College of Maine · $58,564 Messiah University · $48,955 Marywood University · $58,359 Otterbein University · $61,334 Xavier University · $64,681 Oral Roberts University · $56,912 George Washington University · $64,055 Thomas University · $50,700 Marist University · $59,151 Jacksonville University · $57,879 Hofstra University · $39,644 Daemen University · $57,992 Hawaii Pacific University · $51,715 University of New England · $63,783 Maryville University of Saint Louis · $62,762 Roosevelt University · $59,911 Bellevue University · $64,183 University of Florida · $67,982 Florida State University · $57,831 University of Texas at Austin · $54,305 Washington University in St Louis · $65,710 Boston University · $72,342 University of Miami · $64,494 University of California, Berkeley · $70,926 Barnard College · $64,262 Harvard University · $81,501 University of Chicago · $72,195 Columbia University · $79,288 Vanderbilt University · $74,078 Cornell University · $66,928 New York University · $66,507 Swarthmore College · $68,963 Colby College · $68,035 Art & Music: mean $71,266 STEM, Business & Military: mean $62,744 Liberal Arts: mean $55,084 Public University: mean $57,819 Religious University: mean $57,954 Private University: mean $57,434 20–30%: mean $60,039 10–20%: mean $67,547 0–10%: mean $72,187 All colleges: p10 $49,339 All colleges: p90 $68,035
Each dot = a college · y = degree-weighted earnings

Majors in this category

Major Colleges Degrees ▼ Male/Female Intl Earnings Employment
Environmental Policy & Sustainability 184 4,901 38% / 62% 4% $60,034 96%
Sustainability Studies 96 1,159 36% / 64% 3% $59,825 97%
Environmental Science and Policy 20 694 38% / 62% 2% $60,180 95%
Natural Resources/Conservation 19 613 35% / 65% 3% $56,834 95%
Wildlife, Fish and Wildlands Science and Management 11 381 46% / 54% 0% $54,017 95%
Environmental/Natural Resources Management and Policy 8 279 39% / 61% 2% $57,724 95%
Environmental Design 8 251 46% / 54% 1% $61,556 96%
Environmental/Natural Resource Economics 5 243 40% / 60% 17% $64,350 97%
Sustainability 12 172 33% / 67% 4% $62,315 100%
Environmental Economics and Policy 2 137 19% / 81% 7% $63,533 92%
Environmental Science and Management 1 131 31% / 69% 11% $65,045 94%
Human Environmental Sciences 1 96 36% / 64% 2% $65,022 91%
Environmental Policy Analysis and Planning 1 92 33% / 67% 7% $65,045 94%
Natural Resources and Conservation 9 86 58% / 42% 0% $59,999 100%
Earth, Society, and Environmental Sustainability 1 71 44% / 56% 4% $62,959 100%
Environmental and Sustainability Studies 4 65 49% / 51% 18% $60,824 95%
Sustainability, Ecology and Policy 1 49 29% / 71% 0% $54,659 96%
Natural Resources Conservation and Research 3 48 38% / 62% 6% $58,982 97%
Environmental and Urban Studies 1 43 42% / 58% 0% $72,195
Sustainability and the Environment 1 42 21% / 79% 5% $38,547 92%
Environmental Policy and Decision Making 1 28 57% / 43% 0% $55,731 97%
Environmental Analysis & Policy 1 24 25% / 75% 0% $72,342 94%
Environmental Science and Public Policy 1 23 65% / 35% 9% $81,501
Sustainability and the Built Environment 1 23 91% / 9% 0% $84,546 88%
Sustainable Environmental Design 1 21 19% / 81% 5% $64,778
Environmental/Natural Resources Law Enforcement and Protective Services 1 20 85% / 15% 0% $62,482
Sustainability Science 1 20 0% / 100% 0% $62,363
Water, Wetlands, and Marine Resources Management 5 19 53% / 47% 0% $58,687 98%
Natural Resources Conservation 4 16 31% / 69% 0% $58,084 100%
Environmental Studies 1 14 50% / 50% 7% $66,507
Spatial Experience Design 1 13 54% / 46% 85% $71,266 95%
Energy and Environmental Policy 1 7 57% / 43% 0% $54,083
Environmental Policy 1 7 57% / 43% 0% $65,710
Environmental and Natural Resource Economics 1 6 33% / 67% 0% $59,382
Marine Resources Management 1 5 0% / 100% 0% $58,067
Environmental Economics and Management 1 2 0% / 100% 0% $59,840
Natural Resources Planning and Interpretation 1 1 100% / 0% 0% $45,265 100%
Natural Resources Management and Policy 1 0 $92,574