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Ehs specialist education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become an ehs specialist. Ehs specialists usually study business, environmental science, or occupational safety and health. 65% of ehs specialists hold a bachelor's degree, and 16% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 1,001 real ehs specialist resumes to see exactly what ehs specialist education sections show.
The most common colleges for ehs specialists are the Columbia Southern University and the Columbia Southern University.
There are also many online ehs specialist courses to help get the education required to be an ehs specialist.
There are certain ehs specialist certifications that you should consider. These ehs specialist certifications include Certified Safety Professional (CSP) and OSHA Safety Certificate .
What education do you need to become an ehs specialist?
What degree do you need to be an ehs specialist?
- Bachelor's, 65%
- Associate, 16%
- Master's, 15%
- High School Diploma, 2%
- Other Degrees, 2%
What should I major in to become an ehs specialist?
- Business, 15%
- Public Health, 10%
- Other Majors, 50%
Most common colleges for ehs specialists
| Ehs specialist common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Columbia Southern University | 23.42% |
| Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania | 6.96% |
| University of California - Davis | 5.06% |
| University of Phoenix | 5.06% |
| Murray State University | 5.06% |
Best majors for ehs specialists
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Business | 15.2% |
| 2 | Environmental Science | 13.6% |
| 3 | Occupational Safety And Health | 11.4% |
| 4 | Public Health | 10.3% |
| 5 | Biology | 9.7% |
Best colleges for ehs specialists
The best colleges for ehs specialists are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and Duke University.
An ehs specialist with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for ehs specialists. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become ehs specialists.
1. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
2. SUNY at Binghamton
Vestal, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$9,808
Enrollment
13,990
3. San Diego State University
San Diego, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,488
Enrollment
30,018
4. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$55,695
Enrollment
6,596
5. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
6. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Minneapolis, MN • Private
In-state tuition
$14,760
Enrollment
31,451
7. University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$14,184
Enrollment
30,845
8. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
9. Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$18,454
Enrollment
40,108
10. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Enrollment
13,871
20 best online courses for ehs specialists
Advertising disclosure
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How to implement and audit a health & safety management system and obtain certification to OHSAS 18001 Standard...
8. OSHA Safety Training: Heat Stress Management
A Workplace Safety Management Course for Current and Future Safety Professionals...
9. Basic Certificate in Health Safety & Environment-HSE Level 2
A comprehensive course for Safety Officers, Supervisors, Managers and Aspiring Safety Professionals...
10. ISO 22000:2018. Food Safety Management System
Understand the requirements for a food safety management system applicable for any organization in the food chain...
11. NEBOSH FIRE SAFETY
Managing Fire Safety in Workplace...
12. Fire Safety: Become A Fire Safety Expert
Become an expert in Fire Safety, Fire Hazards Control, Fire Evacuation Plans, and Fire Risk Assessment...
13. OSHA Safety Pro: Personal Protective Equipment
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16. Basic Fire Safety Awareness
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17. Food Safety for Managers and Supervisors
The Highfield Food Safety Level 3 syllabus presented in two hours of video tutorials. Boost your food safety knowledge...
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19. Functional Safety for Safety Instrumented Systems
The most complete course available on Functional Safety. 2+ hours of videos, case studies, assignments, & more...
20. Refresher course of Safety Management Systems
A quick overview for aviation managers and safety professionals about basic concepts and philosophy of SMS...
Top 10 most affordable universities for ehs specialists
The most affordable schools for ehs specialists are University of Florida, brooklyn college of the city university of new york, and california state university - long beach.
If the best universities for ehs specialists are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for ehs specialists.
1. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
2. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
3. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
4. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
5. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
6. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
7. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
8. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
9. Lehman College of the City University of New York
Bronx, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,210
Cost of attendance
14,359
10. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for ehs specialists
The hardest universities for ehs specialists to get into are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and Duke University.
Some great schools for ehs specialists are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for ehs specialists based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.
1. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
2. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
3. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
Admissions rate
9%
SAT average
1,516
4. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
5. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
6. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
7. University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, CA • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,448
8. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
9. Yale University
New Haven, CT • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,517
10. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for ehs specialists
The easiest schools for ehs specialists to get into are Curry College, d'youville college, and university of the incarnate word.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an ehs specialist without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for ehs specialists.
1. Curry College
Milton, MA • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,026
2. D'Youville College
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,072
3. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
4. Saint Joseph's College of Maine
Standish, ME • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,069
5. Oregon Institute of Technology
Klamath Falls, OR • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,139
6. University of Houston - Downtown
Houston, TX • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
1,012
7. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
8. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
9. University of Baltimore
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,020
10. Felician University
Lodi, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
999
Average ehs specialist salary by education level
| Ehs specialist education level | Ehs specialist salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $71,762 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $54,156 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $61,314 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $60,194 |
Ehs specialist education FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common healthcare practitioner and technical questions.
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025