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Environmental compliance inspector education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become an environmental compliance inspector. Environmental compliance inspectors usually study business, biology, or criminal justice. 58% of environmental compliance inspectors hold a bachelor's degree, and 20% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 389 real environmental compliance inspector resumes to see exactly what environmental compliance inspector education sections show.

The most common colleges for environmental compliance inspectors are the University of New Hampshire and the University of New Hampshire.

There are also many online environmental compliance inspector courses to help get the education required to be an environmental compliance inspector.

There are certain environmental compliance inspector certifications that you should consider. These environmental compliance inspector certifications include OSHA Safety Certificate and Certified Stormwater Manager (CSM).

What education do you need to become an environmental compliance inspector?

What degree do you need to be an environmental compliance inspector?

The most common degree for environmental compliance inspectors is bachelor's degree, with 58% of environmental compliance inspectors earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are associate degree degree at 20% and associate degree degree at 9%.
  • Bachelor's, 58%
  • Associate, 20%
  • Master's, 9%
  • High School Diploma, 8%
  • Other Degrees, 5%

What should I major in to become an environmental compliance inspector?

You should major in business to become an environmental compliance inspector. 18% of environmental compliance inspectors major in business. Other common majors for an environmental compliance inspector include biology and criminal justice.

Most common colleges for environmental compliance inspectors

Environmental compliance inspectors often get their degrees at University of New Hampshire, California State University - Fresno, and DeVry University. Here are the most common colleges for environmental compliance inspectors in the US based on their resumes.
Environmental compliance inspector common collegePercentages
University of New Hampshire6.52%
California State University - Fresno6.52%
DeVry University6.52%
University of California, Santa Barbara6.52%
University of Phoenix6.52%

Best majors for environmental compliance inspectors

RankMajorPercentages
1Business18.2%
2Biology11.9%
3Criminal Justice9.1%
4Environmental Science7.7%
5Management5.6%

Best colleges for environmental compliance inspectors

The best colleges for environmental compliance inspectors are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and University of Pennsylvania.

An environmental compliance inspector with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for environmental compliance inspectors. 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 environmental compliance inspectors.

1. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

2. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

3. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

4. Maine Maritime Academy

Castine, ME • Private

In-state tuition

$13,478

Enrollment

979

5. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

6. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Enrollment

9,142

7. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,808

Enrollment

13,990

8. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,308

Enrollment

6,819

9. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,488

Enrollment

30,018

10. Bentley University

Waltham, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$49,880

Enrollment

4,177

20 best online courses for environmental compliance inspectors

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4. Introduction to Compliance Risk Management CRM

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5. GST - Undertaking compliances

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Similar to any other tax system, compliances form the backbone of GST. GST compliances are primarily two-fold: registration and return filing. In this course, you will learn when to obtain registration, where to obtain it ,and the procedure to obtain registration. Thereafter, you will learn about the different returns under GST and the process of filing such returns along with the details required to be furnished. This course provides a platform for learners planning to launch their careers in...

6. Cybersecurity Management and Compliance

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In this course, you’ll learn about data and record management, Information security, standards and policy formation, and implementation. You’ll also explore cloud adoption frameworks and regulatory compliance frameworks. This course will take you one step closer to the Microsoft Cybersecurity Analyst Professional Certificate, which requires no degree or prior experience. After completing this course, you'll be able to: • Explain the principles of cloud security planning • Identify security...

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11. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) Compliance

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12. ISO 14001:2015 Environmental management system

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15. Electrical, Electronics and PCB Design Safety & Compliance

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Learn the most important aspects and methods for designing safe electrical and electronics products and applications...

16. Air Dispersion Modeling for Environmental Management

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17. 3-in-1 Banking, Banking Risk and Compliance Masterclass

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18. PCI DSS Standard and Compliance Online Training

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Top 10 most affordable universities for environmental compliance inspectors

The most affordable schools for environmental compliance inspectors are SUNY Farmingdale, california state university - bakersfield, and baruch college of the city university of new york.

If the best universities for environmental compliance inspectors 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 environmental compliance inspectors.

1. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

2. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

3. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

4. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

5. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

6. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

7. SUNY Polytechnic Institute

Utica, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,238

Cost of attendance

21,567

8. USF Sarasota-Manatee

Sarasota, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,587

Cost of attendance

13,043

9. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,488

Cost of attendance

22,990

10. Clayton State University

Morrow, GA • Private

In-state tuition

$5,419

Cost of attendance

17,697

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for environmental compliance inspectors

The hardest universities for environmental compliance inspectors to get into are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and University of Pennsylvania.

Some great schools for environmental compliance inspectors 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 environmental compliance inspectors 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. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

4. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

5. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

6. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

7. Villanova University

Villanova, PA • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,407

8. Bentley University

Waltham, MA • Private

Admissions rate

43%

SAT average

1,338

9. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

Admissions rate

40%

SAT average

1,376

10. Brandeis University

Waltham, MA • Private

Admissions rate

31%

SAT average

1,398

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for environmental compliance inspectors

The easiest schools for environmental compliance inspectors to get into are Oklahoma Wesleyan University, notre dame de namur university, and holy names university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an environmental compliance inspector 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 environmental compliance inspectors.

1. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

2. Notre Dame de Namur University

Belmont, CA • Private

Admissions rate

82%

SAT average

983

3. Holy Names University

Oakland, CA • Private

Admissions rate

70%

SAT average

849

4. Notre Dame College

Cleveland, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

994

5. LIM College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

1,061

6. Nyack College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

999

7. Life University

Marietta, GA • Private

Admissions rate

94%

SAT average

979

8. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,072

9. Presentation College

Aberdeen, SD • Private

Admissions rate

97%

SAT average

1,050

10. Oregon Institute of Technology

Klamath Falls, OR • Private

Admissions rate

96%

SAT average

1,139

Average environmental compliance inspector salary by education level

According to our data, environmental compliance inspectors with a Doctorate degree earn the highest average salary, at $68,923 annually. Environmental compliance inspectors with a Master's degree earn an average annual salary of $60,938.
Environmental compliance inspector education levelEnvironmental compliance inspector salary
Master's Degree$60,938
High School Diploma or Less$44,464
Bachelor's Degree$54,583
Doctorate Degree$68,923
Some College/ Associate Degree$47,101

Environmental compliance inspector education FAQs

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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