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Environmental engineer/scientist education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become an environmental engineer/scientist. Environmental engineers/scientist usually study environmental science, biology, or civil engineering. 78% of environmental engineers/scientist hold a bachelor's degree, and 15% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 97 real environmental engineer/scientist resumes to see exactly what environmental engineer/scientist education sections show.
The most common colleges for environmental engineers/scientist are the Appalachian State University and the Appalachian State University.
There are also many online environmental engineer/scientist courses to help get the education required to be an environmental engineer/scientist.
What education do you need to become an environmental engineer/scientist?
What degree do you need to be an environmental engineer/scientist?
- Bachelor's, 78%
- Master's, 15%
- Doctorate, 4%
- Associate, 4%
What should I major in to become an environmental engineer/scientist?
- Biology, 12%
- Civil Engineering, 12%
- Chemistry, 9%
- Other Majors, 43%
Most common colleges for environmental engineers/scientist
| Environmental engineer/scientist common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| Appalachian State University | 8.33% |
| Texas A&M University | 8.33% |
| Eastern Michigan University | 5.56% |
| University of Washington | 5.56% |
| Washington State University | 5.56% |
Best majors for environmental engineers/scientist
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Environmental Science | 24.4% |
| 2 | Biology | 11.5% |
| 3 | Civil Engineering | 11.5% |
| 4 | Chemistry | 9.0% |
| 5 | Chemical Engineering | 7.7% |
Best colleges for environmental engineers/scientist
The best colleges for environmental engineers/scientist are Stanford University, Columbia University in the City of New York, and Northwestern University.
An environmental engineer/scientist 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 engineers/scientist. 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 engineers/scientist.
1. University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$14,184
Enrollment
30,845
2. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
3. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
4. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$55,188
Enrollment
15,105
5. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
In-state tuition
$53,740
Enrollment
5,567
6. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$59,430
Enrollment
8,216
7. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Minneapolis, MN • Private
In-state tuition
$14,760
Enrollment
31,451
8. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Enrollment
34,564
9. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cambridge, MA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,832
Enrollment
4,550
10. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
20 best online courses for environmental engineers/scientist
Advertising disclosure
1. Municipal Solid Waste Management in Developing Countries
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2. Environmental Science
The Introduction to Environmental Science course explores the field of environmental science and encourages participants to understand how environmental scientists think. It addresses some important questions such as: 1. What is the difference between environmental science and environmental studies? 2. How do both differ from environmentalism? 3. Why is energy so important in environmental science? 4. What do you mean by biodiversity? You will also explore what global cycles are and how they...
3. ISO 14001:2015 Environmental management system
Understand the requirements for an environmental management system according to ISO 14001:2015...
4. Solid Waste Mangement
A primer on the best practices for managing solid waste...
5. Introduction to Environmental Science
To understand current environmental problems, we need to consider physical, biological & chemical processes that are often the basis of those problems. This course will give you the skills necessary to address the environmental issues we are facing today by examining scientific principles and the application of those principles to natural systems. This course surveys some of the many environmental science topics at an introductory level, ultimately considering the sustainability of human...
6. Human Health Risks, Health Equity, and Environmental Justice
The fourth and final course of the Impacts of the Environment on Global Public Health specialization will cover two topics. The first is environmental justice – that is, avoiding an inequitable distribution of environmental health threats in our population, and ensuring a healthy and safe environment and health equity for all. The second is risk assessment and management, a framework that can be utilized to assess and quantify human health risks, and to identify appropriate approaches to...
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Environmental management with AERMOD Air Pollution Model by EPA...
8. Lean Management: Reduce waste and boost efficiency
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10. Project Management: Master Project Management - PMP/PMI
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15. Mastering Construction/Project Management
Mastering Construction-Project Management in less than 10 Hours...
16. Project Management: Becoming a Successful Project manager
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17. Project Management Fundamentals
Practical Project Management worked example using Gantt Charts, PMI, PMP, APM...
18. Project Management Essentials
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19. Project Management Training
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20. Project Management Essentials: Ace Your Next Project!
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Top 10 most affordable universities for environmental engineers/scientist
The most affordable schools for environmental engineers/scientist are University of Florida, california state university - long beach, and new mexico institute of mining and technology.
If the best universities for environmental engineers/scientist 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 engineers/scientist.
1. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
2. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
3. New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology
Socorro, NM • Private
In-state tuition
$7,770
Cost of attendance
21,244
4. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
5. City College of New York of the City University of New York, The
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,140
Cost of attendance
14,430
6. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
7. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
8. California State University - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,886
Cost of attendance
17,645
9. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
10. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for environmental engineers/scientist
The hardest universities for environmental engineers/scientist to get into are Stanford University, Columbia University in the City of New York, and Northwestern University.
Some great schools for environmental engineers/scientist 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 engineers/scientist 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. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
3. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
4. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
5. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
7%
SAT average
1,545
6. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
7. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,492
8. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,471
9. Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN • Private
Admissions rate
10%
SAT average
1,514
10. Harvard University
Cambridge, MA • Private
Admissions rate
5%
SAT average
1,520
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for environmental engineers/scientist
The easiest schools for environmental engineers/scientist to get into are Wayland Baptist University, texas a&m; university - kingsville, and curry college.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an environmental engineer/scientist 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 engineers/scientist.
1. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
2. Texas A&M University - Kingsville
Kingsville, TX • Private
Admissions rate
89%
SAT average
1,035
3. Curry College
Milton, MA • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,026
4. Barry University
Miami, FL • Private
Admissions rate
91%
SAT average
1,006
5. Cardinal Stritch University
Milwaukee, WI • Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,035
6. William Paterson University of New Jersey
Wayne, NJ • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
994
7. The University of Texas at El Paso
El Paso, TX • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,035
8. AdventHealth University
Orlando, FL • Private
Admissions rate
87%
SAT average
1,016
9. Oregon Institute of Technology
Klamath Falls, OR • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,139
10. San Francisco State University
San Francisco, CA • Private
Admissions rate
72%
SAT average
1,054
Average environmental engineer/scientist salary by education level
| Environmental engineer/scientist education level | Environmental engineer/scientist salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $81,349 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $78,769 |
Environmental engineer/scientist education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025