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Environmental inspector education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become an environmental inspector. Environmental inspectors usually study environmental science, biology, or business. 71% of environmental inspectors hold a bachelor's degree, and 10% hold an associate degree. We analyzed 1,025 real environmental inspector resumes to see exactly what environmental inspector education sections show.
The most common colleges for environmental inspectors are the West Virginia University and the West Virginia University.
There are also many online environmental inspector courses to help get the education required to be an environmental inspector.
There are certain environmental inspector certifications that you should consider. These environmental inspector certifications include OSHA Safety Certificate and Certified Stormwater Manager (CSM).
What education do you need to become an environmental inspector?
What degree do you need to be an environmental inspector?
- Bachelor's, 71%
- Associate, 10%
- Master's, 10%
- High School Diploma, 6%
- Other Degrees, 3%
What should I major in to become an environmental inspector?
Most common colleges for environmental inspectors
| Environmental inspector common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| West Virginia University | 14.56% |
| Marshall University | 7.77% |
| Pennsylvania State University | 5.83% |
| Western Kentucky University | 5.83% |
| University of Kentucky | 4.85% |
Best majors for environmental inspectors
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Environmental Science | 27.3% |
| 2 | Biology | 14.1% |
| 3 | Business | 10.9% |
| 4 | Geology | 7.7% |
| 5 | Ecology, Population Biology, And Epidemiology | 4.8% |
Best colleges for environmental inspectors
The best colleges for environmental inspectors are Duke University, Stanford University, and Northwestern University.
An environmental 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 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 inspectors.
1. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$55,695
Enrollment
6,596
2. University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$14,184
Enrollment
30,845
3. SUNY at Binghamton
Vestal, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$9,808
Enrollment
13,990
4. Colby College
Waterville, ME • Private
In-state tuition
$55,210
Enrollment
2,000
5. University of Washington
Seattle, WA • Private
In-state tuition
$11,207
Enrollment
30,905
6. North Carolina State University
Raleigh, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$9,101
Enrollment
23,708
7. University of California - Davis
Davis, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$14,402
Enrollment
30,698
8. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Minneapolis, MN • Private
In-state tuition
$14,760
Enrollment
31,451
9. Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$18,454
Enrollment
40,108
10. SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry
Syracuse, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,874
Enrollment
1,819
20 best online courses for environmental inspectors
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1. 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...
2. 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...
3. ISO 14001:2015 Environmental management system
Understand the requirements for an environmental management system according to ISO 14001:2015...
4. Air Dispersion Modeling for Environmental Management
Environmental management with AERMOD Air Pollution Model by EPA...
5. 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...
6. Geospatial and Environmental Analysis
Apply your GIS knowledge in this course on geospatial analysis, focusing on analysis tools, 3D data, working with rasters, projections, and environment variables. Through all four weeks of this course, we'll work through a project together - something unique to this course - from project conception, through data retrieval, initial data management and processing, and finally to our analysis products. In this class you will learn the fundamentals of geospatial and environmental analysis during...
7. The A to Z of ESG - Environmental & Social Governance
A Perspective for Businesses on How to Manage ESG - Why it matters to Financial Performance and to the Economy...
8. Certified Global ESG Professional (Associate Level)
Learn Environmental Social Governance (ESG) Fundamentals, ESG Factors , Reporting and Valuation of ESG & Initiatives...
9. Women in environmental biology
Have you ever wondered how humans relate to other living beings and what do you need to know to be able to understand current environmental problems? Do you know that many of these researches and knowledge have been described by women? This course gives answers to these questions and it is addressed to anyone interested in the relationship between humans and other living beings, as well as all those concerned about the global change situation that the planet is suffering. We will learn key...
10. Analyzing Macro-Environmental Factors Using Creately
By the end of this 2 hour-long guided project, you will be fluent in identifying and analyzing business markets and how to discover their attractiveness to new products and services. This project is designed to engage and harness your visionary and exploratory abilities. You will be using proven models in competitive strategy and the program Creately to explore and analyze these models. This is an important step for individuals or companies wanting to explore new markets for products or...
11. Renewable Energy and Sustainable Development
Environmental Issues...
12. Environmental sustainability in Maritime transport Industry
A course dedicated to Marine life and Marine Ecosystem...
13. Climate Change and Water in Mountains: A Global Concern
What is climate change ? How are mountain regions affected by the evolution of water resources and their uses ? What kind of risks need to be considered ? Mountains are recognized as particularly sensitive physical environments where intense and rapid changes have in the past, and may increasingly in the future, place pressure on their resource base. In this context, a team of roughly 100 experts worked from 2008 to 2013 for the European ACQWA project (www.acqwa.ch) which was coordinated by the...
14. Compliance Training for Employees
Compliance: a simple, comprehensive and effective way to protect your company!...
15. Sustainability Reporting with GRI Standards
GRI Sustainability Reporting - Understanding the Standards...
16. AML Compliance in Practice: Suspicious Activity Reports
Learn the Fundamentals of SAR Filing in Anti-Money Laundering Compliance/KYC & How to write a stellar SAR Narrative!...
17. Water Treatment Process Design
design water treatment& RO/NF plants, sand& multimedia filter, iron& manganese removal filter, Ion exchange DI& softener...
18. Introduction to Compliance Risk Management CRM
Compliance risk management CRM for Compliance, Risk Management, Internal Audit and IS Security Professionals...
19. HIPAA Compliance Complete Course
Protecting Patients and Practices...
20. Sustainability Management in Business
Everything you need to know about creating sustainable value, ESG and building business resilience...
Top 10 most affordable universities for environmental inspectors
The most affordable schools for environmental inspectors are Brooklyn College of the City University of New York, brigham young university, and university of washington.
If the best universities for environmental 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 inspectors.
1. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,240
Cost of attendance
13,991
2. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
3. University of Washington
Seattle, WA • Private
In-state tuition
$11,207
Cost of attendance
25,275
4. Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN • Private
In-state tuition
$9,992
Cost of attendance
22,430
5. Hunter College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,182
Cost of attendance
13,998
6. University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$14,184
Cost of attendance
36,739
7. North Carolina State University
Raleigh, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$9,101
Cost of attendance
23,600
8. Minot State University
Minot, ND • Private
In-state tuition
$7,064
Cost of attendance
15,576
9. Queens College of the City University of New York
Queens, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$7,338
Cost of attendance
14,281
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 inspectors
The hardest universities for environmental inspectors to get into are Duke University, Stanford University, and Northwestern University.
Some great schools for environmental 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 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. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
Admissions rate
9%
SAT average
1,516
2. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions rate
4%
SAT average
1,497
3. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions rate
8%
SAT average
1,508
4. University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, CA • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,448
5. Colby College
Waterville, ME • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,437
6. Amherst College
Amherst, MA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,449
7. Swarthmore College
Swarthmore, PA • Private
Admissions rate
9%
SAT average
1,465
8. University of Rochester
Rochester, NY • Private
Admissions rate
29%
SAT average
1,422
9. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
10. Hamilton College
Clinton, NY • Private
Admissions rate
21%
SAT average
1,446
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for environmental inspectors
The easiest schools for environmental inspectors to get into are Saint Joseph's College of Maine, thomas more university, and curry college.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as an environmental 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 inspectors.
1. Saint Joseph's College of Maine
Standish, ME • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,069
2. Thomas More University
Crestview Hills, KY • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
1,099
3. Curry College
Milton, MA • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,026
4. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
5. Linfield College
McMinnville, OR • Private
Admissions rate
81%
SAT average
1,117
6. Oregon Institute of Technology
Klamath Falls, OR • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,139
7. Clarke University
Dubuque, IA • Private
Admissions rate
82%
SAT average
1,058
8. Cardinal Stritch University
Milwaukee, WI • Private
Admissions rate
71%
SAT average
1,035
9. University of the Incarnate Word
San Antonio, TX • Private
Admissions rate
88%
SAT average
1,044
10. Lubbock Christian University
Lubbock, TX • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
1,094
Average environmental inspector salary by education level
| Environmental inspector education level | Environmental inspector salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $51,492 |
| High School Diploma or Less | $37,792 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $46,216 |
| Doctorate Degree | $58,106 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $39,991 |
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025