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Junior environmental scientist education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a junior environmental scientist. Junior environmental scientists usually study environmental science, geology, or biology. 93% of junior environmental scientists hold a bachelor's degree, and 5% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 53 real junior environmental scientist resumes to see exactly what junior environmental scientist education sections show.

The most common colleges for junior environmental scientists are the Purdue University and the Purdue University.

There are also many online junior environmental scientist courses to help get the education required to be a junior environmental scientist.

What education do you need to become a junior environmental scientist?

What degree do you need to be a junior environmental scientist?

The most common degree for junior environmental scientists is bachelor's degree, with 93% of junior environmental scientists earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 5% and master's degree degree at 2%.
  • Bachelor's, 93%
  • Master's, 5%
  • Associate, 2%

What should I major in to become a junior environmental scientist?

You should major in environmental science to become a junior environmental scientist. 44% of junior environmental scientists major in environmental science. Other common majors for a junior environmental scientist include geology and biology.

Most common colleges for junior environmental scientists

Junior environmental scientists often get their degrees at Purdue University, Drexel University, and University of California, Santa Barbara. Here are the most common colleges for junior environmental scientists in the US based on their resumes.
Junior environmental scientist common collegePercentages
Purdue University7.69%
Drexel University7.69%
University of California, Santa Barbara7.69%
University of Akron7.69%
University of Pittsburgh7.69%

Best majors for junior environmental scientists

RankMajorPercentages
1Environmental Science44.4%
2Geology15.6%
3Biology11.1%
4Political Science4.4%
5Geography4.4%

Best colleges for junior environmental scientists

The best colleges for junior environmental scientists are Duke University, University of Pennsylvania, and Columbia University in the City of New York.

A junior environmental 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 junior environmental scientists. 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 junior environmental scientists.

1. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Enrollment

18,946

2. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$55,695

Enrollment

6,596

3. University of California - Davis

Davis, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$14,402

Enrollment

30,698

4. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

5. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

6. University of California, Berkeley

Berkeley, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$14,184

Enrollment

30,845

7. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$59,430

Enrollment

8,216

8. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$15,262

Enrollment

30,079

9. Yale University

New Haven, CT • Private

In-state tuition

$53,430

Enrollment

5,963

10. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

20 best online courses for junior environmental scientists

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1. Geospatial and Environmental Analysis

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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...

2. Environmental Science

coursera

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. Core Spatial Data Analysis: Introductory GIS with R and QGIS

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Become Proficient In Spatial Data Analysis Using R & QGIS By Working On A Real Project - Get A Job In Spatial Data!...

4. Essential Non Technical Skills of Effective Data Scientists

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4.4
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Boost your Data Science Career by developing these crucial Non Technical Skills & become a Successful Data Scientist...

5. Introduction to Environmental Science

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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. Sustainable Urban Water Systems

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The MOOC “Sustainable Urban Water Systems” aims to provide knowledge about modern and sustainable solutions for urban water management in water-sensitive cities. The focus is on stormwater control and water supply strategies for the mitigation of effects on the water cycles due to human settlements and climate change. In particular, the integration of Nature-based Solutions (NbS) into urban drainage systems, the use of alternative water resources, and the reduction of losses and waste, make...

7. Design of Water Treatment Systems for Beginners

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Learn how to fully design a water treatment system for small to medium scale projects...

8. Water Treatment Process Design

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design water treatment& RO/NF plants, sand& multimedia filter, iron& manganese removal filter, Ion exchange DI& softener...

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11. Risk Management: Hazard Identification & Risk Assessment

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Risk Management: Hazard Identification & Risk Assessment (HIRA), Hazard Control & Mitigation, Risk Evaluation Techniques...

12. Statistics / Data Analysis in SPSS: Inferential Statistics

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Increase Your Data Analytic Skills – Highly Valued And Sought After By Employers...

13. Fundamentals of Data Analysis for Big Data

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This course prepares participants to begin running data analysis on databases...

14. Regression Analysis / Data Analytics in Regression

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Gain Important and Highly Marketable Skills in Regression Analysis - Tame the Regression Beast Today!...

15. SQL Server Analysis Services - SSAS, Data Mining & Analytics

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Develop SSAS cubes from data warehouse on Multidimensional & Tabular modes with Dimensional & Data Mining Models...

16. Python Data Analysis & Visualization Bootcamp

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Financial Data Analysis and Visualization with Python: The High Quality Study kit...

17. Essential Statistics for Data Analysis

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Learn statistics with fun, real-world projects; probability distributions, hypothesis tests, regression analysis & more!...

18. Statistics for Data Science and Business Analysis

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Statistics you need in the office: Descriptive & Inferential statistics, Hypothesis testing, Regression analysis...

19. Statistics for Data Analysis Using R

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Learn Programming in R & R Studio • Descriptive, Inferential Statistics • Plots for Data Visualization • Data Science...

20. Data Analysis with Pandas and Python

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Analyze data quickly and easily with Python's powerful pandas library! All datasets included --- beginners welcome!...

Top 10 most affordable universities for junior environmental scientists

The most affordable schools for junior environmental scientists are University of Florida, brooklyn college of the city university of new york, and california state university - long beach.

If the best universities for junior environmental scientists 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 junior environmental scientists.

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. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

5. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

6. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

7. Hunter College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,182

Cost of attendance

13,998

8. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

9. 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

10. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for junior environmental scientists

The hardest universities for junior environmental scientists to get into are Duke University, University of Pennsylvania, and Columbia University in the City of New York.

Some great schools for junior environmental scientists 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 junior environmental scientists 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. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

3. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,512

4. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

5. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

6. Yale University

New Haven, CT • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,517

7. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

5%

SAT average

1,520

8. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

9. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

10. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for junior environmental scientists

The easiest schools for junior environmental scientists to get into are Wayland Baptist University, barry university, and d'youville college.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a junior environmental 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 junior environmental scientists.

1. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

2. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

3. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,072

4. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

5. San Francisco State University

San Francisco, CA • Private

Admissions rate

72%

SAT average

1,054

6. Curry College

Milton, MA • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,026

7. Saint Joseph's College of Maine

Standish, ME • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,069

8. University of Houston - Downtown

Houston, TX • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

1,012

9. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

10. William Paterson University of New Jersey

Wayne, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

994

Average junior environmental scientist salary by education level

According to our data, junior environmental scientists with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $101,382 annually. Junior environmental scientists with a Bachelor's degree earn an average annual salary of $90,351.
Junior environmental scientist education levelJunior environmental scientist salary
Master's Degree$101,382
Bachelor's Degree$90,351

Junior environmental scientist 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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