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Lead sustainability specialist education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a lead sustainability specialist. Lead sustainability specialists usually study business, environmental science, or accounting. 71% of lead sustainability specialists hold a bachelor's degree, and 19% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 83 real lead sustainability specialist resumes to see exactly what lead sustainability specialist education sections show.
The most common colleges for lead sustainability specialists are the North Carolina State University and the North Carolina State University.
There are also many online lead sustainability specialist courses to help get the education required to be a lead sustainability specialist.
What education do you need to become a lead sustainability specialist?
What degree do you need to be a lead sustainability specialist?
- Bachelor's, 71%
- Master's, 19%
- Associate, 6%
- High School Diploma, 3%
What should I major in to become a lead sustainability specialist?
- Business, 16%
- Accounting, 10%
- Other Majors, 52%
Most common colleges for lead sustainability specialists
| Lead sustainability specialist common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| North Carolina State University | 11.11% |
| Beloit College | 7.41% |
| Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute | 7.41% |
| Central College | 7.41% |
| Pennsylvania State University | 7.41% |
Best majors for lead sustainability specialists
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Business | 16.0% |
| 2 | Environmental Science | 14.0% |
| 3 | Accounting | 10.0% |
| 4 | Electrical Engineering | 8.0% |
| 5 | Biology | 6.0% |
Best colleges for lead sustainability specialists
The best colleges for lead sustainability specialists are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and Duke University.
A lead sustainability 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 lead sustainability 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 lead sustainability specialists.
1. SUNY at Binghamton
Vestal, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$9,808
Enrollment
13,990
2. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
3. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Minneapolis, MN • Private
In-state tuition
$14,760
Enrollment
31,451
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 California, Berkeley
Berkeley, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$14,184
Enrollment
30,845
7. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
8. Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$18,454
Enrollment
40,108
9. University of Louisiana at Lafayette
Lafayette, LA • Private
In-state tuition
$9,912
Enrollment
14,245
10. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
20 best online courses for lead sustainability specialists
Advertising disclosure
1. Sustainable Vikings: Sustainability & Corporate Social Responsibility in Scandinavia
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2. Sustainable Business Enterprises
This course will explore current challenges and opportunities facing firms in the area of environmental sustainability. It will begin with an introduction to sustainability, with a particular focus on how environmental sustainability is relevant to business. Topics such as unsustainable consumption/consumer behavior, market research on sustainable product design , and sustainable value chains and communications will be covered. We will also cover the bottom-up approach in terms of immersion,...
3. Sustainability Reporting with GRI Standards
GRI Sustainability Reporting - Understanding the Standards...
4. Sustainability Management in Business
Everything you need to know about creating sustainable value, ESG and building business resilience...
5. Managing Responsibly: Practicing Sustainability, Responsibility and Ethics
Managers are increasingly confronted with issues of sustainability, responsibility and ethics. Managing responsibly is an integrative approach to sustainability, responsibility and ethics, which allows you as a manager to deal competently with such challenges. This course will facilitate your learning process to engage in changing practices to make them more sustainable, responsible, and ethically informed. We will first introduce the context of the trend towards responsible management...
6. The Sustainability Imperative
In this course, learners begin with a macro-level view of the current state of the world and touch upon topics such as climate change, plastic pollution, social inequity, and the economic systems that got us to where we are today. Learners investigate how such an economy cannot sustain itself and the need for a rapid transition to something different. We define sustainability, the meaning of sustainable development, and the United Nations' Sustainability Goals. Recognizing that change is...
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10. How to Start a Business Sustainably Complete Guide
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13. Operations Management A-Z: Business Processes and Systems
Operations Management: Supply Chain & Business Processes in Industry for Manufacturing and Services Organizations...
14. Lean BPM - Lean Business Process Management Change Skills
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15. Sustainability: Impact, Value (s), Innovation, and Growth
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16. Process Mining with Celonis
Learn and practice how to combine data science and process mapping techniques to visualize processes with real data...
17. Process Flowcharts & Process Mapping - The Advanced Guide
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18. BPMN For Business Analytics A-Z™: Business Process Modeling
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19. Process Flowcharts & Process Mapping - The Beginner's Guide
Use business analysis to model process flows with real-world examples & project-based hands-on activities -IIBA Endorsed...
20. Process Mapping and Flowcharts Certification (Accredited)
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Top 10 most affordable universities for lead sustainability specialists
The most affordable schools for lead sustainability specialists are SUNY Farmingdale, brooklyn college of the city university of new york, and california state university - dominguez hills.
If the best universities for lead sustainability 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 lead sustainability specialists.
1. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
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 - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,942
Cost of attendance
14,469
4. California State University - Bakersfield
Bakersfield, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,309
Cost of attendance
16,714
5. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
6. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-state tuition
$5,620
Cost of attendance
18,136
7. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
8. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
9. Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$5,656
Cost of attendance
21,623
10. Minot State University
Minot, ND • Private
In-state tuition
$7,064
Cost of attendance
15,576
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for lead sustainability specialists
The hardest universities for lead sustainability specialists to get into are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and Duke University.
Some great schools for lead sustainability 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 lead sustainability 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. University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, CA • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,448
7. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions rate
22%
SAT average
1,420
8. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
20%
SAT average
1,419
9. Villanova University
Villanova, PA • Private
Admissions rate
29%
SAT average
1,407
10. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for lead sustainability specialists
The easiest schools for lead sustainability specialists to get into are Wayland Baptist University, curry college, and oklahoma wesleyan university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a lead sustainability 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 lead sustainability specialists.
1. Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX • Private
Admissions rate
98%
SAT average
1,003
2. Curry College
Milton, MA • Private
Admissions rate
93%
SAT average
1,026
3. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
4. Oregon Institute of Technology
Klamath Falls, OR • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,139
5. Saint Joseph's College of Maine
Standish, ME • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,069
6. LIM College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
1,061
7. Fresno Pacific University
Fresno, CA • Private
Admissions rate
85%
SAT average
1,053
8. Thomas More University
Crestview Hills, KY • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
1,099
9. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
994
10. University of Baltimore
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
78%
SAT average
1,020
Average lead sustainability specialist salary by education level
| Lead sustainability specialist education level | Lead sustainability specialist salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $100,716 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $86,212 |
| Doctorate Degree | $104,079 |
| Some College/ Associate Degree | $68,689 |
Lead sustainability specialist education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025