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Senior environmental scientist education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a senior environmental scientist. Senior environmental scientists usually study environmental science, biology, or geology. 75% of senior environmental scientists hold a bachelor's degree, and 16% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 953 real senior environmental scientist resumes to see exactly what senior environmental scientist education sections show.

The most common colleges for senior environmental scientists are the Texas A&M; University and the Texas A&M; University.

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

There are certain senior environmental scientist certifications that you should consider. These senior environmental scientist certifications include Professional Wetland Scientist (PWS) and OSHA Safety Certificate .

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

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

The most common degree for senior environmental scientists is bachelor's degree, with 75% of senior environmental scientists earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 16% and master's degree degree at 5%.
  • Bachelor's, 75%
  • Master's, 16%
  • Associate, 5%
  • Doctorate, 2%
  • Other Degrees, 2%

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

You should major in environmental science to become a senior environmental scientist. 27% of senior environmental scientists major in environmental science. Other common majors for a senior environmental scientist include biology and geology.

Most common colleges for senior environmental scientists

Senior environmental scientists often get their degrees at Texas A&M; University, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, and University of Florida. Here are the most common colleges for senior environmental scientists in the US based on their resumes.
Senior environmental scientist common collegePercentages
Texas A&M University10.39%
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey7.79%
University of Florida6.49%
Pennsylvania State University6.49%
University of South Florida5.84%

Best majors for senior environmental scientists

Best colleges for senior environmental scientists

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

A senior 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 senior 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 senior environmental scientists.

1. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

2. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

3. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Enrollment

18,946

4. University of California, Berkeley

Berkeley, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$14,184

Enrollment

30,845

5. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$55,695

Enrollment

6,596

6. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$59,430

Enrollment

8,216

7. University of California - Davis

Davis, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$14,402

Enrollment

30,698

8. SUNY Stony Brook

Stony Brook, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,625

Enrollment

17,407

9. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI • Private

In-state tuition

$15,262

Enrollment

30,079

10. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

20 best online courses for senior environmental scientists

Advertising disclosure

1. 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...

2. Introduction to Environmental Science

coursera

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. Air Dispersion Modeling for Environmental Management

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4.4
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Environmental management with AERMOD Air Pollution Model by EPA...

4. ISO 14001:2015 Environmental management system

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4.4
(4,224)

Understand the requirements for an environmental management system according to ISO 14001:2015...

5. 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...

6. Human Health Risks, Health Equity, and Environmental Justice

coursera

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...

7. Introduction to Compliance Risk Management CRM

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Compliance risk management CRM for Compliance, Risk Management, Internal Audit and IS Security Professionals...

8. Quality Management Systems:Management and Control of Quality

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Learn to Build, Implement, and Sustain a Performance Excellence Culture into Your Organisation...

9. Women in environmental biology

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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. Regulatory Compliance

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Every organization faces a myriad of risks that can threaten its operations, reputation, and bottom line. A robust, effective compliance program can make the difference between companies that successfully navigate those risks, and those that become cautionary tales.\n\nThis specialization will introduce the essential elements of effective organizational compliance by exploring the concepts, considerations, and strategies for assessing risks and managing the compliance function. You will learn...

11. Quality Management for Business Excellence

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4.5
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Lead Quality Management in the Organization • Transform the Organization to Become the Best-in-Class...

12. Quality Systems, Models and Theories

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4.1
(251)

Understand, Develop and Implement Quality Systems for Success and Profit...

13. Certified Manager of Quality Training

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4.5
(700)

Certified Manager of Quality and Organizational Excellence (CMQ/OE) Exam Preparation Course...

14. ISO9001 Quality Management System

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4.4
(318)

Learn why your business should be using Quality Management TODAY and create your own QMS (Quality Management System)...

15. Compliance Training for Employees

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4.6
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Compliance: a simple, comprehensive and effective way to protect your company!...

16. Kaizen Practitioner Masterclass for Quality Management.

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4.5
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Structured Approach to identify and Eliminate waste in Business for Continuous Improvement & Quality Management...

17. ISO 9001:2015 Quality management system auditor

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Upgrade your career by learning how to implement and audit a quality management system according to ISO 9001...

18. 7 Quality Tools for Quality Management and Improvements.

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A complete Crash Course on the 7 Basic Tools for Quality Management and its Implementation using MS Excel...

19. Environmental sustainability in Maritime transport Industry

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A course dedicated to Marine life and Marine Ecosystem...

20. ISO 9001:2015-Quality Management System Implementation & Audit

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4.2
(707)

Learn how to Implement and Audit a Quality Management System as per ISO 9001: 2015...

Top 10 most affordable universities for senior environmental scientists

The most affordable schools for senior environmental scientists are University of Florida, hunter college of the city university of new york, and brooklyn college of the city university of new york.

If the best universities for senior 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 senior environmental scientists.

1. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

2. Hunter College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,182

Cost of attendance

13,998

3. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York

Brooklyn, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,240

Cost of attendance

13,991

4. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

5. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

6. 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

7. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

8. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Cost of attendance

25,527

9. Queens College of the City University of New York

Queens, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,338

Cost of attendance

14,281

10. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for senior environmental scientists

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

Some great schools for senior 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 senior 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. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

2. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,512

3. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

Admissions rate

9%

SAT average

1,516

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. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

7. Harvard University

Cambridge, MA • Private

Admissions rate

5%

SAT average

1,520

8. Yale University

New Haven, CT • Private

Admissions rate

6%

SAT average

1,517

9. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

10. Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN • Private

Admissions rate

10%

SAT average

1,514

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

The easiest schools for senior environmental scientists to get into are Barry University, d'youville college, and university of the incarnate word.

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

1. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

2. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,072

3. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

4. Wayland Baptist University

Plainview, TX • Private

Admissions rate

98%

SAT average

1,003

5. Curry College

Milton, MA • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

1,026

6. Saint Joseph's College of Maine

Standish, ME • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,069

7. Cardinal Stritch University

Milwaukee, WI • Private

Admissions rate

71%

SAT average

1,035

8. Ursuline College

Pepper Pike, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

1,102

9. San Francisco State University

San Francisco, CA • Private

Admissions rate

72%

SAT average

1,054

10. Fresno Pacific University

Fresno, CA • Private

Admissions rate

85%

SAT average

1,053

Average senior environmental scientist salary by education level

According to our data, senior environmental scientists with a Master's degree earn the highest average salary, at $91,464 annually. Senior environmental scientists with a Bachelor's degree earn an average annual salary of $83,877.
Senior environmental scientist education levelSenior environmental scientist salary
Master's Degree$91,464
Bachelor's Degree$83,877

Senior 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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