Sustainability specialist education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a sustainability specialist. Sustainability specialists usually study business, environmental science, or sustainability. 55% of sustainability specialists hold a bachelor's degree, and 16% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 300 real sustainability specialist resumes to see exactly what sustainability specialist education sections show.

The most common colleges for sustainability specialists are the University of South Florida and the University of South Florida.

There are also many online sustainability specialist courses to help get the education required to be a sustainability specialist.

What education do you need to become a sustainability specialist?

What degree do you need to be a sustainability specialist?

The most common degree for sustainability specialists is bachelor's degree, with 55% of sustainability specialists earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 16% and master's degree degree at 16%.

Bachelor's, 55%

Master's, 16%

Associate, 16%

High School Diploma, 6%

Other Degrees, 7%

What should I major in to become a sustainability specialist?

You should major in business to become a sustainability specialist. 24% of sustainability specialists major in business. Other common majors for a sustainability specialist include environmental science and sustainability.

Business, 24%

Environmental Science, 14%

Sustainability, 7%

Psychology, 5%

Other Majors, 50%

Most common colleges for sustainability specialists

Sustainability specialists often get their degrees at University of South Florida, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, and University of Wisconsin Colleges. Here are the most common colleges for sustainability specialists in the US based on their resumes.

Sustainability specialist common college	Percentages
University of South Florida	11.76%
University of North Carolina at Greensboro	7.84%
University of Wisconsin Colleges	5.88%
Naropa University	5.88%
University of Colorado at Boulder	5.88%

Show more common sustainability specialist colleges

Best majors for sustainability specialists

Rank	Major	Percentages
1	Business	24.1%
2	Environmental Science	14.3%
3	Sustainability	6.8%
4	Psychology	5.3%
5	Criminal Justice	5.3%

Show more common sustainability specialist majors

Best colleges for sustainability specialists

The best colleges for sustainability specialists are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Stanford University.

A 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 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 sustainability specialists.

1. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

2. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

3. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

4. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

5. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$55,695

Enrollment

6,596

6. SUNY at Binghamton

Vestal, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,808

Enrollment

13,990

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. New York University

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$51,828

Enrollment

26,339

10. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$14,760

Enrollment

31,451

20 best online courses for sustainability specialists

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Top 10 most affordable universities for sustainability specialists

The most affordable schools for sustainability specialists are University of Florida, brooklyn college of the city university of new york, and suny farmingdale.

If the best universities for 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 sustainability specialists.

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. SUNY Farmingdale

Farmingdale, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$8,306

Cost of attendance

16,091

4. 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

5. University of South Florida

Tampa, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,410

Cost of attendance

20,456

6. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

7. California State University - Bakersfield

Bakersfield, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,309

Cost of attendance

16,714

8. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

9. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

10. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Cost of attendance

25,527

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for sustainability specialists

The hardest universities for sustainability specialists to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Stanford University.

Some great schools for 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 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. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,508

2. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,492

3. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,497

4. Duke University

Durham, NC • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,516

5. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA • Private

Admissions rate

17%

SAT average

1,507

6. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

7. Columbia University in the City of New York

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

SAT average

1,512

8. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

9. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

10. University of California, Berkeley

Berkeley, CA • Private

Admissions rate

15%

SAT average

1,448

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for sustainability specialists

The easiest schools for 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 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 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. Fresno Pacific University

Fresno, CA • Private

Admissions rate

85%

SAT average

1,053

6. Saint Joseph's College of Maine

Standish, ME • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,069

7. LIM College

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

83%

SAT average

1,061

8. Thomas More University

Crestview Hills, KY • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

1,099

9. Ursuline College

Pepper Pike, OH • Private

Admissions rate

90%

SAT average

1,102

10. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

Average sustainability specialist salary by education level

According to our data, sustainability specialists with a Doctorate degree earn the highest average salary, at $65,849 annually. Sustainability specialists with a Master's degree earn an average annual salary of $63,717.

Sustainability specialist education level	Sustainability specialist salary
Master's Degree	$63,717
Bachelor's Degree	$54,524
Doctorate Degree	$65,849
Some College/ Associate Degree	$43,421

Sustainability specialist education FAQs

What is the best college for Sustainability Specialists?

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Search for sustainability specialist jobs

Updated January 8, 2025

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.

Updated January 8, 2025

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