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Waste management specialist education requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a waste management specialist. Waste management specialists usually study environmental science, business, or biology. 61% of waste management specialists hold a bachelor's degree, and 15% hold an high school diploma. We analyzed 436 real waste management specialist resumes to see exactly what waste management specialist education sections show.
The most common colleges for waste management specialists are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.
There are also many online waste management specialist courses to help get the education required to be a waste management specialist.
What education do you need to become a waste management specialist?
What degree do you need to be a waste management specialist?
- Bachelor's, 61%
- High School Diploma, 15%
- Associate, 11%
- Master's, 6%
- Other Degrees, 7%
What should I major in to become a waste management specialist?
Most common colleges for waste management specialists
| Waste management specialist common college | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Phoenix | 15.25% |
| Washington State University | 6.78% |
| Ohio State University | 6.78% |
| University of California, Santa Barbara | 6.78% |
| Aquinas College | 5.08% |
Best majors for waste management specialists
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Environmental Science | 18.3% |
| 2 | Business | 14.7% |
| 3 | Biology | 12.7% |
| 4 | Geology | 7.1% |
| 5 | Chemistry | 6.1% |
Best colleges for waste management specialists
The best colleges for waste management specialists are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and Duke University.
A waste management 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 waste management 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 waste management specialists.
1. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$51,354
Enrollment
7,083
2. University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$14,184
Enrollment
30,845
3. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-state tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
4. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
Minneapolis, MN • Private
In-state tuition
$14,760
Enrollment
31,451
5. Duke University
Durham, NC • Private
In-state tuition
$55,695
Enrollment
6,596
6. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
7. Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA • Private
In-state tuition
$18,454
Enrollment
40,108
8. San Diego State University
San Diego, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$7,488
Enrollment
30,018
9. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI • Private
In-state tuition
$15,262
Enrollment
30,079
10. Cornell University
Ithaca, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$55,188
Enrollment
15,105
20 best online courses for waste management specialists
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Top 10 most affordable universities for waste management specialists
The most affordable schools for waste management specialists are University of Florida, new mexico institute of mining and technology, and california state university - fullerton.
If the best universities for waste management 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 waste management specialists.
1. University of Florida
Gainesville, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,381
Cost of attendance
21,034
2. New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology
Socorro, NM • Private
In-state tuition
$7,770
Cost of attendance
21,244
3. California State University - Fullerton
Fullerton, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,886
Cost of attendance
17,645
4. California State University - Long Beach
Long Beach, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,798
Cost of attendance
18,306
5. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,556
Cost of attendance
19,434
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. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-state tuition
$8,306
Cost of attendance
16,091
8. California State University - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-state tuition
$6,749
Cost of attendance
14,823
9. University of South Florida
Tampa, FL • Private
In-state tuition
$6,410
Cost of attendance
20,456
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 waste management specialists
The hardest universities for waste management specialists to get into are Stanford University, Northwestern University, and Duke University.
Some great schools for waste management 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 waste management 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. Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
5. Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA • Private
Admissions rate
17%
SAT average
1,507
6. Columbia University in the City of New York
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
6%
SAT average
1,512
7. Rice University
Houston, TX • Private
Admissions rate
11%
SAT average
1,513
8. University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, IN • Private
Admissions rate
18%
SAT average
1,502
9. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions rate
13%
SAT average
1,445
10. University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, CA • Private
Admissions rate
15%
SAT average
1,448
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for waste management specialists
The easiest schools for waste management specialists to get into are Wayland Baptist University, curry college, and oregon institute of technology.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a waste management 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 waste management 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. Oregon Institute of Technology
Klamath Falls, OR • Private
Admissions rate
96%
SAT average
1,139
4. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions rate
68%
SAT average
964
5. Texas A&M University - Kingsville
Kingsville, TX • Private
Admissions rate
89%
SAT average
1,035
6. The University of Texas at El Paso
El Paso, TX • Private
Admissions rate
100%
SAT average
1,035
7. Saint Joseph's College of Maine
Standish, ME • Private
Admissions rate
84%
SAT average
1,069
8. Fresno Pacific University
Fresno, CA • Private
Admissions rate
85%
SAT average
1,053
9. LIM College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions rate
83%
SAT average
1,061
10. Thomas More University
Crestview Hills, KY • Private
Admissions rate
90%
SAT average
1,099
Average waste management specialist salary by education level
| Waste management specialist education level | Waste management specialist salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $61,083 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $59,066 |
Waste management specialist education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025