Environmental Engineering
What you'll do in college
Environmental engineering combines chemistry, biology, and engineering to solve problems like polluted water, contaminated soil, air quality, and climate change. You'll study the same core engineering classes as civil or chemical majors, plus environmental chemistry, hydrology, microbiology, and policy. Labs and field work involve sampling rivers, modeling pollutant flows, and designing treatment systems.
Many programs require an internship or capstone project tied to a real environmental challenge in your area, like a brownfield cleanup or a stormwater redesign.
What you'll do after college
Grads work for environmental consulting firms, government agencies (like the EPA or state environmental departments), water and wastewater utilities, energy companies, and nonprofits. Day-to-day work might involve designing a water-treatment plant, conducting site assessments at contaminated properties, helping a factory cut emissions, or writing impact reports for new developments.
The mission-driven nature of the work draws students who want to make a tangible difference, and demand is rising as climate concerns grow.
Famous graduates
- Jenna Jambeck — MacArthur Fellow known for global plastic waste studies; B.S. in Environmental Engineering from University of Florida
Selectivity vs. earnings
By acceptance rate
By SAT median
Earnings vs. selectivity rank
Majors in this category
| Major | Colleges | Degrees ▼ | Male/Female | Intl | 5yr Earn |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Environmental Engineering | 120 | 1,841 | 44% / 56% | 5% | $80,109 |
| Environmental Engineering | 113 | 1,725 | 44% / 56% | 5% | $80,109 |
| Environmental and Ecological Engineering | 1 | 59 | 47% / 53% | 5% | |
| Earth and Environmental Engineering | 1 | 20 | 35% / 65% | 15% | |
| Environmental Engineering Science | 1 | 13 | 46% / 54% | 0% | |
| Environmental and Sustainable Engineering | 1 | 8 | 25% / 75% | 25% | |
| Environmental Systems Engineering | 1 | 6 | 50% / 50% | 0% | |
| Earth System Science and Environmental Engineering | 1 | 5 | 40% / 60% | 20% | |
| Environmental Engineering Science (Course 1-ENG) | 1 | 5 | 20% / 80% | 20% |