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Environmental Science
What you'll do in college
These majors bridge the physical and biological sciences to study ecosystems, conservation, and resource management. Coursework combines biology, chemistry, ecology, and data science. Field work involves getting your hands dirty: sampling water quality in local watersheds, monitoring forest health, restoring degraded habitats, or testing agricultural soils.
What you'll do after college
Graduates are highly sought after by environmental protection agencies (like the EPA or state equivalents), conservation nonprofits, agricultural sectors, and environmental consulting firms. Their day-to-day might involve ecological surveying, ensuring regulatory compliance, managing land or water resources, or running environmental toxicity tests.
Famous graduates
- M. Sanjayan - CEO of Conservation International, B.S. in Environmental Science from the University of Oregon
Selectivity vs. earnings
By acceptance rate
Acceptance rate · bar = degree-weighted adjusted 5-year earnings
By SAT median
Combined SAT composite median (submitters + non-submitters) · bar = degree-weighted adjusted 5-year earnings
Earnings vs. selectivity rank
Each dot = a college · y = degree-weighted adjusted 5-year earnings
Majors in this category
| Major | Colleges | Degrees ▼ | Male/Female | Intl | 5yr Earn |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Environmental Science | 682 | 14,801 | 36% / 64% | 2% | $57,011 |
| Environmental Science | 417 | 5,959 | 38% / 62% | 1% | $57,274 |
| Environmental Studies | 351 | 5,855 | 33% / 67% | 2% | $55,358 |
| Natural Sciences | 58 | 732 | 30% / 70% | 5% | $57,432 |
| Natural Resources | 12 | 383 | 45% / 55% | 1% | $53,466 |
| Environmental Sciences | 9 | 313 | 35% / 65% | 2% | $58,781 |
| Natural Resources Management | 19 | 304 | 48% / 52% | 0% | $57,448 |
| Environmental Science and Resource Management | 1 | 119 | 38% / 62% | 5% | $52,407 |
| Environment | 1 | 109 | 23% / 77% | 3% | $72,287 |
| Environmental and Resource Management | 1 | 104 | 31% / 69% | 4% | $67,594 |
| Environmental Geosciences | 8 | 98 | 45% / 55% | 3% | $67,248 |
| Conservation and Resource Studies | 1 | 86 | 28% / 72% | 10% | $84,604 |
| Natural Resource Conservation | 1 | 77 | 42% / 58% | 0% | $53,019 |
| Renewable Natural Resources | 1 | 73 | 42% / 58% | 0% | $70,268 |
| Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences | 1 | 65 | 54% / 46% | 9% | $58,692 |
| Natural Science | 5 | 64 | 36% / 64% | 3% | $78,850 |
| Environmental Resource Science | 1 | 50 | 32% / 68% | 6% | $66,227 |
| Ecological Restoration | 1 | 46 | 28% / 72% | 0% | $64,661 |
| Environmental and Natural Resources Management | 2 | 44 | 55% / 45% | 0% | $50,009 |
| Environmental and Natural Resources | 1 | 44 | 36% / 64% | 0% | $48,590 |
| Environmental, Geographical, and Geological Sciences | 1 | 43 | 56% / 44% | 0% | $56,151 |
| Natural Resources and Environmental Science | 1 | 41 | 20% / 80% | 7% | |
| Marine and Environmental Sciences | 1 | 33 | 30% / 70% | 0% | |
| Environmental Horticulture | 1 | 28 | 50% / 50% | 0% | $49,150 |
| Environmental Resource Management | 3 | 19 | 63% / 37% | 0% | $67,349 |
| Natural Resource Management | 2 | 19 | 63% / 37% | 0% | |
| Environmental Management | 2 | 16 | 44% / 56% | 0% | |
| Natural Resources Law Enforcement | 1 | 16 | 81% / 19% | 0% | $57,076 |
| Environmental Toxicology | 1 | 14 | 7% / 93% | 0% | $64,907 |
| Environmental Systems Science | 1 | 13 | 46% / 54% | 0% | $71,484 |
| Environmental Sustainability | 1 | 9 | 33% / 67% | 0% | |
| Environment and Natural Resources | 1 | 6 | 33% / 67% | 0% | $71,484 |
| Environmental Resources Management | 1 | 6 | 67% / 33% | 0% | $90,214 |
| Environmental Analysis | 1 | 5 | 40% / 60% | 0% | |
| Wood Science | 3 | 4 | 100% / 0% | 0% | $71,914 |
| Water Resources Science | 1 | 4 | 50% / 50% | 0% |