Best Environmental Science Programs 2026
Top environmental science programs ranked by salary. Compare ecology and conservation programs across schools.
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| Rank | Program | School | State | Median Salary | Annual Cost | Value Score | Break-Even |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering | University of Georgia | GA | $60,173 | $13,816/yr | 91/100 | 2.1 yr |
| 2 | Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering | University of Florida | FL | $56,025 | $6,351/yr | 90/100 | 1.2 yr |
| 3 | Natural Resources Conservation and Research | University of California-Berkeley | CA | $41,250 | $13,481/yr | 79/100 | 5.2 yr |
| 4 | Natural Resources Conservation and Research | Boston College | MA | $39,874 | $41,704/yr | 34/100 | 17.6 yr |
| 5 | Natural Resources Conservation and Research | University of California-Los Angeles | CA | $36,898 | $12,548/yr | 74/100 | 8 yr |
| 6 | Natural Resources Conservation and Research | Emory University | GA | $36,820 | $23,911/yr | 51/100 | 15 yr |
| 7 | Natural Resources Conservation and Research | George Washington University | DC | $35,320 | $37,454/yr | 27/100 | 29.6 yr |
| 8 | Natural Resources Conservation and Research | Indiana University-Bloomington | IN | $33,494 | $15,342/yr | 54/100 | 19.6 yr |
| 9 | Natural Resources Conservation and Research | University of California-Santa Barbara | CA | $33,029 | $13,825/yr | 54/100 | 19.9 yr |
| 10 | Natural Resources Conservation and Research | University of Arizona | AZ | $31,709 | $15,960/yr | 50/100 | 41.5 yr |
| 11 | Natural Resources Conservation and Research | Florida State University | FL | $29,068 | $10,997/yr | 52/100 | N/A |
| 12 | Natural Resources Conservation and Research | University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign | IL | $28,401 | $15,201/yr | 49/100 | N/A |
| 13 | Natural Resources Conservation and Research | Iowa State University | IA | $28,217 | $18,165/yr | 39/100 | N/A |
| 14 | Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology | University of California-Santa Barbara | CA | $26,780 | $13,825/yr | 51/100 | N/A |
| 15 | Natural Resources Conservation and Research | The University of Alabama | AL | $26,760 | $22,150/yr | 30/100 | N/A |
| 16 | Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology | Iowa State University | IA | $26,485 | $18,165/yr | 37/100 | N/A |
| 17 | Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology | University of California-Los Angeles | CA | $24,879 | $12,548/yr | 53/100 | N/A |
| 18 | Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology | University of Georgia | GA | $23,064 | $13,816/yr | 44/100 | N/A |
| 19 | Natural Resources Conservation and Research | University of Florida | FL | $21,118 | $6,351/yr | 54/100 | N/A |
| 20 | Natural Resources Conservation and Research | Tulane University of Louisiana | LA | $19,780 | $43,939/yr | 13/100 | N/A |
Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering
91/100PublicUniversity of Georgia · Athens, GA
Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering
90/100PublicUniversity of Florida · Gainesville, FL
Natural Resources Conservation and Research
79/100PublicUniversity of California-Berkeley · Berkeley, CA
Natural Resources Conservation and Research
34/100Boston College · Chestnut Hill, MA
Natural Resources Conservation and Research
74/100PublicUniversity of California-Los Angeles · Los Angeles, CA
Natural Resources Conservation and Research
51/100Emory University · Atlanta, GA
Natural Resources Conservation and Research
27/100George Washington University · Washington, DC
Natural Resources Conservation and Research
54/100PublicIndiana University-Bloomington · Bloomington, IN
Natural Resources Conservation and Research
54/100PublicUniversity of California-Santa Barbara · Santa Barbara, CA
Natural Resources Conservation and Research
50/100PublicUniversity of Arizona · Tucson, AZ
Natural Resources Conservation and Research
52/100PublicFlorida State University · Tallahassee, FL
Natural Resources Conservation and Research
49/100PublicUniversity of Illinois Urbana-Champaign · Champaign, IL
Natural Resources Conservation and Research
39/100PublicIowa State University · Ames, IA
Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology
51/100PublicUniversity of California-Santa Barbara · Santa Barbara, CA
Natural Resources Conservation and Research
30/100PublicThe University of Alabama · Tuscaloosa, AL
Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology
37/100PublicIowa State University · Ames, IA
Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology
53/100PublicUniversity of California-Los Angeles · Los Angeles, CA
Ecology, Evolution, Systematics, and Population Biology
44/100PublicUniversity of Georgia · Athens, GA
Natural Resources Conservation and Research
54/100PublicUniversity of Florida · Gainesville, FL
Natural Resources Conservation and Research
13/100Tulane University of Louisiana · New Orleans, LA
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Rankings are based on data from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Programs are ranked by median earnings 1 year after completion. Data reflects bachelor's degree programs only.