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CIP 03.0104 Natural Resources and Conservation

Environmental Science

IPEDS Completions, US Department of Education · 2025

中文

Total graduates

11,065

2025 · 618 schools

International share

3.8%

419 international students

Bachelor's degrees

9,215

2.0% international

Master's degrees

1,116

13.9% international

Overview

Environmental Science is an interdisciplinary field that integrates various scientific principles to study the environment and the effects of human activity on natural systems. It encompasses a broad range of topics, including ecology, geology, atmospheric science, biology, chemistry, and social sciences, allowing students to understand complex environmental issues from multiple perspectives.

The primary focus of Environmental Science is to address pressing global challenges such as climate change, pollution, resource depletion, and biodiversity loss. Students in this field learn to analyze environmental data, assess the impact of human actions on ecosystems, and develop sustainable practices that promote conservation and environmental protection.

Curriculum in Environmental Science typically includes both theoretical and practical components. Students engage in fieldwork, laboratory experiments, and data analysis, equipping them with the skills necessary for environmental assessment and management. Additionally, coursework often covers policy-making and the socio-economic aspects of environmental issues, preparing graduates for roles in government agencies, non-profit organizations, and the private sector.

As the world increasingly recognizes the importance of sustainability, the demand for professionals in Environmental Science continues to grow. Graduates can pursue careers as environmental scientists, conservation biologists, environmental consultants, and policy advisors, among others. The field offers a fulfilling opportunity to contribute to the preservation of our planet while tackling some of the most critical challenges facing humanity today.

Graduates by year

Graduates by degree level (first and second majors)

AssociateBachelor'sMaster'sDoctoral

From 2003 to 2025, graduates grew 854% and the international share went from 5.8% to 3.8%.

International share (%)
Graduates by group, 2025
White
67.0%
Asian
4.8%
Hispanic
13.0%
Black
3.0%
Other
8.3%
Intl.
3.8%

Colleges that award this degree

In 2025, 618 schools awarded this degree as a first major. The table lists those in the 2027 U.S. News National or Liberal Arts rankings, plus the unranked schools with the most graduates.

RankSchoolStateGraduatesInternational
#4 Yale University Connecticut 20 9
#9 Northwestern University Illinois 21 1
#9 Johns Hopkins University Maryland 12 3
#12 Columbia University in the City of New York New York 8 0
#14 Cornell University New York 110 6
#16 Washington University in St Louis Missouri 7 0
#16 Brown University Rhode Island 34 2
#16 Rice University Texas 8 0
#20 University of California-Berkeley California 79 9
#20 University of California-Los Angeles California 125 8
#20 University of Notre Dame Indiana 14 0
#23 Emory University Georgia 2 0
#26 University of Virginia-Main Campus Virginia 81 5
#27 University of Southern California California 43 7
#27 University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill North Carolina 93 8
#29 Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus Georgia 11 0
#31 Boston College Massachusetts 7 0
#34 University of California-Davis California 131 14
#34 University of Florida Florida 41 0
#34 University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Illinois 116 9
#34 Boston University Massachusetts 30 6
#34 Wake Forest University North Carolina 11 0
#34 University of Wisconsin-Madison Wisconsin 58 4
#42 Northeastern University Massachusetts 89 3
#42 Villanova University Pennsylvania 43 0
#44 University of California-Santa Barbara California 77 9
#44 Rutgers University-New Brunswick New Jersey 34 3
#44 Ohio State University-Main Campus Ohio 130 2
#49 University of Maryland-College Park Maryland 50 1
#49 University of Rochester New York 14 3
#49 University of Washington-Seattle Campus Washington 171 10
#52 University of Georgia Georgia 6 0
#52 Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University Virginia 51 1
#55 Santa Clara University California 18 0
#55 University of Miami Florida 8 0
#59 George Washington University D.C. 17 0
#59 Florida State University Florida 110 2
#59 University of Massachusetts-Amherst Massachusetts 68 1
#59 University of Minnesota-Twin Cities Minnesota 124 5
#59 Texas A & M University-College Station Texas 58 0
#69 Michigan State University Michigan 7 0
#69 Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute New York 10 5
#69 University of California-Merced California 16 5
#73 University of Connecticut Connecticut 30 1
#73 Indiana University-Bloomington Indiana 58 4
#73 Rutgers University-Newark New Jersey 13 0
#73 Binghamton University New York 53 1
#73 North Carolina State University at Raleigh North Carolina 79 1
#80 University of California-Riverside California 47 4
#80 Drexel University Pennsylvania 19 1
#85 University of Delaware Delaware 36 0
#85 New Jersey Institute of Technology New Jersey 14 6
#85 Fordham University New York 12 0
#85 University at Buffalo New York 1 0
#90 Baylor University Texas 34 3
#90 Texas Christian University Texas 23 1
#90 Gonzaga University Washington 12 0
#90 Marquette University Wisconsin 11 0
#95 American University D.C. 32 0
#95 Rochester Institute of Technology New York 22 0
#100 Auburn University Alabama 13 2
#100 Chapman University California 14 0
#100 University of San Diego California 53 1
#100 University of South Florida-Main Campus Florida 180 8
#100 University of Iowa Iowa 44 0
#100 Creighton University Nebraska 10 0
#100 Elon University North Carolina 19 0
#109 University of California-Santa Cruz California 13 0
#109 Loyola Marymount University California 11 0
#109 University of New Hampshire-Main Campus New Hampshire 34 0
#109 Temple University Pennsylvania 18 0
#116 University of San Francisco California 33 1
#116 Iowa State University Iowa 60 4
#116 University of Oklahoma-Norman Campus Oklahoma 44 2
#116 University of Oregon Oregon 60 1
#116 Brigham Young University-Provo Utah 8 0
#121 Arizona State University-Tempe Arizona 18 1
#121 University of Arizona Arizona 58 5
#121 University of Denver Colorado 49 0
#121 Loyola University Chicago Illinois 78 4
#121 University of Dayton Ohio 17 0
#121 University of South Carolina-Columbia South Carolina 33 0
#121 George Mason University Virginia 73 0
#133 Clark University Massachusetts 41 11
#133 Miami University-Oxford Ohio 18 1
#133 University of Vermont Vermont 136 1
#137 California State University--Long Beach California 51 0
#137 San Diego State University California 50 0
#137 San Jose State University California 49 0
#137 University of Maryland-Baltimore County Maryland 34 0
#137 Clarkson University New York 12 0
#137 St John's University (NY) New York 8 0
#137 Saint Joseph's University - Philadelphia Pennsylvania 13 1
#137 University of Scranton Pennsylvania 5 0
#137 University of Houston Texas 18 0
#148 California State University-Los Angeles California 7 0
#148 University of Massachusetts-Lowell Massachusetts 23 0
#148 University of Rhode Island Rhode Island 46 0
#156 The University of Alabama Alabama 35 1
#156 California State University-Fullerton California 13 0
#156 Quinnipiac University Connecticut 1 0
#156 Florida A&M University Florida 11 0
#156 Kansas State University Kansas 14 0
#156 University of St Thomas (MN) Minnesota 5 0
#156 Montclair State University New Jersey 11 0
#156 CUNY--City College New York 1 0
#156 Oregon State University Oregon 197 9
#156 University of Portland Oregon 15 0
#156 Duquesne University Pennsylvania 14 0
#169 Colorado State University-Fort Collins Colorado 27 0
#169 Bradley University Illinois 3 0
#169 DePaul University Illinois 13 1
#169 Simmons University Massachusetts 2 0
#169 Michigan Technological University Michigan 24 0
#179 University of Utah Utah 2 0
#179 Seattle University Washington 6 0
#186 California Lutheran University California 12 0
#186 University of Hawaii at Manoa Hawaii 20 2
#186 Wayne State University Michigan 30 0
#186 Texas Tech University Texas 1 1
#191 Samford University Alabama 6 0
#191 University of Arkansas Arkansas 54 4
#191 Florida Atlantic University Florida 9 1
#191 Drake University Iowa 15 0
#191 Missouri University of Science and Technology Missouri 9 0
#191 Rowan University New Jersey 37 0
#191 Adelphi University New York 10 0
#191 Oklahoma State University-Main Campus Oklahoma 30 1
#191 Washington State University Washington 15 2
#202 Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College Louisiana 35 1
#202 University of Massachusetts-Boston Massachusetts 65 3
#202 Ohio University-Main Campus Ohio 25 0
#208 California State University--Fresno California 10 0
#208 California State University-Sacramento California 61 1
#208 University of Idaho Idaho 80 3
#208 Ohio Northern University Ohio 10 0
#208 Xavier University Ohio 12 0
#208 Willamette University Oregon 21 0
#208 Belmont University Tennessee 10 0
#208 University of North Texas Texas 7 2
#219 Illinois State University Illinois 19 0
#219 Indiana University-Purdue University-Indianapolis Indiana 12 0
#219 University of Nevada-Reno Nevada 53 3
#219 University of North Carolina--Wilmington North Carolina 104 0
#219 Gannon University Pennsylvania 8 3
#219 Robert Morris University Pennsylvania 8 0
#227 San Francisco State University California 16 2
#227 Ball State University Indiana 19 2
#227 University of Michigan-Dearborn Michigan 17 3
#227 University of Texas-San Antonio Texas 102 0
#227 West Virginia University West Virginia 12 0
#236 University of Colorado Denver Colorado 11 2
#236 Florida Institute of Technology Florida 7 1
#236 Stetson University Florida 6 1
#236 Bethel University Minnesota 3 0
#236 University of New Mexico-Main Campus New Mexico 11 0
#236 Pacific University Oregon 12 1
#236 Portland State University Oregon 79 1
#236 Chatham University Pennsylvania 13 0
#236 University of Texas-Arlington Texas 18 2
#250 Nova Southeastern University Florida 40 2
#250 University of Missouri--Kansas City Missouri 25 0
#250 Pace University-New York New York 22 5
#250 La Salle University Pennsylvania 4 0
#250 South Dakota State University South Dakota 3 2
#250 University of Texas-Rio Grande Valley Texas 43 0
#250 University of Wyoming Wyoming 21 0
#262 University of Maine Maine 78 3
#262 University of New England Maine 20 0
#262 Suffolk University Massachusetts 5 1
#262 Central Michigan University Michigan 17 2
#262 University of Texas--El Paso Texas 30 2
#276 Northern Arizona University Arizona 62 1
#276 Harding University Arkansas 3 1
#276 California Baptist University California 5 1
#276 Regis University Colorado 2 0
#276 University of New Haven Connecticut 21 16
#276 Bowling Green State University-Main Campus Ohio 16 0
#276 Widener University Pennsylvania 1 0
#288 University of Hartford Connecticut 1 0
#288 University of Indianapolis Indiana 3 0
#288 Wichita State University Kansas 2 0
#288 Texas State University Texas 56 0
#288 University of Wisconsin--Milwaukee Wisconsin 39 0
#299 University of Nebraska--Omaha Nebraska 29 0
#299 University of Toledo Ohio 22 1
#299 Concordia University Wisconsin Wisconsin 3 0
#308 Oakland University Michigan 24 0
#308 University of Southern Mississippi Mississippi 2 1
#308 Montana State University Montana 112 3
#308 North Carolina Central University North Carolina 11 0
#308 Wilkes University Pennsylvania 3 1
#308 Abilene Christian University Texas 4 1
#308 University of the Incarnate Word Texas 5 0
#317 Kean University New Jersey 17 0
#317 Emory & Henry University Virginia 10 0
#317 Marshall University West Virginia 16 0
#328 Georgia Southern University Georgia 5 1
#332 University of South Alabama Alabama 2 0
#332 University of Lynchburg Virginia 6 0
#342 Daemen University New York 1 0
#342 Campbell University North Carolina 5 0
#342 Cleveland State University Ohio 19 0
#342 Kennesaw State University Georgia 34 1
#353 Arkansas State University Arkansas 1 0
#353 Southern Illinois University--Edwardsville Illinois 21 7
#353 University of Louisiana--Lafayette Louisiana 18 0
#353 Youngstown State University Ohio 9 1
#353 University of Houston--Clear Lake Texas 24 0
#353 University of Puerto Rico-Rio Piedras Puerto Rico 34 0
#353 Pennsylvania Western University Pennsylvania 20 0
#365 Troy University Alabama 7 0
#365 University of Central Arkansas Arkansas 21 0
#365 Northern Kentucky University Kentucky 18 0
#365 The University of Montana Montana 50 0
#365 Eastern Washington University Washington 14 0
#376 Tennessee State University Tennessee 8 2
#382 Grand Canyon University Arizona 9 0
#382 Wilmington University Delaware 19 0
#382 Columbus State University Georgia 9 1
#382 Idaho State University Idaho 9 1
#382 University of Southern Maine Maine 9 0
#382 Wright State University-Main Campus Ohio 3 2
#382 Texas A&M University--Corpus Christi Texas 52 1
#382 Dallas Baptist University Texas 3 0
#382 East Texas A&M University Texas 7 0
#382 Lamar University Texas 7 3
#382 Tarleton State University Texas 13 1
#382 Universidad Ana G. Mendez-Gurabo Campus Puerto Rico 3 0
LAC #3 Claremont McKenna College California 4 0
LAC #3 Pomona College California 19 0
LAC #8 Harvey Mudd College California 1 0
LAC #9 The United States Military Academy at West Point New York 21 0
LAC #19 Barnard College New York 14 0
LAC #22 Colby College Maine 29 0
LAC #22 Colgate University New York 6 1
LAC #29 Bucknell University Pennsylvania 1 0
LAC #30 Lafayette College Pennsylvania 5 0
LAC #31 Trinity College Connecticut 15 2
LAC #31 Denison University Ohio 4 0
LAC #34 Colorado College Colorado 21 0
LAC #34 Spelman College Georgia 4 0
LAC #34 Franklin and Marshall College Pennsylvania 9 1
LAC #38 Scripps College California 19 0
LAC #41 Skidmore College New York 15 1
LAC #44 Pitzer College California 37 3
LAC #44 Union College New York 10 1
LAC #49 DePauw University Indiana 9 0
LAC #49 Rhodes College Tennessee 11 1
LAC #54 Dickinson College Pennsylvania 30 1
LAC #57 Wheaton College (IL) Illinois 12 0
LAC #62 Berea College Kentucky 5 0
LAC #62 Muhlenberg College Pennsylvania 6 0
LAC #68 Lawrence University Wisconsin 3 1
LAC #72 Bard College New York 10 3
LAC #78 Hope College Michigan 2 0
LAC #81 Wheaton College (MA) Massachusetts 14 0
LAC #85 Knox College Illinois 11 0
LAC #85 Stonehill College Massachusetts 17 0
LAC #85 Drew University New Jersey 6 1
LAC #91 Juniata College Pennsylvania 8 1
LAC #91 Washington and Jefferson College Pennsylvania 1 0
LAC #97 Washington College Maryland 24 0
LAC #100 Whittier College California 4 0
LAC #100 University of Puget Sound Washington 3 0
LAC #109 Hanover College Indiana 6 0
LAC #111 Saint Vincent College Pennsylvania 4 0
LAC #111 Whitworth University Washington 4 1
LAC #111 Patrick Henry College Virginia 3 0
LAC #116 Ohio Wesleyan University Ohio 5 0
LAC #116 Saint Michael's College Vermont 9 0
LAC #119 Coe College Iowa 1 0
LAC #119 Albion College Michigan 8 0
LAC #119 California State University-Channel Islands California 29 0
LAC #128 Cornell College Iowa 1 0
LAC #132 Saint Norbert College Wisconsin 3 0
LAC #138 Truman State University Missouri 2 0
LAC #140 Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts Massachusetts 7 0
LAC #142 Houghton University New York 6 0
LAC #146 Gordon College Massachusetts 1 0
LAC #146 Claflin University South Carolina 3 0
LAC #150 Sweet Briar College Virginia 3 0
LAC #153 University of Hawaii--Hilo Hawaii 30 3
LAC #154 University of North Carolina Asheville North Carolina 19 0
LAC #157 Randolph College Virginia 1 0
LAC #160 Wittenberg University Ohio 7 0
LAC #160 Albright College Pennsylvania 1 0
LAC #165 Bridgewater College Virginia 7 0
LAC #172 Brigham Young University-Idaho Idaho 7 2
LAC #172 University of Wisconsin-Green Bay Wisconsin 35 2
LAC #178 University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma Oklahoma 3 0
LAC #181 Bethune-Cookman University Florida 1 0
LAC #181 Warren Wilson College North Carolina 11 0
LAC #184 Fort Lewis College Colorado 15 0
LAC #184 Young Harris College Georgia 2 0
LAC #184 CUNY Medgar Evers College New York 1 0
— Southern New Hampshire University New Hampshire 504 1
— American Public University System West Virginia 304 1
— Western Washington University Washington 122 0
— California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt California 80 0
— University of Tennessee--Chattanooga Tennessee 78 0
— SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry New York 49 11
— California State University-Monterey Bay California 44 0
— Flagler College Florida 43 0
— Unity Environmental University Maine 39 0
— University of West Florida Florida 38 4
— California State University-Northridge California 32 0
— Northern Michigan University Michigan 30 1
— Appalachian State University North Carolina 30 0
— California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo California 27 0
— Colorado Mesa University Colorado 26 0
— Kutztown University of Pennsylvania Pennsylvania 24 0
— Westfield State University Massachusetts 23 0
— University of Minnesota-Duluth Minnesota 23 0
— Metropolitan State University of Denver Colorado 22 1
— Massachusetts Maritime Academy Massachusetts 22 0
— SUNY Brockport New York 22 0
— University of Redlands California 21 0
— Southeast Missouri State University Missouri 21 7
— SUNY Oneonta New York 21 0
— Sam Houston State University Texas 21 0
— University of Washington-Tacoma Campus Washington 21 0
— California State University-Chico California 20 0
— University of Northern Iowa Iowa 20 0
— Salisbury University Maryland 20 0
— Western Carolina University North Carolina 20 0

Purple: international students are 25% or more of the school's graduates.

Related jobs and pay

OccupationUS employmentMean hourly wageMean annual wage
Compliance Officers 417,070 $42.50 $88,400
Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health 89,250 $44.08 $91,680
Environmental Science and Protection Technicians, Including Health 34,670 $29.23 $60,800
Forest and Conservation Technicians 30,410 $28.39 $59,060
Environmental Science Teachers, Postsecondary 6,690 — $103,610

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025.

Graduate counts: IPEDS Completions, US Department of Education, 2003–2025. Rankings: 2027 U.S. News.