Environmental Studies Degrees (2026 stats)
TL;DR
Environmental Studies maps to BLS occupations averaging about $64,987, with roughly 1,596,050 workers nationwide in those roles. About 7,848 bachelor's completions in IPEDS 2023; median program completion runs near 60%.
Key Statistics
Environmental Studies: what the data shows
Common questions about environmental studies degrees, answered from IPEDS, College Scorecard, BLS OEWS, and O*NET in this repository—not program marketing copy.
What is a environmental studies degree?
A Environmental Studies program is classified under NCES CIP 03.0103 in the Natural Resources Conservation and Research field family (03.01).
A program that focuses on environment-related issues using scientific, social scientific, or humanistic approaches or a combination. Includes instruction in the basic principles of ecology and environmental science and related subjects such as policy, politics, law, economics, social aspects, planning, pollution control, natural resources, and the interactions of human beings and nature
IPEDS counted 10,185 completions for this CIP in the survey year in our extract.
How long does it take to get a environmental studies degree?
Award levels reported to IPEDS for CIP 03.0103 in our file:
- 193 Associate (2.0% of IPEDS total)—about two years of full-time study
- 7,848 Bachelor's (82.0% of IPEDS total)—typically four years
- 1,527 Master's (16.0% of IPEDS total)—one to two years beyond a bachelor's
Time to completion depends on enrollment intensity and transfer credits; figures above describe credential type, not calendar time for every student.
What do you learn in environmental studies?
O*NET skill ratings for occupations mapped to this major emphasize Reading Comprehension, Active Listening, Speaking, Writing, Critical Thinking, Service Orientation, and related competencies. See the Skills section for the full list in our extract.
What degree do you need?
For Teachers, Postsecondary (top mapped occupation), O*NET incumbent surveys in our career profile report these education credentials most often: Some college (29%), High School or Equivalent (27%), Bachelors Degree (22%). Bachelor's awards account for a majority of IPEDS completions for CIP 03.0103, but occupation data show multiple pathways.
O*NET education distributions describe incumbent workers, not minimum legal or employer requirements.
What jobs can you get with a environmental studies degree?
Our degree→occupation mapping links Environmental Studies to the BLS roles below. Employment is U.S. OEWS; median wage is national May 2024 where published in our extract.
| Occupation | U.S. employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Teachers, Postsecondary | 1,500,000 | — |
| Secondary School Teachers | 1,072,540 | $64,580 |
See Careers & Jobs for mean wages and industry context.
Is a environmental studies degree worth it?
College Scorecard national medians for the Natural Resources Conservation and Research bachelor's program family: median debt $28,647, median earnings $55,012 four years after enrollment. Debt-to-earnings proxy: 0.84.
About 3.4% of graduates in this field family were not working and not enrolled one year after completion in Scorecard's national program medians.
Among schools reporting in our Scorecard extract, median published in-state tuition is $4,912 and median net price is $10,298.
We do not score "worth" on opinion—compare debt, earnings, wages for mapped occupations, and completion data above against your cost and career target.
Institutions
Information about the types of higher education institutions that grant degrees in Environmental Studies and the types of students that study this field.
Tuition Costs for Common Institutions
$4,912 Median In-State Public
$30,962 Median Out of State Private
Tuition costs for Environmental Studies majors are, on average, $4,912 for in-state public colleges, and $30,962 for out of state private colleges.
Tuition costs comparison for Environmental Studies programs.
Institutions awarding the most Environmental Studies degrees
| # | Institution | State | Completions |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of California-Santa Barbara | CA | 352 |
| 2 | University of Wisconsin-Madison | WI | 350 |
| 3 | University of Colorado Boulder | CO | 292 |
| 4 | University of California-Berkeley | CA | 277 |
| 5 | University of Pennsylvania | PA | 185 |
| 6 | Yale University | CT | 178 |
| 7 | Arizona State University Digital Immersion | AZ | 165 |
| 8 | Arizona State University Campus Immersion | AZ | 163 |
| 9 | University of California-Santa Cruz | CA | 145 |
| 10 | University of Phoenix-Arizona | AZ | 144 |
IPEDS Completions (c2024_a), all award levels for this CIP in our extract.
Degrees Awarded Over Time
10,185 Total Degrees Awarded in 2023
This chart shows the number of degrees awarded in Environmental Studies from 2015 to 2023.
Historical trend of degrees awarded in Environmental Studies.
Top 5 Schools by Enrollment
| # | School | State | Enrollment |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arizona State University Campus Immersion | AZ | 64,398 |
| 2 | Texas A&M University-College Station | TX | 59,099 |
| 3 | Ivy Tech Community College | IN | 54,926 |
| 4 | Ohio State University-Main Campus | OH | 44,617 |
| 5 | University of Arizona | AZ | 40,769 |
Schools with the largest enrollment offering Environmental Studies programs.
Top 5 Most Affordable Tuition
| # | School | State | Tuition |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Imperial Valley College | CA | $1,126 |
| 2 | Lassen Community College | CA | $1,144 |
| 3 | College of the Redwoods | CA | $1,147 |
| 4 | San Diego City College | CA | $1,150 |
| 5 | Allan Hancock College | CA | $1,156 |
Schools with the lowest tuition costs for Environmental Studies programs.
Top 5 Lowest Net Price
| # | School | State | Net Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | College of the Sequoias | CA | $29 |
| 2 | Central Carolina Community College | NC | $616 |
| 3 | Moorpark College | CA | $742 |
| 4 | Reedley College | CA | $1,584 |
| 5 | Imperial Valley College | CA | $1,697 |
Schools with the lowest average net price for Environmental Studies programs.
Graduation Rates
59.61% Median Graduation Rate (150% of normal time)
59.25% Average Graduation Rate
936 Institutions Reporting
47.12% - 72.14% Interquartile Range
Graduation/completion rates for Environmental Studies programs across institutions.
Where students complete this major (IPEDS)
Bachelor's-level completions (IPEDS Completions, award level 5) summed by institution state. State is taken from IPEDS Directory (HD2023) for each reporting institution.
Geographic concentration
The largest number of reported bachelor's completions for Environmental Studies is in CA (1,327 completions). That state represents about 16.9% of U.S. bachelor's completions reported for this CIP in the IPEDS file we use.
Among states, the highest concentration relative to all bachelor's degrees awarded in-state is VT (1.78% of that state's bachelor's completions).
Top states by count of bachelor's completions for this CIP (IPEDS).
| State | Bachelor's completions (this CIP) | % of U.S. total (this CIP) | % of state's all bachelor's |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA | 1,327 | 16.9% | 0.29% |
| NY | 606 | 7.7% | 0.22% |
| AZ | 471 | 6.0% | 0.34% |
| MI | 398 | 5.1% | 0.35% |
| FL | 393 | 5.0% | 0.17% |
| NC | 362 | 4.6% | 0.29% |
| MA | 334 | 4.3% | 0.26% |
| CO | 280 | 3.6% | 0.39% |
| WA | 266 | 3.4% | 0.39% |
| OH | 252 | 3.2% | 0.18% |
| PA | 233 | 3.0% | 0.14% |
| VT | 221 | 2.8% | 1.78% |
| IL | 220 | 2.8% | 0.16% |
| OR | 187 | 2.4% | 0.42% |
| WI | 179 | 2.3% | 0.23% |
| MN | 174 | 2.2% | 0.20% |
| TX | 164 | 2.1% | 0.06% |
| NJ | 158 | 2.0% | 0.18% |
Degree Levels (IPEDS)
Completions reported to IPEDS for CIP 03.0103 in the survey year used in our extract (9,568 total across levels below).
- 193 Associate (2.0% of IPEDS total)
- 7,848 Bachelor's (82.0% of IPEDS total)
- 1,527 Master's (16.0% of IPEDS total)
Source: IPEDS Completions (c2024_a), summed by award level for this CIP.
Careers & Jobs
Occupations linked to this major in our degree→career mapping, with wages and employment from processed BLS career profiles in this repo.
Across these BLS occupations, employment-weighted mean pay is about $64,987. Figures are national OEWS estimates for the occupation—not earnings of Environmental Studies graduates alone.
Related occupations (BLS OEWS)
| Occupation | Mean annual wage | U.S. employment |
|---|---|---|
| Teachers, Postsecondary | $36,511 | 1,500,000 |
| Secondary School Teachers | $104,813 | 1,072,540 |
Open each occupation for full career profile charts and industry breakdowns on EDsmart Data.
Program outcomes (College Scorecard)
National medians across bachelor's programs in the Natural Resources Conservation and Research CIP family (61 programs reporting debt). Not specific to every Environmental Studies graduate.
- $28,647 median federal loan debt among completers
- $55,012 median earnings four years after enrollment (national program median)
- 0.84 debt-to-earnings ratio (Scorecard proxy)
- 3.4% of graduates not working and not enrolled one year out (program cohort)
Source: College Scorecard program-level outcomes aggregated by 4-digit CIP family.
Employment
Wages and industry mix below use BLS OEWS data for occupations linked to this major in our mapping—not a graduate earnings survey.
Yearly Income for Common Jobs
$40,621 Average Wage in Workforce
The average salary for Environmental Studies majors is $40,621.
Average annual salaries of the most common occupations for Environmental Studies majors.
Occupations by Share
1,596,050 2023 Workforce
The number of Environmental Studies graduates in the workforce has been growing.
Various jobs filled by those with a major in Environmental Studies by share of the total number of graduates.
Diversity
Demographic information for those who earn a degree in Environmental Studies in the United States.
Workforce Age
N/A Average Age in 2023
This chart shows distribution of ages for employees with a degree in Environmental Studies.
Age distribution for Environmental Studies degree holders in the workforce.
Gender Distribution
Counts below are bachelor's-level completions only (IPEDS Completions, award level 5).
7,848 Total Degrees Awarded
2,584 Male (32.93%)
5,264 Female (67.07%)
Gender distribution of Environmental Studies degree recipients.
Race and Ethnicity Distribution
Counts below are bachelor's-level completions only (IPEDS Completions, award level 5).
5,140 White (65.49%)
1,076 Hispanic or Latino (13.71%)
470 Two or More Races (5.99%)
463 Asian (5.90%)
210 Black or African American (2.68%)
Racial and ethnic distribution of Environmental Studies degree recipients.
Degrees Awarded
The most common degree types awarded to students graduating in Environmental Studies are Bachelors Degree, Masters Degree, and Associates Degree.
Distribution of degree types awarded in Environmental Studies.
Skills
Data on the critical and distinctive skills necessary for those working in the Environmental Studies field from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Required Skills
Environmental Studies majors need many skills, but most especially Critical Thinking, Active Listening, and Reading Comprehension.
Rating of how necessary various skills are for Environmental Studies majors.
Skills Bar Chart
This bar chart shows the same information as the radar chart, displaying the importance of each skill.
Skill importance ratings for Environmental Studies majors.
About
A program that focuses on environment-related issues using scientific, social scientific, or humanistic approaches or a combination. Includes instruction in the basic principles of ecology and environmental science and related subjects such as policy, politics, law, economics, social aspects, planning, pollution control, natural resources, and the interactions of human beings and nature
In 2023, 10,185 degrees were awarded across all undergraduate and graduate programs in Environmental Studies.
CIP Code
03.0103 - Environmental Studies
What the data shows
At the program-family level, College Scorecard reports median debt of $28,647 for bachelor's completers and median earnings near $55,012, a debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.84. Those figures describe national program cohorts in this CIP family—not every individual Environmental Studies graduate.
Women earned 66.6% of 10,185 Environmental Studies completions in the IPEDS file used here.
Mapped BLS occupations show employment-weighted mean pay of about $64,987. The largest mapped role by headcount is Teachers, Postsecondary (1,500,000 U.S. jobs in OEWS).
Published tuition medians in College Scorecard land at $4,912 in-state at public colleges and $30,962 at private institutions for programs in this field.
Data Sources
This page uses data from the following sources:
- College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
- Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
- Employment and wage data by occupation
- Latest data: May 2024
- Source: bls.gov/oes
- O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
- Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
- Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
- Source: onetcenter.org
- IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
- Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
- Data years: 2015-2024
- Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
- Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
- Demographic and workforce data
- Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
- Source: census.gov/acs
Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.
Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.
Methodology
Data for this profile is sourced from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard dataset, IPEDS completion data, and Bureau of Labor Statistics employment data.
All financial figures are adjusted for inflation and represent the most recent available data. Employment and wage data are from the most recent Census Bureau ACS PUMS estimates.