Best Schools for Environmental Engineering in 2026
47 schools ranked by DegreeWorth Score · Updated 2026
These are the top schools offering Environmental Engineering, ranked by DegreeWorth Score. The score combines graduate earnings, AI automation resilience, job market demand, and return on tuition investment. The average Environmental Engineering graduate earns $63,650/yr across 47 schools.
Programs Ranked
47
Avg Earnings
$63,650/yr
Avg DW Score
62/100
AI Risk
Very High
55% task exposure
All Environmental Engineering Programs Ranked
Click any row for full AI scenario analysis, earnings projections, and career path breakdown.
| # | Program | DW Score | Earnings | AI Risk | ROI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Environmental Engineering
California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo · San Luis Obispo, CA |
71
66–72 |
$82,197/yr | Very High | 18.5x |
| 2 |
Environmental Engineering
Florida International University · Miami, FL |
70
64–71 |
$64,541/yr | Very High | 23.6x |
| 3 |
Environmental Engineering
University of Florida · Gainesville, FL |
69
63–71 |
$62,480/yr | Very High | 28.1x |
| 4 |
Environmental Engineering
CUNY City College · New York, NY |
69
63–71 |
$62,945/yr | Very High | 26.8x |
| 5 |
Environmental Engineering
University of Wisconsin-Platteville · Platteville, WI |
70
64–71 |
$69,490/yr | Very High | 21.5x |
| 6 |
Environmental Engineering
Florida Gulf Coast University · Fort Myers, FL |
69
63–71 |
$60,797/yr | Very High | 31.4x |
| 7 |
Environmental Engineering
Kennesaw State University · Kennesaw, GA |
69
63–71 |
$61,701/yr | Very High | 25.7x |
| 8 |
Environmental Engineering
California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt · Arcata, CA |
67
60–70 |
$55,589/yr | Very High | 24.6x |
| 9 |
Environmental Engineering
San Diego State University · San Diego, CA |
69
63–70 |
$66,482/yr | Very High | 19.0x |
| 10 |
Environmental Engineering
Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus · Atlanta, GA |
68
62–69 |
$70,008/yr | Very High | 17.5x |
| 11 |
Environmental Engineering
North Carolina State University at Raleigh · Raleigh, NC |
69
63–70 |
$67,251/yr | Very High | 17.9x |
| 12 |
Environmental Engineering
Texas Tech University · Lubbock, TX |
70
64–70 |
$76,708/yr | Very High | 15.2x |
| 13 |
Environmental Engineering
Purdue University-Main Campus · West Lafayette, IN |
70
64–70 |
$71,861/yr | Very High | 17.0x |
| 14 |
Environmental Engineering
University of Central Florida · Orlando, FL |
68
62–69 |
$56,443/yr | Very High | 21.2x |
| 15 |
Environmental Engineering
University of Nevada-Reno · Reno, NV |
68
62–69 |
$65,194/yr | Very High | 17.1x |
| 16 |
Environmental Engineering
Ohio State University-Main Campus · Columbus, OH |
66
60–67 |
$67,938/yr | Very High | 15.3x |
| 17 |
Environmental Engineering
Oregon State University-Cascades Campus · Bend, OR |
66
61–67 |
$68,223/yr | Very High | 15.1x |
| 18 |
Environmental Engineering
Colorado State University-Fort Collins · Fort Collins, CO |
65
60–65 |
$66,109/yr | Very High | 14.1x |
| 19 |
Environmental Engineering
University at Buffalo · Buffalo, NY |
64
58–66 |
$57,098/yr | Very High | 16.3x |
| 20 |
Environmental Engineering
Oregon State University · Corvallis, OR |
66
60–66 |
$68,223/yr | Very High | 14.0x |
| 21 |
Environmental Engineering
Northern Arizona University · Flagstaff, AZ |
64
59–63 |
$62,936/yr | Very High | 12.9x |
| 22 |
Environmental Engineering
University of California-Riverside · Riverside, CA |
62
56–64 |
$59,309/yr | Very High | 13.5x |
| 23 |
Environmental Engineering
University of Georgia · Athens, GA |
65
60–65 |
$62,915/yr | Very High | 13.1x |
| 24 |
Environmental Engineering
Arizona State University Campus Immersion · Tempe, AZ |
61
55–62 |
$53,013/yr | Very High | 13.6x |
| 25 |
Environmental Engineering
University of Colorado Boulder · Boulder, CO |
61
55–63 |
$63,049/yr | Very High | 11.9x |
| 26 |
Environmental Engineering
University of Delaware · Newark, DE |
62
56–63 |
$65,634/yr | Very High | 11.8x |
| 27 |
Environmental Engineering
Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College · Baton Rouge, LA |
63
58–63 |
$59,237/yr | Very High | 12.8x |
| 28 |
Environmental Engineering
Clemson University · Clemson, SC |
63
58–63 |
$68,363/yr | Very High | 11.6x |
| 29 |
Environmental Engineering
University of Michigan-Ann Arbor · Ann Arbor, MI |
59
52–62 |
$57,824/yr | Very High | 11.9x |
| 30 |
Environmental Engineering
Missouri University of Science and Technology · Rolla, MO |
61
55–62 |
$57,679/yr | Very High | 12.4x |
| 31 |
Environmental Engineering
University of California-Merced · Merced, CA |
57
48–62 |
$47,028/yr | Very High | 13.7x |
| 32 |
Environmental Engineering
Colorado School of Mines · Golden, CO |
59
54–60 |
$69,102/yr | Very High | 8.9x |
| 33 |
Environmental Engineering
Michigan Technological University · Houghton, MI |
59
54–60 |
$64,453/yr | Very High | 9.6x |
| 34 |
Environmental Engineering
University of New Hampshire-Main Campus · Durham, NH |
58
52–59 |
$62,190/yr | Very High | 9.5x |
| 35 |
Environmental Engineering
University of Vermont · Burlington, VT |
58
53–58 |
$63,697/yr | Very High | 8.4x |
| 36 |
Environmental Engineering
University of Connecticut-Waterbury Campus · Waterbury, CT |
60
55–59 |
$64,950/yr | Very High | 8.3x |
| 37 |
Environmental Engineering
University of Connecticut-Avery Point · Groton, CT |
60
55–59 |
$64,950/yr | Very High | 8.3x |
| 38 |
Environmental Engineering
University of Connecticut-Stamford · Stamford, CT |
59
55–59 |
$64,950/yr | Very High | 8.3x |
| 39 |
Environmental Engineering
University of Connecticut-Hartford Campus · Hartford, CT |
60
55–59 |
$64,950/yr | Very High | 8.3x |
| 40 |
Environmental Engineering
University of Connecticut · Storrs, CT |
57
52–58 |
$64,950/yr | Very High | 7.0x |
| 41 |
Environmental Engineering
University of Minnesota-Twin Cities · Minneapolis, MN |
55
50–55 |
$53,447/yr | Very High | 7.1x |
| 42 |
Environmental Engineering
Cornell University · Ithaca, NY |
50
44–52 |
$69,558/yr | Very High | 2.3x |
| 43 |
Environmental Engineering
Wilkes University · Wilkes-Barre, PA |
50
45–52 |
$60,098/yr | Very High | 3.1x |
| 44 |
Environmental Engineering
Clarkson University · Potsdam, NY |
50
44–51 |
$67,308/yr | Very High | 2.2x |
| 45 |
Environmental Engineering
Drexel University · Philadelphia, PA |
49
43–51 |
$64,712/yr | Very High | 2.2x |
| 46 |
Environmental Engineering
University of Notre Dame · Notre Dame, IN |
49
43–50 |
$64,675/yr | Very High | 1.6x |
| 47 |
Environmental Engineering
Syracuse University · Syracuse, NY |
43
37–45 |
$49,297/yr | Very High | 1.0x |
Methodology
Programs are ranked by DegreeWorth Score, which combines four equally weighted factors: graduate earnings (Year 1 after graduation), AI automation resilience (based on OpenAI and academic research), job market size (BLS annual openings), and earnings-to-tuition multiple (10-year projected earnings vs. 4-year tuition).
Earnings data comes from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, which reports actual median earnings of graduates — not self-reported surveys.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best school for Environmental Engineering?
Based on our DegreeWorth Score, California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo ranks #1 for Environmental Engineering with a score of 71/100 and graduate earnings of $82,197/yr.
How much do Environmental Engineering graduates earn?
Across 47 schools, Environmental Engineering graduates earn an average of $63,650/yr in their first year. The highest-earning program reports $82,197/yr.
Is Environmental Engineering a good major for AI resistance?
Environmental Engineering has an average AI task exposure of 55%, rated "Very High". This field has significant AI exposure. Check individual program pages for scenario analysis.
Data: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (earnings, debt), Bureau of Labor Statistics 2024–2034
(employment projections), OpenAI GPTs-are-GPTs research (AI task exposure), Felten et al. AIOE.
Last updated 2025.