Top collges and universities for Sustainability Studies and Development in the world
About Sustainability Studies
Environmental degradation and climate change are global emergencies. The demand for people in the sustainability field is greater than ever. Sustainable studies is a branch of Environmental Studies & Earth Sciences that focuses on solving problems of Ecology, Biodiversity, and Conservation, tapping into the earth’s natural resources and using them to their full potential responsibly.
Sustainable study is an interdisciplinary field that involves knowledge from Environmental Economics, Policy Making, and Resource Management. Best universities for sustainable studies will bring your focus to the global goals and long-term actions that can be taken to protect nature against harmful, unsustainable activities and build a career around it.
Areas of study under Sustainability Studies
A Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Sustainable Development covers courses and concepts connected to Sustainability Risks and Opportunities, Natural, Environmental and Social Sciences, Ecology, and other subjects. The following are a couple of areas of study under sustainability studies.
- Sustainable Leadership
- Sustainable Energy
- Sustainable Change
- Climate Change
- Pollution
- Global Change
- Sustainable Development
- Environment
- Natural Resources
Popular degrees under Sustainability Studies
For Bachelor Level
- Bachelor in Sustainable Environmental Management
- BSc in Global Responsibility & Leadership
- Global Development and Sustainability BSc (Hons)
- Bachelor in Sustainable Solutions
- BBA in Sustainability Management
- Bachelor of Arts in Social Justice and Sustainability
- BSc in Sustainable Use of Natural Resources
- BA(Hons) in Sustainable Product Design
For Master Level
- MS Sustainability Management
- MSc in Urban Environment, Sustainability and Climate Change
- MSc in Sustainability Transformation
- Master of Science in Global Challenges for Sustainability
- Master in Leadership for Sustainability
- Master in Environmental Change and Global Sustainability
Duration of Programs in Sustainability Studies
| Country | Bachelor’s Degree | Master’s Degree | Doctoral Degree |
| USA | 3-4 years | 1-3 years | 3-5 years |
| UK | 3-4 years | 1-2 years | 3-4 years |
| Canada and Australia | 3-4 years | 1-2 years | 3-4 years |
| Others | 3-4 years | 1-2 years | 3-4 years |
Top 50 global universities for Sustainability Studies based on popular rankings
| QS rank | THE Ranking | University | Country | Bachelors | Masters |
| 1 | 4 | University of Oxford | Uk | Click Here | Click Here |
| 2 | 3 | University of Cambridge | USA | Click Here | Click Here |
| 3 | 6 | Harvard University | USA | Click Here | Click Here |
| 4 | 9 | University of California, Berkeley (UCB) | USA | Click Here | Click Here |
| 5 | 1 | Stanford University | USA | Click Here | Click Here |
| 6 | 12 | Yale University | USA | Click Here | Click Here |
| 7 | 11 | Columbia University | USA | Click Here | Click Here |
| 8 | 17 | New York University (NYU) | USA | Click Here | Click Here |
| 9 | 10 | The University of Edinburgh | UK | Click Here | Click Here |
| 9 | 13 | University of California, Los Angeles | USA | Click Here | Click Here |
| 11 | 5 | UCL | UK | Click Here | Click Here |
| 12 | 34 | National University of Singapore (NUS) | Singapore | Click Here | Click Here |
| 13 | 2 | Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) | USA | Click Here | Click Here |
| 14 | 8 | University of Chicago | USA | Click Here | Click Here |
| 15 | 7 | Princeton University | USA | Click Here | Click Here |
| 16 | 39 | The University of Melbourne | Australia | Click Here | Click Here |
| 16 | 26 | University of Toronto | Canada | Click Here | Click Here |
| 18 | 28 | The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) | UK | Click Here | Click Here |
| 18 | 21 | Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin | Berlin | Click Here | Click Here |
| 20 | 32 | The University of Hong Kong | Hong Kong | Click Here | Click Here |
| 21 | 36 | University of Amsterdam | Netherlands | Click Here | Click Here |
| 22 | 46 | The University of Sydney | Canada | Click Here | Click Here |
| 23 | NA | Sorbonne University | France | Click Here | Click Here |
| 23 | 53 | The University of Tokyo | Japan | Click Here | Click Here |
| 25 | 29 | The Australian National University | Australia | Click Here | Click Here |
| 26 | 47 | Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne | France | Click Here | Click Here |
| 27 | 30 | King’s College London | UK | Click Here | Click Here |
| 28 | 26 | Freie Universitaet Berlin | Germany | Click Here | Click Here |
| 29 | 16 | University of Michigan-Ann Arbor | USA | Click Here | Click Here |
| 30 | 59 | University of British Columbia | Canada | Click Here | Click Here |
| 31 | 24 | Leiden University | Netherlands | Click Here | Click Here |
| 31 | 14 | University of Pennsylvania | USA | Click Here | Click Here |
| 33 | NA | Universidad Nacional Autónoma de | Mexico | Click Here | Click Here |
| 34 | 85 | The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) | Hong Kong | Click Here | Click Here |
| 35 | 101-125 | Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU) | Singapore | Click Here | Click Here |
| 36 | 21 | Cornell University | USA | Click Here | Click Here |
| 37 | 35 | McGill University | Canada | Click Here | Click Here |
| 37 | 101-125 | Seoul National University | Korea | Click Here | Click Here |
| 39 | 80 | Sapienza University of Rome | Italy | Click Here | Click Here |
| 40 | 18 | Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München | Germany | Click Here | Click Here |
| 41 | 26 | Durham University | UK | Click Here | Click Here |
| 42 | 83 | Monash University | Australia | Click Here | Click Here |
| 43 | 21 | Peking University | China | Click Here | Click Here |
| 43 | 38 | University of Vienna | Austria | Click Here | Click Here |
| 45 | 44 | The University of Manchester | UK | Click Here | Click Here |
| 46 | 25 | KU Leuven | Belgium | Click Here | Click Here |
| 46 | NA | The University of New South Wales (UNSW Sydney) | Australia | Click Here | Click Here |
| 46 | NA | Trinity College Dublin, The University of Dublin | Ireland | Click Here | Click Here |
| 49 | 36 | University of St Andrews | UK | Click Here | Click Here |
| 50 | 50 | University of Texas at Austin | USA | Click Here | Click Here |
Top Universities for Sustainability Studies in the USA
The demand for sustainability professionals and experts is the highest in the USA. With the increase in companies who are wishing to become sustainable, the demand is only going to go higher. Therefore, for sustainability enthusiasts, studying in the USA is a pristine choice.
Bachelor degrees in the USA are offered by some of the oldest and most prestigious institutions in the world like Harvard University, Columbia University, Yale University, etc. Master degrees in the USA are usually coupled with great research the universities have been carrying out.
| QS rank | THE Ranking | University | Country | Bachelors | Masters |
| 2 | 3 | University of Cambridge | USA | Click Here | Click Here |
| 3 | 6 | Harvard University | USA | Click Here | Click Here |
| 4 | 9 | University of California, Berkeley (UCB) | USA | Click Here | Click Here |
| 5 | 1 | Stanford University | USA | Click Here | Click Here |
| 6 | 12 | Yale University | USA | Click Here | Click Here |
| 7 | 11 | Columbia University | USA | Click Here | Click Here |
| 8 | 17 | New York University (NYU) | USA | Click Here | Click Here |
| 9 | 13 | University of California, Los Angeles | USA | Click Here | Click Here |
| 13 | 2 | Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) | USA | Click Here | Click Here |
| 14 | 8 | University of Chicago | USA | Click Here | Click Here |
| 15 | 7 | Princeton University | USA | Click Here | Click Here |
| 29 | 16 | University of Michigan-Ann Arbor | USA | Click Here | Click Here |
| 31 | 14 | University of Pennsylvania | USA | Click Here | Click Here |
| 36 | 21 | Cornell University | USA | Click Here | Click Here |
| 50 | 50 | University of Texas at Austin | USA | Click Here | Click Here |
Top Universities for Sustainability studies in the UK
The United Kingdom is one of the most sustainability-conscious countries. The degree programs offered by universities in sustainability studies are a great reason to study in the UK.
Bachelor degrees in sustainability studies in the UK cover a wide range of specializations like sustainable energy, development, leadership, change, management, product design, etc. Master degrees in the UK are generally 1-2 years long and offered in several specializations.
| QS rank | THE Ranking | University | Country | Bachelors | Masters |
| 1 | 4 | University of Oxford | Uk | Click Here | Click Here |
| 9 | 10 | The University of Edinburgh | UK | Click Here | Click Here |
| 11 | 5 | UCL | UK | Click Here | Click Here |
| 18 | 28 | The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) | UK | Click Here | Click Here |
| 27 | 30 | King’s College London | UK | Click Here | Click Here |
| 41 | 26 | Durham University | UK | Click Here | Click Here |
| 45 | 44 | The University of Manchester | UK | Click Here | Click Here |
| 49 | 36 | University of St Andrews | UK | Click Here | Click Here |
Academic requirements for studying Sustainability Studies
Sustainability studies cover a lot of things, issues, and specializations. As there are many different specializations available in this field of study, the admission requirements for each program would be different. The following mentioned requirements are to give the candidates a general idea of the requirements for studying sustainability studies.
For Bachelor Level
- IELTS Academic 6.0 overall score, with at least 5.5 in Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening
- High School Diploma
- Motivation letter, essay
- Academic Transcript
For Master Level
- IELTS, TOEFL or PTE English Language Proficiency Test
- Minimum 3 years of Undergraduate degree
- Official certified transcripts and diplomas of Bachelor’s studies, with certified translation (if not originally in English).
- CV/Resume indicating both complete education and any work experience in reverse chronological order.
- Motivation Letter
- Interview
Career Scope in Sustainability Studies
The sustainable development sector is a rapidly growing area full of new opportunities and career paths. Experts anticipate a $600 billion investment into sustainable infrastructure projects over the next 10 years in the UK alone. The emotional factor in a career in the sustainability sector comes with the involvement in the social and environmental issues, and the financial one is related to the fast-growing job market. These two combined, form the baseline of a successful and happy life.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual wage across various sustainability careers is $166,910. After graduation, students will find jobs in a wide range of careers, including job titles such as
- Project manager
- Sustainability analyst
- Sustainable design professional
- Energy efficiency analyst
- Operations manager.
Average salary of Sustainability Studies graduates
| Country | Average Annual Salary in USD* |
| United States | 69,865 |
| United Kingdom | 42,263 |
| Canada | 59,750 |
| Australia | 63,011 |
* Please note that average have been converted from their local currencies to USD at the current exchange rates. Exchange rates are subject to periodic change.
