Best Colleges and Universities for Environmental Science in the World
About Environmental Science
Environmental science (EVS) is an interdisciplinary academic field that focuses on human interactions with the environment and various environmental challenges. It connects principles from the fields such as physics, chemistry, biology, and social science. Environmental science teaches us how to protect the environment in the face of a rising human population and human impacts that are destroying natural resources and ecosystems.
With global warming and climate change, environmental studies have become a hot topic today, demanding for quick and effective solutions to cope with diverse environmental problems. Environmental scientists and other professionals with a background in environmental science are therefore in great demand nowadays. This article attempts at solving all the questions regarding a degree in environmental science along with job prospects in that field.
Duties of Environmental Scientists or Environmental Scholars
In the domain of environmental science, job responsibilities vary greatly depending on the type of job, working conditions, and employers. For example, an environmental scholar may be required to conduct an in-depth investigation of a water body or work as part of a team to examine a wide range of environmental issues. Depending upon the above factors duties of professionals working in this field might include some or all of the following:
- Analyze samples of soil, air, water, food, and other materials to collect data on the environment
- Choose a method for analyzing the collected environmental data and analyze it using scientific analysis
- Assess the threat to the environment, especially the impact of human activities on the environment
- Informing the government, the general public, and businesses about health and environmental risks
- Present reports and publish papers on research and scientific findings
- Develop strategies to either prevent or fix pollution and other environmental issues
Popular degrees for pursuing a career in Environmental Science
Environmental science is becoming a more valuable and relevant degree in today’s world where global warming, air pollution, and plastic waste are important challenges. It provides a wide range of opportunities for further education; in fact, many students prefer to pursue postgraduate study or research after completing their bachelor’s degree in environmental science or a related field. The following are some of the popular degrees offered by top universities in the area of environmental science.
Bachelor’s programs
- B.S. in Environmental Science
- B.A. in Environmental Studies
- B.S. in Environmental Management
- B.A. in Environmental Policy
- B.Sc. in Ecology
Master’s programs
- M.S. in Environmental Science
- M.S. in Environmental Science and Policy
- M.Sc. in Hazardous Substance and Environmental Management
- M.Sc. in Energy and Environmental Sciences
- Master of Climate Change Science and Policy
- M.S. in Environmental and Green Chemistry
- M.S. in Physical Geography and Ecosystem Science
Doctoral programs
- Ph.D. in Environmental Science
- Ph.D. in Science in Earth, Life and Climate
- Ph.D. in Environmental Science and Policy
- Ph.D. in Environmental Studies
Specializations in Environmental Science
Given environmental science is such a broad field, there are various specializations available. However, students can choose from five core fields for their specializations, each of which is made up of multiple minor specialties. These include
Atmospheric sciences: It is the study of the atmosphere, which includes the chemistry and physics of the atmosphere. It often includes the influence of atmospheric changes on ecosystems all over the world.
Ecology: The term ecology involves the study of how organisms (humans, animals, and plants) interact with each other and the environment.
Environmental chemistry: This field explores the effects of chemicals on humans, plants, soil, water bodies, and the air.
Geosciences: It is also known as earth science, it focuses on the geological processes of the earth, such as volcanic eruptions, the formation of the earth’s crust, and how they impact the environment.
Social sciences: It is divided into three subfields: geography, anthropology, and sociology, and it studies the interactions between humans and nature are further subdivided into smaller subfields.
Duration of programs in Environmental Science
A typical duration of a full-time undergraduate program in environmental science is from three to four years, and graduate programs range from one to two years. The duration of part-time degrees is longer than usual. In addition to lab work and lectures, fieldwork is also an important part of the environmental science curriculum. This fieldwork includes trips to different countries and regions of the world. Field trips offer a great opportunity for prospective students to learn about varied habitats, climates, and societies. All in all, environmental science degrees are more adventurous than any other degrees in the field of science.
| Country | Bachelor’s Degree | Master’s Degree | Doctoral Degree |
| USA and Canada | 4 years | 1-2 years | 4-7 years |
| UK | 3-4 years | 1-2 years | 4-6 years |
| Australia | 3-4 years | 1-2 years | 4-6 years |
Career opportunities in Environmental Science
Environmental science is one of the greatest disciplines to study for anyone who is interested in environmental conservation. Some of the top careers in this field are:
- Environmental Scientist
- Environmental Engineer
- Environmental Lawyer
- Professor or Teacher
- Zoologist
- Conservation Scientist
- Hydrologist
- Ecology Consultant
- Hydrogeologist
- Climate Scientist
- Ecologist
- Geologist
- Marine Ecologist
- Marine Scientist
- Biologist
- Botanist
A degree in environmental science is not restrictive and opens up a lot of job opportunities. Some alternative fields where a degree in environmental science is applicable are:
- Horticultural Consultant
- Horticultural Therapist
- Water Engineer
- Minerals Surveyor
- Recycling Officer
- Sustainability Consultant
- Landscape Architect
Average salaries in Environmental Science
The average salaries in the environmental science vary depending on the type of specialization and years of experience. Entry-level positions, as expected, pay less than advanced jobs. The majority of environmental scientists work full time and are mostly required to work more than 40 hours per week. As a result, the pay for environmental scientists is slightly higher compared to the other specialist in the field of environmental science. The average salaries for environmental scientists in major countries around the world are listed below.
| Country | Average salary in USD*/year |
| Canada | 1,49,176 (Source: Salary explorer) |
| Australia | 1,07,378 (Source: Salary explorer) |
| USA | 1,56,000 (Source: Salary explorer) |
| UK | 1,54,054 (Source: Salary explorer) |
| Germany | 80, 692 (Source: Salary explorer) |
| France | 82,533 (Source: Salary explorer) |
*Note: All prices mentioned in the USD are for reference only. Exchange rates may vary from time to time and from country to country.
Top 50 universities in the world for Environmental Science based on subject rankings (Shanghai/QS/THE):
| QS Ranking | THE Ranking | Shanghai Ranking | University | Country | Bachelor’s Programs | Master’s Programs |
| 1 | 4 | 22 | Stanford University | USA | Click Here | Click Here |
| 2 | 2 | 42 | Harvard University | USA | Click Here | Click Here |
| 3 | 5 | 151-200 | Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) | USA | Click Here | Click Here |
| 4 | 1 | 1 | University of Oxford | UK | Click Here | Click Here |
| 5 | 15 | 10 | ETH Zurich – Swiss Federal Institute of Technology | Switzerland | Click Here | Click Here |
| 6 | 5 | 16 | University of Cambridge | UK | Click Here | Click Here |
| 7 | 8 | 6 | University of California, Berkeley (UCB) | USA | Click Here | Click Here |
| 8 | 53 | 4 | Wageningen University & Research | Netherlands | Click Here | Click Here |
| 9 | 12 | 9 | Imperial College London | UK | Click Here | Click here |
| 10 | 16 | 151-200 | Tsinghua University | China | Click Here | Click Here |
| 11 | 37 | 18 | University of British Columbia | Canada | Click Here | Click Here |
| 12 | 46 | 201-300 | Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU) | Singapore | Click Here | Click Here |
| 13 | 75 | NA | Delft University of Technology | Netherlands | Click Here | Click Here |
| 14 | 54 | 15 | The University of Queensland | Australia | Click Here | Click Here |
| 15 | 21 | 101-150 | National University of Singapore (NUS) | Singapore | Click Here | Click Here |
| 16 | 67 | 7 | University of California, Davis | USA | Click Here | Click Here |
| 17 | 16 | 76-100 | Peking University | China | Click Here | Click Here |
| 18 | 9 | 34 | Yale University | USA | Click Here | Click Here |
| 19 | 2 | NA | California Institute of Technology (Caltech) | USA | Click Here | Click Here |
| 20 | 20 | 44 | University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) | USA | Click Here | Click Here |
| 21 | 54 | 40 | The Australian National University | Australia | Click Here | Click Here |
| 22 | 33 | 51-75 | The University of Melbourne | Australia | Click Here | Click Here |
| 23 | 70 | 51-75 | The University of New South Wales (UNSW Sydney) | Australia | Click Here | Click Here |
| 24 | 7 | 23 | Princeton University | USA | Click Here | Click Here |
| 25 | 40 | 201-300 | EPFL | Switzerland | Click Here | Click Here |
| 26 | 35 | 301-400 | The University of Tokyo | Japan | Click Here | Click Here |
| 27 | 30 | 21 | The University of Edinburgh | UK | Click Here | Click Here |
| 28 | 18 | 20 | University of Toronto | Canada | Click Here | Click Here |
| 29 | 44 | 51-75 | McGill University | Canada | Click Here | Click Here |
| 30 | 24 | 51-75 | University of Michigan-Ann Arbor | USA | Click Here | Click Here |
| 31 | 176 | 51-75 | Stockholm University | Sweden | Click Here | Click Here |
| 32 | 22 | 14 | Cornell University | USA | Click Here | Click Here |
| 33 | 11 | 51-75 | Columbia University | USA | Click Here | Click Here |
| 34 | 127 | 51-75 | University of Leeds | UK | Click Here | Click Here |
| 35 | 29 | 32 | University of Washington | USA | Click Here | Click Here |
| 36 | 23 | 39 | Duke University | USA | Click Here | Click Here |
| 37 | 69 | 51-75 | Utrecht University | Netherlands | Click Here | Click Here |
| 38 | 143 | 11 | The University of Exeter | UK | Click Here | Click Here |
| 39 | 116 | 51-75 | Lund University | Sweden | Click Here | Click Here |
| 40 | 18 | 51-75 | UCL | UK | Click Here | Click Here |
| 41 | 131 | 76-100 | Uppsala University | Sweden | Click Here | Click Here |
| 42 | 96 | 31 | University of Copenhagen | Denmark | Click Here | Click Here |
| 43 | 58 | 51-75 | University of Wisconsin-Madison | USA | Click Here | Click Here |
| 44 | 75 | 301-400 | Zhejiang University | China | Click Here | Click Here |
| 45 | 185 | 201-300 | Technical University of Denmark | Denmark | Click Here | Click Here |
| 46 | 45 | 151-200 | Georgia Institute of Technology | USA | Click Here | Click Here |
| 47 | 47 | 76-100 | University of Texas at Austin | USA | Click Here | Click Here |
| 48 | 54 | 401-500 | Seoul National University | South Korea | Click Here | Click Here |
| 49 | 182 | 76-100 | University of East Anglia (UEA) | UK | Click Here | Click Here |
| 50 | 66 | NA | The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology | Hong Kong | Click Here | Click Here |
Top universities in the USA for Environmental Science
Environmental science is one of the hot professions in the USA, known for its many job opportunities and high income. For example, an environmental scientist gets an annual salary of 1,56,000 USD/year, which is way higher than the median average salary. This is why environmental science is one of the best degrees to study in the USA. On top of that, the USA is the leader when it comes to the quality of education and there are a lot of options for undergraduate degrees in environmental science. For students who want to go for specialization, they can go for master’s degrees in environmental science.
| QS Ranking | THE Ranking | Shanghai Ranking | University | Country | Bachelor’s Programs | Master’s Programs |
| 1 | 4 | 22 | Stanford University | USA | Click Here | Click Here |
| 2 | 2 | 42 | Harvard University | USA | Click Here | Click Here |
| 3 | 5 | 151-200 | Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) | USA | Click Here | Click Here |
| 7 | 8 | 6 | University of California, Berkeley (UCB) | USA | Click Here | Click Here |
| 16 | 67 | 7 | University of California, Davis | USA | Click Here | Click Here |
Top universities in the UK for Environmental Science
The next best option for overseas students is to study in the UK, as it offers tons of employment opportunities for almost all the graduates, including environmental science. The top UK universities such as the University of Oxford, University of Cambridge, University of Edinburgh, and others have a variety of undergraduate environmental science programs. Their graduate programs in environmental science are also quite famous. Here is a table containing a list of top colleges in the UK for environmental science.
| QS Ranking | THE Ranking | Shanghai Ranking | University | Country | Bachelor’s Programs | Master’s Programs |
| 4 | 1 | 1 | University of Oxford | UK | Click Here | Click Here |
| 6 | 5 | 16 | University of Cambridge | UK | Click Here | Click Here |
| 9 | 12 | 9 | Imperial College London | UK | Click Here | Click here |
| 27 | 30 | 21 | The University of Edinburgh | UK | Click Here | Click Here |
| 34 | 127 | 51-75 | University of Leeds | UK | Click Here | Click Here |
Top universities in Australia for Environmental Science
In many aspects, Australia is a world leader in environmental issues. The first Earth Hour, for example, began as a lights-out event in Sydney, Australia in 2007, and has since grown into a global movement to encourage people to take environmental action.
Many students prefer to study in Australia as Australian universities offer well-balanced bachelor’s courses in environmental science in terms of the structure of the degree, the range of topics, and the amount of practical work. Even the master’s courses in environmental science offered are well structured.
| QS Ranking | THE Ranking | Shanghai Ranking | University | Country | Bachelor’s Programs | Master’s Programs |
| 14 | 54 | 15 | The University of Queensland | Australia | Click Here | Click Here |
| 21 | 54 | 40 | The Australian National University | Australia | Click Here | Click Here |
| 22 | 33 | 51-75 | The University of Melbourne | Australia | Click Here | Click Here |
| 23 | 70 | 51-75 | The University of New South Wales (UNSW Sydney) | Australia | Click Here | Click Here |
Top universities in the Netherlands for Environmental Science
Here is a list of top-ranked Netherlands universities for environmental science. The table also includes bachelor’s programs offered by Dutch universities in environmental science and master’s courses in environmental science.
| QS Ranking | THE Ranking | Shanghai Ranking | University | Country | Bachelor’s Programs | Master’s Programs |
| 8 | 53 | 4 | Wageningen University & Research | Netherlands | Click Here | Click Here |
| 13 | 75 | NA | Delft University of Technology | Netherlands | Click Here | Click Here |
| 37 | 69 | 51-75 | Utrecht University | Netherlands | Click Here | Click Here |
Top universities in Canada for Environmental Science
International students flock to study in Canada, the world’s second-largest country, with a sparse population and a high standard of living. The universities in Canada offer good undergraduate degrees in environmental science and highly specialized graduate degrees in environmental science. Here is a list of some of the popular Canadian universities ranked highly for environmental science subjects.
| QS Ranking | THE Ranking | Shanghai Ranking | University | Country | Bachelor’s Programs | Master’s Programs |
| 28 | 18 | 20 | University of Toronto | Canada | Click Here | Click Here |
| 29 | 44 | 51-75 | McGill University | Canada | Click Here | Click Here |
Academic requirements for studying Environmental Science
Environmental science is a relatively recent field of study that arose in the 1960s and 1970s as environmental issues became more apparent. It is now acknowledged as a strong academic degree all around the world with a wide range of professional opportunities. As a result, several universities now offer degrees in this discipline. The following are some of the general requirements for admission to major colleges that offer environmental science degrees.
Bachelor’s level
- A high school diploma with a 3.0 GPA or above in one of the following subjects: biology, chemistry, physics, mathematics, geography, or geology
- Academic transcripts
- SAT and/or ACT scores (varies from university to university)
- Personal statement
- Letter of recommendation
- Valid passport
- English proficiency test scores such as TOEFL (90 and above) or IELTS (6.0 and above)
Master’s level
- A relevant bachelor’s degree, either in environmental sciences or a related field, with a GPA of 3.0 or higher
- Academic transcripts
- GMAT, MCAT and/or GRE scores (varies from university to university)
- Personal statement
- Letters of recommendation
- Valid passport
- Resume
- Published research papers (preferable)
- English proficiency test scores such as TOEFL (90 and above) or IELTS (6.0 and above)
