Environmental Engineering Major — Salary & ROI 2026
Application of engineering to protect the environment and public health.
Starting Salary
$65K
median
Mid-Career
$95K
salary
ROI Payback
4.2 yrs
avg payback
Unemployment
3.2%
rate
Environmental Engineering Overview
Application of engineering to protect the environment and public health.
Category
Engineering
Degree Level
Bachelor's
Graduation Rate
64%
Enrollment Trend
growing
Online Available
Limited
Underemployment
14%
Lifetime Premium
$750K
Female Graduates
42%
Environmental Engineering Degree ROI Calculator
Estimate your actual return on investment based on school type and scholarships.
0 to $40K/year in aid
Est. Total Cost
$20,250
4-year tuition
Net Cost (w/ aid)
$20,250
after scholarships
ROI Payback
1 years
to break even
Lifetime Return
$729,750
Lifetime earnings premium ($750,000) minus net degree cost ($20,250)
Environmental Engineering Salary Progression
Common Environmental Engineering Careers
Environmental Engineer
Sustainability Engineer
Water Resources Engineer
Top Employers
Skills You'll Learn
Top Schools for Environmental Engineering
#1
Stanford
#2
MIT
#3
UC Berkeley
#4
University of Michigan
#5
Georgia Tech
Related Majors
Environmental Engineering Degree FAQ
Data Sources: Salary data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Enrollment and graduation data from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES/IPEDS). Tuition estimates based on College Board Annual Survey of Colleges. Last updated March 2026.
Environmental Engineering Programs by City
Tuition, salary outcomes, and cost of living for environmental engineering programs vary by city. See your local numbers:
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