by our College Data Analytics Team
[Environmental Engineering](/majors/engineering/environmental-engineering/) is a field where your choice of school can shape what you earn after graduation. The highest-paying schools turn a environmental engineering degree into the strongest early-career earnings.
For its 2026 highest-paid-graduates ranking, College Factual looked at 8 schools to find where environmental engineering graduates earn the most.
What’s on this page:
If you want to know which schools send environmental engineering graduates into the highest-paying careers, see the list below.
California State University Fullerton tops our 2026 list of the highest-paying environmental engineering schools in the Far Western Region. Set in the suburb of Fullerton, California State University Fullerton is a public institution. Early-career environmental engineering graduates from California State University Fullerton make a median of around $106,631 per year.
California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying environmental engineering schools. California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo is a public school located in the suburb of San Luis Obispo. Early-career environmental engineering graduates from California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo make a median of around $86,311 per year.
Students chasing top earnings in environmental engineering will find them at Oregon State University, which ranked #3. Oregon State University is a public school located in the city of Corvallis. Early-career environmental engineering graduates from Oregon State University make a median of around $81,214 per year.
Students chasing top earnings in environmental engineering will find them at University Of California Riverside, which ranked #4. Set in the city of Riverside, University Of California Riverside is a public institution. Environmental Engineering graduates of University Of California Riverside earn a median of about $81,979 a year early in their careers.
Students chasing top earnings in environmental engineering will find them at San Diego State University, which ranked #5. San Diego State University is a public school located in the city of San Diego. Environmental Engineering graduates of San Diego State University earn a median of about $66,482 a year early in their careers.
Humboldt State University ranked #6 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying environmental engineering schools. Located in the town of Arcata, Humboldt State University is a public institution. Students who complete the environmental engineering program here go on to a median salary of roughly $81,168.
University Of Nevada Reno placed #7 among the highest-paying schools for environmental engineering. University Of Nevada Reno is a public school located in the city of Reno. Early-career environmental engineering graduates from University Of Nevada Reno make a median of around $65,194 per year.
University Of California Merced ranked #8 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying environmental engineering schools. University Of California Merced is a public school located in the suburb of Merced. After graduating, environmental engineering degree recipients from University Of California Merced typically earn about $83,194 annually.
This list is compiled by College Factual, 2026 edition. The methodology measures the salaries environmental engineering graduates go on to earn early in their careers, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard field-of-study earnings and IPEDS).
Ranking method: College Major Earnings · 8 schools evaluated.
*Salary figures reflect median early-career earnings (about 5 years after graduation) and may vary by how long a person takes to complete their degree.
More about our data sources and methodologies.