by our College Data Analytics Team
[Sustainability Science](/majors/multi-interdisciplinary-studies/sustainability-science/) is a field where your choice of school can shape what you earn after graduation. The schools below stand out for the salaries their sustainability science graduates go on to command.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 18 schools on the early-career earnings of their sustainability science graduates.
What’s on this page:
The sustainability science program you select can have a big impact on your future earnings. To help, we created our Highest Paid Sustainability Science Graduates ranking. It looks at the median early-career salaries graduates earn, so you can find the schools whose sustainability science degrees pay off the most.
Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we offer several rankings, including this Highest Paid Sustainability Science Graduates list, to help you choose. More interested in schools in a specific area of the country? Filter this list by region or state.
Want to compare schools head to head? Try our College Combat tool to weigh the factors that matter most to you.
Learn more about our methodology
If you want to know which schools send sustainability science graduates into the highest-paying careers, see the list below.
Columbia University In The City Of New York earned the #1 spot for highest-paid sustainability science graduates in the United States. Located in the city of New York, Columbia University In The City Of New York is a private not-for-profit institution. Students who complete the sustainability science program here go on to a median salary of roughly $85,716.
Strong graduate earnings at University Of Wisconsin Platteville earned it the #2 place for sustainability science. Located in the town of Platteville, University Of Wisconsin Platteville is a public institution. Sustainability Science graduates of University Of Wisconsin Platteville earn a median of about $59,089 a year early in their careers.
A rank of #3 makes University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign one of the highest-paying schools for sustainability science. Located in the city of Champaign, University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign is a public institution. Sustainability Science graduates of University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign earn a median of about $50,678 a year early in their careers.
Strong graduate earnings at The Richard Stockton College Of New Jersey earned it the #4 place for sustainability science. Set in the rural area of Galloway, The Richard Stockton College Of New Jersey is a public institution. Early-career sustainability science graduates from The Richard Stockton College Of New Jersey make a median of around $49,205 per year.
A rank of #5 makes George Mason University one of the highest-paying schools for sustainability science. Located in the suburb of Fairfax, George Mason University is a public institution. Sustainability Science graduates of George Mason University earn a median of about $62,841 a year early in their careers.
University Of Florida ranked #6 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying sustainability science schools. Set in the city of Gainesville, University Of Florida is a public institution. Students who complete the sustainability science program here go on to a median salary of roughly $62,552.
University Of Northern Colorado earned the #7 position for sustainability science graduate earnings this year. University Of Northern Colorado is a public school located in the city of Greeley. After graduating, sustainability science degree recipients from University Of Northern Colorado typically earn about $54,162 annually.
Aquinas College Michigan came in at #8 for sustainability science graduate earnings this year. Aquinas College Michigan is a private not-for-profit school located in the city of Grand Rapids. Early-career sustainability science graduates from Aquinas College Michigan make a median of around $69,211 per year.
Western Washington University ranked #9 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying sustainability science schools. Western Washington University is a public school located in the city of Bellingham. Sustainability Science graduates of Western Washington University earn a median of about $41,600 a year early in their careers.
Montclair State University earned the #10 position for sustainability science graduate earnings this year. Montclair State University is a public school located in the suburb of Montclair. Sustainability Science graduates of Montclair State University earn a median of about $41,445 a year early in their careers.
The University Of Texas At Austin came in at #11 for sustainability science graduate earnings this year. The University Of Texas At Austin is a public school located in the city of Austin. Students who complete the sustainability science program here go on to a median salary of roughly $35,255.
Colorado Mountain College landed the #12 spot for sustainability science salaries this year. Colorado Mountain College is a public school located in the town of Glenwood Springs. Sustainability Science graduates of Colorado Mountain College earn a median of about $38,053 a year early in their careers.
University Of California Riverside landed the #13 spot for sustainability science salaries this year. Set in the city of Riverside, University Of California Riverside is a public institution. Early-career sustainability science graduates from University Of California Riverside make a median of around $30,698 per year.
University Of Illinois At Chicago placed #14 among the highest-paying schools for sustainability science. Set in the city of Chicago, University Of Illinois At Chicago is a public institution. Students who complete the sustainability science program here go on to a median salary of roughly $30,548.
University Of Utah came in at #15 for sustainability science graduate earnings this year. Set in the city of Salt Lake City, University Of Utah is a public institution. Students who complete the sustainability science program here go on to a median salary of roughly $30,229.
Florida International University ranked #16 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying sustainability science schools. Located in the suburb of Miami, Florida International University is a public institution. Sustainability Science graduates of Florida International University earn a median of about $28,997 a year early in their careers.
Montana State University landed the #17 spot for sustainability science salaries this year. Set in the city of Bozeman, Montana State University is a public institution. Early-career sustainability science graduates from Montana State University make a median of around $22,296 per year.
Chatham University ranked #18 on our 2026 list of the highest-paying sustainability science schools. Chatham University is a private not-for-profit school located in the city of Pittsburgh. Students who complete the sustainability science program here go on to a median salary of roughly $18,954.
This list is compiled by College Factual, 2026 edition. Schools are ranked on the median early-career earnings of their sustainability science graduates, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard field-of-study earnings and IPEDS).
Ranking method: College Major Earnings · 18 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.