2026 Best Sustainability Science Schools in Illinois
Sustainability Science degree programs prepare students for a range of careers in the field. The schools below stand out for the quality of their sustainability science programs.
For its 2026 ranking, College Factual looked at 9 schools in the United States to determine which ones were the best for sustainability science students pursuing a degree.
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Best Schools for Sustainability Science in Illinois
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest overall sustainability science education in Illinois.
Top Schools in Sustainability Science
Northwestern University is one of the finest schools in the country for getting a degree in sustainability science. Set in the city of Evanston, Northwestern University is a very large private not-for-profit institution. Northwestern University graduates 95% of students within six years. Northwestern University awarded about 46 sustainability science degrees in the most recent data year. Students who receive their sustainability science degree from Northwestern University earn around $78,551 in the first couple years of their career. Students borrow a median of $16,616 to complete this degree.
Get the full sustainability science details for Northwestern University
A rank of #2 makes Illinois Institute Of Technology one of the top schools for sustainability science. This large private not-for-profit university is located in the city of Chicago. Roughly 75% of students complete a degree within six years here. About 15 sustainability science degrees were awarded at Illinois Institute Of Technology in the most recent year. Graduates of the sustainability science program make about $71,315 in their early career. Illinois Institute Of Technology graduates carry a median of $26,774 in student loans.
Read more about the sustainability science program at Illinois Institute Of Technology
University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign came in at #3 on our 2026 list of the best sustainability science schools. Located in the city of Champaign, University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign is a very large public university. Roughly 85% of students complete a degree within six years here. There were roughly 129 sustainability science students who graduated with this degree at University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign in the most recent data year. Sustainability Science graduates of University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign earn a median of $52,963 early in their careers. Typical student debt for the program is $19,500.
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Students looking for a strong sustainability science program will find one at University Of Illinois At Chicago, which ranked #4. This very large public university is located in the city of Chicago. University Of Illinois At Chicago graduates 62% of students within six years. There were roughly 87 sustainability science students who graduated with this degree at University Of Illinois At Chicago in the most recent data year. Students who receive their sustainability science degree from University Of Illinois At Chicago earn around $42,677 in the first couple years of their career. Students borrow a median of $20,115 to complete this degree.
See the full sustainability science program report for University Of Illinois At Chicago
Students looking for a strong sustainability science program will find one at Depaul University, which ranked #5. This very large private not-for-profit university is located in the city of Chicago. About 68% of students finish within six years. There were roughly 11 sustainability science students who graduated with this degree at Depaul University in the most recent data year. Students who receive their sustainability science degree from Depaul University earn around $57,588 in the first couple years of their career. Depaul University graduates carry a median of $25,310 in student loans.
Get the full sustainability science details for Depaul University
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Notes and References
This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs graduation rate, post-graduation earnings, cost, and program quality, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Top Ranked · 9 schools evaluated.
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
More about our data sources and methodologies.