Environmental Health Engineering: Program Overview, Universities, Careers & Salaries
Program Overview
Environmental Health Engineering is a rigorous, science-driven discipline focused on safeguarding human health and ecological integrity through the strategic design and management of engineered systems. This program equips students with the analytical and technical expertise needed to address complex environmental challenges, from mitigating pollution to ensuring safe, sustainable living and working environments.
- Pollution Control Systems: Design and evaluation of technologies and processes to reduce or eliminate air, water, and soil contaminants from industrial and urban sources.
- Hazardous Waste Management: Development of protocols and infrastructure for the safe handling, treatment, and disposal of toxic and dangerous materials.
- Occupational Health and Safety Engineering: Application of engineering principles to identify, assess, and mitigate workplace hazards that threaten worker well-being.
- Environmental Monitoring and Assessment: Implementation of data-driven methods to track environmental quality and detect deviations from safe or sustainable thresholds.
- Life Support and Controlled Environment Systems: Engineering of closed or semi-closed environments—such as in space habitats or medical facilities—for optimal human health and performance.
- Conservation Engineering: Integration of sustainability principles into system design to minimize resource consumption and protect natural ecosystems.
- Special Materials Protection: Creation of specialized environments and handling procedures to preserve sensitive materials, including those used in advanced manufacturing, biotechnology, and defense applications.
Environmental Health Engineering Graduate Trends (2010-2024)
Environmental Health Engineering Career Pathways & Salary Outlook
The following table presents salary data for occupations typically aligned with Environmental Health Engineering degrees, including Architectural and Engineering Managers, Health and Safety Engineers, Except Mining Safety Engineers and Inspectors and Engineering Teachers, Postsecondary. These career paths represent common employment outcomes but are not guaranteed for all graduates. Salary ranges vary by location, employer, experience level, and specific role requirements. Nationally, these occupations employ approximately 311,420 professionals.
National Average Salaries
| Occupation | Median Salary | Salary Range | Total Employment | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Architectural and Engineering Managers 11-9041 | $167,740 | $111,450 - $239,200 | 210,340 | $80.64 |
| Health and Safety Engineers, Except Mining Safety Engineers and Inspectors 17-2111 | $109,660 | $62,050 - $166,670 | 23,220 | $52.72 |
| Engineering Teachers, Postsecondary 25-1032 | $106,120 | $59,790 - $200,650 | 39,910 | N/A |
| Environmental Engineers 17-2081 | $104,170 | $64,950 - $161,910 | 37,950 | $50.08 |
Environmental Health Engineering Salary Map by State
Geographic location significantly impacts earning potential for these careers. Average salaries range from $101,668 in Mississippi to $146,005 in California—a 44% difference. The highest-paying states include California, District of Columbia, and Massachusetts. Nationwide, these occupations employ over 311,420 professionals across all states. Explore the interactive map below to compare regional compensation and identify optimal markets for your career goals.
Average Salary Range:
Top Universities for Environmental Health Engineering by Graduate Enrollment
Below are the top 100 institutions offering Environmental Health Engineering programs for the 2023-2024 academic year (the most recent data reported as of 2025), ranked by the number of graduates. The highest graduate enrollment in Environmental Health Engineering is found at University of Florida (UF) (96 graduates), Columbia University in the City of New York (87 graduates), University of Colorado Boulder (CU) (86 graduates), Purdue University (PU), Main Campus (84 graduates), and Arizona State University Campus Immersion (ASU) (70 graduates). Combined, these colleges produced 2,654 graduates across all degree levels. Program availability varies by award level, including Associate, Bachelor's, Master's, and Doctoral degrees at participating universities and schools.
| College Name | Award Levels | Graduates | Location | Control | Website |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Florida (UF) |
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
96 | Gainesville, Florida | Public | ufl.edu |
| Columbia University in the City of New York |
Bachelor's
Master's
Post-Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
87 | New York, New York | Private | columbia.edu |
| University of Colorado Boulder (CU) |
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
86 | Boulder, Colorado | Public | colorado.edu |
| Purdue University (PU) |
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
84 | West Lafayette, Indiana | Public | purdue.edu |
| Arizona State University Campus Immersion (ASU) |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
70 | Tempe, Arizona | Public | asu.edu |
| Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) |
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
70 | Atlanta, Georgia | Public | gatech.edu |
| Michigan Technological University (MTU) |
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
70 | Houghton, Michigan | Public | mtu.edu |
| Johns Hopkins University (JHU) |
Bachelor's
Master's
Post-Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
61 | Baltimore, Maryland | Private | jhu.edu |
| Colorado School of Mines |
Bachelor's
Postbac Cert.
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
59 | Golden, Colorado | Public | mines.edu |
| The University of Texas |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
57 | Austin, Texas | Public | utexas.edu |
| University of Michigan (U‑M) |
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
55 | Ann Arbor, Michigan | Public | umich.edu |
| University of Wisconsin-Madison |
Bachelor's
Other Award
|
51 | Madison, Wisconsin | Public | wisc.edu |
| California State University (CSUF) |
Master's
|
48 | Fullerton, California | Public | fullerton.edu |
| University of Cincinnati (UC) |
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
46 | Cincinnati, Ohio | Public | uc.edu |
| Ohio State University |
Bachelor's
|
45 | Columbus, Ohio | Public | osu.edu |
| University of Georgia (UGA) |
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
44 | Athens, Georgia | Public | uga.edu |
| Colorado State University (CSU) |
Bachelor's
|
42 | Fort Collins, Colorado | Public | colostate.edu |
| University of Central Florida (UCF) |
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
39 | Orlando, Florida | Public | ucf.edu |
| Clemson University |
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
39 | Clemson, South Carolina | Public | clemson.edu |
| University of Connecticut (UConn) |
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
38 | Storrs, Connecticut | Public | uconn.edu |
| North Carolina State University (NC State) |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
37 | Raleigh, North Carolina | Public | ncsu.edu |
| Drexel University |
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
35 | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | Private | drexel.edu |
| Texas A & M University |
Bachelor's
|
34 | College Station, Texas | Public | tamu.edu |
| Montana State University (MSU) |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
33 | Bozeman, Montana | Public | montana.edu |
| SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF) |
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
32 | Syracuse, New York | Public | esf.edu |
| Oregon State University (OSU) |
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
32 | Corvallis, Oregon | Public | oregonstate.edu |
| University of Vermont (UVM) |
Bachelor's
|
32 | Burlington, Vermont | Public | uvm.edu |
| California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly) |
Bachelor's
|
31 | San Luis Obispo, California | Public | calpoly.edu |
| Texas Tech University (TTU) |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
31 | Lubbock, Texas | Public | ttu.edu |
| San Diego State University (SDSU) |
Bachelor's
|
30 | San Diego, California | Public | sdsu.edu |
| Missouri University of Science and Technology (Missouri S&T) |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
30 | Rolla, Missouri | Public | mst.edu |
| Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
29 | Worcester, Massachusetts | Private | wpi.edu |
| Clarkson University (Clarkson) |
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
29 | Potsdam, New York | Private | clarkson.edu |
| University of Washington (UW) |
Bachelor's
|
29 | Seattle, Washington | Public | washington.edu |
| University of California (UCR) |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
28 | Riverside, California | Public | ucr.edu |
| University of Southern California (USC) |
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
28 | Los Angeles, California | Private | usc.edu |
| University of South Florida (USF) |
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
28 | Tampa, Florida | Public | usf.edu |
| University of California (UCD) |
Bachelor's
|
27 | Davis, California | Public | ucdavis.edu |
| University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) |
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
26 | Champaign, Illinois | Public | illinois.edu |
| Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College (LSU) |
Bachelor's
|
26 | Baton Rouge, Louisiana | Public | lsu.edu |
| Cornell University |
Bachelor's
|
26 | Ithaca, New York | Private | cornell.edu |
| University at Buffalo (UB) |
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
26 | Buffalo, New York | Public | buffalo.edu |
| Yale University |
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
24 | New Haven, Connecticut | Private | yale.edu |
| Florida International University (FIU) |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
24 | Miami, Florida | Public | fiu.edu |
| Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) |
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
24 | Cambridge, Massachusetts | Private | web.mit.edu |
| Syracuse University |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
24 | Syracuse, New York | Private | syracuse.edu |
| University of Pittsburgh |
Bachelor's
|
24 | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania | Public | pitt.edu |
| Pennsylvania State University |
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
23 | University Park, Pennsylvania | Public | psu.edu |
| Texas A & M University |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
23 | Kingsville, Texas | Public | tamuk.edu |
| CUNY City College (CCNY) |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
22 | New York, New York | Public | ccny.cuny.edu |
| Kennesaw State University (KSU) |
Bachelor's
|
22 | Kennesaw, Georgia | Public | kennesaw.edu |
| University of Arizona |
Bachelor's
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
21 | Tucson, Arizona | Public | arizona.edu |
| California State Polytechnic University (Cal Poly Humboldt) |
Bachelor's
|
20 | Arcata, California | Public | humboldt.edu |
| The University of Texas (UTEP) |
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
20 | El Paso, Texas | Public | utep.edu |
| University of New Haven (UNH) |
Master's
|
19 | West Haven, Connecticut | Private | newhaven.edu |
| University of California |
Bachelor's
|
18 | Merced, California | Public | ucmerced.edu |
| The University of Alabama (UA) |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
17 | Tuscaloosa, Alabama | Public | ua.edu |
| University of California (UCI) |
Bachelor's
|
17 | Irvine, California | Public | uci.edu |
| Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
17 | Troy, New York | Private | rpi.edu |
| University of Toledo (UToledo) |
Bachelor's
|
17 | Toledo, Ohio | Public | utoledo.edu |
| University of Notre Dame (ND) |
Bachelor's
|
16 | Notre Dame, Indiana | Private | nd.edu |
| University of New Hampshire (UNH) |
Bachelor's
|
16 | Durham, New Hampshire | Public | unh.edu |
| University of San Diego (USD) |
Master's
|
15 | San Diego, California | Private | sandiego.edu |
| Tufts University |
Bachelor's
|
14 | Medford, Massachusetts | Private | tufts.edu |
| Lehigh University |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
14 | Bethlehem, Pennsylvania | Private | lehigh.edu |
| Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU) |
Bachelor's
|
14 | Fort Myers, Florida | Public | fgcu.edu |
| University of California (UCB) |
Bachelor's
|
13 | Berkeley, California | Public | berkeley.edu |
| Metropolitan State University of Denver (MSU Denver) |
Bachelor's
|
13 | Denver, Colorado | Public | msudenver.edu |
| University of Delaware (UD) |
Bachelor's
|
13 | Newark, Delaware | Public | udel.edu |
| Iowa State University (ISU) |
Bachelor's
|
13 | Ames, Iowa | Public | iastate.edu |
| University of Minnesota (UMN) |
Bachelor's
|
13 | Minneapolis, Minnesota | Public | twin-cities.umn.edu |
| Stevens Institute of Technology |
Bachelor's
Postbac Cert.
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
13 | Hoboken, New Jersey | Private | stevens.edu |
| University of Wisconsin-Platteville |
Bachelor's
|
13 | Platteville, Wisconsin | Public | uwplatt.edu |
| University of Oklahoma (OU) |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
12 | Norman, Oklahoma | Public | ou.edu |
| Portland State University (PSU) |
Bachelor's
|
12 | Portland, Oregon | Public | pdx.edu |
| Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) |
Bachelor's
Doctorate (Research)
|
12 | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania | Private | cmu.edu |
| Northern Arizona University (NAU) |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
11 | Flagstaff, Arizona | Public | nau.edu |
| Washington University in St Louis (WashU) |
Bachelor's
|
11 | Saint Louis, Missouri | Private | wustl.edu |
| University of Nevada (UNR) |
Bachelor's
|
11 | Reno, Nevada | Public | unr.edu |
| Bucknell University |
Bachelor's
|
11 | Lewisburg, Pennsylvania | Private | bucknell.edu |
| Northwestern University |
Bachelor's
|
10 | Evanston, Illinois | Private | northwestern.edu |
| Manhattan College |
Master's
|
10 | Riverdale, New York | Private | manhattan.edu |
| United States Military Academy (USMA) |
Bachelor's
|
10 | West Point, New York | Public | westpoint.edu |
| Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP) |
Bachelor's
|
10 | Indiana, Pennsylvania | Public | iup.edu |
| Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech) |
Master's
|
10 | Blacksburg, Virginia | Public | vt.edu |
| University of Massachusetts |
Bachelor's
|
9 | Lowell, Massachusetts | Public | uml.edu |
| Michigan State University (MSU) |
Master's
|
9 | East Lansing, Michigan | Public | msu.edu |
| New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) |
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
9 | Newark, New Jersey | Public | njit.edu |
| University of Houston (UH) |
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
9 | Houston, Texas | Public | uh.edu |
| Southern Methodist University (SMU) |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
9 | Dallas, Texas | Private | smu.edu |
| Marquette University |
Bachelor's
|
9 | Milwaukee, Wisconsin | Private | marquette.edu |
| Kansas State University (K‑State) |
Bachelor's
|
8 | Manhattan, Kansas | Public | k-state.edu |
| New York University (NYU) |
Master's
|
8 | New York, New York | Private | nyu.edu |
| University at Albany (UAlbany) |
Bachelor's
|
8 | Albany, New York | Public | albany.edu |
| Central State University (CSU) |
Bachelor's
|
8 | Wilberforce, Ohio | Public | centralstate.edu |
| Rice University |
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
8 | Houston, Texas | Private | rice.edu |
| University of Miami (UM) |
Bachelor's
|
7 | Coral Gables, Florida | Private | miami.edu |
| University of Massachusetts |
Master's
|
7 | Amherst, Massachusetts | Public | umass.edu |
| Montana Technological University (Montana Tech) |
Bachelor's
Master's
|
7 | Butte, Montana | Public | mtech.edu |
| University of North Dakota (UND) |
Postbac Cert.
Master's
Doctorate (Research)
|
7 | Grand Forks, North Dakota | Public | und.edu |
Frequently Asked Questions
Find answers to the most common questions about Environmental Health Engineering programs
How much can I earn with a Environmental Health Engineering degree?
Salaries for Environmental Health Engineering graduates vary by role and location. Architectural and Engineering Managers earn a median of $167,740 annually, while Health and Safety Engineers, Except Mining Safety Engineers and Inspectors earn around $109,660. Geographic location significantly impacts earnings—professionals in California average $146,005 compared to $101,668 in Mississippi. Approximately 311,420 professionals work in related occupations nationwide.
Salary data from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS program, May 2024. Earnings vary by experience, employer, and market conditions.
Which universities have the largest Environmental Health Engineering programs?
Currently 157 accredited institutions offer Environmental Health Engineering degrees across the U.S. Programs with the highest enrollment include University of Florida (UF) (96 graduates), Columbia University in the City of New York (87 graduates), and University of Colorado Boulder (CU) (86 graduates).
Program size doesn't necessarily indicate quality—consider factors like faculty expertise, production opportunities, location, and available degree levels when choosing a school.
Data based on IPEDS program completions for 2023-2024 academic year. Numbers reflect programs where students graduated.
Is enrollment in Environmental Health Engineering growing or declining?
Graduate numbers have increased over the past decade, rising from 1,441 in 2010 to 2,844 in 2023-24. This represents a 97% increase overall from 2010.
The field remains specialized with steady interest, though opportunities are most concentrated in major metropolitan areas with active arts scenes like New York, California, and Illinois.
Graduate enrollment data from IPEDS, 2010-2024 academic years. Trends reflect reported completions at participating institutions.
What career paths are available with a Environmental Health Engineering degree?
This degree prepares you for roles such as Architectural and Engineering Managers, Health and Safety Engineers, Except Mining Safety Engineers and Inspectors, and Engineering Teachers, Postsecondary. Related occupations employ approximately 311,420 professionals nationwide.
Skills in project management, creative leadership, and collaboration also transfer to event planning, arts administration, marketing, and corporate training roles. Many professionals work freelance or on a project basis across theatre, film, and live events.
Career pathways mapped using CIP-SOC crosswalk from the National Center for Education Statistics. Employment data from BLS OEWS May 2024.
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