Sustainability Studies: earnings, debt, and careers
CIP 30.33. Official graduate outcomes from the U.S. Department of Education across 443 programs, and the careers this field is linked to.
Graduate earnings by credential level
| Credential | Programs | Graduates (recent year) | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Typical program median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Undergraduate certificate | 52 | 355 | $45,852 | $59,056 | $23,500 3 programs |
| Associate's degree | 19 | 71 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Bachelor's degree | 159 | 1,637 | $44,710 | $57,887 | $21,164 30 programs |
| Post-baccalaureate certificate | 6 | 0 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Master's degree | 125 | 1,850 | $66,676 | $76,897 | Data unavailable |
| Doctoral degree | 18 | 42 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Professional degree (JD, MD, and similar) | 1 | 0 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Graduate certificate | 63 | 419 | $55,138 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
National earnings are published by the Department of Education for each field and credential level Verified data. Typical program median debt is ConnectPrep's calculation: the median across programs of each program's median federal debt Calculated estimate. It covers federal loans only.
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, Most Recent Field of Study Data. Varies by measure; see measure definitions. Published October 15, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Undergraduate certificate programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Georgia GA · Public · 37 graduates measured | $54,940 | $67,208 | $21,500 |
| University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus PA · Public · 50 graduates measured | $46,667 | $61,805 | $23,875 |
| University of Iowa IA · Public · 58 graduates measured | $44,203 | $57,029 | $23,500 |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Bachelor's degree programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Columbia University in the City of New York NY · Private, nonprofit · 30 graduates measured | $80,080 | $85,545 | $24,125 |
| Michigan State University MI · Public · 33 graduates measured | $62,210 | Data unavailable | $24,520 |
| West Virginia University WV · Public · 17 graduates measured | $59,608 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Utah State University UT · Public · 35 graduates measured | $57,729 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Ohio State University-Main Campus OH · Public · 27 graduates measured | $55,767 | Data unavailable | $24,250 |
| Iowa State University IA · Public · 20 graduates measured | $55,068 | Data unavailable | $27,250 |
| University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign IL · Public · 45 graduates measured | $50,245 | $63,604 | $16,566 |
| University of Wisconsin-Platteville WI · Public · 19 graduates measured | $47,945 | $73,238 | Data unavailable |
| George Mason University VA · Public · 45 graduates measured | $47,306 | $61,216 | $17,000 |
| Oregon State University OR · Public · 49 graduates measured | $45,791 | Data unavailable | $24,112 |
| Oregon State University-Cascades Campus OR · Public · 49 graduates measured | $45,791 | Data unavailable | $24,112 |
| University of California-Riverside CA · Public · 59 graduates measured | $45,627 | $58,463 | $21,500 |
| University of Northern Colorado CO · Public · 24 graduates measured | $45,147 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| University of Illinois Chicago IL · Public · 37 graduates measured | $44,761 | Data unavailable | $19,125 |
| University of New Hampshire-Main Campus NH · Public · 42 graduates measured | $44,647 | $62,388 | $27,000 |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Master's degree programs with the highest early earnings
| School | Median earnings, 1 yr | Median earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northwestern University IL · Private, nonprofit · 17 graduates measured | $132,539 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University-Daytona Beach FL · Private, nonprofit · 19 graduates measured | $98,195 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University-Worldwide FL · Private, nonprofit · 19 graduates measured | $98,195 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Presidio Graduate School · Private, nonprofit · 56 graduates measured | $93,879 | $125,911 | Data unavailable |
| Columbia University in the City of New York NY · Private, nonprofit · 80 graduates measured | $93,339 | $123,641 | Data unavailable |
| Harvard University MA · Private, nonprofit · 63 graduates measured | $86,050 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| University of California-Berkeley CA · Public · 32 graduates measured | $80,761 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| University of Wisconsin-Green Bay WI · Public · 16 graduates measured | $78,678 | $80,935 | Data unavailable |
| University of Miami FL · Private, nonprofit · 21 graduates measured | $70,403 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| Rutgers University-New Brunswick NJ · Public · 38 graduates measured | $70,037 | $80,622 | Data unavailable |
| University of Michigan-Ann Arbor MI · Public · 55 graduates measured | $68,596 | $76,776 | Data unavailable |
| University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus CO · Public · 16 graduates measured | $65,973 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| University of Utah UT · Public · 28 graduates measured | $65,811 | Data unavailable | Data unavailable |
| DePaul University IL · Private, nonprofit · 21 graduates measured | $65,591 | $81,457 | Data unavailable |
| University of Washington-Seattle Campus WA · Public · 21 graduates measured | $65,044 | $71,970 | Data unavailable |
Ranked by published median earnings one year after completion. Programs with suppressed earnings do not appear, so this is not a ranking of program quality.
Careers linked to Sustainability Studies
| Occupation | Median wage, all workers | Change 2025 to 2035 | Typical entry education |
|---|---|---|---|
| Natural sciences managers | $167,220 | +8.2% | Bachelor's degree |
| Conservation scientists | $73,010 | +5.3% | Bachelor's degree |
| Environmental scientists and specialists, including health | $82,220 | +6.1% | Bachelor's degree |
| Urban and regional planners | $89,320 | +3.9% | Master's degree |
| Social scientists and related workers, all other | $101,110 | -0.2% | Bachelor's degree |
| Environmental science and protection technicians, including health | $55,090 | +6.9% | Associate's degree |
| Environmental science teachers, postsecondary | $94,980 | +2.7% | Doctoral or professional degree |
| Postsecondary teachers, all other | $77,640 | +2.0% | Doctoral or professional degree |
Occupations mapped to this field in the NCES and BLS CIP to SOC crosswalk. Occupation wages describe all workers, not recent graduates.
Source: National Center for Education Statistics and U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 Crosswalk. CIP 2020 and SOC 2018 taxonomies. Published April 30, 2020. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, National. May 2025 reference period. Published April 30, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, Table 1.2: Occupational projections, 2025-35, and worker characteristics, 2025. Base year 2025, projected year 2035. Published August 27, 2026. Retrieved October 18, 2026. Methodology.
Detailed CIP codes in this field (1)
- 30.3301 Sustainability Studies