Environmental science is an interdisciplinary field that draws on the natural sciences, engineering, mathematics, modeling, and the social sciences to examine interactions between human activity and the environment and to address environmental challenges. Depending on the university, a program may emphasize areas such as climate science, ecology, chemistry, physics, hydrology, environmental systems, or policy.
Universities approach environmental science through different departments and interdisciplinary programs. Let’s take a look at these top environmental science schools in the world.
Top Environmental Science Schools in the World
1. University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley traces its origins to the creation of the University of California in 1868. Its land-grant roots were supported by the Morrill Land-Grant Act of 1862, and the Organic Act of 1868 established the University of California and the College of Agriculture.
UC Berkeley’s Rausser College of Natural Resources traces its roots to the College of Agriculture, formed in 1868. The college describes itself as the first college in the University of California system and states that UC Berkeley became the first state-run Agricultural Experiment Station and the first land-grant college in California. Today, students can pursue an undergraduate Environmental Sciences major, while the Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management offers a Ph.D. program that spans biological, physical, and social research.
2. California Institute of Technology
The California Institute of Technology was founded as Throop University in Pasadena, California, in 1891 and was renamed the California Institute of Technology in 1920.
Caltech offers an undergraduate Environmental Science and Engineering option and minor. Its Environmental Science and Engineering graduate program trains doctoral students to study environmental systems, including the atmosphere, oceans, and biosphere, and to complete research leading to a Ph.D. thesis.
3. Princeton University
Princeton University was founded by the Presbyterian Synod in 1746 as the College of New Jersey in Elizabeth, New Jersey. The college moved to Newark in 1747 and then to Princeton in 1756.
Princeton’s Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering offers undergraduate study that includes an environmental engineering subplan. At the graduate level, the department offers the Master of Science in Engineering, Master of Engineering, and Ph.D. degrees. Undergraduate applicants apply to Princeton rather than to a particular department or school. Princeton’s undergraduate admission process is need-blind, and the university states that it meets 100% of demonstrated financial need with grant aid. Its need-based financial aid policy also applies to admitted international students.
4. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology was founded in Boston in 1861 and moved to Cambridge, Massachusetts, in 1916. Its motto is “Mens et manus” (“mind and hand”).
MIT’s Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering offers undergraduate and graduate pathways related to environmental science and engineering. It also jointly offers the Bachelor of Science in Climate System Science and Engineering with the Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences. Graduate options in Civil and Environmental Engineering include master’s and doctoral degrees.
5. Stanford University
Stanford University was founded by Senator Leland Stanford and his wife, Jane Stanford, in 1885. Its campus is located within the traditional territory of the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe. The university opened on October 1, 1891, with the aim of being nonsectarian, coeducational, and affordable.
The Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability brings together departments and interdisciplinary programs related to environmental and sustainability challenges. Its Earth Systems Program is an interdisciplinary environmental science major and coterminal master’s program. The school also offers master’s and Ph.D. opportunities across relevant departments and programs, along with opportunities for field learning around the world.
6. Harvard University
Harvard University was founded in 1636 by a vote of the Great and General Court of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. In 1638, John Harvard willed his library and half of his estate to the college, and the school was named Harvard College in recognition of his bequest in 1639. Harvard’s history spans nearly four centuries.
Harvard’s John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences offers an interdisciplinary Environmental Science and Engineering program focused on natural environmental systems, the effects of human activity, and technologies for remediation. The program includes undergraduate A.B. and S.B. pathways, a combined A.B./S.M. option for eligible Harvard College students, and a Ph.D. pathway.
7. University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge traces its origins to 1209, when scholars taking refuge from hostile townspeople in Oxford migrated to Cambridge. Students can also review international scholarships.
Cambridge’s Department of Earth Sciences advances knowledge of the Earth, environment, and climate. At the undergraduate level, Earth Sciences is offered through the Natural Sciences Tripos alongside complementary physical and biological subjects, with fieldwork forming an important part of the training. The department also offers taught and research master’s courses on geoscience, environmental, and planetary science themes, as well as Ph.D. opportunities.
We hope this article on the best environmental science schools in the world was informative and insightful. Make sure to also check out the Available Programs for International Students!
