Best Environmental Programs in the Midwest (2026)
Updated
Part of Best Engineering Colleges in the Midwest
This page ranks the 9 Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering programs in the Midwest by median earnings of Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering graduates four years after completing. University of Cincinnati-Main Campus leads the list at $86,926, followed by University of Michigan-Ann Arbor at $84,973 and Ohio State University-Main Campus at $80,775.
Across the nine schools with a published figure, median earnings range from $86,926 to $71,901, with a median of $76,857.
Public institutions account for 8 of the 9 programs, with one private nonprofit school rounding out the list. University of Michigan-Ann Arbor ranks 16th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions, and it also posts the lowest average net price on the page at $13,138.
Michigan Technological University has the highest admission rate, admitting 92% of applicants.
The ranked list
| Rank | School | Program Earnings | Average net price | Net price, families under $30K | Admission rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Cincinnati-Main Campus · Cincinnati, OH | $86,926 | $25,648 | $17,974 | 85.3% |
| University of Cincinnati-Main Campus ranks 1st on this list, with median earnings of $86,926 for its Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 2 | University of Michigan-Ann Arbor · Ann Arbor, MI | $84,973 | $13,138 | $1,043 | 15.6% |
| An average net price of $13,138 coincides with an admission rate of 16% at University of Michigan-Ann Arbor. | |||||
| 3 | Ohio State University-Main Campus · Columbus, OH | $80,775 | $17,339 | $4,885 | 60.6% |
| Ohio State University-Main Campus reports $80,775 in median earnings for its Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering graduates four years after completing, alongside a cohort of 33 graduates in the earnings cohort. | |||||
| 4 | Purdue University-Main Campus · West Lafayette, IN | $78,770 | $14,600 | $5,098 | 49.9% |
| Purdue University-Main Campus admits 50% of applicants and shows a median federal debt of $16,316 among Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering completers who borrowed. | |||||
| 5 | Michigan Technological University · Houghton, MI | $76,857 | $14,182 | $2,045 | 92.4% |
| Michigan Technological University ranks 251st on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions, with an average net price of $14,182. | |||||
| 6 | University of Notre Dame · Notre Dame, IN | $75,950 | $26,780 | $7,244 | 11.3% |
| A private nonprofit university in Notre Dame, University of Notre Dame reports median earnings of $75,950 for its Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 7 | University of Wisconsin-Platteville · Platteville, WI | $75,099 | $16,032 | $9,009 | 89.4% |
| Median federal debt of $19,500 among Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering completers who borrowed and an admission rate of 89% are reported by University of Wisconsin-Platteville. | |||||
| 8 | University of Minnesota-Twin Cities · Minneapolis, MN | $74,252 | $16,778 | $6,642 | 79.8% |
| University of Minnesota-Twin Cities reports $74,252 in median earnings for its Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering graduates four years after completing, with a cohort of 17 graduates in the earnings cohort. | |||||
| 9 | Missouri University of Science and Technology · Rolla, MO | $71,901 | $16,298 | $10,912 | 72.6% |
| Missouri University of Science and Technology ranks 136th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions and posts an average net price of $16,298. | |||||
How this list is ordered
Programs are ordered by the median earnings of their Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering graduates four years after completing, highest first. Only programs with a reported earnings cohort in the Midwest appear. The figure captures federally aided completers who were working and not enrolled four years after graduating. It does not adjust for graduate school enrollment, cost, or who enrolls, and it is not a measure of teaching quality. The range and median below cover the 9 schools with a published figure. University of Cincinnati-Main Campus leads University of Michigan-Ann Arbor by $1,953, and the spread from top to bottom is $15,025.
Job market context in the Midwest
Graduates of Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering programs in the Midwest enter occupations such as Environmental Engineers, Engineering Teachers, Postsecondary, and related roles. The median annual wage across those occupations is $111,380, and a quarter of workers in those occupations earn less than $87,662. Projections for 2024 to 2034 put employment in those occupations about 4.1% higher, with about 1,248 openings a year for every hundred graduates, more projected openings than graduates. Wages and top occupations exclude management occupations; openings include them. The ranking above uses graduate earnings four years after completing; the market figures describe the broader occupational field and are not the same measure.
Related rankings
- Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering Programs
- Best Colleges in the Midwest
- Best Environmental Programs in the South
- Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering Programs in the Northeast
- Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering Programs in the West
- Best Engineering Colleges in the Midwest