Sustainability Studies: degree ROI, salary & best colleges
Sustainability Studies graduates earn a median $57,887 four years after finishing — $9,527/yr above the $48,360 high-school baseline. At a typical $16,906/yr net price ($67,624 over four years), that pays back in about 7.1 years. Federal data pools 131 bachelor's programs graduating roughly 1,434 students a year. (Scorecard field-of-study, 2026 · our math.)
| # | College | State | Grad earnings |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Columbia University in the City of New York | NY | $85,545 |
| 2 | University of Wisconsin-Platteville | WI | $73,238 |
| 3 | Western Washington University | WA | $70,793 |
| 4 | University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign | IL | $63,604 |
| 5 | University of New Hampshire-Main Campus | NH | $62,388 |
| 6 | University of Florida | FL | $61,281 |
| 7 | George Mason University | VA | $61,216 |
| 8 | Aquinas College | MI | $60,285 |
| 9 | Miami University-Oxford | OH | $59,660 |
| 10 | Miami University-Hamilton | OH | $59,660 |
| 11 | Stockton University | NJ | $59,472 |
| 12 | University of California-Riverside | CA | $58,463 |
College Scorecard field-of-study (2026), program-level median earnings for this CIP · our ranking.
How we compute this. Earnings are the national median for graduates of this field measured 1 and 4 years after completion (Scorecard field-of-study, bachelor's). Premium = 4-year earnings − the $48,360 high-school baseline. Payback = a representative 4-year net cost (median college net price × 4) ÷ premium. Field medians blend every school — a specific program can pay far more or less. Full method on the methodology page; the field ranking is on ROI by major.