Management of environmental resources to protect human health and the systems that support life is one of the biggest challenges facing modern society.
In recognition of that, there are several environmental programs provided in education such as environmental engineering, technology, management, etc. Environmental engineering schools in California are also instrumental the address current and future environmental issues.
Environment engineering designs the processes and infrastructure to ensure society has access to safe water, clean air, and healthy ecosystems. With the application of knowledge from chemistry, physics, biology, and social sciences to address a variety of problems.
They work on water and wastewater treatment and ecosystem remediation, analysis of chemical fate and transport in the natural environment, and modeling of hydrologic and atmospheric flows.
As an environmental engineer, you’ll be trained to find solutions to the most serious challenges, from ensuring safe drinking water to reducing air pollution.
Environmental engineers are called upon to play an important role in environmental protection because engineering solutions are required to meet the environmental standards set by legislation.
Environmental Engineering is about average in terms of popularity for degree programs. That is, it ranks 173th out of the 395 majors across the country that we analyze each year.
As such, the degree program isn’t offered at every college in the United States, but there are schools that do have a program in the field that are top-notch when it comes to quality.
Table of Contents
10 Environmental Engineering Schools in California
Best Environmental Engineering Schools in California is your choice of environmental engineering school matters, so we have put together this article to help you make your decision.
If you aren’t interested in a particular degree level and want to know which schools are the overall best at delivering education for the environmental engineering degrees they offer, see the list below.
- University of Southern California (USC) Los Angeles, CA
- University of California – Davis
- University of California – Irvine
- California Polytechnic State University – San Luis Obispo
- University of California – Berkeley
- San Diego State University
- University of California – Riverside
- University of California – San Diego
- California State University – Fullerton
- Stanford University
1. University of Southern California (USC) Los Angeles, CA
Duration Tuition Fee
4 Years US$57,260/Year
The University of Southern California is one of the finest schools in the country and the 53rd in the world ranking for getting a degree in environmental engineering. USC is a very large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Los Angeles.
A best Colleges rank of 18 out of 2,241 schools nationwide means USC is a great university overall. There were approximately 48 environmental engineering students who graduated with this degree at USC in the most recent year we have data available.
Environmental Engineering is one of the majors in the engineering program at the University of Southern California. USC is the country’s sixth-best school in environmental engineering according to the college facts.
2. University of California – Davis
Duration Tuition Fee
4Years US$41,196/Year
UC-Davis is located in Davis, California and approximately 39,074 students attend the school each year. Of the 9,846 students who graduated with a bachelor’s degree from the University of California – Davis in 2021, 37 of them is an environmental engineering majors.
University of California – Davis is one of the finest schools in the United States for getting a degree in environmental engineering. Located in the suburb of Davis, UC Davis is a public university with a fairly large student population.
A best Colleges rank of 57 out of 2,241 schools nationwide, 3rd college for a bachelor program in environmental engineering nationwide, and 2nd best environmental engineering school in California. This means that UC Davis is a great university overall.
There were approximately 37 environmental engineering students who graduated with this degree at UC Davis in the most recent data year.
UC Davis environmental engineering is well prepared to put skills to work with a variety of municipal, state, and federal agencies and private companies throughout California. At UC Davis online degrees in environmental engineering are not available at this time.
3. University of California – Irvine
Duration Tuition Fee
4 Years US$47,487/Year
It’s difficult to beat the University of California – Irvine if you want to pursue a degree in environmental engineering. UC Irvine is a fairly large public university located in the city of Irvine.
A best Colleges rank of 77 out of 2,241 colleges nationwide means UC Irvine is a great university overall, 61st university in the world university ranking.
Environmental engineering is one of the majors in the engineering program at the university of California-Irvine. Bachelor’s degree program in environmental engineering at UC Irvine is ranked 22nd in college factual and 3rd in California.
There were approximately 30 environmental engineering students who graduated with this degree at UC Irvine in the most recent data year.
4. California Polytechnic State University – San Luis Obispo
Duration Tuition Fee
4 Years US$25,719
Every student who is interested in environmental engineering needs to check out California Polytechnic State University – San Luis Obispo. Located in the small suburb of San Luis Obispo, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is a public university with a very large student population.
This university ranks 856th university in the world and 16th out of 170 schools for overall quality in the state of California. The environmental engineering department began in 1969, however, when Warren Baker was appointed president of the school in 1979, he merged the environmental engineering and transportation to become the Civil and Environmental Engineering Departments.
The civil and Environmental engineering department also includes the 2008, 2009, and 2010 Robert Ridgway Award-Winning society of engineers department while the society of Environmental Engineers placed the 2nd best chapter in AWMA in 2009.
There were approximately 36 environmental engineering students who graduated with this degree at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo in the most recent data year.
5. University of California – Berkeley
Duration Tuition Fee
4 Years US$15,720/Year
UC Berkeley is a fairly large public university located in the city of Berkeley. It ranked 5th in the world university ranking and in the best Colleges rank of 17 out of 2,241 schools nationwide means UC Berkeley is a great university overall.
It is ranked 3rd best engineering school in the country 1st on college factual for environmental engineering and ranked 1st best in environmental engineering in California with an acceptance rate of 17%.
There were roughly 9 environmental engineering students who graduated with this degree at UC Berkeley in the most recent year we have data available.
Environmental engineering major at the University of California, Berkeley is an interdisciplinary program pairing engineering fundamentals with courses in natural and environmental sciences.
6. San Diego State University
Duration Tuition Fee
4 Years US$18,340/Year
San Diego State University is a fairly large public university located in the city of San Diego. This university ranks 501st university in the world university ranking and 24th out of 170 schools for overall quality in the state of California. 48th on the college factual best schools for environmental engineering list and also ranked 6th in California
There were roughly 29 environmental engineering students who graduated with this degree at SDSU in the most recent year we have data available.
Environmental Engineering offered by San Diego State University is the application of science and engineering principles to improve the environment (air, land, and water resources), remediate polluted sites, and provide healthy air, water, and land for human habitation and for organisms.
7. University of California – Riverside
Duration Tuition Fee
4 Years US$12,460/Year
Located in the large city of Riverside inland Southern California is among the top 200 universities in the world, UCR is a public university with a fairly large student population.
This university ranks 30th out of 170 schools for overall quality in the state of California. The University of California-Riverside is ranked 54th best school in environmental engineering in the country and 7th best in California according to college facts.
There were about 25 environmental engineering students who graduated with this degree at UCR in the most recent year we have data available.
8. University of California – San Diego
Duration Tuition Fee
4 Years US$46,773/Year
University of California San Diego is a fairly large public university located in the large city of La Jolla, it is ranked 20th in the world university ranking.
A best Colleges rank of #49 out of 2,241 colleges nationwide means UCSD is a great university overall. Ranked 60th in environmental engineering in the country and ranked 8th in California.
There were roughly 9 environmental engineering students who graduated with this degree at UCSD in the most recent year we have data available.
The environmental engineering program at the University of California San Diego within the department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering (MAE) is a modern interpretation of rapid changes in the environmental field.
9. California State University – Fullerton
Duration Tuition Fee
4 years US$16,580/Year
Located in the suburb of Fullerton, Cal State Fullerton is a public university with a fairly large student population of about 37,000. This university ranks 42nd out of 170 schools for overall quality in the state of California. Fullerton university is the 63rd-best environmental engineering school in the country and ranked the 6th most popular school for master’s degrees also.
There were approximately 28 environmental engineering students who graduated with this degree at Cal State Fullerton in the most recent year we have data available.
Degree recipients from the environmental engineering major at California State University – Fullerton make $23,429 above the average graduate with the same degree when they enter the workforce.
10. Stanford University
Duration Tuition Fee
4 Years US$58,246/Year
Located in Stanford city California United States is Stanford University, ranking 2nd in the world university ranking and 26th best in the country in environmental engineering and the 1st environmental engineering school in California. Environmental Engineering is one of the majors at Stanford University California.
The undergraduate Environmental Systems Engineering major provides the math, science, engineering fundamentals, and tools and skills considered essential for an engineer, along with a choice of 4 focus areas for more in-depth study, which is; sustainable coastal system, sustainable urban system, sustainable freshwater system, and sustainable energy system.
Conclusion
These are the top graduate schools for environmental engineering which have gone a long way to equip individuals on major ways to keep nature less polluted and also in the design of processes to aid in environmental management.
In order to achieve a specialization in Environmental Engineering at the undergraduate level, you can be assured that any of these schools in California can give you the best you desire without reservation.
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Ahamefula Ascension is a Real Estate Consultant, Data Analyst, and Content writer. He is the founder of Hope Ablaze Foundation and a Graduate of Environmental Management in one of the prestigious colleges in the country. He is obsessed with Reading, Research and Writing.