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What does this major pay at different colleges?

Pick a major, a degree level and a state. You get what graduates of each college's program earned four years after graduating and what they borrowed in federal loans, from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard, with the national median for the same program as the yardstick.

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Is it worth it? The federal figures, side by side

Federal data cannot decide that for you, but it puts what graduates earned beside what they borrowed. Programs appear in the order you added them, with no ranking.

Median earnings four years after graduating, federal debt, monthly payment and peer comparisons for University of California-Merced Environmental Engineering.
MeasureUniversity of California-MercedEnvironmental Engineering, bachelor's · CARemove
Median earnings, 4 years after graduating$83,007 (36 graduates)
Federal debt borrowed at this college (median)$20,619
Monthly payment, 10-year plan$219
Payment as a share of median monthly earningsbefore taxroughly 3%
National median, same program and degree$81,171
Typical program nearbythe state, or its Census division when the state has fewer than 3 programs$85,712 (California, 4 programs)
Total federal debt counting every college attendeda second federal measure; it includes loans from colleges attended before this one$21,665

Earnings: College Scorecard field-of-study data, 2017-19 graduates, measured 2022-23, for graduates who received federal aid, worked and were not enrolled. Debt: graduates of 2018-19 and 2019-20. The monthly payment is a standard 10-year plan on the median debt borrowed at that college. Median earnings of graduates who received federal student aid, worked, and were not enrolled in school; debt is the median federal loans borrowed at this college by graduates who borrowed (Direct Subsidized, Unsubsidized and Grad PLUS; not Parent PLUS, private loans or interest). Programs with too few graduates are suppressed by the Department of Education.College cost is not shown here; each college's profile has its net price.

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Environmental Engineering, bachelor's programs nationwide

Nationally, bachelor's graduates in Environmental Engineering earn a median $81,171 four years after graduating. Among 18 programs with federal earnings data, California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo (CA) graduates had the highest median, $102,702 (2017-19 graduates, measured 2022-23, College Scorecard).

Programs with data
18
Highest median
$102,702
National median
$81,171
The link opens this exact comparison.
Environmental Engineering, bachelor's programs nationwide: median earnings four years after graduating and median federal debt, in order of earnings.
CollegeStateMedian earnings, 4 yrs aftervs national medianDebt borrowed at this college (median)Add to the side-by-side comparison
California Polytechnic State University-San Luis ObispoCA$102,702+27%$20,500Compare
San Diego State UniversityCA$88,417+9%$16,997Compare
CUNY City CollegeNY$87,804+8%—Compare
North Carolina State University at RaleighNC$85,808+6%$25,984Compare
University of California-MercedCA$83,007about the same$20,619In comparison
Georgia Institute of Technology-Main CampusGA$81,818about the same$25,102Compare
University of GeorgiaGA$81,604about the same$20,399Compare
Pennsylvania State University-Main CampusFigure covers 22 campusesPA$80,855about the same$26,869Compare
University of FloridaFigure covers 2 campusesFL$80,635about the same$21,000Compare
Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical CollegeLA$80,129about the same$23,718Compare
Purdue University-Main CampusIN$78,770−3%$16,316Compare
California State Polytechnic University-HumboldtCA$78,225−4%$25,000Compare
Clarkson UniversityNY$77,891−4%$27,000Compare
University of New Hampshire-Main CampusFigure covers 4 campusesNH$77,556−4%$27,000Compare
Michigan Technological UniversityMI$76,857−5%$26,000Compare
University of DelawareDE$76,631−6%$26,950Compare
University at BuffaloNY$75,263−7%$21,500Compare
University of Wisconsin-PlattevilleWI$75,099−7%$19,500Compare

Ordered by median earnings four years after graduating: one federal measure, not a ranking of program quality.

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Same major, other degree levels: Master's

What these numbers are

Earnings: graduates of 2017-18 and 2018-19, earnings measured in 2022 and 2023, in 2024 dollars. Only programs with at least 30 graduates in the earnings cohort are listed, and a multi-state system whose figure pools campuses in several states is left out of state lists. Median earnings of graduates who received federal student aid, worked, and were not enrolled in school; debt is the median federal loans borrowed at this college by graduates who borrowed (Direct Subsidized, Unsubsidized and Grad PLUS; not Parent PLUS, private loans or interest). Programs with too few graduates are suppressed by the Department of Education. Federal program group: Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering. Earnings reflect who enrolls and where graduates work as well as the program itself.

Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, field-of-study data, 10 June 2026. Download every program (CSV).