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Best Online Environmental Policy Degree Programs (2026)
Updated September 7, 2026BLS dataCollege ScorecardOn this page
Key takeaway: Environmental policy is the rules-and-incentives degree: how statutes, regulations, permits, and markets are used to change what firms and agencies do to air, water, land, and energy. Purdue Global sells a bachelor’s; American Public University sells a master’s. It is not environmental science (the field-and-lab degree) and it is not sustainability management (the corporate operations degree), though all three show up in the same career ads. In IPEDS 2024, 52 institutions reported bachelor’s-or-higher completions in the CIP codes used for this guide, and 48 of those institutions reported offering distance-education programs (IPEDS 2024). Compare accredited programs below.
Online versions of this degree are strong on economics, law, and writing. They are weak on field methods. If the job posting wants soil sampling or a 40-hour HAZWOPER card, this is the wrong CIP.
These accredited schools offer online programs. Request information to compare programs, costs, and formats.
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Graduation rate 30%
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Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health
$82,220
Compliance Officers
$80,730
Conservation Scientists
$73,010
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Projected job growth (2024-2034) for environmental policy careers. Source: BLS Employment Projections. Chart: Best Online College.View the data behind this chart
Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health
4.4%
Environmental Engineers
3.9%
Natural Sciences Managers
3.7%
Conservation Scientists
3.4%
Compliance Officers
3.0%
Economists
1.2%
Political Scientists
-3.1%
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Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including HealthSOC 19-2041
$82,220Median annual pay
Median hourly$39.53
Mean annual$91,680
Employment (US)89,250
Pay range (25-75%)$64,490 - $107,970
Compliance OfficersSOC 13-1041
$80,730Median annual pay
Median hourly$38.81
Mean annual$88,400
Employment (US)417,070
Pay range (25-75%)$61,280 - $109,010
Management AnalystsSOC 13-1111
$101,860Median annual pay
Median hourly$48.97
Mean annual$113,790
Employment (US)898,280
Pay range (25-75%)$77,950 - $133,370
EconomistsSOC 19-3011
$124,720Median annual pay
Median hourly$59.96
Mean annual$142,130
Employment (US)17,790
Pay range (25-75%)$89,330 - $174,720
Political ScientistsSOC 19-3094
$142,080Median annual pay
Median hourly$68.31
Mean annual$142,510
Employment (US)5,540
Pay range (25-75%)$114,030 - $174,180
Conservation ScientistsSOC 19-1031
$73,010Median annual pay
Median hourly$35.10
Mean annual$77,130
Employment (US)25,950
Pay range (25-75%)$57,700 - $91,560
Natural Sciences ManagersSOC 11-9121
$167,220Median annual pay
Median hourly$80.39
Mean annual$180,250
Employment (US)108,690
Pay range (25-75%)$119,430 - $221,540
Environmental EngineersSOC 17-2081
$107,110Median annual pay
Median hourly$51.50
Mean annual$112,910
Employment (US)38,340
Pay range (25-75%)$83,570 - $134,420
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025.
It is not an engineering license, not a park-ranger commission, and not a substitute for a master’s in public policy at agencies that hire MPPs into analyst tracks.
A environmental policy degree covers environmental law and regulation, policy analysis, environmental economics, natural resources management, GIS or statistics, and a policy memo capstone. Online versions of this degree are strong on economics, law, and writing. They are weak on field methods. If the job posting wants soil sampling or a 40-hour HAZWOPER card, this is the wrong CIP.
Can I earn a environmental policy degree online?
Yes. In IPEDS 2024, 52 institutions reported bachelor’s-or-higher completions in the CIP codes used for this guide, and 48 of those institutions reported offering distance-education programs (IPEDS 2024).
Is environmental policy accredited?
There is no required programmatic accreditor. NASPAA accredits some public-policy master’s programs that house an environmental track. Institutional accreditation is the first check. This is not an ABET engineering degree and does not qualify you to sit PE exams.
What do environmental policy graduates earn?
Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health The national median annual wage was $82,220, with the 10th percentile at $52,520 and the 90th at $140,010 (Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025 OEWS). Employment was 90,300 in 2024, projected to grow 4.4 percent through 2034, with 8,500 openings per year (BLS Employment Projections, 2024-2034). Individual outcomes vary by employer, geography, and experience.
