Best Environmental Science Schools Near Amherst, MA (2026)

Amherst, Massachusetts has 5 accredited schools offering environmental science programs. Amherst has a population of about 40,989. In Massachusetts, the top-earning environmental science-related role is Environmental Engineer at a median $115,800 annually (BLS, May 2025).


Closest Environmental Science Schools to Amherst

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer environmental science programs near Amherst, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Amherst city center. The list is rebuilt from federal IPEDS data on every site update.

How We Rank Schools

Every school list on this site is ordered by the BOC Score, computed from the most recent school-level data published by the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and IPEDS). To qualify, a school must be currently operating and accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Each eligible school is then scored on five measures, percentile-ranked against schools at the same credential level:

  • Graduation rate 30%
  • Median earnings, 10 years after entry 25%
  • Average net price (lower is better) 20%
  • Retention rate 15%
  • Fully online availability 10%

Schools without enough outcome data appear after ranked schools, without a score. On this page, schools are ordered by distance from Amherst. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

Ranked by BOC Score โ€” U.S. Dept. of Education outcome data. Advertising never affects rankings.

Sort:
#1

University of Massachusetts-Amherst

Amherst, MA 1.8 miles from Amherst
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
79.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 81%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $71,631
Avg net price $22,383/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 91%
  • Programs offered: 166

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Massachusetts schools on the Massachusetts environmental science page.


Environmental Science Wages Near Amherst

Amherst is part of the Amherst Town-Northampton, MA metro area (BLS area code 11200). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Massachusetts statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Environmental Scientist and Specialist$86,200Amherst Town-Northampton, MA$86,028
Conservation Scientist$80,290Amherst Town-Northampton, MA$80,130
Environmental Engineer$115,800MA statewide$115,569
Zoologist and Wildlife Biologist$84,350MA statewide$84,182

Source: BLS, May 2025 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes wage data at the metro (MSA) and state level – not by individual city.


Amherst at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Regional Price Parity (US=100)100.2 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Amherst-Area Cities With Environmental Science Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited environmental science schools are near Amherst, MA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering environmental science programs near Amherst. The closest is University of Massachusetts-Amherst in Amherst, MA (1.8 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Westfield State University (21.8 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying environmental science roles near Amherst?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying environmental science-related roles near Amherst are: Environmental Engineer ($115,800), Environmental Scientist and Specialist ($86,200), Zoologist and Wildlife Biologist ($84,350). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Massachusetts statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Northampton instead of Amherst?

Northampton, MA is 9.0 miles from Amherst and has its own set of local environmental science programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

How do I verify a program is accredited?

Confirm institutional accreditation via the U.S. Department of Education database (U.S. Dept. of Education database), and check for any program-specific accreditation listed by the school.


Learn More About Environmental Science Programs

Other Programs Available in Amherst

Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Amherst:

Data verified: September 1, 2026. Salary, employment, and tuition figures on this page are sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2024โ€“2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.