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Sustainability Science

Types of Degrees Sustainability Science Majors Are Earning

People majoring in Sustainability Science can earn degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	6
Associate’s Degree	71
Bachelor’s Degree	1,637
Master’s Degree	2,573
Doctor’s Degree	42

What Sustainability Science Majors Need to Know

Studies in Sustainability Science build a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Sustainability Science graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

According to O*NET, a major in Sustainability Science emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• English Language — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Biology — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Mathematics — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.
• Computers and Electronics — Importance 3.2 / 5; level 4.0 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

Skills developed in a Sustainability Science program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Reading Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.4 / 7.
• Active Listening — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Speaking — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.
• Writing — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 4.1 / 7.

Abilities

Innate abilities most relevant to Sustainability Science careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Oral Expression — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Written Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 4.0 / 5; level 4.5 / 7.
• Deductive Reasoning — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.2 / 7.
• Written Expression — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 4.3 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Sustainability Science graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Getting Information	4.4 / 7
Working with Computers	4.3 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	4.2 / 7
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work	4.1 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.1 / 7
Analyzing Data or Information	4.0 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.0 / 7
Documenting/Recording Information	4.0 / 7
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships	4.0 / 7
Processing Information	3.9 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Sustainability Science professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	✓
Web browser software	Internet browser software	—
Microsoft Access	Data base user interface and query software	✓
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	✓
ESRI ArcGIS software	Geographic information system	✓
Adobe Acrobat	Document management software	—
SAS	Analytical or scientific software	—
The MathWorks MATLAB	Analytical or scientific software	—
Geographic information system GIS systems	Geographic information system	✓

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Sustainability Science graduates include:

• Associate Professor
• Assistant Professor
• Instructor
• Faculty Member
• Lecturer
• Labor Relations Teacher
• Humanities Teacher
• Flight Teacher
• Military Science Teacher
• College Instructor
• University Teacher
• Naval Science Teacher
• Interdisciplinary Professor
• Teacher
• Weight Control Lecturer

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Sustainability Science graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
Bachelor’s degree	45.8%
Master’s degree	21.7%
Doctoral degree	10.0%
Post-doctoral training	6.1%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	5.0%
Postsecondary certificate	3.5%
High school diploma or equivalent	2.9%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	2.4%
Some college courses	2.2%
First professional degree	0.4%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Sustainability Science?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 62.7% of Sustainability Science degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	2,744	62.7%
Men	1,630	37.3%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Sustainability Science graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	2,371	54.2%
Asian	229	5.2%
Hispanic or Latino	530	12.1%
Black or African American	170	3.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native	8	0.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	5	0.1%
Two or More Races	186	4.3%
Race Unknown	126	2.9%
International Students	749	17.1%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Sustainability Science Graduates Earn?

College Scorecard reports median earnings of Sustainability Science graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Earnings tend to climb steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$48,012
4 years	$62,144
5 years	$72,763

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $72,763 — roughly 52% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online Sustainability Science Programs

Distance learning is tracked by IPEDS for Sustainability Science. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Associate’s	2	3
Bachelor’s	17	7
Master’s	22	4
Doctoral (Research)	1	1

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in Sustainability Science Worth It?

Looking purely at the federal earnings tracker, Sustainability Science graduates earn a median of $62,144 four years after completion — roughly 64% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	CIP Code
Multi Interdisciplinary Studies	30
Accounting and Computer Science	30.16
Anthrozoology	30.34
Behavioral Sciences	30.17
Biological and Physical Sciences	30.01
Biopsychology	30.10
Classical and Ancient Studies	30.22
Climate Science	30.35
Cognitive Science	30.25
Computational Science	30.30
Cultural Studies and Comparative Literature	30.36
Cultural Studies/Critical Theory and Analysis	30.26

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.