Cheapest Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering Colleges

Stanford University breaks the mold among affordable environmental engineering programs, offering need-based aid that brings the net cost down to $12,136 despite a $62,484 sticker price. This outlier sits alongside public institutions where CUNY City College leads at just $3,486 net cost, creating a $8,650 gap between the cheapest and most expensive options in this affordable tier. University of Connecticut graduates command the highest starting salaries at $58,221, nearly $20,000 above UC Merced's $38,721 average. The West Coast dominates high-paying environmental engineering opportunities, with California hosting major employers like the EPA's Pacific Southwest region and water management districts that increasingly value graduates skilled in both traditional engineering and emerging climate adaptation technologies. Florida's four programs reflect the state's growing focus on coastal resilience and water treatment infrastructure, while acceptance rates range from Stanford's selective 3.68% to Texas A&M Kingsville's open-access 96.55%.

Programs

$3,486 – $17,185

Net Price Range

$52,775

Avg. Program Earnings

65.3%

Avg. Graduation Rate

50 Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering Programs

Program rankings
#	School	Net Price	In-State Tuition	Graduation Rate	Acceptance Rate
1	CUNY City College New York, New York	$3,486	$7,340	54.7%	66.6%
2	University of Florida Gainesville, Florida	$6,351	$6,381	91.5%	23.4%
3	Florida Atlantic University Boca Raton, Florida	$8,001	$4,879	64.3%	81.3%
4	New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology Socorro, New Mexico	$8,265	$9,058	56.4%	74.4%
5	University of Connecticut-Waterbury Campus Waterbury, Connecticut	$8,896	$17,462	59.5%	97.9%
6	Florida International University Miami, Florida	$9,133	$6,565	73.9%	63.9%
7	Florida Polytechnic University Lakeland, Florida	$9,899	$4,940	53.0%	56.0%
8	Texas A & M University-Kingsville Kingsville, Texas	$10,204	$9,892	45.6%	96.6%
9	Florida Gulf Coast University Fort Myers, Florida	$10,319	$6,118	56.0%	74.4%
10	University of Central Florida Orlando, Florida	$10,650	$6,368	75.1%	41.0%
11	University of Connecticut-Avery Point Groton, Connecticut	$11,504	$17,462	56.7%	97.4%
12	University of California-San Diego La Jolla, California	$11,750	$15,265	87.6%	23.7%
13	Stanford University Stanford, California	$12,136	$62,484	92.8%	3.7%
14	University of California-Merced Merced, California	$12,744	$14,167	69.1%	89.5%
15	University of California-Irvine Irvine, California	$12,840	$14,237	86.0%	21.2%
16	Utah State University Logan, Utah	$12,869	$9,228	57.3%	93.7%
17	Portland State University Portland, Oregon	$12,932	$11,238	53.1%	93.1%
18	California State Polytechnic University-Humboldt Arcata, California	$13,167	$7,913	46.6%	98.2%
19	Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus Atlanta, Georgia	$13,289	$11,764	92.3%	17.1%
20	University of Connecticut-Hartford Campus Hartford, Connecticut	$13,339	$17,452	65.4%	97.3%
21	University of Washington-Seattle Campus Seattle, Washington	$13,485	$12,643	83.7%	47.5%
22	Arizona State University Campus Immersion Tempe, Arizona	$13,670	$12,051	67.8%	89.8%
23	University of California-Riverside Riverside, California	$13,707	$14,170	76.6%	68.7%
24	Missouri University of Science and Technology Rolla, Missouri	$13,773	$14,278	63.6%	81.5%
25	University of Georgia Athens, Georgia	$13,816	$11,180	87.2%	42.6%
26	Purdue University-Main Campus West Lafayette, Indiana	$13,945	$9,992	83.1%	52.7%
27	University of Connecticut-Stamford Stamford, Connecticut	$14,059	$17,472	56.9%	92.2%
28	Old Dominion University Norfolk, Virginia	$14,170	$12,262	44.4%	95.1%
29	Metropolitan State University of Denver Denver, Colorado	$14,294	$10,780	29.9%	97.9%
30	Saint Cloud State University Saint Cloud, Minnesota	$14,485	$10,117	46.9%	95.3%
31	University of Wisconsin-Platteville Platteville, Wisconsin	$14,754	$8,315	61.5%	85.4%
32	University of Michigan-Ann Arbor Ann Arbor, Michigan	$14,832	$17,228	93.2%	17.7%
33	Northern Arizona University Flagstaff, Arizona	$14,922	$12,652	56.9%	80.0%
34	University of California-Berkeley Berkeley, California	$14,979	$14,850	92.9%	11.3%
35	University of California-Davis Davis, California	$15,288	$15,247	85.1%	37.3%
36	Shawnee State University Portsmouth, Ohio	$15,389	$9,622	43.0%
37	University of Nevada-Reno Reno, Nevada	$15,402	$8,994	62.4%	85.6%
38	California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo San Luis Obispo, California	$15,624	$11,075	85.2%	30.4%
39	Michigan Technological University Houghton, Michigan	$15,729	$18,392	68.7%	93.7%
40	University of Arizona Tucson, Arizona	$15,960	$13,626	65.9%	86.8%
41	University of Arkansas at Little Rock Little Rock, Arkansas	$16,136	$8,455	41.4%	61.5%
42	San Diego State University San Diego, California	$16,174	$8,290	78.3%	39.3%
43	Montana Technological University Butte, Montana	$16,240	$8,050	58.1%	89.5%
44	Universidad Politecnica de Puerto Rico Hato Rey, Puerto Rico	$16,338	$9,810	23.6%
45	Central State University Wilberforce, Ohio	$16,544	$7,824	25.6%	88.8%
46	University of Delaware Newark, Delaware	$16,931	$16,080	78.8%	73.8%
47	North Carolina State University at Raleigh Raleigh, North Carolina	$16,931	$8,895	84.6%	47.2%
48	Kennesaw State University Kennesaw, Georgia	$16,972	$5,786	48.1%	67.9%
49	University of Minnesota-Twin Cities Minneapolis, Minnesota	$17,139	$16,488	84.8%	74.9%
50	Siena Heights University Adrian, Michigan	$17,185	$29,778	51.1%	65.0%

Frequently Asked Questions

What makes Stanford University appear on an affordable environmental engineering list?

Stanford provides substantial need-based financial aid that reduces the net cost to $12,136 for qualifying students, despite the $62,484 published tuition. The university maintains a 92.8% graduation rate and 3.68% acceptance rate. This demonstrates how elite private institutions can become accessible through generous aid packages that often exceed what families pay at public universities.

How much do starting salaries vary among these affordable programs?

Environmental engineering graduates see significant salary differences, from $38,721 at UC Merced to $58,221 at University of Connecticut campuses. Florida Gulf Coast graduates earn $57,318 while University of Florida graduates average $48,823. Geographic location and regional industry presence heavily influence these outcomes, with coastal and metropolitan areas typically offering higher compensation.

Where do public universities offer the lowest net costs for environmental engineering?

CUNY City College provides the lowest net cost at $3,486, followed by University of Florida at $6,351. Florida dominates affordable options with four institutions under $11,000 net cost. New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology offers solid value at $8,265, particularly given the state's growing renewable energy sector and mining remediation needs.

Is graduation rate connected to program affordability in environmental engineering?

Graduation rates span from 45.6% at Texas A&M Kingsville to 92.8% at Stanford, showing affordability doesn't predict completion success. University of Florida achieves 91.5% graduation despite its $6,351 net cost, while UC San Diego reaches 87.6%. Student support services, academic preparation, and institutional resources matter more than tuition levels for degree completion.

Does debt load differ significantly among these affordable environmental engineering programs?

Available debt data shows relatively modest borrowing, ranging from $20,000 at Florida Gulf Coast to $23,000 at University of Central Florida. University of Florida and UC Merced both average around $21,000 in student debt. These levels remain manageable given environmental engineering starting salaries, with most graduates able to maintain reasonable debt-to-income ratios.

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Net price reflects the average cost after grants and scholarships for first-time, full-time students. See our methodology for details.