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College Factual  by our College Data Analytics Team
       Unbiased Factual Guarantee

2026 Best Environmental Engineering Schools in the Great Lakes Region

11 Colleges in the United States
433 Environmental Engineering Degrees Awarded
$63,951 Avg Early-Career Salary

Environmental Engineering programs are offered at a focused set of schools across the country. While the number of schools offering the program varies, there are still top-quality ones to be found.

To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 32 schools to find the best for environmental engineering students.

What’s on this page:

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Best Schools for Environmental Engineering in the Great Lakes Region

Below are the schools that deliver the strongest overall environmental engineering education in the Great Lakes Region.

Top Schools in Environmental Engineering

1

University Of Wisconsin Madison tops our 2026 ranking of the best environmental engineering schools. This very large public university is located in the city of Madison. Roughly 90% of students complete a degree within six years here. About 51 environmental engineering degrees were awarded at University Of Wisconsin Madison in the most recent year. Environmental Engineering graduates of University Of Wisconsin Madison earn a median of $59,877 early in their careers. Students borrow a median of $21,813 to complete this degree. Get the full environmental engineering details for University Of Wisconsin Madison

2

Students looking for a strong environmental engineering program will find one at Northwestern University, which ranked #2. This very large private not-for-profit university is located in the city of Evanston. The six-year graduation rate is 95%. About 10 environmental engineering degrees were awarded at Northwestern University in the most recent year. Soon after graduation, environmental engineering degree recipients from Northwestern University generally make around $78,551. Students borrow a median of $16,616 to complete this degree. More information about a degree in environmental engineering from Northwestern University

3
Purdue University Main Campus crest
Purdue University Main Campus
West Lafayette, IN

Purdue University Main Campus is a great choice for students pursuing a degree in environmental engineering, landing the #3 spot this year. Located in the city of West Lafayette, Purdue University Main Campus is a very large public university. Purdue University Main Campus graduates 83% of students within six years. There were roughly 84 environmental engineering students who graduated with this degree at Purdue University Main Campus in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, environmental engineering degree recipients from Purdue University Main Campus generally make around $71,861. Typical student debt for the program is $16,316. See the full environmental engineering program report for Purdue University Main Campus

4

University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign came in at #4 on our 2026 list of the best environmental engineering schools. This very large public university is located in the city of Champaign. About 85% of students finish within six years. University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign awarded about 26 environmental engineering degrees in the most recent data year. Environmental Engineering graduates of University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign earn a median of $57,461 early in their careers. University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign graduates carry a median of $20,778 in student loans. Get the full environmental engineering details for University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign

5

Students looking for a strong environmental engineering program will find one at University Of Michigan Ann Arbor, which ranked #5. Set in the city of Ann Arbor, University Of Michigan Ann Arbor is a very large public institution. Roughly 93% of students complete a degree within six years here. There were roughly 55 environmental engineering students who graduated with this degree at University Of Michigan Ann Arbor in the most recent data year. Graduates of the environmental engineering program make about $57,824 in their early career. Typical student debt for the program is $19,028. Read more about the environmental engineering program at University Of Michigan Ann Arbor

6

Ohio State University Main Campus landed the #6 spot for environmental engineering this year. This very large public university is located in the city of Columbus. The six-year graduation rate is 88%. There were roughly 45 environmental engineering students who graduated with this degree at Ohio State University Main Campus in the most recent data year. Students who receive their environmental engineering degree from Ohio State University Main Campus earn around $67,938 in the first couple years of their career. Typical student debt for the program is $24,850. Get the full environmental engineering details for Ohio State University Main Campus

7

University Of Cincinnati Main Campus placed #7 among the best environmental engineering schools. Set in the city of Cincinnati, University Of Cincinnati Main Campus is a very large public institution. The six-year graduation rate is 74%. University Of Cincinnati Main Campus awarded about 46 environmental engineering degrees in the most recent data year. Students who receive their environmental engineering degree from University Of Cincinnati Main Campus earn around $58,659 in the first couple years of their career. Students borrow a median of $23,530 to complete this degree. More information about a degree in environmental engineering from University Of Cincinnati Main Campus

8

University Of Notre Dame ranked #8 on our 2026 list of the best environmental engineering schools. University Of Notre Dame is a large private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Notre Dame. University Of Notre Dame graduates 95% of students within six years. University Of Notre Dame awarded about 16 environmental engineering degrees in the most recent data year. Environmental Engineering graduates of University Of Notre Dame earn a median of $64,675 early in their careers. Typical student debt for the program is $25,000. More information about a degree in environmental engineering from University Of Notre Dame

9

University Of Toledo ranked #9 on our 2026 list of the best environmental engineering schools. University Of Toledo is a large public school located in the city of Toledo. The six-year graduation rate is 58%. About 17 environmental engineering degrees were awarded at University Of Toledo in the most recent year. Students who receive their environmental engineering degree from University Of Toledo earn around $52,675 in the first couple years of their career. Students borrow a median of $24,923 to complete this degree. See the full environmental engineering program report for University Of Toledo

10

University Of Wisconsin Platteville earned the #10 position for environmental engineering this year. Set in the town of Platteville, University Of Wisconsin Platteville is a moderately-sized public institution. Roughly 61% of students complete a degree within six years here. There were roughly 13 environmental engineering students who graduated with this degree at University Of Wisconsin Platteville in the most recent data year. Students who receive their environmental engineering degree from University Of Wisconsin Platteville earn around $69,490 in the first couple years of their career. Typical student debt for the program is $20,457. Read more about the environmental engineering program at University Of Wisconsin Platteville

11

Michigan Technological University placed #11 among the best environmental engineering schools. Michigan Technological University is a moderately-sized public school located in the town of Houghton. Roughly 68% of students complete a degree within six years here. There were roughly 70 environmental engineering students who graduated with this degree at Michigan Technological University in the most recent data year. Environmental Engineering graduates of Michigan Technological University earn a median of $64,453 early in their careers. Typical student debt for the program is $26,545. Get the full environmental engineering details for Michigan Technological University

Narrow Environmental Engineering Schools by State

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Notes and References

This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs graduation rate, post-graduation earnings, cost, and program quality, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).

Ranking method: College Major Top Ranked · 32 schools evaluated.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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