Top universities for environmental sciences

The recently released QS World University Rankings by Subject features 471 of the top higher education institutions to study environmental sciences, with 20 new entries this year. 

The QS University Rankings by Subject are based on five indicators: academic reputation, employer reputation, research citations per paper, international research network and H-index citations (a way of measuring the productivity and published work of a scientist or scholar). You can find more details about the methodology behind the subject rankings here. 

Read on to learn more about the best schools in each region to study environmental sciences. Alternatively, if you would like to explore the schools in further detail, click here to view the full table.

Top 10 universities for environmental sciences in the world  Based on the QS World University Rankings by subject
Rank	Name of Institution	Location
1	Harvard University	United States
2	Wageningen University	Netherlands
3	University of Oxford	United Kingdom
4	Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)	United States
5	University of California, Berkeley (UCB)	United States
6	Stanford University	United States
=7	University of Cambridge	United Kingdom
=7	ETH Zurich (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology)	Switzerland
9	Tsinghua University	China
10	Imperial College London	United Kingdom
See the full ranking for environmental sciences here

Top universities for environmental sciences in the US and Canada 

There are 94 schools in the United States offering environmental science programmes in this year’s subject rankings, with four of these making it into the worldwide top ten.  

However, the US takes the top five spots in the employer reputation indicator, with Harvard University and MIT taking the first and second ranks respectively while Standford closely follows in fifth. 

Over in Canada, there are 20 universities offering environmental science courses. These include three top 50 entries: University of British Columbia (9th), University of Toronto (10th) and McGill University (21st). 

Top universities for environmental sciences in Europe 

Europe has 181 schools offering programmes in environmental science – the most of any region. European schools make up half of the top 10 table, with University of Oxford the highest-ranked university in the region, in third place globally. 

Overall, the United Kingdom claims 41 universities offering courses in environmental science in this year’s ranking. The University of Oxford, University of Cambridge (7th) and Imperial College London (10th) have managed to be included in the top 15 in both academic and employer reputation indicators. 

Outside of the UK, China and the US, other top 10 entries include the Netherlands’ Wageningen University in second, up three places this year. The Netherlands claims eight other entries, including Delft University of Technology (12th). 

Switzerland’s ETH Zurich (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology) also makes it into the top 10, in eighth place. Of Switzerland’s seven universities, two more can be found in the global top 100: Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL, 38th) and University of Bern (100th). 

Germany is the fourth biggest location in terms of research into environmental science. This year it claims an impressive 23 universities in the subject, including three in the global top 100. Its highest-ranked university this year is Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin (66th). 

France showcases notable performance with a total of 18 schools featured in the environmental science rankings. Within this, Sorbonne University holds an impressive position at 91st, while Université PSL is also highly regarded, securing the 97th spot. On the other hand, Finland is represented by six universities in this field, further contributing to the diversity and strength of the rankings. 

This year, Greece has two universities featured while three universities from both Poland and Czech Republic are included in the subject rankings for environmental science. Poland welcomes two new entries into the rankings: Warsaw University of Life Sciences SGGW (WULS-SGGW) in the 301-350 range and University of Warsaw in the 401-450 range, surpassing the previous top university from the country. Furthermore, Ireland claims four universities in the subject rankings.  

Also performing well in the index are Spain and Italy, with 13 and 14 schools respectively. Italy’s Politecnico di Milano is the best performing of these in 66th and earning a high score in the citations per paper indicator – a reflection of the quality of its research. 

Sweden boasts 10 universities featured this year, with two making it to the top 50. Stockholm University secures the highest position, ranked 27th despite a four-position drop this year. Among the seven universities from Belgium that are featured, Ghent University holds the highest rank, securing 46th position globally.  

In the environmental science rankings, Austria had a total of five universities listed, while Norway had four. Notably, among these, only the Norwegian University of Science and Technology achieved a position within the top 100 globally. 

Denmark is represented by five universities in the environmental science rankings. Notably, the Technical University of Denmark stands out as the highest-performing university, securing an impressive 38th position in the global top 50 for their environmental science programmes. 

Top universities for environmental sciences in Australia and New Zealand 

In Australia, 28 universities offer environmental science programmes this year. Four of these can be found in the top 50 of the subject rankings for environmental science, including the University of Queensland (UQ, 20th), University of Melbourne (23rd), Australian National University (ANU, 29th) and University of New South Wales (UNSW, 31st). 

In New Zealand, a total of five universities are featured in the environmental science rankings. The University of Auckland is the highest-ranked university for environmental science, at 101-150 globally.  

Top universities for environmental sciences in Asia 

There are 116 Asian universities offering environmental science courses in this year’s ranking. Of these, 20 are in the global 100 and nine are in the top 50. The highest ranked university in the region is Tsinghua University (ninth) in Mainland China – the only Asian university to make it into the global top 10. 

Mainland China stands out with the largest representation of universities for environmental sciences in the region, boasting a total of 35 universities. In addition to Tsinghua University, which is a notable presence in this field, two more universities, Peking University at 15th position and Zhejiang University at 48th position, secure spots within the top 50 universities globally. 

South Korea also performs well this year, with 13 universities offering environmental science courses. Seoul National University (SNU) is the highest-ranked of these, in 32nd. Meanwhile, both of Singapore’s entries make it into the top 20: National University of Singapore (NUS, 10th) and Nanyang Technological University (NTU, 15th). 

Of the six schools offering environmental science courses in Hong Kong SAR this year, there are two entrants in the top 50 list: University of Hong Kong (HKU, 41st) and The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST,50th). 

Nine of Asia’s best schools for environmental science are located in India, with Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IITB) being ranked as the best in the country at 101-150. The University of Tokyo is the best of Japan’s 10 entries for environmental science, in 33rd position. 

Pakistan, Taiwan and Malaysia each proudly feature five universities in the environmental science index. Thailand follows closely with six universities, showcasing a strong presence in this field. On the other hand, Indonesia contributes three universities to the environmental science rankings, while the Philippines has a single representative in this academic domain. 

Top universities for environmental sciences in Latin America   

This year, 21 Latin American schools are featured in the subject rankings for environmental science. 

Brazil leads with a significant representation, featuring a total of nine universities in the environmental science rankings. The top-performing university is Universidade de São Paulo (USP), securing an impressive 54th position globally and standing as the sole university from Brazil within the top 100 for environmental science. 

Chile’s four universities in the rankings this year include its top-ranked university, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile in 151-200. Colombia also has three schools offering environmental science degrees for potential students. 

Argentina’s two entries include Universidad de Buenos Aires (151-200) which scores particularly well in the employer reputation indicator this year. 

Top universities for environmental sciences in Africa and the Middle East 

The Middle East is home to 13 of the world’s best universities to study environmental sciences. Two of Saudi Arabia’s universities offer environmental sciences courses this year, including the region’s highest-ranked school: King Abdul Aziz University (KAU, 101-150). 

The United Arab Emirates has two entrants this year with Khalifa University being ranked best in the country for environmental science at 351-400. Qatar University (251-300) is Qatar’s only university offering an environmental science programme. 

Turkey is represented by two universities in this year's environmental science degree rankings: Istanbul Technical University, positioned 251-300, and Middle East Technical University, placed 301-350. Additionally, Israel's top-ranked university, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, holds a position within the 351-400 range on the list. 

South Africa represents Africa this year with six universities in the ranking. Its highest-performing university, University of Cape Town, is ranked 101-150. 

FAQs 

What is environmental science? 

The field of environmental science encompasses the exploration of Earth's physical, chemical, and biological processes, alongside the influence of societal, political, and cultural dynamics on the planet. As an environmental science student, your goal will be to grasp the complex connections between humans and the environment, drawing from a wide range of academic disciplines. 

What can you do with an environmental science degree? 

With an environmental science degree, you open doors to various career paths focusing on environmental sustainability, conservation and management. Some potential careers in environmental science include:  

• Environmental consultant 

• Conservation scientist 

• Environmental policy analyst 

• Sustainability analyst 

• Environmental educator 

• Urban planner 

• Research scientist 

• Waste management specialist 

• Renewable energy analyst 

• Eco-tourism specialist 

What universities are best for environmental science? 

The QS World University Rankings for environmental science in 2023 features the top universities globally, and according to this ranking, Harvard University in the United States holds the top position for this subject. 

Which country is best environment science?  

Drawing from the global top 10 universities renowned for environmental science degrees, it's notable that a significant majority are situated in the United States. However, in a broader regional perspective, Europe stands out as well housing half of the top 10 universities in this field. Hence, it’s safe to conclude that both the United States and Europe have many top universities, making them excellent choices for studying environmental science. 

Which stream is best for environmental science? 

Determining the ‘best’ stream in environmental science depends on your interests, career goals, and the specific aspect of the environment you're most passionate about. Here are some popular streams in environmental science:  

• Soil ecology 

• Aquatic/marine biology 

• Earth systems 

• Environmental and biological conservation 

• Energy and climate change 

• Water resource management 

• Pollution prevention and remediation.