Environmental Studies is one of the most popular and widely available majors in America, especially at small and medium-sized liberal arts schools. It’s a science major, but it’s not. It’s a humanities major, but it’s not. It’s that perfect kind of in-between course of study that accommodates humanities students scared of calc and science students who also like literature. Even better: it’s on the cutting edge. The course lists for Environmental Studies majors include geology and the study of past environmental events and trends, but are typically heavily weighted towards courses that are dealing with the here and now — and the future.
As you look for schools with Environmental Studies programs, you’ll see that there is a lot of choice. If you’re more interested in the heavy science side of things, you’ll be looking for a program that is a Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Studies or you should consider an Environmental Science major. For this list of our ten favorite schools for Environmental Studies, we’re focusing on Bachelor of Art degrees in Environmental Studies, which are still science heavy but more for those humanities-minded students who aren’t looking to work in a lab. You should also consider the environment the college is in. Most students looking to study Environmental Studies love to be outside. If that includes you, a school with easy access to the outdoors would be the best fit.
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Our top ten picks (in no particular order) for Environmental Studies are:
Dartmouth — Hanover, New Hampshire
Dartmouth is set in the mountains of New Hampshire and has an outdoor-centric lifestyle paired with an Ivy League academic experience. They put a foundational understanding of economics at the center of the Environmental Studies major because, in their words, “all environmental problems include economic considerations.” It’s a large major, so you will be surrounded by similarly passionate and motivate peers, and students who are interested in taking time abroad can pursue the Africa Foreign Study Program, which brings students to South Africa and Namibia to “explore the themes of environmental studies within the particular environment, culture and history of the southern African region”
Williams College — Williamstown, Massachusetts
The Environmental Studies program at Williams was founded in 1967 as one of the first Environmental Studies programs at a liberal arts college. Today, the major is centered in the Class of 1966 Environmental Center, a dream of a hub for Environmental Studies majors with classrooms, gathering spaces, study rooms, a kitchen, and student gardens. Students more interested in water than land can also pursue Maritime Studies, which is an ocean-centric track. The Maritime Studies program works with Mystic Seaport, one of the foremost aquatic research centers in the country.
The University of Vermont — Burlington, Vermont
The University of Vermont, or UVM, is a hub of interest in environmental sustainability and the impact of climate change on our terrestrial environment. Located at the base of the mountains of Vermont and along Lake Champlain, it’s stocked full of a student body passionate about “Innovative thinking and interdisciplinary learning.” Students in the Environmental Studies program are guided in creating individualized courses of study based on their personal interests and passions, and professors are empowered to support tracks of study ranging in everything from the nexus of environment and media to carbon markets.
Middlebury College — Middlebury, Vermont
Middlebury is another Vermont gem in the midst of the natural world. The Environmental Studies program was founded in 1965, shortly before the Williams program, and is the oldest Environmental Studies undergraduate program in the country. Students in the Environmental Studies program pick an area of focus from a list of 17 options including Environmental Justice, Environmental Writing, and even Environmental Dance, and seek interdisciplinary solutions to multi-disciplinary global problems. If you’re nervous about spending all four years of college in Vermont, two-thirds of the Environmental Studies majors study abroad.
Colby College — Waterville, Maine
If you’re sensing a theme here, you’re on to something. The Colby College Environmental Studies program is another one with deep historical roots relative to the history of the field (which is, to be fair, quite recent). At Colby, students are surrounded by peers who want to make a difference in protecting our natural world, and Environmental Studies majors take part in “extensive project-based learning and field-research opportunities” including with the Schoodic Institute at Acadia National Park, the Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences, and three protected sites a short distance from campus that are owned by or affiliated with the school. And if there’s any doubt over whether Colby walks the walk when it comes to environmentalism, they became carbon neutral in April 2013.
University of California, Santa Barbara — Santa Barbara, California
Another one of the first Environmental Studies programs in the country, which again reminds us how new these programs are compared to majors like History or Chemistry, the UCSB Environmental Studies program as founded partially in response to a major oil spill within sight (and smell) of the college campus. One of the larger Environmental Studies programs, there are over 1000 students enrolled at any one time, and they offer both BA and BS options. Due to the size of the program, they are able to offer a huge breadth of courses on subjects including the environment and economics, the environment and ethics, and the environment and spirituality.
Colorado College — Colorado Springs, Colorado
Colorado College is truly unique in the world of American colleges, as it sticks to a block system that requires students to take one class at a time, giving it their complete attention. The environmental program is built upon this framework, and investigates the “complexity of socio-ecological relationships.” One of the key outcomes of the program is that students will understand “how current social, cultural, and ecological conditions are shaped by changes over time and across space.” Sustainability at Colorado College is central, not supplementary, and on-campus programs include a campus compost program, pantry exchange, and EcoFund to support student projects, events, and research.
Pomona / Pitzer / Claremont McKenna Colleges — Claremont, California
Yes, there are three colleges in the header of this one — but hear us out. The Environmental Analysis concentration for the five-college collaboration is available from Pomona, Pitzer, and Claremont McKenna and is their version of an Environmental Studies major. This program pulls on resources from all three schools, and you can major in it from any of the three schools. Students will focus on environmental problem-solving, bringing together social sciences, art, humanities, and natural sciences.
Tufts University — Medford, Massachusetts
At Tufts, Environmental Studies can be pursued as a stand-alone major or in conjunction with any other major in the School of Arts and Sciences or the School of Engineering. The stand-alone major puts science first, followed in priority by the meeting point of science and tech, and then the humanities. For this major, you can expect to take courses like “Environment and Technology” and “Anthropology of the Environment.” Tracks for focus include “Sustainability, Policy, and Equity” and “Food Systems, Nutrition and the Environment.”
University of Washington — Seattle, Washington
Last on this list, the University of Washington offers one of the best environmental studies programs plus a fast-paced urban setting. The BA in Environmental Studies is housed in the College of the Environment, and concentrations include Environmental Justice, Climate Change, and Food Studies. Towards the end of their collegiate experience, students take part in a Capstone Experience, which they can pursue alone or as part of a small team. Capstone experiences can include study abroad, an internship, or a research project with a faculty member.
An Environmental Studies major is ideal for students who are passionate about our environment, climate change, and sustainability, but who want to approach the subject in a way that is rooted in the humanities as opposed to a more science-heavy approach. While you can’t study Environmental Studies without taking science courses (it is about the environment, after all), these majors are a true balance between the quantitative and qualitative.
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