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College of Engineering

Environmental Engineering

students water sampling creek

An Environmental Engineer
In The Making

Iowa State’s environmental engineering program has a range of resources and services to help you be creative in your field of study and life. Your adventure will take you places you can’t begin to imagine!

Your Discovery In The Making

The undergraduate degree in environmental engineering is designed to guide students to the knowledge, skills and abilities that will help them strive for a cleaner environment and more sustainable society. It starts with a learning community to introduce the field and foster relationships with classmates, as well as a relevant research experience for first-year environmental engineering students. It builds on that experience by involving sophomores in laboratory measurements, field experiments and advanced courses in environmental engineering science, environmental systems, infrastructure design and more. Students can take advantage of the well-established internship program in the Department of Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering, as well as student organizations such as the student chapter of the Water Environmental Federation, Engineers for a Sustainable World and Engineers Without Borders.

Your Path In The Making

The environmental engineering program prepares students for successful careers in environmental engineering and related professions. The curriculum covers knowledge of fundamental science and practical engineering necessary to design and implement effective, affordable solutions. With this degree, you can develop new and innovative solutions to the problems that directly impact people’s lives such as climate change, water supply, and water, soil and air pollution to create efficient, healthy and resilient cities.

Graduates of this program will be prepared to work in environmental engineering positions within the private and public (e.g., federal, military, state and community) sectors that deal with pollution and contamination in all aspects of the built and natural environment. Examples of this work include:

  • Analyzing and designing systems for water supply and distribution
  • Collecting and processing waste
  • Controlling air quality
  • Recycling residuals
  • Protecting public health
student in waders kneeling in stream bed

Your Career In The Making

Many of our graduates have built successful careers not only as engineers, but also as managers, entrepreneurs, sales representatives and consultants.

  • The average starting salary of environmental engineering graduates is more than $65,600/year.
  • Co-op and internship salaries for our students average $19.50/hour.
  • Approximately 1,400 companies recruit our engineers every year.
  • 100 percent of our environmental engineering students have positive career outcomes within six months of graduation.