Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering at Missouri University of Science and Technology

Missouri S&T's environmental engineering program sits in an unusual spot: it underperforms the national median by about $7,000 annually, yet it's still the stronger of just two Missouri options in this field. The 15th percentile national ranking tells you this isn't a top-tier program by earnings standards, but the exceptionally low debt load—$27,000 versus a $23,000 national median, landing in the 5th percentile—creates a more forgiving financial equation than those rankings initially suggest.

The debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.47 means graduates owe less than half their first-year salary, which is manageable territory for an engineering degree. Earnings do grow to nearly $64,000 by year four, closing some of that national gap. However, keep in mind these figures come from a very small sample (under 30 graduates), so individual outcomes could vary considerably. A single graduate taking an unusually high- or low-paying job can skew these numbers significantly.

For Missouri families choosing between in-state options, this program offers reasonable value through controlled debt rather than standout earnings. But if your child has the grades to pursue environmental engineering elsewhere—Missouri S&T's 73% admission rate and modest SAT scores suggest it's accessible—you should compare carefully against programs where graduates consistently earn closer to or above that $65,000 national median. The modest debt here provides a safety net, but it doesn't fully compensate for the earnings gap over a career.