University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Environmental Science / Conservation: earnings, debt & careers

Environmental Science / Conservation graduates of University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign earn a median $55,382 four years after graduating ($31,369 after one year), with median federal loan debt of $21,000. That is $416 above the U.S. median for Environmental Science / Conservation graduates ($54,966 across 260 colleges), and ranks 3rd of 7 Illinois colleges.

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Earnings, 4 years after graduating
$55,382

U.S. median for this major: $54,966.

College Scorecard field of study; 53 graduates with earnings reported

Earnings, 1 year after
$31,369

Median for graduates who received federal aid.

College Scorecard field of study

Median debt at graduation
$21,000

About 38% of median earnings 4 years out. U.S. median $22,875.

College Scorecard field of study (federal loans)

What your family pays
$14,355 /yr

Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.

Sticker price $33,642. College Scorecard.

UIUC Environmental Science / Conservation: pay against the field, and payback

Same major, other colleges

UIUC graduates$55,382
Illinois median (7 colleges)$54,666 (+$716)
U.S. median (260 colleges)$54,966 (+$416)

Median earnings 4 years after graduating; state and U.S. figures are the median of each covered college's graduates in this major. College Scorecard; calculated by EducationGuide.

Environmental Science / Conservation nationally: jobs, pay at ages 25-34, every state →

Cost to finish and years to pay back, by income

Uses UIUC's school-wide net price (no college reports it by major) and this major's graduate earnings.

Family incomeNet price / yrCost to finishYears to pay back
$0–30k$2,038$8,458under 1 year
$30–48k$5,373$22,2981.1 years
$48–75k$7,982$33,1251.7 years
$75–110k$15,152$62,8813.2 years
$110k+$28,761$119,3586.1 years

Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.2 years, the average time graduates took (73% finished in 4 years; students who entered fall 2017, IPEDS). Years to pay back = cost to finish ÷ the earnings gain: median earnings of Environmental Science / Conservation graduates 4 years after graduating ($55,382) minus $35,797 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in IL (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $19,585 a year. Before taxes, loan interest and earnings given up while in school. Method

College Scorecard; IPEDS Graduation Rates; U.S. Census Bureau ACS. Calculated by EducationGuide.

Environmental Science / Conservation at Illinois colleges

Every Illinois college we cover that reports Environmental Science / Conservation graduate earnings, highest first. Net price is the school-wide average after grants.

RankCollegeEarnings, 4 yrsMedian debtAvg. net priceGraduation
1Augustana College$62,757$26,000$22,73673%
2Loyola University Chicago$57,790$24,042$36,07973%
3University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign$55,382$21,000$14,35585%
4Northern Illinois University$54,666$26,625$13,39149%
5University of Illinois Springfield$54,579—$9,83353%
6DePaul University$52,622$24,750$30,90268%
7Northeastern Illinois University$46,565$20,927$14,10922%

29 more Illinois colleges offer Environmental Science / Conservation but have too few graduates to report earnings.

Careers for Environmental Science / Conservation graduates

Environmental scientist

Champaign area$65,360
Illinois$81,590
U.S.$82,220

Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs +6.1% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.

Compliance Officers

Champaign area$72,560
Illinois$80,550
U.S.$80,730

Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs +3.8% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.

Conservation Scientists

Champaign area$64,470
Illinois$69,590
U.S.$73,010

Median annual wage, all workers. U.S. jobs +5.3% by 2035. Typical entry: bachelor's degree.

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35. Careers from the federal major-to-occupation crosswalk.

What families pay at UIUC, by income

School-wide average after grants for students receiving federal aid. Tap your band.

College Scorecard

About UIUC

Related majors at UIUC

UIUC Environmental Science / Conservation questions

How much do UIUC Environmental Science / Conservation graduates earn?

Environmental Science / Conservation graduates of University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign earn a median $55,382 four years after graduating and $31,369 one year after. The U.S. median for Environmental Science / Conservation graduates across 260 colleges is $54,966.

How much debt do UIUC Environmental Science / Conservation graduates have?

The median federal loan debt for Environmental Science / Conservation graduates of University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign is $21,000, about 38% of their median earnings four years out. Nationally the median is $22,875.

Is UIUC a good school for Environmental Science / Conservation in Illinois?

On pay, Environmental Science / Conservation graduates of University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign earn $55,382 four years out, $716 above the median for the same major across 7 Illinois colleges ($54,666) and $416 above the U.S. median ($54,966). Medians of each college's graduates; EducationGuide calculation from College Scorecard.

Where does UIUC rank for Environmental Science / Conservation in Illinois?

Of 7 Illinois colleges reporting Environmental Science / Conservation graduate earnings, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign ranks 3rd. The highest is Augustana College at $62,757.

What jobs do Environmental Science / Conservation graduates get?

A common career is environmental scientist, with a median wage of $65,360 in the Champaign-Urbana, IL area and $82,220 nationally. Others include compliance officers and conservation scientists.

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Sources: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (field of study: median earnings and federal loan debt of graduates who received federal aid); BLS. How we score
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Cite this: “University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Environmental Science / Conservation: earnings, debt and careers,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/university-of-illinois-urbana-champaign/majors/environmental-science-conservation (College Scorecard and BLS data).