Best Online Master’s in Sustainability and Green Technologies

Best Online Master’s in Sustainability and Green Technologies

By Dr. Jed Macosko and James Barham

Published: Jul 1, 2021
Updated: May 22, 2023

Find top-ranked online master’s in green technologies degree programs to equipped students to hold managerial and supervisory positions in the consulting, marketing, finance, engineering, government, nonprofit, and technology fields.

Top 10 Online Master's in Sustainability & Green Technologies Degrees

Johns Hopkins University

77%

University of Southern California

72%

University of Arizona

66%

Arizona State University

61%

University of Kentucky

58%

Northeastern University

55%

University of Vermont

54%

Clemson University

50%

University of Alabama at Birmingham

46%

University of North Carolina at Greensboro

40%

Prescott College

99%

Sam Houston State University

97%

Maharishi International University

95%

University of Kentucky

94%

University of North Carolina at Greensboro

91%

Montclair State University

91%

91%

University of Alabama at Birmingham

89%

Arizona State University

88%

St. Mary's University, Texas

88%

Sam Houston State University

21 to 1

Embry–Riddle Aeronautical University

20 to 1

University of Alabama at Birmingham

20 to 1

Arizona State University

18 to 1

Montclair State University

18 to 1

University of Kentucky

16 to 1

Clemson University

16 to 1

University of North Carolina at Greensboro

16 to 1

University of Vermont

16 to 1

15 to 1

University of Southern California

$61,503

Johns Hopkins University

$58,720

Northeastern University

$57,592

Lenoir–Rhyne University

$41,500

Lipscomb University

$35,752

Prescott College

$34,701

St. Mary's University, Texas

$34,564

Boston Architectural College

$22,144

Michigan Technological University

$17,903

Maharishi International University

$16,530

University of Southern California

$60,446

Johns Hopkins University

$58,720

Maharishi International University

$32,000

Northeastern University

$25,801

Boston Architectural College

$25,220

Michigan Technological University

$22,725

St. Mary's University, Texas

$18,684

Lipscomb University

$17,100

Prescott College

$14,880

Montclair State University

$12,978

Lenoir–Rhyne University

15%

16%

Maharishi International University

23%

Boston Architectural College

24%

Embry–Riddle Aeronautical University

28%

Prescott College

29%

Lipscomb University

32%

Sam Houston State University

35%

St. Mary's University, Texas

36%

Montclair State University

38%

Johns Hopkins University

8%

University of Southern California

13%

Northeastern University

18%

Clemson University

49%

University of Vermont

64%

Embry–Riddle Aeronautical University

70%

Lipscomb University

74%

Lenoir–Rhyne University

86%

Michigan Technological University

86%

University of Arizona

87%

Boston Architectural College

5 to 1

Johns Hopkins University

6 to 1

University of Southern California

9 to 1

Prescott College

9 to 1

St. Mary's University, Texas

12 to 1

Maharishi International University

12 to 1

Lenoir–Rhyne University

13 to 1

Michigan Technological University

13 to 1

Northeastern University

14 to 1

Lipscomb University

14 to 1

University of North Carolina at Greensboro

$4,422

Sam Houston State University

$5,856

University of Alabama at Birmingham

$8,568

Arizona State University

$10,710

Embry–Riddle Aeronautical University

$10,748

University of Arizona

$10,990

University of Kentucky

$11,247

Montclair State University

$12,323

$12,640

Clemson University

$14,118

University of North Carolina at Greensboro

$5,219

Sam Houston State University

$5,765

University of Alabama at Birmingham

$8,100

Embry–Riddle Aeronautical University

$8,916

$9,750

Clemson University

$10,600

Arizona State University

$11,720

Lenoir–Rhyne University

$12,060

University of Arizona

$12,106

University of Vermont

$12,294

Table of Contents

Featured Programs

Frequently Asked Questions About Sustainability and Green Technology Degrees

With more and more industries moving toward environmentally friendly products and technologies, earning a master’s in green technologies could advance your career in the fast-growing renewable energy and sustainability sectors.

This graduate degree will immerse you in current environmental topics, such as sustainable construction, transportation and the environment, renewable energy engineering, energy policies, and sustainable product design. Many programs also have field-based learning, where students will gain hands-on knowledge related to their specialty.

Credit hours can vary for this graduate degree, ranging from 27 to 57. Programs are available both online and on campus. Many programs also have field-based learning, where students will gain hands-on knowledge related to their specialty.

After completing the program, graduates will be equipped to hold managerial and supervisory positions in the consulting, marketing, finance, engineering, government, nonprofit, and technology fields.

Learn more about what you can do with a master’s degree in earth sciences.

Best Online Master's in Green Technologies Degree Programs

How do we determine the best online green technologies master's degree programs?

Pursuing your degree online doesn’t mean you need to settle for an inferior school. Today, most universities and colleges offer online degrees, and many respected schools are seeing significant growth in their numbers of online students.

The people affiliated with a school are ultimately what make it great. This is why influence — i.e., the academic impact of faculty and alumni associated with a school — gets at the heart of what is truly best in education. The combined influence score of a college or university’s top academic influencers is the best indicator of academic excellence. For our online degree rankings, we focus on the academic influence of faculty and alumni in the specific disciplines we’re ranking.

If you are serious about finding the best online colleges, you should be asking where the most influential professors are teaching, and whether their graduates themselves are advancing the school’s reputation for academic excellence. Most ranking sites rely on an opaque combination of reputation surveys and arbitrary performance metrics. Influence, as measured by our InfluenceRanking engine, provides a ranking that is free from bias, insulated from manipulation, and reflective of real-world educational outcomes.

Median Salaries of Similar Careers in the U.S.

The following graph depicts the average salaries of similar occupations to Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health in the U.S.

Source: U.S. BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS

Annual Salary

81240Environmental Scientists and Specialists, Including Health

89130Chemists

94780Hydrologists

103550Geoscientists, Except Hydrologists and Geographers

104790Materials Scientists

Best Online Master’s in Green Technologies Degree Programs

Online Degree Frequently Asked Questions

If this is your first time taking an online course, the experience may require some adjustment. While you’ll generally learn the same content and take the same exams as your on-campus peers, the medium will likely require you to manage much of this experience independently. You’ll be accountable for your own time management, your ability to harness the technology at your fingertips, and your ability to focus on the lectures, lessons, and assignments at hand. This means you’ll need to create a suitable workspace for yourself, maintain a realistic schedule, and take it upon yourself to build relationships with your instructors and classmates. With online college, your goal is to find a balance between independence and engagement.

No. The only part of online education that’s easier is actually getting there. Taking the commute out of the equation means getting to class should be a lot more manageable. But that’s where it ends. In general, your online courses will incorporate the very same materials, concepts, and testing methods as would a traditional classroom.

And in many cases, you’ll even have the same instructors as your on-campus counterparts. In fact, if you are adjusting to the experience of independent learning or working with remote learning technology for the first time, online college may even be a little more challenging for you. For a few insights on how to manage this new experience, check out our 10 Tips for Adjusting to School Online.

Accreditation is especially important when it comes to online college. This is because the online education landscape is a mix of highly-reputable institutions and less-than-reputable for-profit schools. Accreditation gives you the power to differentiate between the two. Accreditation is a stamp of approval from an independent accrediting agency which indicates that a college or university is meeting standards of quality, credibility, and currency. School-wide accreditation falls into two major categories: regional and national accreditation. Regional accreditors generally hold jurisdiction only over schools in the states comprising their region, whereas national accreditors hold jurisdiction over schools in all states. Regional accreditation is widely regarded as a more rigorous standard of quality and credibility than national accreditation.

Attending a college or university which is not regionally accredited could limit your opportunities. When seeking an online education, we strongly recommend that students opt for regionally accredited schools. Regional accreditation ensures eligibility for federal loans and grants, ensures your college credits can be transferred between schools, and ensures that your degree credits can be accepted if you wish to earn an advanced degree.

As long as your online college degree is regionally accredited, you should have little difficulty transferring most of your credits or credentials to another regionally accredited undergraduate school. Every school carries its own standards and procedures for granting a transfer. In many cases, you will be required to navigate a bureaucracy in which some of your credits will be transferred and others will be jettisoned. However, provided that you have attended an online school with the proper regional accreditation, you should have plenty of options for transfer.

In most cases, as long you graduate from a well-regarded, regionally-accredited online college, prospective employers won’t look sideways at your degree. In fact, unless you attend an exclusively online college or university, there will likely be no specific indicator on your degree, transcript or resume differentiating your school from its brick-and-mortar counterpart. This means that your employer will likely only differentiate between an online and in-person degree if you mention this distinction.

While some employers may express concern about making the adjustment from online education to in-person workplace collaboration, many other employers will view your online degree as evidence of valuable 21st Century professional skills such as independence, self-motivation, time management, and tech savvy.

If you are a student who thrives on the dynamic energy of in-person discussion, who requires the physical surroundings of a classroom to feel engaged, or who considers the social aspects of education to be of equal importance to the actual content of your courses, online education will require some adjustment.

While there is much that can be supplanted or simulated through the online medium, some students may find that there is nothing which can replace the conversation, collaboration, and motivation that occur in an actual classroom setting. As you make the adjustment to online education, one of the biggest challenges you will likely face is overcoming this difference in order to the get the most out of your classes. Fortunately, we’ve got some great Tips for Online Education Beginners.

The advantages of online classes are many. First and foremost, online courses give you the freedom and flexibility to attend class from anywhere that works for you, whether you’re at home, in a coffee shop, or in a quiet conference room at work. In many cases, you’ll also enjoy the convenience of asynchronous learning opportunities-educational experiences that you can complete on your own schedule. This may include pre-taped lectures, ongoing chat-board discussions, and 24/7 access to digital materials. And of course, just as there are some learners who prefer the energy of a live classroom, there are those who learn best when working in their own personal space, free from distractions. If this sounds like you, you might find the solitude of online learning to be a major advantage.

Whether you’re just getting started on your college search, you’re looking for survival tips on your way to a bachelor’s degree, or you’re preparing for the transition into grad school, we’ve got guides, how to’s and tons of other valuable resources to keep you moving forward in your educational journey.