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Engineering · Environmental Engineering Rank #2 of 47

Environmental Engineeringat CUNY City College

Graduates earn $62,945/yr in their first year — about 1.0% below the national Environmental Engineering average. Base-case 10-year earnings $735K; scenarios range from $644K to $760K depending on AI disruption.

New York, NY Public Bachelor's Degree
DegreeOutlook Score
69 SOLID
70
Optimistic
66
Pessimistic
Earnings
$62,945
1-year post-graduation
ROI
26.8x
Earnings : in-state tuition
10-yr Base
$735K
Cumulative base-case earnings
AI Risk
Very High
55% task exposure
Program Analysis

What this degree looks like at CUNY City College

CUNY City College's Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering program offers a robust foundation, making it a top contender nationally. The earnings profile reflects the unique New York City labor market, where many graduates enter public sector roles with agencies like the NYC Department of Environmental Protection, or consulting firms focused on urban infrastructure and remediation. These vital positions often offer stability and significant local impact, which can sometimes translate to a different compensation trajectory than purely private-sector roles in other regions.

Your career here will involve a blend of design, regulatory compliance, and public health, addressing critical urban challenges. The "Very High" AI risk signals the field's rapid evolution; tasks like data analysis, modeling, and report generation are increasingly augmented by AI. To excel, you'll want to focus on developing strong critical thinking, interpersonal skills for stakeholder engagement, and an understanding of AI tools to leverage them as a force multiplier in your work, making you an indispensable asset.

AI Outlook Integration

Three scenarios, ten years out

Each scenario is a different assumption about how AI reshapes the career paths this major feeds into. Earnings projections stack the full 10-year cumulative trajectory; scores use the same 0–100 metric as the hero, recomputed under that scenario's assumptions.

Pessimistic
Mass Automation
$644K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score66/100
Earnings Multiple21.9x
Base Case
Moderate Integration
$735K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score69/100
Earnings Multiple25.0x
Optimistic
AI Augmentation
$760K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score70/100
Earnings Multiple25.9x
Earnings Trajectory

10 year projection

Year-by-year earnings under each scenario. Base case reflects BLS growth patterns applied to CUNY City College's starting earnings; optimistic and pessimistic adjust for AI's effect on each career path this major feeds into.

Career Paths

Where Environmental Engineering graduates typically work

Common career destinations for this program's graduates, weighted by the school's specific occupation mix. Salary is BLS national median; AI risk is per-role task-exposure research.

1
Architectural and engineering managers
+3.8% 10-yr growth · 14,500 openings/yr
$167,740/yr
Moderate
2
Health and safety engineers, except mining safety engineers and inspectors
+4.4% 10-yr growth · 1,500 openings/yr
$109,660/yr
High
3
Engineering teachers, postsecondary
+8.1% 10-yr growth · 4,100 openings/yr
$106,120/yr
High
4
Environmental engineers
+3.9% 10-yr growth · 3,000 openings/yr
$104,170/yr
High
Source: BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics, May 2024. AI exposure from OpenAI GPTs-are-GPTs and Felten AIOE research.
Compare & Explore

Peer schools offering Environmental Engineering

How CUNY City College stacks up against other schools offering this major.

Highest earnings
California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo
CA · Public
71
DW Score
$82K
1-yr earn
18.5x
ROI
Texas Tech University
TX · Public
58
DW Score
$77K
1-yr earn
15.2x
ROI
Georgia Institute of Technology-Main Campus
GA · Public
68
DW Score
$70K
1-yr earn
17.5x
ROI
Same state (NY)
Cornell University
NY · Private nonprofit
52
DW Score
$70K
1-yr earn
2.3x
ROI
University of Wisconsin-Platteville
WI · Public
68
DW Score
$69K
1-yr earn
21.5x
ROI
Also at CUNY City College

Other top programs at CUNY City College

Other highest-scoring programs offered at CUNY City College, ranked by DegreeOutlook Score.

FAQ

Frequently asked about Environmental Engineering at CUNY City College

How does CUNY City College's Environmental Engineering program score?

This program scores 69/100, reflecting respectable but not exceptional financial outcomes for Environmental Engineering graduates.

How vulnerable is Environmental Engineering to AI automation?

AI won't 'replace' Environmental Engineering careers outright, but it is likely to reduce the number of job openings. We model 50% task exposure, which compresses field employment probability in our scenarios.

Why does CUNY City College rank so high for Environmental Engineering?

The #2 ranking out of 47 programs is driven by strong financial outcomes — graduates earn well, debt is manageable relative to income, and the job market supports the field.

How affordable is Environmental Engineering at CUNY City College after financial aid?

Sticker price is $29,360, but the average net cost is $13,944 — a 53% discount. For students who qualify for aid, this program is considerably more affordable than it appears.