Home Schools OSU Cascades Environmental Engineering
Engineering · Environmental Engineering Rank #9 of 47

Environmental Engineeringat Oregon State University-Cascades Campus

Graduates earn $68,223/yr in their first year — about 7.0% above the national Environmental Engineering average. Base-case 10-year earnings $720K; scenarios range from $633K to $745K depending on AI disruption.

Bend, OR Public Bachelor's Degree
DegreeOutlook Score
66 SOLID
67
Optimistic
64
Pessimistic
Earnings
$68,223
1-year post-graduation
ROI
15.1x
Earnings : in-state tuition
10-yr Base
$720K
Cumulative base-case earnings
AI Risk
Very High
55% task exposure
Program Analysis

What this degree looks like at OSU Cascades

This program's strong performance reflects its practical focus within a region deeply invested in environmental stewardship. Bend's growth, coupled with Oregon's progressive regulatory landscape, creates consistent demand for professionals in water resource management, land use planning, and sustainability consulting. You'll find graduates working with state and local government agencies, regional engineering firms, and environmental consultancies addressing issues unique to the Pacific Northwest. The program's smaller campus size likely fosters more hands-on project experience and direct faculty mentorship, building highly sought-after practical skills. While emerging technologies will reshape engineering roles, your ability to integrate data analysis, policy understanding, and complex problem-solving remains paramount. Therefore, proactively pursue internships; they are crucial for building experience and networking within this specialized regional market.

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
$633K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score64/100
Earnings Multiple12.6x
Base Case
Moderate Integration
$720K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score66/100
Earnings Multiple14.3x
Optimistic
AI Augmentation
$745K
10-year cumulative earnings
Scenario Score67/100
Earnings Multiple14.8x
Earnings Trajectory

10 year projection

Year-by-year earnings under each scenario. Base case reflects BLS growth patterns applied to OSU Cascades'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 OSU Cascades 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
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 OSU Cascades

Other top programs at OSU Cascades

Other highest-scoring programs offered at OSU Cascades, ranked by DegreeOutlook Score.

FAQ

Frequently asked about Environmental Engineering at OSU Cascades

How does Oregon State University-Cascades Campus's Environmental Engineering program score?

This program scores 66/100, 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 Oregon State University-Cascades Campus rank so high for Environmental Engineering?

The #9 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.