BA in Environmental Studies

Tuition comes to 66,710 USD per year.

Gain an interdisciplinary understanding of environmental themes and issues with the environmental studies major at Reed College. Take courses across Reed’s departments, and choose a concentration in biology, chemistry, economics, history, or political science. Discover our research-focused program that prepares you to address real-world environmental challenges.

Focus areas include ES-Biology, ES-Chemistry, ES-Economics, ES-History, ES-Political Science.

The program involves interdisciplinary coursework across natural sciences, history, and social sciences, a junior seminar focused on collaborative problem-solving, and culminates in a senior thesis.

Graduates enter careers such as analyst, fish and wildlife biologist, and sustainability coordinator, and pursue graduate studies in environmental science, law, and public health.

For international students, tuition is well above the median for US programmes. The institution admits about 27% of applicants.

Reed's liberal arts tradition has grown around broad study, close faculty mentorship, and sustained inquiry. Students share Humanities 110, a signature program examining how people in different historical contexts have addressed fundamental questions about existence, then study deeply in a major. Research begins early: undergraduates collaborate with faculty, work in labs, participate in archaeological fieldwork, conduct canopy research, or volunteer in the nuclear reactor. Summer fellowships and grants can support campus projects, travel, and research abroad. In the final year, every student undertakes a senior thesis, working with a faculty adviser on experiments, primary-source research, or another major-based project that remains in Reed's Thesis Tower.

The Portland campus combines green open space with places for study and community. Reed Canyon is a 28-acre watershed with a lake, trees, and the Blue Bridge, while lawns and Old Dorm Block sit against views of the Portland skyline. Downtown Portland is a short bike ride away, and students can plan trips to the college's ski cabin on Mount Hood. International applicants apply as a specific applicant type through the Common Application or Coalition for College Application and complete a Reed writing supplement. Reed does not use SAT or ACT results in admission review. TOEFL, IELTS, or Duolingo is strongly encouraged for applicants who do not speak English at home or whose school teaches in another language; international interviews are by invitation only. Admitted international students receive financial aid meeting 100 percent of demonstrated need for all four years.