Is Science of The Total Environment a Good Journal? 2026 Assessment

Decision cue: If your work addresses a real environmental problem with rigorous methodology and clear policy or management implications, STTE is a strong target. Compare with recent papers in the journal's scope.

Who Science of The Total Environment actually is

STTE sits in the middle ground: more selective than open-access mega-journals, less brutal than Nature or Science. It has a reputation. Environmental scientists know it. Policy makers cite it. Grant programs recognize it.

The journal publishes research on environmental quality, sustainability, pollution prevention, and resource management. It's genuinely interdisciplinary. You'll see papers from ecologists, engineers, chemists, and public health researchers all publishing in the same issue.

The numbers

Impact factor: 8.0 (2024 JCR). Q1 ranking. #39 out of 374 environmental science and ecology journals. This puts it well above average and near the top tier of journals that will publish you at reasonable acceptance rates.

Acceptance rate: Approximately 25-35%, making it selective but not brutal.

APC: $3,500-4,200 for open access via Elsevier.

Review timeline: 5-10 weeks to first decision on average.

Publisher: Elsevier. Indexed in Web of Science, Scopus, and major environmental databases.

Is it prestigious?

Yes, but with context. If you're an environmental scientist, publishing in STTE is respected. It signals you did serious work. It's not Nature Environmental Science level (which barely exists), but it's definitely a step above regional or specialty journals.

For tenure track in environmental science, a few STTE papers look good. For faculty searches in competitive programs, hiring committees recognize the journal as legitimate and selective.

For policy impact, STTE is cited more than most academic journals. Government agencies and NGOs building environmental policy use STTE papers as evidence.

Who publishes there

Wide range: junior faculty at strong programs, postdocs, advanced PhD students, researchers from universities in emerging science nations doing serious environmental work, and some groups from top-tier institutions who don't need Nature but want a broad environmental scope.

The diversity of authorship is a feature, not a bug. STTE's influence in environmental policy partly stems from publishing high-quality work from non-traditional institutions.

The submission reality

Desk rejection happens but not aggressively. Maybe 15-25% get desk rejected before peer review, usually for scope mismatch or data quality red flags.

Peer review is typically 2-3 reviewers assessing whether the environmental problem is real and important, methodology is sound, results are clearly presented, and work has implications beyond the specific site/system studied.

STTE vs. other environmental journals

vs. Environmental Science & Technology (IF 9.4): ES&T is more chemistry/engineering focused and slightly more selective. STTE is broader.

vs. Environmental Research Letters (IF 4.0): ERL is smaller, faster, more news-like. STTE is more traditional and broader.

Submit to STTE if:

• Your work addresses a real environmental problem
• You have rigorous, replicable methodology
• Results have implications beyond a single location or species
• The work intersects with management or policy

Think twice if:

• Your work is purely theoretical without environmental application
• You need publication urgently (5-10 weeks is slow)

Bottom line

Science of The Total Environment is a serious journal with real influence in environmental research and policy. IF 8.0 puts it clearly in the top tier of environmental journals. If your paper addresses real environmental problems with solid methodology, this is the right home.