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2022 Best Value Ecology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k

33 Ranked Colleges
856 Degrees Awarded
$10,800 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Ecology Schools for a Bachelor's For Those Making $0-$30k

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Ecology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking - to help you make that decision.

In 2019-2020, 1,130 people earned their degree in ecology, making the major the 384th most popular in the United States.

At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 856 ecology graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,303 and $24,501 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Ecology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, we looked at 33 colleges that offer a degree in ecology. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent ecology programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the ecology program at the school. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Ecology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to you. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

Best Value Ecology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k

The colleges and universities below are the best for bachelor’s degree ecology students whose families make $0-$30k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Ecology (Income $0-$30k)

#1

Washington University in St Louis

Saint Louis, Missouri
#5 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Washington University in St Louis. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Ecology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. This fairly large school is located in Saint Louis, Missouri, and it awarded 2 bachelors’s ecology degrees in 2019-2020.

WUSTL also took the #5 spot in our “Best Ecology Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend WUSTL is $5,273 for bachelor’s degree ecology students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Ecology at WUSTL

#2

University of Maryland - College Park

College Park, Maryland
#3 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Maryland - College Park. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Ecology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. College Park, Maryland is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s ecology degrees to 96 students in 2019-2020.

UMCP also took the #3 spot in our “Best Ecology Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Maryland - College Park is $8,054 for bachelor’s degree ecology students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%.

Read more about Ecology at University of Maryland - College Park

#3

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California
#1 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Los Angeles. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Ecology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k. University of California - Los Angeles is a large public school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 27 bachelors’s ecology degrees in 2019-2020.

UCLA did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Ecology Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $8,553 for Bachelor’s Degree Ecology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UCLA.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Ecology at University of California - Los Angeles

#4

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, Minnesota
#6 in overall quality

Out of the 33 schools in the Best Value Ecology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities landed the #4 spot on the list. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities is located in Minneapolis, Minnesota and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 34 bachelors’s ecology degrees to qualified students.

UMN Twin Cities did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Ecology Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for UMN Twin Cities is $7,266 for Bachelor’s Degree Ecology students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Minnesota - Twin Cities Ecology Report

#20 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of North Texas. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Ecology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k. University of North Texas is located in Denton, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 42 bachelors’s ecology degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree ecology students whose families make $0-$30k list, UNT has also earned the #20 rank in our “Best Ecology Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $8,521 for bachelor’s degree ecology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UNT.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.

Read full report on Ecology at University of North Texas

#6

University of Georgia

Athens, Georgia
#13 in overall quality

University of Georgia came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Ecology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UGA is located in Athens, Georgia and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 46 bachelors’s ecology degrees to qualified students.

UGA did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best Ecology Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend UGA is $7,541 for Bachelor’s Degree Ecology students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Ecology at UGA

#9 in overall quality

Iowa State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Ecology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #7. Iowa State is a large school located in Ames, Iowa that handed out 106 bachelors’s ecology degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree ecology students whose families make $0-$30k list, Iowa State has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Ecology Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Iowa State is $10,054 for Bachelor’s Degree Ecology students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Ecology at Iowa State University

#12 in overall quality

Oklahoma State University - Main Campus landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Ecology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Stillwater, Oklahoma is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s ecology degrees to 59 students in 2019-2020.

OSU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best Ecology Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend OSU is $8,669 for Bachelor’s Degree Ecology students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Ecology at Oklahoma State University - Main Campus

#9

University of Northern Iowa

Cedar Falls, Iowa
#10 in overall quality

University of Northern Iowa came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Ecology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UNI is a public institution located in Cedar Falls, Iowa. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 9 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UNI did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best Ecology Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $10,757 for bachelor’s degree ecology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Northern Iowa.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.

Read more about Ecology at University of Northern Iowa

#10

Connecticut College

New London, Connecticut
#2 in overall quality

With a ranking of #10, Connecticut College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Ecology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Conn College is located in New London, Connecticut and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 15 bachelors’s ecology degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Conn College, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Ecology Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Conn College is $18,732 for Bachelor’s Degree Ecology students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read full report on Ecology at Conn College

#8 in overall quality

With a ranking of #11, Colorado State University - Fort Collins did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Ecology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Fort Collins, Colorado, this large public school awarded 75 degrees to qualified bachelors’s ecology students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree ecology students whose families make $0-$30k list, Colorado State has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Ecology Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $11,831 for Bachelor’s Degree Ecology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Colorado State.

The low student loan default rate of 3.0% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.

Read full report on Ecology at Colorado State University - Fort Collins

#12

University of California - Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz, California
#11 in overall quality

University of California - Santa Cruz did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Ecology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #12. University of California - Santa Cruz is a public institution located in Santa Cruz, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 99 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Santa Cruz not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Ecology Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $10,872 for Bachelor’s Degree Ecology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UC Santa Cruz.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. The low student loan default rate of 2.9% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full University of California - Santa Cruz Ecology Report

#24 in overall quality

The University of Montana - Western landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value Ecology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. The University of Montana - Western is a public institution located in Dillon, Montana. The school has a small population, and it awarded 7 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Montana Western also made our “Best Ecology Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #24. It costs about $11,142 for Bachelor’s Degree Ecology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend The University of Montana - Western.

Read full report on Ecology at Montana Western

#14

Appalachian State University

Boone, North Carolina

With a ranking of #14, Appalachian State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Ecology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Appalachian State University is located in Boone, North Carolina and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 1 bachelors’s ecology degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend Appalachian State University is $7,169 for bachelor’s degree ecology students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 3.9% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about Ecology at Appalachian State University

#15

Saint Cloud State University

Saint Cloud, Minnesota
#19 in overall quality

Saint Cloud State University ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Ecology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Saint Cloud, Minnesota, this fairly large public school handed out 28 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s ecology students in 2019-2020.

St. Cloud State University also made our “Best Ecology Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #19. It costs about $10,688 for bachelor’s degree ecology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend St. Cloud State University.

Full Saint Cloud State University Ecology Report

#16

Central Washington University

Ellensburg, Washington
#18 in overall quality

With a ranking of #16, Central Washington University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Ecology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Central Washington University is a fairly large public school situated in Ellensburg, Washington. It awarded 17 bachelors’s ecology degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree ecology students whose families make $0-$30k list, CWU has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best Ecology Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $9,875 for bachelor’s degree ecology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend CWU.

Read more about Ecology at CWU

#17

Augusta University

Augusta, Georgia
#25 in overall quality

With a ranking of #17, Augusta University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Ecology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Augusta, Georgia, this medium-sized public school handed out 7 degrees to qualified bachelors’s ecology students in 2019-2020.

Augusta University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #25 on our “Best Ecology Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Augusta University is $8,352 for Bachelor’s Degree Ecology students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Ecology at Augusta University

#18

Stony Brook University

Stony Brook, New York
#17 in overall quality

Stony Brook University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Ecology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #18. SUNY Stony Brook is located in Stony Brook, New York and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 9 bachelors’s ecology degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at SUNY Stony Brook, the school also landed the #17 spot in our “Best Ecology Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $10,683 for Bachelor’s Degree Ecology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Stony Brook University.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%. The low student loan default rate of 2.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full Stony Brook University Ecology Report

#19

SUNY Plattsburgh

Plattsburgh, New York

With a ranking of #19, SUNY Plattsburgh did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Ecology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. SUNY Plattsburgh is a public institution located in Plattsburgh, New York. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 6 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for SUNY Plattsburgh is $9,278 for Bachelor’s Degree Ecology students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Ecology at SUNY Plattsburgh

#20

Northern State University

Aberdeen, South Dakota
#14 in overall quality

Northern State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Ecology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #20. Aberdeen, South Dakota is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s ecology degrees to 8 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree ecology students whose families make $0-$30k list, NSU has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Ecology Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $13,133 for Bachelor’s Degree Ecology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend NSU.

Read more about Ecology at NSU

With a ranking of #21, New Mexico State University - Main Campus did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Ecology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. New Mexico State University - Main Campus is a fairly large public school situated in Las Cruces, New Mexico. It awarded 5 bachelors’s ecology degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for NMSU Main Campus is $6,896 for Bachelor’s Degree Ecology students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Ecology at NMSU Main Campus

#22

University of Connecticut

Storrs, Connecticut
#15 in overall quality

University of Connecticut came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Ecology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of Connecticut is located in Storrs, Connecticut and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 22 bachelors’s ecology degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree ecology students whose families make $0-$30k list, UCONN has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best Ecology Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UCONN is $12,381 for bachelor’s degree ecology students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 2.6% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Ecology at UCONN

#23

University of Maryland Eastern Shore

Princess Anne, Maryland

With a ranking of #23, University of Maryland Eastern Shore did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Ecology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. UMES is a public institution located in Princess Anne, Maryland. The school has a small population, and it awarded 7 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend UMES is $13,973 for Bachelor’s Degree Ecology students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read more about Ecology at University of Maryland Eastern Shore

#24

Susquehanna University

Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania
#23 in overall quality

With a ranking of #24, Susquehanna University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Ecology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k list. Susquehanna is located in Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 6 bachelors’s ecology degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Susquehanna, the school also landed the #23 spot in our “Best Ecology Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Susquehanna is $19,823 for bachelor’s degree ecology students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full Susquehanna Ecology Report

#25

Siena College

Loudonville, New York
#7 in overall quality

Siena College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Ecology Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #25. Siena is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Loudonville, New York. It awarded 21 bachelors’s ecology degrees in 2019-2020.

Siena did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best Ecology Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Siena College is $20,232 for bachelor’s degree ecology students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%.

Read full report on Ecology at Siena

Notes and References

References

  • The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of our data about colleges.
  • Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
  • Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

  • *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
  • Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.

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