2026 Best Value Sustainability Science Schools in the New England Region

[Sustainability Science](/majors/multi-interdisciplinary-studies/sustainability-science/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 27 schools to find the best return on investment for sustainability science students.
What’s on this page:
2026 Best Value Sustainability Science Schools in the New England Region
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in sustainability science, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Sustainability Science Schools
For return on investment in sustainability science, no school beat Harvard University this year. Set in the city of Cambridge, Harvard University is a very large private not-for-profit institution. In-state tuition and fees average $61,676. Sustainability Science graduates carry a median of $16,616 in student loans. Soon after graduation, sustainability science degree recipients from Harvard University generally make around $95,207. That is a strong return on a $16,616 median debt. Harvard University admits about 4% of applicants.
Unity College is a great value for students pursuing a degree in sustainability science, landing the #2 spot this year. Unity College is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the rural area of New Gloucester. In-state tuition and fees average $12,640. Sustainability Science graduates carry a median of $27,083 in student loans. Sustainability Science graduates of Unity College earn a median of $36,144 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value.
University Of Vermont came in at #3 on our 2026 list of the best value sustainability science schools. University Of Vermont is a large public school located in the city of Burlington. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $19,058, with out-of-state students paying around $45,502. Sustainability Science graduates carry a median of $22,607 in student loans. Sustainability Science graduates of University Of Vermont earn a median of $44,588 early in their careers. Set against $22,607 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. University Of Vermont admits about 65% of applicants.
University Of Massachusetts Amherst is a great value for students pursuing a degree in sustainability science, landing the #4 spot this year. University Of Massachusetts Amherst is a very large public school located in the city of Amherst. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $17,772, compared with $40,449 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for sustainability science graduates is $25,234. Soon after graduation, sustainability science degree recipients from University Of Massachusetts Amherst generally make around $53,543. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 60%.
Tufts University came in at #5 on our 2026 list of the best value sustainability science schools. Tufts University is a large private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Medford. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $70,704. Typical student debt for sustainability science graduates is $17,074. Early-career sustainability science graduates make about $68,154. Set against $17,074 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 12%.
Rhode Island School Of Design earned the #6 position for value in sustainability science this year. Located in the city of Providence, Rhode Island School Of Design is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $62,688. Sustainability Science graduates carry a median of $26,943 in student loans. Sustainability Science graduates of Rhode Island School Of Design earn a median of $29,894 early in their careers. Set against $26,943 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 19%.
Narrow Sustainability Science Schools by State
More Sustainability Science Rankings
View All Sustainability Science Rankings >
Notes and References
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 27 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 5 ranked schools only.
- 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).
More about our data sources and methodologies.