2027 Best Value Sustainability Science Schools in the The Plains States Region

[Sustainability Science](/majors/multi-interdisciplinary-studies/sustainability-science/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
For its 2027 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 5 schools to find the best return on investment for sustainability science students.
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2027 Best Value Sustainability Science Schools in the The Plains States Region
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the sustainability science degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Sustainability Science Schools
Our analysis ranked University Of Minnesota Twin Cities the best value for a degree in sustainability science in the The Plains States Region. Set in the city of Minneapolis, University Of Minnesota Twin Cities is a very large public institution. Students from in state pay about $17,214 in tuition and fees, compared with $38,362 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for sustainability science graduates is $21,577. Early-career sustainability science graduates make about $56,395. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 80% of applicants are accepted.
A rank of #2 makes Bellevue University one of the best values for sustainability science. Set in the suburb of Bellevue, Bellevue University is a large private not-for-profit institution. Students from in state pay about $12,873 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $27,852 to complete the sustainability science program here. Soon after graduation, sustainability science degree recipients from Bellevue University generally make around $61,548. That is a strong return on a $27,852 median debt.
A rank of #3 makes Iowa State University one of the best values for sustainability science. Iowa State University is a very large public school located in the city of Ames. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $10,787, compared with $28,881 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for sustainability science graduates is $23,496. Sustainability Science graduates of Iowa State University earn a median of $54,204 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 89%.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Maryville University Of Saint Louis earned it the #4 place for sustainability science. Maryville University Of Saint Louis is a large private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Saint Louis. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $27,166. Students borrow a median of $24,499 to complete the sustainability science program here. Early-career sustainability science graduates make about $67,909. That is a strong return on a $24,499 median debt. Maryville University Of Saint Louis admits about 95% of applicants.
University Of Iowa came in at #5 on our 2027 list of the best value sustainability science schools. Set in the city of Iowa City, University Of Iowa is a very large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $11,283, compared with $33,371 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for sustainability science graduates is $21,425. Soon after graduation, sustainability science degree recipients from University Of Iowa generally make around $41,618. That is a strong return on a $21,425 median debt. The acceptance rate is 84%.
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 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 · 5 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.