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2023 Best Value Colleges for Sustainability Studies (Income $0-$30k)

61 Ranked Colleges
3,005 Degrees Awarded
$7,100 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Sustainability Schools For Those Making $0-$30k

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Sustainability Schools For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking - to help you make that decision.

Sustainability Studies is the 248th most popular major in the country with 3,005 degrees awarded in 2020-2021.

This year’s “Best Value Sustainability Schools For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking analyzed 61 colleges that offered a degree in sustainability studies. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent sustainability studies programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the sustainability studies program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

More Ways to Rank Sustainability Studies Schools

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The sustainability school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Best Value Sustainability Schools For Those Making $0-$30k”.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.

Best Value Sustainability Schools For Those Making $0-$30k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Sustainability Schools For Those Making $0-$30k.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Sustainability Studies (Income $0-$30k)

1
Stanford crest
Stanford University
Stanford, California

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Stanford University. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value Sustainability Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Stanford is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Stanford, California. It awarded 29 ’s sustainability degrees in 2020-2021.

Stanford not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Sustainability Studies Schools” list. It costs about $1,233 for Sustainability students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Stanford University.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Sustainability Studies at Stanford University

2

Out of the 61 schools in the Best Value Sustainability Schools For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Columbia University in the City of New York landed the #2 spot on the list. Located in New York, New York, this large private not-for-profit school awarded 151 diplomas to qualified ’s sustainability students in 2020-2021.

Columbia also took the #1 spot in our “Best Sustainability Studies Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Columbia University in the City of New York is $9,873 for Sustainability students whose families make $0-$30k.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% 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%.

Read full report on Sustainability Studies at Columbia University in the City of New York

3

Out of the 61 schools in the Best Value Sustainability Schools For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Washington University in St Louis landed the #3 spot on the list. Saint Louis, Missouri is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s sustainability degrees to 32 students in 2020-2021.

WUSTL did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Sustainability Studies Schools” list. It costs about $1,556 for sustainability students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Washington University in St Louis.

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 low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.1% 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%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Full WUSTL Sustainability Studies Report

4
UF crest
University of Florida
Gainesville, Florida

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Florida. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Sustainability Schools For Those Making $0-$30k. UF is a large school located in Gainesville, Florida that handed out 84 ’s sustainability degrees in 2020-2021.

UF also made our “Best Sustainability Studies Schools” list, coming in at #10. The yearly cost to attend UF is $65 for sustainability students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% 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%.

Read full report on Sustainability Studies at University of Florida

5

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Sustainability Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is located in Ann Arbor, Michigan and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 53 ’s sustainability degrees to qualified students.

U-M also made our “Best Sustainability Studies Schools” list, coming in at #6. The yearly cost to attend U-M is $2,670 for sustainability students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Sustainability Studies at U-M

6
UPenn crest
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

University of Pennsylvania came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Sustainability Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 6 degrees to qualified ’s sustainability students in 2020-2021.

UPenn not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Sustainability Studies Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Pennsylvania is $580 for sustainability students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Sustainability Studies at University of Pennsylvania

7

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Sustainability Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a public institution located in Champaign, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 86 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

UIUC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best Sustainability Studies Schools” list. It costs about $4,858 for Sustainability students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UIUC.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full UIUC Sustainability Studies Report

8
Tufts crest
Tufts University
Medford, Massachusetts

Tufts University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Sustainability Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Tufts is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Medford, Massachusetts. It awarded 15 ’s sustainability degrees in 2020-2021.

Tufts did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best Sustainability Studies Schools” list. It costs about $8,122 for sustainability students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Tufts University.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Full Tufts University Sustainability Studies Report

9

University of Washington - Seattle Campus did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Sustainability Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #9. University of Washington - Seattle Campus is a public institution located in Seattle, Washington. The school has a large population, and it awarded 53 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our sustainability students whose families make $0-$30k list, UW Seattle has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Sustainability Studies Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UW Seattle is $5,194 for Sustainability students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Sustainability Studies at UW Seattle

10

University of California - Berkeley did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Sustainability Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #10. UC Berkeley is a large public school situated in Berkeley, California. It awarded 54 ’s sustainability degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Berkeley, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Sustainability Studies Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UC Berkeley is $8,450 for Sustainability students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, 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 96%.

Read full report on Sustainability Studies at University of California - Berkeley

11
UGA crest
University of Georgia
Athens, Georgia

University of Georgia did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Sustainability Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #11. UGA is a large public school situated in Athens, Georgia. It awarded 65 ’s sustainability degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UGA, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best Sustainability Studies Schools” ranking. It costs about $8,303 for Sustainability students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UGA.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Sustainability Studies at University of Georgia

12
Michigan State crest
Michigan State University
East Lansing, Michigan

With a ranking of #12, Michigan State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Sustainability Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Michigan State University is a large public school situated in East Lansing, Michigan. It awarded 39 ’s sustainability degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our sustainability students whose families make $0-$30k list, Michigan State has also earned the #24 rank in our “Best Sustainability Studies Schools” ranking. It costs about $6,927 for sustainability students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Michigan State University.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Sustainability Studies at Michigan State University

13

University of Maryland - College Park ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Sustainability Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. UMCP is a large school located in College Park, Maryland that handed out 16 ’s sustainability degrees in 2020-2021.

UMCP also took the #19 spot in our “Best Sustainability Studies Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Maryland - College Park is $6,067 for Sustainability students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.8% 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 Maryland - College Park Sustainability Studies Report

14

With a ranking of #14, The City College of New York did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Sustainability Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in New York, New York, this fairly large public school handed out 36 degrees to qualified ’s sustainability students in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend CCNY is $1,254 for sustainability students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Sustainability Studies at The City College of New York

15
Carnegie Mellon crest
Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Carnegie Mellon University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Sustainability Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Carnegie Mellon University is a fairly large school located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania that handed out 11 ’s sustainability degrees in 2020-2021.

Carnegie Mellon not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best Sustainability Studies Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Carnegie Mellon University is $16,456 for Sustainability students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.7% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read more about Sustainability Studies at Carnegie Mellon University

16

Florida International University ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Sustainability Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Florida International University is located in Miami, Florida and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 43 ’s sustainability degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend Florida International University is $3,196 for sustainability students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full FIU Sustainability Studies Report

17

University of South Florida - Main Campus came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Sustainability Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. USF Tampa is a large public school situated in Tampa, Florida. It awarded 74 ’s sustainability degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend USF Tampa is $4,176 for sustainability students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full USF Tampa Sustainability Studies Report

18
Colorado Mountain College crest
Colorado Mountain College
Glenwood Springs, Colorado

Colorado Mountain College came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Sustainability Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Colorado Mountain College is located in Glenwood Springs, Colorado and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 39 ’s sustainability degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for Colorado Mountain College is $3,118 for Sustainability students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Sustainability Studies at Colorado Mountain College

19

The University of Texas at Austin came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Sustainability Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Austin, Texas is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s sustainability degrees to 94 students in 2020-2021.

UT Austin not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #15 on our “Best Sustainability Studies Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend UT Austin is $13,753 for sustainability students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Sustainability Studies at UT Austin

20
SUNY Stony Brook crest
Stony Brook University
Stony Brook, New York

Stony Brook University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Sustainability Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #20. Stony Brook, New York is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s sustainability degrees to 11 students in 2020-2021.

SUNY Stony Brook also made our “Best Sustainability Studies Schools” list, coming in at #23. The yearly cost to attend Stony Brook University is $11,863 for Sustainability students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.0% 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%.

Full Stony Brook University Sustainability Studies Report

21
U of U crest
University of Utah
Salt Lake City, Utah

University of Utah came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Sustainability Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. U of U is located in Salt Lake City, Utah and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 27 ’s sustainability degrees to qualified students.

U of U also took the #18 spot in our “Best Sustainability Studies Schools” ranking. It costs about $10,431 for Sustainability students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Utah.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% 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%.

Read full report on Sustainability Studies at U of U

22

Miami University - Oxford came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Sustainability Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Miami University - Oxford is a fairly large public school situated in Oxford, Ohio. It awarded 23 ’s sustainability degrees in 2020-2021.

Miami University - Oxford also made our “Best Sustainability Studies Schools” list, coming in at #13. The yearly cost to attend Miami University - Oxford is $13,956 for sustainability students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.0% 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%.

Full Miami University - Oxford Sustainability Studies Report

23

Iowa State University came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Sustainability Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Iowa State is located in Ames, Iowa and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 22 ’s sustainability degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $9,766 for sustainability students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Iowa State.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.4% 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 89%.

Read more about Sustainability Studies at Iowa State University

24
WWU crest
Western Washington University
Bellingham, Washington

Western Washington University landed the #24 spot on the 2023 Best Value Sustainability Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. WWU is a fairly large public school situated in Bellingham, Washington. It awarded 38 ’s sustainability degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Western Washington University is $9,979 for Sustainability students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Western Washington University Sustainability Studies Report

25
Rutgers New Brunswick crest
Rutgers University - New Brunswick
New Brunswick, New Jersey

Rutgers University - New Brunswick ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Sustainability Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Rutgers University - New Brunswick is a public institution located in New Brunswick, New Jersey. The school has a large population, and it awarded 57 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Rutgers New Brunswick not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #22 on our “Best Sustainability Studies Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Rutgers University - New Brunswick is $14,935 for sustainability students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad 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%.

Read more about Sustainability Studies at Rutgers New Brunswick

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