2023 Best Value Colleges for Environmental Science in California (With Aid)
23
Ranked Colleges
1,329
Degrees Awarded
$18,700
Avg Net Price*
When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Bioenvironmental Sciences Schools in California For Those Getting Aid” ranking - to help you make that decision.
Environmental Science is the 91st most popular major in the country with 9,274 degrees awarded in 2020-2021.
Across California, there were 1,329 environmental science graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Bioenvironmental Sciences Schools in California For Those Getting Aid” ranking looked at 23 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in environmental science. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality environmental science programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.
When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the environmental science program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
One Size Does Not Fit All
The bioenvironmental sciences 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 Bioenvironmental Sciences Schools in California For Those Getting Aid”.
You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our 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 Bioenvironmental Sciences Schools in California For Those Getting Aid
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Bioenvironmental Sciences Schools in California For Those Getting Aid.
Top 23 Best Value Colleges for Environmental Science in California (With Aid)
Out of the 23 schools in the Best Value Bioenvironmental Sciences Schools in California For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Berkeley landed the #1 spot on the list. University of California - Berkeley is located in Berkeley, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 61 ’s bioenvironmental sciences degrees to qualified students.
UC Berkeley not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Environmental Science Schools in California” list. It costs about $16,032 for California Bioenvironmental Sciences students with aid per year to attend University of California - Berkeley.
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%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full University of California - Berkeley Environmental Science Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Davis. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Bioenvironmental Sciences Schools in California For Those Getting Aid. UC Davis is a large school located in Davis, California that handed out 124 ’s bioenvironmental sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
UC Davis also made our “Best Environmental Science Schools in California” list, coming in at #2. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Davis is $15,768 for California Bioenvironmental Sciences students with aid.
With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full UC Davis Environmental Science Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Los Angeles. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Bioenvironmental Sciences Schools in California For Those Getting Aid list. This large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 101 ’s bioenvironmental sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCLA, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Environmental Science Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UCLA is $15,023 for California Bioenvironmental Sciences students with aid.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Environmental Science at University of California - Los Angeles
Out of the 23 schools in the Best Value Bioenvironmental Sciences Schools in California For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Santa Barbara landed the #4 spot on the list. University of California - Santa Barbara is a large public school situated in Santa Barbara, California. It awarded 93 ’s bioenvironmental sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
UCSB not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Environmental Science Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for UCSB is $16,252 for California Bioenvironmental Sciences students with aid.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. 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%.
Read full report on Environmental Science at University of California - Santa Barbara
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend California State University - Fullerton. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Bioenvironmental Sciences Schools in California For Those Getting Aid. Cal State Fullerton is a large public school situated in Fullerton, California. It awarded 17 ’s bioenvironmental sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california bioenvironmental sciences students with aid list, Cal State Fullerton has also earned the #17 rank in our “Best Environmental Science Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Cal State Fullerton is $8,003 for California Bioenvironmental Sciences students with aid.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full Cal State Fullerton Environmental Science Report
San Diego State University ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Bioenvironmental Sciences Schools in California For Those Getting Aid list. This large school is located in San Diego, California, and it awarded 26 ’s bioenvironmental sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
SDSU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Environmental Science Schools in California” list. It costs about $13,845 for california bioenvironmental sciences students with aid per year to attend San Diego State University.
With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad 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 SDSU Environmental Science Report
San Jose State University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Bioenvironmental Sciences Schools in California For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #7. This large school is located in San Jose, California, and it awarded 66 ’s bioenvironmental sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at San Jose State, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Environmental Science Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $16,542 for california bioenvironmental sciences students with aid per year to attend San Jose State University.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full San Jose State Environmental Science Report
University of California - Riverside ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Bioenvironmental Sciences Schools in California For Those Getting Aid list. UCR is located in Riverside, California and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 44 ’s bioenvironmental sciences degrees to qualified students.
UCR also took the #13 spot in our “Best Environmental Science Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Riverside is $11,822 for california bioenvironmental sciences students with aid.
With a freshman retention rate of 91%, 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%.
Read full report on Environmental Science at UCR
With a ranking of #9, California State University - San Bernardino did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Bioenvironmental Sciences Schools in California For Those Getting Aid list. Located in San Bernardino, California, this fairly large public school handed out 17 degrees to qualified ’s bioenvironmental sciences students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at CSUSB, the school also landed the #23 spot in our “Best Environmental Science Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $8,107 for california bioenvironmental sciences students with aid per year to attend California State University - San Bernardino.
With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%.
Read full report on Environmental Science at CSUSB
University of California - Santa Cruz landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Best Value Bioenvironmental Sciences Schools in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Santa Cruz, California, this fairly large public school awarded 28 diplomas to qualified ’s bioenvironmental sciences students in 2020-2021.
UC Santa Cruz did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Environmental Science Schools in California” list. It costs about $17,930 for california bioenvironmental sciences students with aid per year to attend UC Santa Cruz.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad 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 Environmental Science Report
California State University - Monterey Bay ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Bioenvironmental Sciences Schools in California For Those Getting Aid list. California State University - Monterey Bay is located in Seaside, California and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 38 ’s bioenvironmental sciences degrees to qualified students.
CSUMB did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best Environmental Science Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Monterey Bay is $13,597 for california bioenvironmental sciences students with aid.
The low undergrad 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%.
Read more about Environmental Science at California State University - Monterey Bay
With a ranking of #12, Humboldt State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Bioenvironmental Sciences Schools in California For Those Getting Aid list. This medium-sized school is located in Arcata, California, and it awarded 128 ’s bioenvironmental sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our california bioenvironmental sciences students with aid list, Humboldt State University has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Environmental Science Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Humboldt State University is $14,956 for california bioenvironmental sciences students with aid.
Read full report on Environmental Science at Humboldt State University
With a ranking of #13, California State University - Long Beach did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Bioenvironmental Sciences Schools in California For Those Getting Aid list. Long Beach, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s bioenvironmental sciences degrees to 55 students in 2020-2021.
CSULB also took the #22 spot in our “Best Environmental Science Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California State University - Long Beach is $10,054 for California Bioenvironmental Sciences students with aid.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%.
Full CSULB Environmental Science Report
California State University - Sacramento ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Bioenvironmental Sciences Schools in California For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Sacramento, California, this large public school awarded 57 diplomas to qualified ’s bioenvironmental sciences students in 2020-2021.
Sac State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #21 on our “Best Environmental Science Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for Sac State is $11,178 for California Bioenvironmental Sciences students with aid.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Environmental Science at Sac State
San Francisco State University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Bioenvironmental Sciences Schools in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. San Francisco State University is a large public school situated in San Francisco, California. It awarded 32 ’s bioenvironmental sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
SFSU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best Environmental Science Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend San Francisco State University is $14,459 for California Bioenvironmental Sciences students with aid.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Environmental Science at SFSU
California State University - Chico came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Bioenvironmental Sciences Schools in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. Chico State is a fairly large school located in Chico, California that handed out 39 ’s bioenvironmental sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
Chico State also made our “Best Environmental Science Schools in California” list, coming in at #20. The yearly cost to attend Chico State is $16,218 for California Bioenvironmental Sciences students with aid.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full California State University - Chico Environmental Science Report
Sonoma State University ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Bioenvironmental Sciences Schools in California For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Rohnert Park, California, this medium-sized public school awarded 23 diplomas to qualified ’s bioenvironmental sciences students in 2020-2021.
SSU also took the #19 spot in our “Best Environmental Science Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for SSU is $17,563 for California Bioenvironmental Sciences students with aid.
The low undergrad 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%.
Read more about Environmental Science at SSU
California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Bioenvironmental Sciences Schools in California For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #18. Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is a public institution located in San Luis Obispo, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 10 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, the school also landed the #18 spot in our “Best Environmental Science Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is $20,677 for california bioenvironmental sciences students with aid.
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 undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Environmental Science at California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo
With a ranking of #19, University of Redlands did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Bioenvironmental Sciences Schools in California For Those Getting Aid list. University of Redlands is located in Redlands, California and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 24 ’s bioenvironmental sciences degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our california bioenvironmental sciences students with aid list, University of Redlands has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Environmental Science Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Redlands is $26,098 for california bioenvironmental sciences students with aid.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full University of Redlands Environmental Science Report
Pitzer College came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Bioenvironmental Sciences Schools in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. Pitzer College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Claremont, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 17 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Pitzer, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Environmental Science Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Pitzer College is $29,195 for california bioenvironmental sciences students with aid.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.
Full Pitzer College Environmental Science Report
University of San Diego landed the #21 spot on the 2023 Best Value Bioenvironmental Sciences Schools in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. This medium-sized school is located in San Diego, California, and it awarded 52 ’s bioenvironmental sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
USD did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best Environmental Science Schools in California” list. It costs about $34,139 for California Bioenvironmental Sciences students with aid per year to attend USD.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.9% 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 San Diego Environmental Science Report
Santa Clara University ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Bioenvironmental Sciences Schools in California For Those Getting Aid list. SCU is a medium-sized school located in Santa Clara, California that handed out 20 ’s bioenvironmental sciences degrees in 2020-2021.
SCU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Environmental Science Schools in California” list. It costs about $42,614 for California Bioenvironmental Sciences students with aid per year to attend Santa Clara University.
With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Environmental Science at Santa Clara University
University of San Francisco came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Bioenvironmental Sciences Schools in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. University of San Francisco is a private not-for-profit institution located in San Francisco, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 22 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
USFCA not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best Environmental Science Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend University of San Francisco is $40,053 for california bioenvironmental sciences students with aid.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.5% 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 USFCA Environmental Science Report
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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
- *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.
Credits
- Credit for the banner image above goes to Lynn Betts.
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