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2022 Best Value Bioenvironmental Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California

22 Ranked Colleges
1,178 Degrees Awarded
$18,100 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Bioenvironmental Sciences Schools for a Bachelor's in California

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Bioenvironmental Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

In 2019-2020, 9,339 people earned their degree in environmental science, making the major the 90th most popular in the United States.

Across California, there were 1,364 environmental science graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,178 environmental science graduates with average earnings and debt of $37,907 and $21,546 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Bioenvironmental Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California” ranking analyzed 22 colleges that offered a degree in environmental science. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent environmental science programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the environmental science program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Bioenvironmental Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

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. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.

Best Value Bioenvironmental Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California

The colleges and universities below are the best for california bachelor’s degree bioenvironmental sciences students.

Top 22 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Environmental Science in California

#1

University of California - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, California
#2 in overall quality

Out of the 22 schools in the Best Value Bioenvironmental Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Los Angeles landed the #1 spot on the list. University of California - Los Angeles is a large public school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 75 bachelors’s bioenvironmental sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

UCLA not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Environmental Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $14,279 for california bachelor’s degree bioenvironmental sciences students per year to attend UCLA.

With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Environmental Science at UCLA

#2

San Jose State University

San Jose, California
#6 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend San Jose State University. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Bioenvironmental Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California. This large school is located in San Jose, California, and it awarded 61 bachelors’s bioenvironmental sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at San Jose State, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best Environmental Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for San Jose State University is $14,928 for California Bachelor’s Degree Bioenvironmental Sciences students.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Environmental Science at San Jose State

#1 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Berkeley. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Bioenvironmental Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. Berkeley, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s bioenvironmental sciences degrees to 63 students in 2019-2020.

UC Berkeley did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Environmental Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for UC Berkeley is $15,329 for California Bachelor’s Degree Bioenvironmental Sciences students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Environmental Science at University of California - Berkeley

#15 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend California State University - Long Beach. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Bioenvironmental Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. Long Beach, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s bioenvironmental sciences degrees to 39 students in 2019-2020.

CSULB also took the #15 spot in our “Best Environmental Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $9,622 for California Bachelor’s Degree Bioenvironmental Sciences students per year to attend California State University - Long Beach.

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 student loan default rate of 1.6% 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 Environmental Science at California State University - Long Beach

#18 in overall quality

Out of the 22 schools in the Best Value Bioenvironmental Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California that were part of this year’s ranking, California State University - Monterey Bay landed the #5 spot on the list. CSUMB is a medium-sized public school situated in Seaside, California. It awarded 31 bachelors’s bioenvironmental sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

CSUMB also took the #18 spot in our “Best Environmental Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $12,212 for california bachelor’s degree bioenvironmental sciences students per year to attend CSUMB.

The low student loan default rate of 5.0% 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 more about Environmental Science at California State University - Monterey Bay

#6

San Diego State University

San Diego, California
#10 in overall quality

San Diego State University landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Bioenvironmental Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. Located in San Diego, California, this large public school awarded 33 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s bioenvironmental sciences students in 2019-2020.

SDSU also made our “Best Environmental Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #10. It costs about $14,788 for California Bachelor’s Degree Bioenvironmental Sciences students per year to attend SDSU.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Environmental Science at SDSU

#7

Sonoma State University

Rohnert Park, California
#16 in overall quality

Sonoma State University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Bioenvironmental Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. SSU is a medium-sized school located in Rohnert Park, California that handed out 43 bachelors’s bioenvironmental sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at SSU, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best Environmental Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for SSU is $17,478 for California Bachelor’s Degree Bioenvironmental Sciences students.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Environmental Science at SSU

#5 in overall quality

University of California - Davis came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Bioenvironmental Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. Located in Davis, California, this large public school handed out 138 degrees to qualified bachelors’s bioenvironmental sciences students in 2019-2020.

UC Davis not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Environmental Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $14,669 for California Bachelor’s Degree Bioenvironmental Sciences students per year to attend University of California - Davis.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full University of California - Davis Environmental Science Report

#14 in overall quality

California State University - Sacramento came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Bioenvironmental Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. This large school is located in Sacramento, California, and it awarded 56 bachelors’s bioenvironmental sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree bioenvironmental sciences students list, Sac State has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Environmental Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $9,979 for California Bachelor’s Degree Bioenvironmental Sciences students per year to attend California State University - Sacramento.

The low student loan default rate of 4.6% 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 full report on Environmental Science at California State University - Sacramento

#17 in overall quality

California State University - East Bay ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Bioenvironmental Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. California State University - East Bay is located in Hayward, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 10 bachelors’s bioenvironmental sciences degrees to qualified students.

Cal State East Bay also made our “Best Environmental Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #17. The yearly cost to attend California State University - East Bay is $11,116 for California Bachelor’s Degree Bioenvironmental Sciences students.

Read full report on Environmental Science at California State University - East Bay

#11

California State University - San Bernardino

San Bernardino, California
#20 in overall quality

California State University - San Bernardino did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Bioenvironmental Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking, coming in at #11. California State University - San Bernardino is located in San Bernardino, California and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 25 bachelors’s bioenvironmental sciences degrees to qualified students.

CSUSB not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #20 on our “Best Environmental Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend California State University - San Bernardino is $7,342 for california bachelor’s degree bioenvironmental sciences students.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Environmental Science at CSUSB

#12

University of California - Riverside

Riverside, California
#8 in overall quality

With a ranking of #12, University of California - Riverside did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Bioenvironmental Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. University of California - Riverside is a large school located in Riverside, California that handed out 47 bachelors’s bioenvironmental sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

UCR did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Environmental Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Riverside is $12,871 for california bachelor’s degree bioenvironmental sciences students.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.1%, 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 91%.

Full University of California - Riverside Environmental Science Report

#7 in overall quality

With a ranking of #13, University of California - Irvine did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Bioenvironmental Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. University of California - Irvine is a public institution located in Irvine, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 25 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Irvine, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Environmental Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Irvine is $14,783 for California Bachelor’s Degree Bioenvironmental Sciences students.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, 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 Environmental Science at UC Irvine

#19 in overall quality

California State University - Chico did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Bioenvironmental Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking, coming in at #14. California State University - Chico is a public institution located in Chico, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 26 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Chico State also took the #19 spot in our “Best Environmental Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $15,017 for california bachelor’s degree bioenvironmental sciences students per year to attend Chico State.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full California State University - Chico Environmental Science Report

#15

San Francisco State University

San Francisco, California
#21 in overall quality

San Francisco State University ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Bioenvironmental Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. San Francisco State University is located in San Francisco, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 25 bachelors’s bioenvironmental sciences degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at SFSU, the school also landed the #21 spot in our “Best Environmental Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $15,113 for california bachelor’s degree bioenvironmental sciences students per year to attend SFSU.

Read more about Environmental Science at SFSU

#16

Humboldt State University

Arcata, California
#22 in overall quality

Humboldt State University came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Bioenvironmental Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. Humboldt State University is a public institution located in Arcata, California. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 122 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Humboldt State University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #22 on our “Best Environmental Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for Humboldt State University is $14,692 for california bachelor’s degree bioenvironmental sciences students.

Read full report on Environmental Science at Humboldt State University

#17

University of California - Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz, California
#12 in overall quality

University of California - Santa Cruz landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value Bioenvironmental Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. UC Santa Cruz is a public institution located in Santa Cruz, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 33 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Santa Cruz did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best Environmental Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $18,186 for california bachelor’s degree bioenvironmental sciences students 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 school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Environmental Science at University of California - Santa Cruz

#18

University of Redlands

Redlands, California
#13 in overall quality

University of Redlands ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Bioenvironmental Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. This small school is located in Redlands, California, and it awarded 27 bachelors’s bioenvironmental sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree bioenvironmental sciences students list, University of Redlands has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best Environmental Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Redlands is $27,958 for california bachelor’s degree bioenvironmental sciences students.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Redlands Environmental Science Report

#19

University of San Diego

San Diego, California
#11 in overall quality

With a ranking of #19, University of San Diego did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Bioenvironmental Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. Located in San Diego, California, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school awarded 35 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s bioenvironmental sciences students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at USD, the school also landed the #11 spot in our “Best Environmental Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $32,460 for california bachelor’s degree bioenvironmental sciences students per year to attend USD.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Environmental Science at University of San Diego

#20

Santa Clara University

Santa Clara, California
#4 in overall quality

Santa Clara University came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Bioenvironmental Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. Santa Clara University is located in Santa Clara, California and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 11 bachelors’s bioenvironmental sciences degrees to qualified students.

SCU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Environmental Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $38,327 for California Bachelor’s Degree Bioenvironmental Sciences students per year to attend SCU.

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 student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Santa Clara University Environmental Science Report

#21

University of San Francisco

San Francisco, California
#9 in overall quality

University of San Francisco landed the #21 spot on the 2022 Best Value Bioenvironmental Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California ranking. This fairly large school is located in San Francisco, California, and it awarded 20 bachelors’s bioenvironmental sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

USFCA not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best Environmental Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $36,424 for California Bachelor’s Degree Bioenvironmental Sciences students per year to attend University of San Francisco.

The low student loan default rate of 2.5% 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%.

Read more about Environmental Science at University of San Francisco

#22

University of Southern California

Los Angeles, California
#3 in overall quality

University of Southern California ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Bioenvironmental Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in California list. University of Southern California is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 37 bachelors’s bioenvironmental sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

USC also took the #3 spot in our “Best Environmental Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Southern California is $29,528 for california bachelor’s degree bioenvironmental sciences students.

The student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The low student loan default rate of 1.2% 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 school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full USC 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

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.

Credits

  • Credit for the banner image above goes to Lynn Betts.

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