2023 Best Value Colleges for Environmental Studies (Income $0-$30k)
164
Ranked Colleges
9,899
Degrees Awarded
$6,200
Avg Net Price*
It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is part of that endeavor.
In 2020-2021, 9,899 people earned their degree in environmental studies, making the major the 87th most popular in the United States.
This year’s “Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking looked at 164 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in environmental studies. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great environmental studies programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.
To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the environmental studies program at the school. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
More Ways to Rank Environmental Studies Schools
Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.
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. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.
Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k.
Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Environmental Studies (Income $0-$30k)
Out of the 164 schools in the Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Duke University landed the #1 spot on the list. Duke University is a fairly large school located in Durham, North Carolina that handed out 59 ’s ecosystem studies degrees in 2020-2021.
Duke also took the #2 spot in our “Best Environmental Studies Schools” ranking. It costs about $371 for ecosystem studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Duke University.
With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 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 0.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on Environmental Studies at Duke
Out of the 164 schools in the Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Yale University landed the #2 spot on the list. Located in New Haven, Connecticut, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 129 diplomas to qualified ’s ecosystem studies students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Yale, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Environmental Studies Schools” ranking. It costs about $961 for ecosystem studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Yale University.
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%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 4 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.
Read full report on Environmental Studies at Yale University
Out of the 164 schools in the Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Harvard University landed the #3 spot on the list. This large school is located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and it awarded 234 ’s ecosystem studies degrees in 2020-2021.
Harvard not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Environmental Studies Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Harvard is $2,564 for ecosystem studies students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
Read full report on Environmental Studies at Harvard
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Brown University. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Providence, Rhode Island is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s ecosystem studies degrees to 19 students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our ecosystem studies students whose families make $0-$30k list, Brown has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Environmental Studies Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Brown is $1,468 for Ecosystem Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.8% 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 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Read full report on Environmental Studies at Brown University
Out of the 164 schools in the Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor landed the #5 spot on the list. U-M is a large school located in Ann Arbor, Michigan that handed out 142 ’s ecosystem studies degrees in 2020-2021.
U-M also made our “Best Environmental Studies Schools” list, coming in at #10. The yearly cost to attend U-M is $2,670 for ecosystem studies students whose families make $0-$30k.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%.
Read full report on Environmental Studies at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Colby College came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Colby College is located in Waterville, Maine and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 11 ’s ecosystem studies degrees to qualified students.
Colby did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best Environmental Studies Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Colby is $2,648 for Ecosystem Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.
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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Environmental Studies at Colby College
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, this large public school handed out 75 diplomas to qualified ’s ecosystem studies students in 2020-2021.
UNC Chapel Hill also took the #9 spot in our “Best Environmental Studies Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UNC Chapel Hill is $3,753 for Ecosystem Studies 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 undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Environmental Studies Report
University of Wisconsin - Madison came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UW - Madison is located in Madison, Wisconsin and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 338 ’s ecosystem studies degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW - Madison, the school also landed the #11 spot in our “Best Environmental Studies Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UW - Madison is $3,981 for ecosystem studies students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Environmental Studies at UW - Madison
With a ranking of #9, University of California - Berkeley did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. UC Berkeley is a large school located in Berkeley, California that handed out 359 ’s ecosystem studies degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our ecosystem studies students whose families make $0-$30k list, UC Berkeley has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Environmental Studies Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Berkeley is $8,450 for ecosystem studies 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 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Environmental Studies at University of California - Berkeley
Columbia University in the City of New York ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in New York, New York, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 42 degrees to qualified ’s ecosystem studies students in 2020-2021.
Columbia not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Environmental Studies Schools” list. It costs about $9,873 for Ecosystem Studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Columbia University in the City of New York.
Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. 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 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%.
Full Columbia Environmental Studies Report
University of Washington - Seattle Campus ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Washington - Seattle Campus is located in Seattle, Washington and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 95 ’s ecosystem studies degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our ecosystem studies students whose families make $0-$30k list, UW Seattle has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Environmental Studies Schools” ranking. It costs about $5,194 for Ecosystem Studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UW Seattle.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. 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%.
Read full report on Environmental Studies at UW Seattle
Tufts University landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Medford, Massachusetts, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 51 diplomas to qualified ’s ecosystem studies students in 2020-2021.
Tufts also claimed a top spot on our “Best Environmental Studies Schools” list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The estimated yearly cost for Tufts University is $8,122 for Ecosystem Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.
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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%. 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.
Read full report on Environmental Studies at Tufts
Indiana University - Bloomington landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Bloomington, Indiana is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s ecosystem studies degrees to 52 students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on this list, IU Bloomington is in the top on our “Best Environmental Studies Schools” list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. It costs about $5,752 for Ecosystem Studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Indiana University - Bloomington.
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 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full Indiana University - Bloomington Environmental Studies Report
North Carolina State University came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in Raleigh, North Carolina, and it awarded 19 ’s ecosystem studies degrees in 2020-2021.
NC State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best Environmental Studies Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for NC State is $7,283 for Ecosystem Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.
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 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 NC State Environmental Studies Report
University of California - Davis came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Davis, California, this large public school handed out 80 diplomas to qualified ’s ecosystem studies students in 2020-2021.
UC Davis did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Environmental Studies Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Davis is $10,006 for ecosystem studies students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, 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 full report on Environmental Studies at University of California - Davis
Arizona State University - Tempe came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Tempe, Arizona is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s ecosystem studies degrees to 204 students in 2020-2021.
ASU - Tempe also claimed a top spot on our “Best Environmental Studies Schools” list. It’s in the top [COLLEGE_QUALITY_PECTENTILE_ALL_LEVES]% of all schools in this category. The estimated yearly cost for Arizona State University - Tempe is $8,969 for Ecosystem Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.5% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read full report on Environmental Studies at Arizona State University - Tempe
Boston College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #17. Boston College is located in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 26 ’s ecosystem studies degrees to qualified students.
It costs about $10,212 for ecosystem studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Boston College.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.9% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%.
Read full report on Environmental Studies at Boston College
University of Virginia - Main Campus ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Charlottesville, Virginia is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s ecosystem studies degrees to 35 students in 2020-2021.
University of Virginia also took the #19 spot in our “Best Environmental Studies Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Virginia is $12,476 for Ecosystem Studies 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 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full University of Virginia Environmental Studies Report
With a ranking of #19, Texas A&M University - College Station did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Texas A&M College Station is located in College Station, Texas and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 74 ’s ecosystem studies degrees to qualified students.
Texas A&M College Station also made our “Best Environmental Studies Schools” list, coming in at #7. It costs about $11,220 for ecosystem studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Texas A&M College Station.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.2% 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 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full Texas A&M College Station Environmental Studies Report
With a ranking of #20, Queens College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Queens, New York is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s ecosystem studies degrees to 19 students in 2020-2021.
It costs about $1,344 for ecosystem studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend QC.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full Queens College Environmental Studies Report
University of California - Santa Barbara did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #21. University of California - Santa Barbara is a large school located in Santa Barbara, California that handed out 377 ’s ecosystem studies degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our ecosystem studies students whose families make $0-$30k list, UCSB has also earned the #17 rank in our “Best Environmental Studies Schools” ranking. It costs about $10,568 for Ecosystem Studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UCSB.
With a freshman retention rate of 91%, 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 California - Santa Barbara Environmental Studies Report
Bates College ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. This small school is located in Lewiston, Maine, and it awarded 26 ’s ecosystem studies degrees in 2020-2021.
The yearly cost to attend Bates is $4,140 for ecosystem studies students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. 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. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Environmental Studies at Bates College
With a ranking of #23, University of California - Irvine did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Irvine, California, this large public school handed out 39 diplomas to qualified ’s ecosystem studies students in 2020-2021.
UC Irvine also made our “Best Environmental Studies Schools” list, coming in at #25. The estimated yearly cost for UC Irvine is $6,540 for Ecosystem Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full University of California - Irvine Environmental Studies Report
With a ranking of #24, Iowa State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k list. Ames, Iowa is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s ecosystem studies degrees to 26 students in 2020-2021.
Iowa State also made our “Best Environmental Studies Schools” list, coming in at #23. It costs about $9,766 for Ecosystem Studies 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full Iowa State Environmental Studies Report
Michigan State University landed the #25 spot on the 2023 Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. East Lansing, Michigan is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s ecosystem studies degrees to 66 students in 2020-2021.
It costs about $6,927 for Ecosystem Studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Michigan State University.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 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.
Read full report on Environmental Studies at Michigan State
college factual
(NRCS_Photo_Gallery).jpg){kind=link}