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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Environmental Studies (Income $0-$30k) in California

17 Ranked Colleges
1,462 Degrees Awarded
$13,200 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor's in California For Those Making $0-$30k

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking.

Environmental Studies is the 85th most popular major in the country with 9,869 degrees awarded in 2019-2020.

Across California, there were 1,707 environmental studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,462 environmental studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $37,907 and $21,546 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, we looked at 17 colleges that offer a degree in environmental studies. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent environmental studies 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 studies program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

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 a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest 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 Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k

The colleges and universities below are the best for california bachelor’s degree ecosystem studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

Top 17 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Environmental Studies (Income $0-$30k) in California

#1 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Berkeley. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Berkeley, California, this large public school awarded 311 degrees to qualified bachelors’s ecosystem studies students in 2019-2020.

UC Berkeley did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for UC Berkeley is $8,392 for California Bachelor’s Degree Ecosystem Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

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

#8 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Irvine. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. Irvine, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s ecosystem studies degrees to 19 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree ecosystem studies students whose families make $0-$30k list, UC Irvine has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $9,558 for California Bachelor’s Degree Ecosystem Studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of California - Irvine.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Environmental Studies at UC Irvine

#3

San Diego State University

San Diego, California
#10 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend San Diego State University. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k. San Diego, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s ecosystem studies degrees to 65 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at SDSU, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $8,870 for California Bachelor’s Degree Ecosystem Studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend San Diego State University.

The low student loan default rate of 2.8% 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 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Environmental Studies at SDSU

#5 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Davis. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. UC Davis is a large school located in Davis, California that handed out 76 bachelors’s ecosystem studies degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree ecosystem studies students whose families make $0-$30k list, UC Davis has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UC Davis is $9,842 for california bachelor’s degree 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 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%.

Read more about Environmental Studies at UC Davis

#5

University of California - Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara, California
#6 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Santa Barbara. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of California - Santa Barbara is a public institution located in Santa Barbara, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 358 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UCSB also made our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #6. The yearly cost to attend UCSB is $10,316 for california bachelor’s degree ecosystem studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The 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 University of California - Santa Barbara Environmental Studies Report

#7 in overall quality

With a ranking of #6, University of California - San Diego did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k list. UCSD is located in La Jolla, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 66 bachelors’s ecosystem studies degrees to qualified students.

UCSD also made our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #7. It costs about $9,280 for california bachelor’s degree ecosystem studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of California - San Diego.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, 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 students.

Read more about Environmental Studies at University of California - San Diego

#7

University of California - Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz, California
#11 in overall quality

University of California - Santa Cruz came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of California - Santa Cruz is a public institution located in Santa Cruz, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 213 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Santa Cruz also took the #11 spot in our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $10,872 for California Bachelor’s Degree Ecosystem Studies students whose families make $0-$30k 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 student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full UC Santa Cruz Environmental Studies Report

#8

Occidental College

Los Angeles, California
#3 in overall quality

Occidental College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #8. Located in Los Angeles, California, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 15 degrees to qualified bachelors’s ecosystem studies students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Oxy, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Occidental College is $13,146 for california bachelor’s degree ecosystem studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. 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 full report on Environmental Studies at Occidental College

#14 in overall quality

California State University - Monterey Bay came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Seaside, California, and it awarded 41 bachelors’s ecosystem studies degrees in 2019-2020.

CSUMB also took the #14 spot in our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California State University - Monterey Bay is $7,688 for California Bachelor’s Degree Ecosystem Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 5.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Environmental Studies at CSUMB

#13 in overall quality

California State University - East Bay came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Hayward, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s ecosystem studies degrees to 13 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Cal State East Bay, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend California State University - East Bay is $8,036 for California Bachelor’s Degree Ecosystem Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Environmental Studies at California State University - East Bay

#11

University of Southern California

Los Angeles, California
#2 in overall quality

University of Southern California came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in Los Angeles, California, and it awarded 18 bachelors’s ecosystem studies degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at USC, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend USC is $14,668 for California Bachelor’s Degree Ecosystem Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. 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.

Full USC Environmental Studies Report

#12

San Francisco State University

San Francisco, California
#15 in overall quality

San Francisco State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #12. This large school is located in San Francisco, California, and it awarded 27 bachelors’s ecosystem studies degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at SFSU, the school also landed the #15 spot in our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $11,123 for california bachelor’s degree ecosystem studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend San Francisco State University.

Read full report on Environmental Studies at SFSU

#13

Humboldt State University

Arcata, California
#16 in overall quality

Humboldt State University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Humboldt State University is a medium-sized school located in Arcata, California that handed out 31 bachelors’s ecosystem studies degrees in 2019-2020.

Humboldt State University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $11,263 for California Bachelor’s Degree Ecosystem Studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Humboldt State University.

Read more about Environmental Studies at Humboldt State University

#14

University of Redlands

Redlands, California
#12 in overall quality

University of Redlands came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Redlands, California, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 17 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s ecosystem studies students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree ecosystem studies students whose families make $0-$30k list, University of Redlands has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Redlands is $21,763 for california bachelor’s degree ecosystem studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

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 Studies Report

#15

Santa Clara University

Santa Clara, California
#4 in overall quality

Santa Clara University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Santa Clara University is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Santa Clara, California. It awarded 30 bachelors’s ecosystem studies degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree ecosystem studies students whose families make $0-$30k list, SCU has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $22,356 for california bachelor’s degree ecosystem studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend SCU.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. 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 full report on Environmental Studies at SCU

#17 in overall quality

The University of Arizona Global Campus did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #16. UAGC is located in San Diego, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 49 bachelors’s ecosystem studies degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UAGC, the school also landed the #17 spot in our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UAGC is $20,283 for california bachelor’s degree ecosystem studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Environmental Studies at The University of Arizona Global Campus

#17

University of San Francisco

San Francisco, California
#9 in overall quality

University of San Francisco did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #17. USFCA is a fairly large school located in San Francisco, California that handed out 26 bachelors’s ecosystem studies degrees in 2019-2020.

USFCA did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of San Francisco is $27,690 for california bachelor’s degree ecosystem studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

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 full report on Environmental Studies at University of San Francisco

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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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