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2022 Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k

32 Ranked Colleges
1,043 Degrees Awarded
$11,900 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor's in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k

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 Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking - to help you make that decision.

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

Across the Great Lakes region, there were 1,383 environmental studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,043 environmental studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,075 and $25,381 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking looked at 32 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s 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. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

More Ways to Rank Environmental Studies Schools

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

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 Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k

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

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Environmental Studies (Income $0-$30k) in the Great Lakes Region

#1

University of Chicago

Chicago, Illinois
#1 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Chicago. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k. This fairly large school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 21 bachelors’s ecosystem studies degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UChicago, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UChicago is $2,712 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree ecosystem studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 100%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The student loan default rate at the school is 0.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Environmental Studies at UChicago

#2 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k. Located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, this large public school handed out 130 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s ecosystem studies students in 2019-2020.

U-M also made our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #2. The yearly cost to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is $3,166 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Ecosystem Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Environmental Studies at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

#4 in overall quality

Out of the 32 schools in the Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Wisconsin - Madison landed the #3 spot on the list. University of Wisconsin - Madison is a public institution located in Madison, Wisconsin. The school has a large population, and it awarded 113 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UW - Madison also took the #4 spot in our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UW - Madison is $4,367 for Great Lakes Region 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 95%. The student loan default rate at the school is 0.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Wisconsin - Madison Environmental Studies Report

#4

Indiana University - Bloomington

Bloomington, Indiana
#6 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Indiana University - Bloomington. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k. Located in Bloomington, Indiana, this large public school awarded 37 degrees to qualified bachelors’s ecosystem studies students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at IU Bloomington, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $4,969 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree ecosystem studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend IU Bloomington.

The low student loan default rate of 4.3% 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.

Read full report on Environmental Studies at Indiana University - Bloomington

#5

Michigan State University

East Lansing, Michigan
#7 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Michigan State University. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k. Michigan State University is a large public school situated in East Lansing, Michigan. It awarded 67 bachelors’s ecosystem studies degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Michigan State, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $6,686 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Ecosystem Studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Michigan State.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The low student loan default rate of 3.6% 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%.

Full Michigan State Environmental Studies Report

#11 in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - Green Bay did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #6. UW - Green Bay is a medium-sized public school situated in Green Bay, Wisconsin. It awarded 8 bachelors’s ecosystem studies degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW - Green Bay, the school also landed the #11 spot in our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $11,337 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree ecosystem studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UW - Green Bay.

Read more about Environmental Studies at University of Wisconsin - Green Bay

#7

Oberlin College

Oberlin, Ohio
#9 in overall quality

Oberlin College ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This small school is located in Oberlin, Ohio, and it awarded 39 bachelors’s ecosystem studies degrees in 2019-2020.

Oberlin not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $9,037 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree ecosystem studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Oberlin.

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 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 Studies at Oberlin

#8

Grand Valley State University

Allendale, Michigan
#13 in overall quality

Grand Valley State University landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Grand Valley State University is a public institution located in Allendale, Michigan. The school has a large population, and it awarded 3 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree ecosystem studies students whose families make $0-$30k list, GVSU has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $11,578 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Ecosystem Studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Grand Valley State University.

The low student loan default rate of 3.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about Environmental Studies at Grand Valley State University

#9

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, Illinois
#14 in overall quality

Northern Illinois University landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Dekalb, Illinois, this fairly large public school handed out 34 degrees to qualified bachelors’s ecosystem studies students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at NIU, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $15,281 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Ecosystem Studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend NIU.

Full NIU Environmental Studies Report

#10

Denison University

Granville, Ohio
#3 in overall quality

Denison University landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Denison University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Granville, Ohio. It awarded 25 bachelors’s ecosystem studies degrees in 2019-2020.

Denison also made our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #3. The yearly cost to attend Denison University is $18,990 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Ecosystem Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

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 school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The impressive 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 Denison University Environmental Studies Report

#21 in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh is located in Oshkosh, Wisconsin and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 22 bachelors’s ecosystem studies degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW Oshkosh, the school also landed the #21 spot in our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UW Oshkosh is $11,687 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Ecosystem Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Environmental Studies at UW Oshkosh

#12

Northern Michigan University

Marquette, Michigan
#25 in overall quality

Northern Michigan University came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Northern Michigan University is a medium-sized school located in Marquette, Michigan that handed out 48 bachelors’s ecosystem studies degrees in 2019-2020.

Northern Michigan University also took the #25 spot in our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Northern Michigan University is $9,137 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Ecosystem Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Northern Michigan University Environmental Studies Report

#13

Central Michigan University

Mount Pleasant, Michigan
#18 in overall quality

Central Michigan University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Mount Pleasant, Michigan is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s ecosystem studies degrees to 16 students in 2019-2020.

Central Michigan also made our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #18. It costs about $11,598 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree ecosystem studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Central Michigan.

Full Central Michigan University Environmental Studies Report

#14

University of Illinois at Springfield

Springfield, Illinois
#23 in overall quality

University of Illinois at Springfield ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Illinois at Springfield is located in Springfield, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 9 bachelors’s ecosystem studies degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree ecosystem studies students whose families make $0-$30k list, UIS has also earned the #23 rank in our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $9,771 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Ecosystem Studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UIS.

Read more about Environmental Studies at University of Illinois at Springfield

#15

Western Michigan University

Kalamazoo, Michigan
#16 in overall quality

Western Michigan University landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Kalamazoo, Michigan is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s ecosystem studies degrees to 26 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree ecosystem studies students whose families make $0-$30k list, WMU has also earned the #16 rank in our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $13,021 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Ecosystem Studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend WMU.

Read more about Environmental Studies at WMU

#16

Augustana College

Rock Island, Illinois
#5 in overall quality

Augustana College ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Augustana College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Rock Island, Illinois. It awarded 29 bachelors’s ecosystem studies degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree ecosystem studies students whose families make $0-$30k list, Augustana has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Augustana College is $20,355 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Ecosystem Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Augustana College Environmental Studies Report

With a ranking of #17, Southern Illinois University Carbondale did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. SIUC is a fairly large public school situated in Carbondale, Illinois. It awarded 14 bachelors’s ecosystem studies degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $13,658 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Ecosystem Studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend SIUC.

Full SIUC Environmental Studies Report

#18

Knox College

Galesburg, Illinois
#12 in overall quality

Knox College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #18. Knox is a private not-for-profit institution located in Galesburg, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 13 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree ecosystem studies students whose families make $0-$30k list, Knox has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Knox College is $16,828 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree ecosystem studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The low student loan default rate of 4.8% 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 Knox College Environmental Studies Report

#19

Eastern Michigan University

Ypsilanti, Michigan

With a ranking of #19, Eastern Michigan University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This fairly large school is located in Ypsilanti, Michigan, and it awarded 26 bachelors’s ecosystem studies degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Eastern Michigan is $13,904 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree ecosystem studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Environmental Studies at Eastern Michigan

#20

University of Toledo

Toledo, Ohio
#24 in overall quality

University of Toledo did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #20. University of Toledo is a fairly large public school situated in Toledo, Ohio. It awarded 3 bachelors’s ecosystem studies degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree ecosystem studies students whose families make $0-$30k list, University of Toledo has also earned the #24 rank in our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Toledo is $14,516 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Ecosystem Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Environmental Studies at University of Toledo

#19 in overall quality

University of Cincinnati - Main Campus came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. UC is a large public school situated in Cincinnati, Ohio. It awarded 52 bachelors’s ecosystem studies degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree ecosystem studies students whose families make $0-$30k list, UC has also earned the #19 rank in our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $15,078 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree ecosystem studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Cincinnati - Main Campus.

With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full UC Environmental Studies Report

Northeastern Illinois University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #22. Northeastern Illinois University is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 16 bachelors’s ecosystem studies degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend Northeastern Illinois University is $14,816 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Ecosystem Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Environmental Studies at Northeastern Illinois University

#23

Manchester University

North Manchester, Indiana
#22 in overall quality

With a ranking of #23, Manchester University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Manchester University is a private not-for-profit institution located in North Manchester, Indiana. The school has a small population, and it awarded 10 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Manchester University, the school also landed the #22 spot in our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Manchester University is $12,712 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree ecosystem studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Manchester University Environmental Studies Report

#24

Lake Forest College

Lake Forest, Illinois
#17 in overall quality

With a ranking of #24, Lake Forest College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Lake Forest, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s ecosystem studies degrees to 16 students in 2019-2020.

Lake Forest also made our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #17. The yearly cost to attend Lake Forest College is $18,192 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Ecosystem Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Environmental Studies at Lake Forest College

#25

Cleveland State University

Cleveland, Ohio

With a ranking of #25, Cleveland State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Cleveland State University is a fairly large school located in Cleveland, Ohio that handed out 15 bachelors’s ecosystem studies degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Cleveland State University is $14,213 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Ecosystem Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Cleveland State University Environmental Studies 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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