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

11 Ranked Colleges
229 Degrees Awarded
$16,900 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor's in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

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

Across Illinois, there were 262 environmental studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 229 environmental studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,319 and $24,183 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking analyzed 11 colleges that offered 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. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

More Ways to Rank Environmental Studies Schools

The ecosystem studies school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k”.

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. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.

Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k

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

Top 11 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Environmental Studies (Income $0-$30k) in Illinois

#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 Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s ecosystem studies degrees to 21 students in 2019-2020.

UChicago did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend UChicago is $2,712 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Ecosystem Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

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%. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 100%.

Read full report on Environmental Studies at University of Chicago

#2

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, Illinois
#6 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Northern Illinois University. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Northern Illinois University is a public institution located in Dekalb, Illinois. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 34 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

NIU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $15,281 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Ecosystem Studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Northern Illinois University.

Read more about Environmental Studies at NIU

#9 in overall quality

Out of the 11 schools in the Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Springfield landed the #3 spot on the list. This small school is located in Springfield, Illinois, and it awarded 9 bachelors’s ecosystem studies degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UIS, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UIS is $9,771 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Ecosystem Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Environmental Studies at UIS

#4

Augustana College

Rock Island, Illinois
#2 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Augustana College. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Augustana is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Rock Island, Illinois. It awarded 29 bachelors’s ecosystem studies degrees in 2019-2020.

Augustana also took the #2 spot in our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $20,355 for illinois bachelor’s degree ecosystem studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Augustana.

The low student loan default rate of 3.4% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.

Read full report on Environmental Studies at Augustana College

#10 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Southern Illinois University Carbondale. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. SIUC is a public institution located in Carbondale, Illinois. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 14 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree ecosystem studies students whose families make $0-$30k list, SIUC has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Southern Illinois University Carbondale is $13,658 for illinois bachelor’s degree ecosystem studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Environmental Studies at Southern Illinois University Carbondale

#6

Knox College

Galesburg, Illinois
#5 in overall quality

Knox College landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Galesburg, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 13 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s ecosystem studies students in 2019-2020.

Knox also made our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #5. The estimated yearly cost for Knox College is $16,828 for illinois bachelor’s degree ecosystem studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. 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.

Read full report on Environmental Studies at Knox

#11 in overall quality

With a ranking of #7, Northeastern Illinois University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Northeastern Illinois University is a public institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 16 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Northeastern Illinois University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $14,816 for illinois bachelor’s degree ecosystem studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Northeastern Illinois University.

Full Northeastern Illinois University Environmental Studies Report

#8

Lake Forest College

Lake Forest, Illinois
#7 in overall quality

With a ranking of #8, Lake Forest College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois 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 did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Lake Forest is $18,192 for illinois 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 full report on Environmental Studies at Lake Forest

#9

Illinois Wesleyan University

Bloomington, Illinois
#3 in overall quality

Illinois Wesleyan University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #9. Illinois Wesleyan University is located in Bloomington, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 8 bachelors’s ecosystem studies degrees to qualified students.

Illinois Wesleyan did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Illinois Wesleyan is $18,570 for Illinois 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 87%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Environmental Studies at Illinois Wesleyan

#10

Loyola University Chicago

Chicago, Illinois
#4 in overall quality

With a ranking of #10, Loyola University Chicago did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Loyola Chicago is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 16 bachelors’s ecosystem studies degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Loyola Chicago, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $29,440 for illinois bachelor’s degree ecosystem studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Loyola Chicago.

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 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Loyola University Chicago Environmental Studies Report

#11

DePaul University

Chicago, Illinois
#8 in overall quality

DePaul University ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s ecosystem studies degrees to 18 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at DePaul, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for DePaul is $26,173 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Ecosystem Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full DePaul 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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