2023 Best Value Colleges for Environmental Studies (Income $0-$30k) in the Southeast Region
24
Ranked Colleges
1,473
Degrees Awarded
$11,800
Avg Net Price*
Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. 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 in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking - to help you make that decision.
In 2020-2021, 9,899 people earned their degree in environmental studies, making the major the 87th most popular in the United States.
Across the Southeast region, there were 1,473 environmental studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.
For this year’s “Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, we looked at 24 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. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
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 in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.
In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.
Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k.
Top 24 Best Value Colleges for Environmental Studies (Income $0-$30k) in the Southeast Region
Out of the 24 schools in the Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Duke University landed the #1 spot on the list. Located in Durham, North Carolina, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 59 diplomas to qualified ’s ecosystem studies students in 2020-2021.
Duke not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Environmental Studies Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It costs about $371 for Southeast Region 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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.3% 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%.
Read more about Environmental Studies at Duke University
Out of the 24 schools in the Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill landed the #2 spot on the list. UNC Chapel Hill is located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 75 ’s ecosystem studies degrees to qualified students.
UNC Chapel Hill did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Environmental Studies Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is $3,753 for Southeast Region Ecosystem Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.4% 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 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Environmental Studies at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend North Carolina State University. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k. NC State is a large school located in Raleigh, North Carolina that handed out 19 ’s ecosystem studies degrees in 2020-2021.
NC State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Environmental Studies Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It costs about $7,283 for southeast region ecosystem studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend NC State.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default 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 more about Environmental Studies at North Carolina State University
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Virginia - Main Campus. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Virginia is a large school located in Charlottesville, Virginia that handed out 35 ’s ecosystem studies degrees in 2020-2021.
University of Virginia did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Environmental Studies Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Virginia is $12,476 for southeast region 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 97%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full University of Virginia - Main Campus Environmental Studies Report
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Emory University. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k. Emory is a fairly large school located in Atlanta, Georgia that handed out 35 ’s ecosystem studies degrees in 2020-2021.
Emory also made our “Best Environmental Studies Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #4. It costs about $8,538 for Southeast Region Ecosystem Studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Emory.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate 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. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on Environmental Studies at Emory University
Virginia Tech did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #6. Virginia Tech is located in Blacksburg, Virginia and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 23 ’s ecosystem studies degrees to qualified students.
Virginia Tech not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best Environmental Studies Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Virginia Tech is $11,934 for southeast region ecosystem studies students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default 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 Virginia Tech
With a ranking of #7, Appalachian State University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Boone, North Carolina is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s ecosystem studies degrees to 97 students in 2020-2021.
Appalachian State also made our “Best Environmental Studies Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #8. It costs about $7,354 for Southeast Region Ecosystem Studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Appalachian State University.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Environmental Studies at Appalachian State
Florida International University ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Miami, Florida, this large public school handed out 28 degrees to qualified ’s ecosystem studies students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at FIU, the school also landed the #19 spot in our “Best Environmental Studies Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Florida International University is $3,196 for Southeast Region Ecosystem Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.
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 4.4% 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%.
Read full report on Environmental Studies at FIU
With a ranking of #9, Florida Gulf Coast University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Florida Gulf Coast University is located in Fort Myers, Florida and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 55 ’s ecosystem studies degrees to qualified students.
FGCU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best Environmental Studies Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for FGCU is $6,762 for Southeast Region Ecosystem Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Environmental Studies at Florida Gulf Coast University
With a ranking of #10, University of North Georgia did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. UNG is a fairly large public school situated in Dahlonega, Georgia. It awarded 15 ’s ecosystem studies degrees in 2020-2021.
UNG not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best Environmental Studies Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The yearly cost to attend UNG is $7,943 for Southeast Region Ecosystem Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read more about Environmental Studies at University of North Georgia
University of North Carolina at Asheville ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. UNCA is a public institution located in Asheville, North Carolina. The school has a small population, and it awarded 60 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
UNCA also made our “Best Environmental Studies Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #17. The yearly cost to attend University of North Carolina at Asheville is $8,677 for southeast region ecosystem studies students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read full report on Environmental Studies at UNCA
With a ranking of #12, University of South Carolina - Columbia did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Columbia, South Carolina, and it awarded 25 ’s ecosystem studies degrees in 2020-2021.
UofSC also took the #7 spot in our “Best Environmental Studies Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UofSC is $12,130 for southeast region ecosystem studies students whose families make $0-$30k.
With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full University of South Carolina - Columbia Environmental Studies Report
University of Kentucky ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Kentucky is located in Lexington, Kentucky and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 17 ’s ecosystem studies degrees to qualified students.
UK also took the #9 spot in our “Best Environmental Studies Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UK is $12,593 for southeast region ecosystem studies students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad 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%.
Read full report on Environmental Studies at UK
University of North Carolina at Wilmington did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #14. UNCW is a fairly large school located in Wilmington, North Carolina that handed out 12 ’s ecosystem studies degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UNCW, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Environmental Studies Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $11,710 for southeast region ecosystem studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UNCW.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Environmental Studies at UNCW
Tennessee Technological University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Tennessee Technological University is a public institution located in Cookeville, Tennessee. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 12 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Tennessee Tech University also made our “Best Environmental Studies Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #20. The yearly cost to attend Tennessee Technological University is $11,561 for Southeast Region Ecosystem Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Environmental Studies at Tennessee Tech University
Columbia Southern University ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. Columbia Southern University is located in Orange Beach, Alabama and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 106 ’s ecosystem studies degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our southeast region ecosystem studies students whose families make $0-$30k list, Columbia Southern University has also earned the #22 rank in our “Best Environmental Studies Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Columbia Southern University is $10,318 for Southeast Region Ecosystem Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read full report on Environmental Studies at Columbia Southern University
Shepherd University landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Shepherdstown, West Virginia is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s ecosystem studies degrees to 13 students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our southeast region ecosystem studies students whose families make $0-$30k list, Shepherd University has also earned the #23 rank in our “Best Environmental Studies Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $7,787 for southeast region ecosystem studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Shepherd University.
Full Shepherd University Environmental Studies Report
With a ranking of #18, Virginia Commonwealth University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. VCU is located in Richmond, Virginia and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 75 ’s ecosystem studies degrees to qualified students.
VCU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best Environmental Studies Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Virginia Commonwealth University is $14,507 for Southeast Region Ecosystem Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full VCU Environmental Studies Report
With a ranking of #19, College of Charleston did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k list. This fairly large school is located in Charleston, South Carolina, and it awarded 28 ’s ecosystem studies degrees in 2020-2021.
C of C also took the #21 spot in our “Best Environmental Studies Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend College of Charleston is $14,750 for southeast region ecosystem studies students whose families make $0-$30k.
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%.
Read more about Environmental Studies at College of Charleston
Roanoke College landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Salem, Virginia, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 17 degrees to qualified ’s ecosystem studies students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our southeast region ecosystem studies students whose families make $0-$30k list, Roanoke has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best Environmental Studies Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Roanoke College is $20,495 for Southeast Region Ecosystem Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Environmental Studies at Roanoke
Tulane University of Louisiana landed the #21 spot on the 2023 Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. New Orleans, Louisiana is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s ecosystem studies degrees to 35 students in 2020-2021.
Tulane not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Environmental Studies Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Tulane University of Louisiana is $12,456 for southeast region ecosystem studies students whose families make $0-$30k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read full report on Environmental Studies at Tulane University of Louisiana
Rollins College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #22. Rollins is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Winter Park, Florida. It awarded 23 ’s ecosystem studies degrees in 2020-2021.
Rollins did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best Environmental Studies Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It costs about $26,375 for southeast region ecosystem studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Rollins College.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%.
Read full report on Environmental Studies at Rollins College
Warren Wilson College came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Swannanoa, North Carolina is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s ecosystem studies degrees to 28 students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our southeast region ecosystem studies students whose families make $0-$30k list, Warren Wilson has also earned the #24 rank in our “Best Environmental Studies Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $20,623 for Southeast Region Ecosystem Studies students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Warren Wilson.
The impressive undergraduate 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.
Read full report on Environmental Studies at Warren Wilson College
Eckerd College landed the #24 spot on the 2023 Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This small school is located in Saint Petersburg, Florida, and it awarded 59 ’s ecosystem studies degrees in 2020-2021.
Eckerd not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best Environmental Studies Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Eckerd College is $28,861 for Southeast Region Ecosystem Studies students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.0% 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 Studies at Eckerd College
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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
- *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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