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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Environmental Studies (Income $30-$48k) in California

17 Ranked Colleges
1,462 Degrees Awarded
$14,300 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor's in California For Those Making $30-$48k

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. 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 $30-$48k” 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.

This year’s “Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking analyzed 17 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. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

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 California For Those Making $30-$48k”.

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. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k

The colleges and universities below are the best for california bachelor’s degree ecosystem studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

Top 17 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Environmental Studies (Income $30-$48k) 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 $30-$48k list. UC Berkeley is a large school located in Berkeley, California that handed out 311 bachelors’s ecosystem studies degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Berkeley not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Berkeley is $9,130 for california bachelor’s degree ecosystem studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low 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%. 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 California - Berkeley

#8 in overall quality

Out of the 17 schools in the Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Irvine landed the #2 spot on the list. University of California - Irvine is located in Irvine, California and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 19 bachelors’s ecosystem studies degrees to qualified students.

UC Irvine also took the #8 spot in our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $10,373 for california bachelor’s degree ecosystem studies students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UC 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.

Full University of California - Irvine Environmental Studies Report

#5 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Davis. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. UC Davis is a large public school situated in Davis, California. It awarded 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 $30-$48k list, UC Davis has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $10,769 for california bachelor’s degree ecosystem studies students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of California - Davis.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, 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 1.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

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

#4

University of California - Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara, California
#6 in overall quality

Out of the 17 schools in the Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Santa Barbara landed the #4 spot on the list. Located in Santa Barbara, California, this large public school handed out 358 degrees to qualified bachelors’s ecosystem studies students in 2019-2020.

UCSB not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $11,895 for california bachelor’s degree ecosystem studies students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of California - Santa Barbara.

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%. 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 University of California - Santa Barbara

#5

San Diego State University

San Diego, California
#10 in overall quality

Out of the 17 schools in the Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, San Diego State University landed the #5 spot on the list. San Diego State University is a large public school situated in San Diego, California. It awarded 65 bachelors’s ecosystem studies degrees in 2019-2020.

SDSU also made our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #10. The estimated yearly cost for SDSU is $10,594 for california bachelor’s degree ecosystem studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, 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 2.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full San Diego State University 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 $30-$48k list. This large school is located in La Jolla, California, and it awarded 66 bachelors’s ecosystem studies degrees in 2019-2020.

UCSD did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend University of California - San Diego is $9,974 for California Bachelor’s Degree Ecosystem Studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%. 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 University of California - San Diego Environmental Studies Report

#7

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 $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #7. Occidental College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 15 bachelors’s ecosystem studies degrees in 2019-2020.

Oxy not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $17,662 for california bachelor’s degree ecosystem studies students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Occidental College.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. 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.

Full Oxy Environmental Studies Report

#8

University of California - Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz, California
#11 in overall quality

University of California - Santa Cruz did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #8. UC Santa Cruz is a fairly large school located in Santa Cruz, California that handed out 213 bachelors’s ecosystem studies degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Santa Cruz also made our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #11. The yearly cost to attend UC Santa Cruz is $11,793 for California Bachelor’s Degree Ecosystem Studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low student loan default rate of 2.9% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Environmental Studies at University of California - Santa Cruz

#9

University of Southern California

Los Angeles, California
#2 in overall quality

University of Southern California landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. USC is a private not-for-profit institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 18 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree ecosystem studies students whose families make $30-$48k list, USC has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Southern California is $16,252 for california bachelor’s degree ecosystem studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. 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 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.

Read more about Environmental Studies at USC

#13 in overall quality

With a ranking of #10, California State University - East Bay did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. California State University - East Bay is a fairly large public school situated in Hayward, California. It awarded 13 bachelors’s ecosystem studies degrees 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. It costs about $8,891 for california bachelor’s degree ecosystem studies students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend California State University - East Bay.

Full Cal State East Bay Environmental Studies Report

#14 in overall quality

California State University - Monterey Bay 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 $30-$48k ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Seaside, California, and it awarded 41 bachelors’s ecosystem studies degrees in 2019-2020.

CSUMB also made our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #14. The yearly cost to attend CSUMB is $9,567 for california bachelor’s degree ecosystem studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 5.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

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

#12

San Francisco State University

San Francisco, California
#15 in overall quality

San Francisco State University landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. SFSU is a large school located in San Francisco, California that handed out 27 bachelors’s ecosystem studies degrees in 2019-2020.

SFSU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend San Francisco State University is $12,517 for California Bachelor’s Degree Ecosystem Studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Environmental Studies at San Francisco State University

#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 $30-$48k ranking. Humboldt State University is located in Arcata, California and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 31 bachelors’s ecosystem studies degrees to qualified students.

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 $12,775 for california bachelor’s degree ecosystem studies students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Humboldt State University.

Read more about Environmental Studies at Humboldt State University

#14

Santa Clara University

Santa Clara, California
#4 in overall quality

Santa Clara University landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Santa Clara, California, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school awarded 30 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s ecosystem studies students in 2019-2020.

SCU also made our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #4. The estimated yearly cost for Santa Clara University is $18,949 for California Bachelor’s Degree Ecosystem Studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%. 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 SCU

#15

University of Redlands

Redlands, California
#12 in overall quality

University of Redlands ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of Redlands is located in Redlands, California and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 17 bachelors’s ecosystem studies degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree ecosystem studies students whose families make $30-$48k list, University of Redlands has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $22,240 for california bachelor’s degree ecosystem studies students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Redlands.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Environmental Studies at University of Redlands

#17 in overall quality

The University of Arizona Global Campus came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. UAGC is a large private for-profit school situated in San Diego, California. It awarded 49 bachelors’s ecosystem studies degrees in 2019-2020.

UAGC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #17 on our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for UAGC is $20,998 for California Bachelor’s Degree Ecosystem Studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full UAGC Environmental Studies Report

#17

University of San Francisco

San Francisco, California
#9 in overall quality

University of San Francisco came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in San Francisco, California, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 26 degrees 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 $30-$48k list, USFCA has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of San Francisco is $29,186 for California Bachelor’s Degree Ecosystem Studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%.

Full USFCA 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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