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2022 Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k

32 Ranked Colleges
1,043 Degrees Awarded
$13,000 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor's in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k

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 for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking - to help you make that decision.

In 2019-2020, 9,869 people earned their degree in environmental studies, making the major the 85th most popular in the United States.

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 $30-$48k” ranking analyzed 32 colleges that offered a degree in environmental studies. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality environmental studies programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the environmental studies program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

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 the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k” 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. 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 the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Environmental Studies (Income $30-$48k) in the Great Lakes Region

#1

University of Chicago

Chicago, Illinois
#1 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 $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Chicago landed the #1 spot on the list. 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.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree ecosystem studies students whose families make $30-$48k list, UChicago has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Chicago is $2,800 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Ecosystem Studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. With a freshman retention rate of 100%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full University of Chicago Environmental Studies Report

#4 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. This large school is located in Madison, Wisconsin, and it awarded 113 bachelors’s ecosystem studies degrees in 2019-2020.

UW - Madison not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $6,860 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Ecosystem Studies students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, 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 0.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full UW - Madison Environmental Studies Report

#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 #3 for the Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k. U-M is a large public school situated in Ann Arbor, Michigan. It awarded 130 bachelors’s ecosystem studies degrees in 2019-2020.

U-M also took the #2 spot in our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend U-M is $5,887 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Ecosystem Studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%. 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 Michigan - Ann Arbor

#4

Indiana University - Bloomington

Bloomington, Indiana
#6 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 $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Indiana University - Bloomington landed the #4 spot on the list. Indiana University - Bloomington is a public institution located in Bloomington, Indiana. The school has a large population, and it awarded 37 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree ecosystem studies students whose families make $30-$48k list, IU Bloomington has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for IU Bloomington is $6,192 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Ecosystem Studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Environmental Studies at Indiana University - Bloomington

#11 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Wisconsin - Green Bay. 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 $30-$48k. University of Wisconsin - Green Bay is a public institution located in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 8 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree ecosystem studies students whose families make $30-$48k list, UW - Green Bay has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $11,641 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Ecosystem Studies students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UW - Green Bay.

Full University of Wisconsin - Green Bay Environmental Studies Report

#6

Denison University

Granville, Ohio
#3 in overall quality

Denison University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #6. Denison University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Granville, Ohio. The school has a small population, and it awarded 25 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Denison, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Denison is $13,909 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree ecosystem studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Full Denison University Environmental Studies Report

#7

Grand Valley State University

Allendale, Michigan
#13 in overall quality

With a ranking of #7, Grand Valley 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 $30-$48k list. GVSU is located in Allendale, Michigan and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 3 bachelors’s ecosystem studies degrees to qualified students.

GVSU also made our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #13. It costs about $12,459 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree ecosystem studies students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend GVSU.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Environmental Studies at Grand Valley State University

#23 in overall quality

University of Illinois at Springfield did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #8. Located in Springfield, Illinois, this small public school awarded 9 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s ecosystem studies students in 2019-2020.

UIS not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #23 on our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $8,323 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree ecosystem studies students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Illinois at Springfield.

Full UIS Environmental Studies Report

#9

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, Illinois
#14 in overall quality

Northern 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 $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #9. Dekalb, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s ecosystem studies degrees to 34 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree ecosystem studies students whose families make $30-$48k list, NIU has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Northern Illinois University is $15,861 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Ecosystem Studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Environmental Studies at Northern Illinois University

#10

Knox College

Galesburg, Illinois
#12 in overall quality

Knox College came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Knox is a small school located in Galesburg, Illinois that handed out 13 bachelors’s ecosystem studies degrees in 2019-2020.

Knox not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Knox College is $19,186 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Ecosystem Studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Full Knox Environmental Studies Report

#21 in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh is a public institution located in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 22 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

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 estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh is $13,114 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree ecosystem studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full UW Oshkosh Environmental Studies Report

#12

Oberlin College

Oberlin, Ohio
#9 in overall quality

Oberlin College 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 $30-$48k ranking. Oberlin, Ohio is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s ecosystem studies degrees to 39 students in 2019-2020.

Oberlin did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $11,560 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree ecosystem studies students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Oberlin.

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. 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%.

Full Oberlin Environmental Studies Report

#13

Michigan State University

East Lansing, Michigan
#7 in overall quality

Michigan State University landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Michigan State is a large public school situated in East Lansing, Michigan. It awarded 67 bachelors’s ecosystem studies degrees in 2019-2020.

Michigan State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Michigan State University is $15,197 for Great Lakes Region 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 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Environmental Studies at Michigan State

#14

Northern Michigan University

Marquette, Michigan
#25 in overall quality

Northern Michigan University ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Northern Michigan University is located in Marquette, Michigan and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 48 bachelors’s ecosystem studies degrees to qualified students.

Northern Michigan University also made our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #25. It costs about $11,723 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree ecosystem studies students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Northern Michigan University.

Full Northern Michigan University Environmental Studies Report

#15

Central Michigan University

Mount Pleasant, Michigan
#18 in overall quality

Central Michigan University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #15. Central Michigan University is a public institution located in Mount Pleasant, Michigan. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 16 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Central Michigan, the school also landed the #18 spot in our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $12,127 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Ecosystem Studies students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Central Michigan.

Read full report on Environmental Studies at Central Michigan

Southern Illinois University Carbondale ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. SIUC is a fairly large school located in Carbondale, Illinois that handed out 14 bachelors’s ecosystem studies degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Southern Illinois University Carbondale is $14,306 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Ecosystem Studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full SIUC Environmental Studies Report

#17

Augustana College

Rock Island, Illinois
#5 in overall quality

Augustana College ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Augustana is a small school located in Rock Island, Illinois that handed out 29 bachelors’s ecosystem studies degrees in 2019-2020.

Augustana not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $16,249 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree ecosystem studies students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Augustana College.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. 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%.

Read full report on Environmental Studies at Augustana

#18

Western Michigan University

Kalamazoo, Michigan
#16 in overall quality

With a ranking of #18, Western 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 $30-$48k list. Located in Kalamazoo, Michigan, this fairly large public school awarded 26 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s ecosystem studies students in 2019-2020.

WMU also took the #16 spot in our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for WMU is $15,276 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Ecosystem Studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Environmental Studies at Western Michigan University

Northeastern Illinois University landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Northeastern Illinois University is a medium-sized school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 16 bachelors’s ecosystem studies degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Northeastern Illinois University is $15,513 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Ecosystem Studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Environmental Studies at Northeastern Illinois University

#20

Eastern Michigan University

Ypsilanti, Michigan

Eastern Michigan University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #20. Eastern Michigan University is a fairly large public school situated in Ypsilanti, Michigan. It awarded 26 bachelors’s ecosystem studies degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Eastern Michigan is $14,136 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree ecosystem studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full Eastern Michigan University Environmental Studies Report

#21

University of Toledo

Toledo, Ohio
#24 in overall quality

University of Toledo ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Toledo, Ohio is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s ecosystem studies degrees to 3 students in 2019-2020.

University of Toledo did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #24 on our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $15,153 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Ecosystem Studies students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Toledo.

Read more about Environmental Studies at University of Toledo

#22

Manchester University

North Manchester, Indiana
#22 in overall quality

Manchester University ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k 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.

Manchester University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #22 on our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Manchester University is $14,730 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree ecosystem studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Environmental Studies at Manchester University

#19 in overall quality

University of Cincinnati - Main Campus landed the #23 spot on the 2022 Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This large school is located in Cincinnati, Ohio, and it awarded 52 bachelors’s ecosystem studies degrees in 2019-2020.

UC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #19 on our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Cincinnati - Main Campus is $18,106 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Ecosystem Studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Environmental Studies at University of Cincinnati - Main Campus

#24

Lake Forest College

Lake Forest, Illinois
#17 in overall quality

Lake Forest College came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Lake Forest is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Lake Forest, Illinois. It awarded 16 bachelors’s ecosystem studies degrees in 2019-2020.

Lake Forest also took the #17 spot in our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Lake Forest is $19,152 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Ecosystem Studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%.

Full Lake Forest Environmental Studies Report

#25

Cleveland State University

Cleveland, Ohio

Cleveland State University came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Cleveland State University is a fairly large public school situated in Cleveland, Ohio. It awarded 15 bachelors’s ecosystem studies degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Cleveland State University is $14,975 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Ecosystem Studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

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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