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

11 Ranked Colleges
229 Degrees Awarded
$17,000 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor's in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. 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 Illinois 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 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 $30-$48k” ranking analyzed 11 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.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the environmental studies program at the school. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

One Size Does Not Fit All

When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k” list to help you make the college decision.

To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

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

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

Top 11 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Environmental Studies (Income $30-$48k) in Illinois

#1

University of Chicago

Chicago, Illinois
#1 in overall quality

Out of the 11 schools in the Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Chicago landed the #1 spot on the list. UChicago is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 21 bachelors’s ecosystem studies degrees to qualified students.

UChicago not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Chicago is $2,800 for illinois bachelor’s degree ecosystem studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

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. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 100%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low student loan default rate of 0.6% 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%.

Read more about Environmental Studies at UChicago

#9 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Springfield. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. Springfield, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s ecosystem studies degrees to 9 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree ecosystem studies students whose families make $30-$48k list, UIS has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Illinois at Springfield is $8,323 for illinois bachelor’s degree ecosystem studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Environmental Studies at UIS

#3

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 #3 on our 2022 Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. This fairly large school is located in Dekalb, Illinois, and it awarded 34 bachelors’s ecosystem studies degrees in 2019-2020.

NIU also made our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #6. The estimated yearly cost for Northern Illinois University is $15,861 for illinois bachelor’s degree ecosystem studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Environmental Studies at Northern Illinois University

#4

Knox College

Galesburg, Illinois
#5 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Knox College. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. Knox College is located in Galesburg, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 13 bachelors’s ecosystem studies degrees to qualified students.

Knox did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $19,186 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Ecosystem Studies students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Knox.

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.

Read more about Environmental Studies at Knox College

#10 in overall quality

Out of the 11 schools in the Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Southern Illinois University Carbondale landed the #5 spot on the list. SIUC is a fairly large public school situated in Carbondale, Illinois. It awarded 14 bachelors’s ecosystem studies degrees in 2019-2020.

SIUC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Southern Illinois University Carbondale is $14,306 for illinois bachelor’s degree ecosystem studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full Southern Illinois University Carbondale Environmental Studies Report

#6

Augustana College

Rock Island, Illinois
#2 in overall quality

Augustana College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #6. Augustana College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Rock Island, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 29 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree ecosystem studies students whose families make $30-$48k list, Augustana has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Augustana College is $16,249 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Ecosystem Studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full Augustana College Environmental Studies Report

#11 in overall quality

Northeastern Illinois University landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois 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.

Northeastern Illinois University also made our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #11. It costs about $15,513 for illinois bachelor’s degree ecosystem studies students whose families make $30-$48k 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

Lake Forest College landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. 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.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Lake Forest, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Lake Forest College is $19,152 for Illinois 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%.

Read full report on Environmental Studies at Lake Forest

#9

Illinois Wesleyan University

Bloomington, Illinois
#3 in overall quality

Illinois Wesleyan University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Bloomington, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 8 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s ecosystem studies students in 2019-2020.

Illinois Wesleyan also made our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #3. The estimated yearly cost for Illinois Wesleyan is $19,857 for illinois bachelor’s degree ecosystem studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Illinois Wesleyan Environmental Studies Report

#10

Loyola University Chicago

Chicago, Illinois
#4 in overall quality

Loyola University Chicago ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k 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.

Loyola Chicago not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Loyola Chicago is $29,788 for Illinois 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 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 Loyola Chicago

#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 $30-$48k list. DePaul is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 18 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

DePaul not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $25,842 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Ecosystem Studies students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend DePaul.

The low student loan default rate of 4.5% 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 DePaul 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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