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

18 Ranked Colleges
458 Degrees Awarded
$15,100 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor's in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. 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 the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

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 Plains States region, there were 555 environmental studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 458 environmental studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,786 and $25,576 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking looked at 18 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in environmental studies. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great environmental studies programs and 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 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 Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. 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 the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k

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

Top 18 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Environmental Studies (Income $30-$48k) in the Plains States Region

#17 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Minnesota - Morris. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Morris, Minnesota, this small public school awarded 23 degrees to qualified bachelors’s ecosystem studies students in 2019-2020.

UMN Morris did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $3,435 for plains states region bachelor’s degree ecosystem studies students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UMN Morris.

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%.

Full UMN Morris Environmental Studies Report

#1 in overall quality

Out of the 18 schools in the Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Iowa State University landed the #2 spot on the list. Ames, Iowa is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s ecosystem studies degrees to 34 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Iowa State, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Iowa State University is $10,843 for plains states 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 89%. The low student loan default rate of 3.3% 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 Iowa State University

#11 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Minnesota - Duluth. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. UMN Duluth is a fairly large school located in Duluth, Minnesota that handed out 20 bachelors’s ecosystem studies degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree ecosystem studies students whose families make $30-$48k list, UMN Duluth has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UMN Duluth is $7,992 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Ecosystem Studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low student loan default rate of 3.1% 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 UMN Duluth

#4

Macalester College

Saint Paul, Minnesota
#7 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Macalester College. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k. Macalester is a small school located in Saint Paul, Minnesota that handed out 18 bachelors’s ecosystem studies degrees in 2019-2020.

Macalester also took the #7 spot in our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Macalester College is $14,047 for plains states region bachelor’s degree ecosystem studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full Macalester College Environmental Studies Report

#5

St Olaf College

Northfield, Minnesota
#5 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend St Olaf College. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. St. Olaf is a small school located in Northfield, Minnesota that handed out 23 bachelors’s ecosystem studies degrees in 2019-2020.

St. Olaf also took the #5 spot in our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend St. Olaf is $12,276 for plains states region bachelor’s degree ecosystem studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Environmental Studies at St Olaf College

#6

Saint Cloud State University

Saint Cloud, Minnesota
#10 in overall quality

Saint Cloud State University ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Saint Cloud, Minnesota, this fairly large public school awarded 14 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s ecosystem studies students in 2019-2020.

St. Cloud State University also made our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #10. It costs about $11,274 for plains states region bachelor’s degree ecosystem studies students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Saint Cloud State University.

Full Saint Cloud State University Environmental Studies Report

#4 in overall quality

University of Nebraska - Lincoln did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #7. UNL is a large school located in Lincoln, Nebraska that handed out 30 bachelors’s ecosystem studies degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree ecosystem studies students whose families make $30-$48k list, UNL has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Nebraska - Lincoln is $13,508 for Plains States 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 85%. The school has an impressive 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 University of Nebraska - Lincoln

#8

Saint Johns University

Collegeville, Minnesota
#2 in overall quality

Saint Johns University landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Saint Johns University is a small school located in Collegeville, Minnesota that handed out 12 bachelors’s ecosystem studies degrees in 2019-2020.

SJU also made our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #2. The yearly cost to attend Saint Johns University is $15,628 for plains states 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%.

Read more about Environmental Studies at SJU

#9

South Dakota State University

Brookings, South Dakota
#8 in overall quality

South Dakota State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #9. South Dakota State University is located in Brookings, South Dakota and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 8 bachelors’s ecosystem studies degrees to qualified students.

South Dakota State also made our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #8. The yearly cost to attend South Dakota State is $16,273 for plains states region bachelor’s degree ecosystem studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Environmental Studies at South Dakota State University

#10

Gustavus Adolphus College

Saint Peter, Minnesota
#3 in overall quality

Gustavus Adolphus College landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Gustavus Adolphus College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Saint Peter, Minnesota. It awarded 24 bachelors’s ecosystem studies degrees in 2019-2020.

Gustavus Adolphus also took the #3 spot in our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $11,669 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Ecosystem Studies students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Gustavus Adolphus.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low student loan default rate of 1.5% 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 Gustavus Adolphus Environmental Studies Report

#11

University of Iowa

Iowa City, Iowa
#9 in overall quality

University of Iowa ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Iowa is a public institution located in Iowa City, Iowa. The school has a large population, and it awarded 31 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Iowa also made our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #9. It costs about $15,073 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Ecosystem Studies students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Iowa.

With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 3.5% 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 Iowa Environmental Studies Report

#12

Kansas State University

Manhattan, Kansas
#16 in overall quality

Kansas State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #12. Kansas State University is a public institution located in Manhattan, Kansas. The school has a large population, and it awarded 23 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree ecosystem studies students whose families make $30-$48k list, K -State has also earned the #16 rank in our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Kansas State University is $15,089 for Plains States Region 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.

Read full report on Environmental Studies at Kansas State University

#13

University of Kansas

Lawrence, Kansas
#15 in overall quality

University of Kansas came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. University of Kansas is a large public school situated in Lawrence, Kansas. It awarded 47 bachelors’s ecosystem studies degrees in 2019-2020.

KU also took the #15 spot in our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend KU is $15,380 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Ecosystem Studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Environmental Studies at University of Kansas

#14

Luther College

Decorah, Iowa
#13 in overall quality

With a ranking of #14, Luther College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Luther is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Decorah, Iowa. It awarded 13 bachelors’s ecosystem studies degrees in 2019-2020.

Luther also took the #13 spot in our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Luther College is $17,630 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Ecosystem Studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Luther Environmental Studies Report

#15

Bethel University Minnesota

Saint Paul, Minnesota
#14 in overall quality

Bethel University Minnesota ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Bethel University Minnesota is located in Saint Paul, Minnesota and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 1 bachelors’s ecosystem studies degrees to qualified students.

Bethel University Minnesota did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $19,525 for plains states region bachelor’s degree ecosystem studies students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Bethel University Minnesota.

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

Full Bethel University Minnesota Environmental Studies Report

#16

Drake University

Des Moines, Iowa
#6 in overall quality

Drake University came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This small school is located in Des Moines, Iowa, and it awarded 8 bachelors’s ecosystem studies degrees in 2019-2020.

Drake also took the #6 spot in our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $24,060 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Ecosystem Studies students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Drake University.

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. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Environmental Studies at Drake

#17

University of Dubuque

Dubuque, Iowa
#18 in overall quality

With a ranking of #17, University of Dubuque did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Dubuque, Iowa, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 1 degrees to qualified bachelors’s ecosystem studies students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree ecosystem studies students whose families make $30-$48k list, UD has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UD is $21,715 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Ecosystem Studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Environmental Studies at UD

#18

University of St Thomas Minnesota

Saint Paul, Minnesota
#12 in overall quality

University of St Thomas Minnesota landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Saint Paul, Minnesota, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school awarded 8 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s ecosystem studies students in 2019-2020.

UST MN also made our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #12. The estimated yearly cost for University of St Thomas Minnesota is $26,365 for plains states region bachelor’s degree ecosystem studies students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low student loan default rate of 2.1% 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 University of St Thomas Minnesota

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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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