2023 Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k
23
Ranked Colleges
1,381
Degrees Awarded
$13,800
Avg Net Price*
It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. 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 in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.
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 Great Lakes region, there were 1,381 environmental studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking analyzed 23 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.
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. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
One Size Does Not Fit All
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 Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.
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. 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 in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k
The colleges and universities below are the best for great lakes region ecosystem studies students whose families make $30-$48k.
Top 23 Best Value Colleges for Environmental Studies (Income $30-$48k) in the Great Lakes Region
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. U-M is a public institution located in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The school has a large population, and it awarded 142 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our great lakes region ecosystem studies students whose families make $30-$48k list, U-M has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Environmental Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $5,670 for Great Lakes Region Ecosystem Studies students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%.
Read more about Environmental Studies at University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Madison, Wisconsin is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s ecosystem studies degrees to 338 students in 2020-2021.
UW - Madison not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Environmental Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UW - Madison is $4,788 for great lakes region ecosystem studies students whose families make $30-$48k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Environmental Studies at UW - Madison
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Indiana University - Bloomington. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k. IU Bloomington is a public institution located in Bloomington, Indiana. The school has a large population, and it awarded 52 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
IU Bloomington did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Environmental Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $7,061 for Great Lakes Region Ecosystem Studies students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Indiana University - Bloomington.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad 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 IU Bloomington
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Illinois at Springfield. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k. University of Illinois at Springfield is a small public school situated in Springfield, Illinois. It awarded 14 ’s ecosystem studies degrees in 2020-2021.
UIS not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #19 on our “Best Environmental Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UIS is $8,482 for great lakes region ecosystem studies students whose families make $30-$48k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Environmental Studies at UIS
Out of the 23 schools in the Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Wisconsin - Green Bay landed the #5 spot on the list. Green Bay, Wisconsin is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s ecosystem studies degrees to 13 students in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UW - Green Bay, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best Environmental Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UW - Green Bay is $9,445 for great lakes region ecosystem studies students whose families make $30-$48k.
Read full report on Environmental Studies at University of Wisconsin - Green Bay
With a ranking of #6, Oberlin College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Oberlin is located in Oberlin, Ohio and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 26 ’s ecosystem studies degrees to qualified students.
Oberlin also made our “Best Environmental Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #8. The estimated yearly cost for Oberlin is $13,745 for Great Lakes Region Ecosystem Studies students whose families make $30-$48k.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Read full report on Environmental Studies at Oberlin
Denison University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #7. Denison is a private not-for-profit institution located in Granville, Ohio. The school has a small population, and it awarded 23 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Denison also took the #5 spot in our “Best Environmental Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Denison University is $14,686 for Great Lakes Region Ecosystem Studies students whose families make $30-$48k.
With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 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.
Full Denison University Environmental Studies Report
Grand Valley State University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Grand Valley State University is a public institution located in Allendale, Michigan. The school has a large population, and it awarded 11 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
GVSU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Environmental Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Grand Valley State University is $11,026 for great lakes region ecosystem studies students whose families make $30-$48k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.7% 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%.
Read full report on Environmental Studies at Grand Valley State University
Central Michigan University landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Mount Pleasant, Michigan, and it awarded 24 ’s ecosystem studies degrees in 2020-2021.
Central Michigan did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best Environmental Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $12,346 for great lakes region ecosystem studies students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Central Michigan.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full Central Michigan University Environmental Studies Report
Michigan State University ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Michigan State University is a public institution located in East Lansing, Michigan. The school has a large population, and it awarded 66 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our great lakes region ecosystem studies students whose families make $30-$48k list, Michigan State has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Environmental Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $15,170 for great lakes region ecosystem studies students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Michigan State University.
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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Full Michigan State Environmental Studies Report
Northern Michigan University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #11. Northern Michigan University is a public institution located in Marquette, Michigan. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 27 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Northern Michigan University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #17 on our “Best Environmental Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Northern Michigan University is $10,573 for great lakes region ecosystem studies students whose families make $30-$48k.
Read more about Environmental Studies at Northern Michigan University
Augustana College landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Rock Island, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s ecosystem studies degrees to 20 students in 2020-2021.
Augustana also made our “Best Environmental Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #9. The yearly cost to attend Augustana is $18,937 for Great Lakes Region Ecosystem Studies students whose families make $30-$48k.
The low undergrad 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.
Full Augustana College Environmental Studies Report
Cleveland State University landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Cleveland, Ohio is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s ecosystem studies degrees to 15 students in 2020-2021.
Cleveland State University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #18 on our “Best Environmental Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Cleveland State University is $14,813 for Great Lakes Region Ecosystem Studies students whose families make $30-$48k.
Full Cleveland State University Environmental Studies Report
Southern Illinois University Carbondale landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. SIUC is located in Carbondale, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 16 ’s ecosystem studies degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our great lakes region ecosystem studies students whose families make $30-$48k list, SIUC has also earned the #20 rank in our “Best Environmental Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $12,226 for Great Lakes Region Ecosystem Studies students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Southern Illinois University Carbondale.
Full SIUC Environmental Studies Report
With a ranking of #15, Kent State University at Kent did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Kent State University at Kent is a large public school situated in Kent, Ohio. It awarded 33 ’s ecosystem studies degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Kent State, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best Environmental Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Kent State University at Kent is $15,021 for great lakes region ecosystem studies students whose families make $30-$48k.
Read full report on Environmental Studies at Kent State University at Kent
University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. UW Oshkosh is located in Oshkosh, Wisconsin and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 14 ’s ecosystem studies degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our great lakes region ecosystem studies students whose families make $30-$48k list, UW Oshkosh has also earned the #22 rank in our “Best Environmental Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $10,457 for great lakes region ecosystem studies students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh.
Read full report on Environmental Studies at University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh
University of Cincinnati - Main Campus landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. University of Cincinnati - Main Campus is a public institution located in Cincinnati, Ohio. The school has a large population, and it awarded 49 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
UC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best Environmental Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend UC is $15,966 for Great Lakes Region Ecosystem Studies students whose families make $30-$48k.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full University of Cincinnati - Main Campus Environmental Studies Report
With a ranking of #18, Lake Forest College did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. This small school is located in Lake Forest, Illinois, and it awarded 15 ’s ecosystem studies degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our great lakes region ecosystem studies students whose families make $30-$48k list, Lake Forest has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best Environmental Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $16,238 for great lakes region ecosystem studies students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Lake Forest College.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Environmental Studies at Lake Forest
With a ranking of #19, Northern Illinois University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. Northern Illinois University is located in Dekalb, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 31 ’s ecosystem studies degrees to qualified students.
NIU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #23 on our “Best Environmental Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend NIU is $11,499 for great lakes region ecosystem studies students whose families make $30-$48k.
Read more about Environmental Studies at Northern Illinois University
Eastern Michigan University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #20. Located in Ypsilanti, Michigan, this fairly large public school handed out 19 degrees to qualified ’s ecosystem studies students in 2020-2021.
Eastern Michigan not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #24 on our “Best Environmental Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $13,265 for Great Lakes Region Ecosystem Studies students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Eastern Michigan University.
Full Eastern Michigan Environmental Studies Report
Ohio University - Athens Campus ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. OHIO Athens is a large public school situated in Athens, Ohio. It awarded 56 ’s ecosystem studies degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our great lakes region ecosystem studies students whose families make $30-$48k list, OHIO Athens has also earned the #21 rank in our “Best Environmental Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $18,991 for Great Lakes Region Ecosystem Studies students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend OHIO Athens.
Read full report on Environmental Studies at OHIO Athens
DePaul University landed the #22 spot on the 2023 Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This large school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 14 ’s ecosystem studies degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our great lakes region ecosystem studies students whose families make $30-$48k list, DePaul has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best Environmental Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend DePaul is $27,252 for great lakes region ecosystem studies students whose families make $30-$48k.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.7% 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%.
Read full report on Environmental Studies at DePaul University
Loyola University Chicago ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $30-$48k list. This fairly large school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 16 ’s ecosystem studies degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Loyola Chicago, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Environmental Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $29,357 for great lakes region ecosystem studies students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Loyola Chicago.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.7% 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%. 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 Loyola Chicago
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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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