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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Environmental Studies (Income $48-$75k) in California

17 Ranked Colleges
1,462 Degrees Awarded
Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor's in California For Those Making $48-$75k

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. 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 California For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

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.

For this year’s “Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking, we looked at 17 colleges that offer 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. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

One Size Does Not Fit All

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 $48-$75k”.

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. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.

Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k

The colleges and universities below are the best for california bachelor’s degree ecosystem studies students whose families make $48-$75k.

Top 17 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Environmental Studies (Income $48-$75k) in California

#1 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Berkeley. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k. This large school is located in Berkeley, California, and it awarded 311 bachelors’s ecosystem studies degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Berkeley also took the #1 spot in our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $13,081 for california bachelor’s degree ecosystem studies students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of California - Berkeley.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%. 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%.

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

#5 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Davis. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k. Located in Davis, California, this large public school handed out 76 degrees to qualified bachelors’s ecosystem studies students in 2019-2020.

UC Davis also made our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #5. The yearly cost to attend UC Davis is $13,578 for california bachelor’s degree ecosystem studies students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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 California - Davis

#3

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 $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Santa Barbara landed the #3 spot on the list. Located in Santa Barbara, California, this large public school awarded 358 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s ecosystem studies students in 2019-2020.

UCSB did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Santa Barbara is $15,343 for California Bachelor’s Degree Ecosystem Studies students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 UCSB

#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 $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - Irvine landed the #4 spot on the list. Located in Irvine, California, this large public school handed out 19 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s ecosystem studies students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC Irvine, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UC Irvine is $13,648 for california bachelor’s degree ecosystem studies students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

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

#7 in overall quality

Out of the 17 schools in the Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of California - San Diego landed the #5 spot on the list. UCSD is a large public school situated in La Jolla, California. It awarded 66 bachelors’s ecosystem studies degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCSD, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UCSD is $14,071 for California Bachelor’s Degree Ecosystem Studies students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, which is much lower than the national 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 UCSD Environmental Studies Report

#6

San Diego State University

San Diego, California
#10 in overall quality

San Diego State University landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This large school is located in San Diego, California, and it awarded 65 bachelors’s ecosystem studies degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree ecosystem studies students whose families make $48-$75k list, SDSU has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend SDSU is $14,730 for california bachelor’s degree ecosystem studies students whose families make $48-$75k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.8%, 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 89%.

Read more about Environmental Studies at SDSU

#7

Occidental College

Los Angeles, California
#3 in overall quality

Occidental College landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Oxy is located in Los Angeles, California and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 15 bachelors’s ecosystem studies degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree ecosystem studies students whose families make $48-$75k list, Oxy has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $19,364 for California Bachelor’s Degree Ecosystem Studies students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Occidental College.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read full report on Environmental Studies at Occidental College

#8

University of California - Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz, California
#11 in overall quality

University of California - Santa Cruz landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. University of California - Santa Cruz is a public institution located in Santa Cruz, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 213 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Santa Cruz not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Santa Cruz is $15,253 for California Bachelor’s Degree Ecosystem Studies students whose families make $48-$75k.

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

Read full report on Environmental Studies at UC Santa Cruz

#14 in overall quality

California State University - Monterey Bay came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. CSUMB is a medium-sized school located in Seaside, California that handed out 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 California State University - Monterey Bay is $13,311 for california bachelor’s degree ecosystem studies students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%.

Full CSUMB Environmental Studies Report

#10

University of Southern California

Los Angeles, California
#2 in overall quality

University of Southern California did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #10. University of Southern California is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 18 bachelors’s ecosystem studies degrees in 2019-2020.

USC also made our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #2. It costs about $20,050 for california bachelor’s degree ecosystem studies students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of Southern California.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The low student loan default rate of 1.2% 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 91%.

Full University of Southern California Environmental Studies Report

#13 in overall quality

California State University - East Bay landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Hayward, California is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s ecosystem studies degrees to 13 students 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 $13,048 for california bachelor’s degree ecosystem studies students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend California State University - East Bay.

Read full report on Environmental Studies at Cal State East 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 $48-$75k ranking. San Francisco State University is a large public school situated in San Francisco, California. It awarded 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. It costs about $16,661 for california bachelor’s degree ecosystem studies students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend San Francisco State University.

Read more about Environmental Studies at San Francisco State University

#13

Humboldt State University

Arcata, California
#16 in overall quality

With a ranking of #13, Humboldt State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Arcata, California, this medium-sized public school handed out 31 degrees to qualified bachelors’s ecosystem studies students in 2019-2020.

Humboldt State University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend Humboldt State University is $15,723 for California Bachelor’s Degree Ecosystem Studies students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full Humboldt State University Environmental Studies Report

#14

University of Redlands

Redlands, California
#12 in overall quality

University of Redlands landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This small school is located in Redlands, California, and it awarded 17 bachelors’s ecosystem studies degrees in 2019-2020.

University of Redlands not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Redlands is $24,866 for California Bachelor’s Degree Ecosystem Studies students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low student loan default rate of 1.9% 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%.

Read more about Environmental Studies at University of Redlands

#15

Santa Clara University

Santa Clara, California
#4 in overall quality

With a ranking of #15, Santa Clara University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. Santa Clara University is a medium-sized school located in Santa Clara, California that handed out 30 bachelors’s ecosystem studies degrees in 2019-2020.

SCU also took the #4 spot in our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $24,848 for California Bachelor’s Degree Ecosystem Studies students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend SCU.

The low student loan default rate of 1.0% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Environmental Studies at SCU

#17 in overall quality

The University of Arizona Global Campus ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k list. UAGC is a large school located in San Diego, California that handed out 49 bachelors’s ecosystem studies degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree ecosystem studies students whose families make $48-$75k list, UAGC has also earned the #17 rank in our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for The University of Arizona Global Campus is $22,687 for california bachelor’s degree ecosystem studies students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Environmental Studies at UAGC

#17

University of San Francisco

San Francisco, California
#9 in overall quality

University of San Francisco landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. USFCA is a private not-for-profit institution located in San Francisco, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 26 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our california bachelor’s degree ecosystem studies students whose families make $48-$75k 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 $32,338 for California Bachelor’s Degree Ecosystem Studies students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 University of San Francisco 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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