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

32 Ranked Colleges
1,043 Degrees Awarded
Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor's in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k

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 the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k” 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.

For this year’s “Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking, we looked at 32 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.

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. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

More Ways to Rank Environmental Studies Schools

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 for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons 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 the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k

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

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Environmental Studies (Income $48-$75k) 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 $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Chicago landed the #1 spot on the list. UChicago is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 21 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UChicago also made our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #1. The yearly cost to attend UChicago is $7,934 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree ecosystem studies students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 100%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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 impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Environmental Studies at University of Chicago

#2 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is a large school located in Ann Arbor, Michigan that handed out 130 bachelors’s ecosystem studies degrees in 2019-2020.

U-M did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for U-M is $10,028 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree ecosystem studies students whose families make $48-$75k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full U-M Environmental Studies Report

#4 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. University of Wisconsin - Madison is located in Madison, Wisconsin and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 113 bachelors’s ecosystem studies degrees to qualified students.

UW - Madison also took the #4 spot in our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Madison is $13,227 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree ecosystem studies students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%.

Read full report on Environmental Studies at University of Wisconsin - Madison

#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 $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, Indiana University - Bloomington landed the #4 spot on the list. This large school is located in Bloomington, Indiana, and it awarded 37 bachelors’s ecosystem studies degrees in 2019-2020.

IU Bloomington did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Indiana University - Bloomington is $12,060 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Ecosystem Studies students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 student loan default rate of 4.3% 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 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 $48-$75k. University of Wisconsin - Green Bay is a medium-sized public school situated in Green Bay, Wisconsin. It awarded 8 bachelors’s ecosystem studies degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree ecosystem studies students whose families make $48-$75k 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. The estimated yearly cost for University of Wisconsin - Green Bay is $14,584 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree ecosystem studies students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on Environmental Studies at University of Wisconsin - Green Bay

#6

Denison University

Granville, Ohio
#3 in overall quality

Denison University ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Denison University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Granville, Ohio. It awarded 25 bachelors’s ecosystem studies degrees in 2019-2020.

Denison did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Denison is $22,652 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree ecosystem studies students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, 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 85%.

Full Denison Environmental Studies Report

#7

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, Illinois
#14 in overall quality

Northern Illinois University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Dekalb, Illinois, and it awarded 34 bachelors’s ecosystem studies degrees in 2019-2020.

NIU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $18,346 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree ecosystem studies students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Northern Illinois University.

Read more about Environmental Studies at NIU

#23 in overall quality

With a ranking of #8, University of Illinois at Springfield did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. This small school is located in Springfield, Illinois, and it awarded 9 bachelors’s ecosystem studies degrees in 2019-2020.

UIS also made our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #23. It costs about $11,857 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree ecosystem studies students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UIS.

Full UIS Environmental Studies Report

#9

Grand Valley State University

Allendale, Michigan
#13 in overall quality

Grand Valley State University landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. GVSU is a public institution located in Allendale, Michigan. The school has a large population, and it awarded 3 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

GVSU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #13 on our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Grand Valley State University is $15,775 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Ecosystem Studies students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Grand Valley State University Environmental Studies Report

#10

Augustana College

Rock Island, Illinois
#5 in overall quality

With a ranking of #10, Augustana College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. This small school is located in Rock Island, Illinois, and it awarded 29 bachelors’s ecosystem studies degrees in 2019-2020.

Augustana also took the #5 spot in our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Augustana is $21,453 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Ecosystem Studies students whose families make $48-$75k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default 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 Augustana College 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 $48-$75k list. UW Oshkosh is a fairly large school located in Oshkosh, Wisconsin that handed out 22 bachelors’s ecosystem studies degrees in 2019-2020.

UW Oshkosh not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #21 on our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $15,236 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Ecosystem Studies students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh.

Read more about Environmental Studies at UW Oshkosh

#12

Knox College

Galesburg, Illinois
#12 in overall quality

Knox College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #12. Located in Galesburg, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 13 degrees to qualified bachelors’s ecosystem studies students in 2019-2020.

Knox also made our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #12. It costs about $19,653 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Ecosystem Studies students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Knox.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Full Knox Environmental Studies Report

#13

Central Michigan University

Mount Pleasant, Michigan
#18 in overall quality

With a ranking of #13, Central 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 $48-$75k list. 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.

Central Michigan not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #18 on our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Central Michigan University is $14,591 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Ecosystem Studies students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Environmental Studies at Central Michigan

With a ranking of #14, Southern Illinois University Carbondale did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. This fairly large school is located in Carbondale, Illinois, and it awarded 14 bachelors’s ecosystem studies degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for SIUC is $14,985 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree ecosystem studies students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full SIUC Environmental Studies Report

#15

Michigan State University

East Lansing, Michigan
#7 in overall quality

With a ranking of #15, Michigan 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 $48-$75k list. Michigan State is a large school located in East Lansing, Michigan that handed out 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. It costs about $20,696 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree ecosystem studies students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Michigan State University.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Michigan State University Environmental Studies Report

#16

Eastern Michigan University

Ypsilanti, Michigan

Eastern Michigan University came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Eastern Michigan is a fairly large school located in Ypsilanti, Michigan that handed out 26 bachelors’s ecosystem studies degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Eastern Michigan is $16,042 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Ecosystem Studies students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on Environmental Studies at Eastern Michigan

#17

Northern Michigan University

Marquette, Michigan
#25 in overall quality

Northern Michigan University came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Marquette, Michigan, and it awarded 48 bachelors’s ecosystem studies degrees in 2019-2020.

Northern Michigan University also took the #25 spot in our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Northern Michigan University is $15,753 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Ecosystem Studies students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full Northern Michigan University Environmental Studies Report

#18

Manchester University

North Manchester, Indiana
#22 in overall quality

Manchester University came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. North Manchester, Indiana is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s ecosystem studies degrees to 10 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree ecosystem studies students whose families make $48-$75k list, Manchester University has also earned the #22 rank in our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Manchester University is $16,934 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree ecosystem studies students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Environmental Studies at Manchester University

#19

Oberlin College

Oberlin, Ohio
#9 in overall quality

Oberlin College came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k 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 not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Oberlin College is $22,507 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree ecosystem studies students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Environmental Studies at Oberlin

Northeastern Illinois University landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Northeastern Illinois University is a public institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 16 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Northeastern Illinois University is $18,180 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree ecosystem studies students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on Environmental Studies at Northeastern Illinois University

#21

University of Toledo

Toledo, Ohio
#24 in overall quality

University of Toledo landed the #21 spot on the 2022 Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. 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.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at University of Toledo, the school also landed the #24 spot in our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Toledo is $17,332 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree ecosystem studies students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Environmental Studies at University of Toledo

#22

Lake Forest College

Lake Forest, Illinois
#17 in overall quality

With a ranking of #22, Lake Forest College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Lake Forest, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 16 degrees to qualified bachelors’s ecosystem studies students in 2019-2020.

Lake Forest not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #17 on our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Lake Forest College is $24,683 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree ecosystem studies students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low student loan default rate of 2.5% 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 Lake Forest Environmental Studies Report

#23

Western Michigan University

Kalamazoo, Michigan
#16 in overall quality

Western 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 $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #23. Western Michigan University is a public institution located in Kalamazoo, Michigan. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 26 bachelors’s degrees 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 yearly cost to attend WMU is $19,841 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Ecosystem Studies students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on Environmental Studies at Western Michigan University

#24

Ohio Wesleyan University

Delaware, Ohio
#15 in overall quality

Ohio Wesleyan University landed the #24 spot on the 2022 Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Ohio Wesleyan University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Delaware, Ohio. The school has a small population, and it awarded 7 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

OWU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Ohio Wesleyan University is $22,111 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree ecosystem studies students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. 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 OWU Environmental Studies Report

#25

Northland College

Ashland, Wisconsin

Northland College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #25. Northland College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Ashland, Wisconsin. The school has a small population, and it awarded 3 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Northland is $20,640 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree ecosystem studies students whose families make $48-$75k.

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.

Read full report on Environmental Studies at Northland

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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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