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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Environmental Studies (With Aid)

212 Ranked Colleges
7,764 Degrees Awarded
$12,600 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor's For Those Getting Aid

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid” ranking is part of that endeavor.

In 2019-2020, 9,869 people earned their degree in environmental studies, making the major the 85th most popular in the United States.

At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 7,764 environmental studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,303 and $24,501 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid” ranking, we looked at 212 colleges that offer 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. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

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 For Those Getting Aid” list to help you make the college decision.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. 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 for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Environmental Studies (With Aid)

#1

Hunter College

New York, New York

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Hunter College. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid. Hunter College is a large public school situated in New York, New York. It awarded 15 bachelors’s ecosystem studies degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Hunter is $2,490 for bachelor’s degree ecosystem studies students with aid.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Environmental Studies at Hunter

#2

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Top 15% in overall quality

Out of the 212 schools in the Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill landed the #2 spot on the list. UNC Chapel Hill is a large public school situated in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. It awarded 60 bachelors’s ecosystem studies degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on this list, UNC Chapel Hill is in the top on our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. It costs about $12,352 for bachelor’s degree ecosystem studies students with aid per year to attend UNC Chapel Hill.

With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Environmental Studies at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

#3

Yale University

New Haven, Connecticut
#1 in overall quality

Out of the 212 schools in the Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Yale University landed the #3 spot on the list. Yale University is located in New Haven, Connecticut and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 32 bachelors’s ecosystem studies degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our bachelor’s degree ecosystem studies students with aid list, Yale has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $17,549 for Bachelor’s Degree Ecosystem Studies students with aid per year to attend Yale University.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 4 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 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Environmental Studies at Yale

Top 15% in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Washington - Seattle Campus. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid. UW Seattle is located in Seattle, Washington and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 71 bachelors’s ecosystem studies degrees to qualified students.

UW Seattle excels when it comes to ecosystem studies quality. It’s in the top 15% of all schools in this category. It costs about $13,297 for bachelor’s degree ecosystem studies students with aid per year to attend University of Washington - Seattle Campus.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. 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%.

Read more about Environmental Studies at University of Washington - Seattle Campus

#5

Queens College

Queens, New York

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Queens College. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. Queens College is located in Queens, New York and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 13 bachelors’s ecosystem studies degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for Queens College is $3,067 for Bachelor’s Degree Ecosystem Studies students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Environmental Studies at Queens College

#6

Harvard University

Cambridge, Massachusetts
#4 in overall quality

Harvard University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #6. This large school is located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and it awarded 14 bachelors’s ecosystem studies degrees in 2019-2020.

Harvard also made our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #4. It costs about $15,386 for Bachelor’s Degree Ecosystem Studies students with aid per year to attend Harvard University.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Full Harvard Environmental Studies Report

#3 in overall quality

University of California - Berkeley ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. 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 #3 spot in our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Berkeley is $15,329 for Bachelor’s Degree Ecosystem Studies students with aid.

With a freshman retention rate of 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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 University of California - Berkeley

Top 15% in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - Madison did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #8. UW - Madison is a large public school situated in Madison, Wisconsin. It awarded 113 bachelors’s ecosystem studies degrees in 2019-2020.

UW - Madison excels when it comes to ecosystem studies quality. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Madison is $17,708 for Bachelor’s Degree Ecosystem Studies students with aid.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. The student loan default rate at the school is 0.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Wisconsin - Madison Environmental Studies Report

Top 20% in overall quality

University of California - Irvine came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. UC Irvine is a large school located in Irvine, California that handed out 19 bachelors’s ecosystem studies degrees in 2019-2020.

On top of its placing in this ranking, UC Irvine also did well on our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in that analysis. It costs about $14,783 for bachelor’s degree ecosystem studies students with aid per year to attend UC Irvine.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Environmental Studies at University of California - Irvine

#10

San Diego State University

San Diego, California
Top 25% in overall quality

With a ranking of #10, San Diego State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. San Diego, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s ecosystem studies degrees to 65 students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $14,788 for bachelor’s degree ecosystem studies students with aid per year to attend San Diego State University.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. 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%.

Read full report on Environmental Studies at SDSU

#11

Indiana University - Bloomington

Bloomington, Indiana
Top 25% in overall quality

Indiana University - Bloomington came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. Indiana University - Bloomington is located in Bloomington, Indiana and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 37 bachelors’s ecosystem studies degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for IU Bloomington is $13,253 for Bachelor’s Degree Ecosystem Studies students with aid.

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 4.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full IU Bloomington Environmental Studies Report

University of Phoenix - Arizona landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. University of Phoenix - Arizona is located in Tempe, Arizona and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 150 bachelors’s ecosystem studies degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend UOPX - Arizona is $12,944 for bachelor’s degree ecosystem studies students with aid.

Read full report on Environmental Studies at UOPX - Arizona

#13

University of Wisconsin - Green Bay

Green Bay, Wisconsin

With a ranking of #13, University of Wisconsin - Green Bay did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. 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.

The yearly cost to attend UW - Green Bay is $14,395 for Bachelor’s Degree Ecosystem Studies students with aid.

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

#14

University of North Georgia

Dahlonega, Georgia

University of North Georgia ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. UNG is a fairly large public school situated in Dahlonega, Georgia. It awarded 17 bachelors’s ecosystem studies degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $10,396 for bachelor’s degree ecosystem studies students with aid per year to attend University of North Georgia.

Full UNG Environmental Studies Report

#19 in overall quality

University of California - Davis came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. UC Davis is a public institution located in Davis, California. The school has a large population, and it awarded 76 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Davis also took the #19 spot in our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of California - Davis is $14,669 for Bachelor’s Degree Ecosystem Studies students with aid.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%.

Full UC Davis Environmental Studies Report

Top 20% in overall quality

With a ranking of #16, University of California - San Diego did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. University of California - San Diego is a large school located in La Jolla, California that handed out 66 bachelors’s ecosystem studies degrees in 2019-2020.

UCSD also claimed a top spot on our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $14,232 for Bachelor’s Degree Ecosystem Studies students with aid per year to attend UCSD.

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 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Environmental Studies at UCSD

#17

Appalachian State University

Boone, North Carolina

Appalachian State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #17. Appalachian State University is a large school located in Boone, North Carolina that handed out 89 bachelors’s ecosystem studies degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Appalachian State is $13,920 for Bachelor’s Degree Ecosystem Studies students with aid.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Appalachian State Environmental Studies Report

#18

University of California - Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara, California
#20 in overall quality

University of California - Santa Barbara ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. This large school is located in Santa Barbara, California, and it awarded 358 bachelors’s ecosystem studies degrees in 2019-2020.

UCSB also made our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #20. It costs about $15,884 for Bachelor’s Degree Ecosystem Studies students with aid per year to attend UCSB.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. 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%.

Read more about Environmental Studies at UCSB

#19

Brooklyn College

Brooklyn, New York

With a ranking of #19, Brooklyn College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Brooklyn, New York, this fairly large public school awarded 1 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s ecosystem studies students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $2,683 for Bachelor’s Degree Ecosystem Studies students with aid per year to attend Brooklyn College.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 5.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Environmental Studies at Brooklyn College

#20

University of Utah

Salt Lake City, Utah

With a ranking of #20, University of Utah did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. U of U is a large school located in Salt Lake City, Utah that handed out 102 bachelors’s ecosystem studies degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $14,773 for Bachelor’s Degree Ecosystem Studies students with aid per year to attend U of U.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Utah Environmental Studies Report

Top 20% in overall quality

Iowa State University ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. Iowa State University is located in Ames, Iowa and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 34 bachelors’s ecosystem studies degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Iowa State is also in the top of our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $15,496 for Bachelor’s Degree Ecosystem Studies students with aid per year to attend Iowa State.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full Iowa State University Environmental Studies Report

#22

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, Michigan
#17 in overall quality

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #22. This large school is located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and it awarded 130 bachelors’s ecosystem studies degrees in 2019-2020.

U-M also took the #17 spot in our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $15,336 for Bachelor’s Degree Ecosystem Studies students with aid per year to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor.

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

Full U-M Environmental Studies Report

Florida International University came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. Florida International University is a public institution located in Miami, Florida. The school has a large population, and it awarded 31 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for FIU is $7,296 for Bachelor’s Degree Ecosystem Studies students with aid.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.

Read more about Environmental Studies at FIU

#24

Florida Gulf Coast University

Fort Myers, Florida

Florida Gulf Coast University ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid list. Florida Gulf Coast University is located in Fort Myers, Florida and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 76 bachelors’s ecosystem studies degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend Florida Gulf Coast University is $11,606 for Bachelor’s Degree Ecosystem Studies students with aid.

Read more about Environmental Studies at Florida Gulf Coast University

#25

University of Wyoming

Laramie, Wyoming

University of Wyoming came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid ranking. University of Wyoming is a fairly large school located in Laramie, Wyoming that handed out 43 bachelors’s ecosystem studies degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend University of Wyoming is $12,159 for bachelor’s degree ecosystem studies students with aid.

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%.

Read full report on Environmental Studies at UW

Rest of the Best 32 in Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Getting Aid

Not only did these schools make the top 32 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

#27

University of North Carolina at Pembroke

Pembroke, North Carolina
#29

Texas A&M University - College Station

College Station, Texas
#30

Saint Cloud State University

Saint Cloud, Minnesota
#32

Shepherd University

Shepherdstown, West Virginia

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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