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

17 Ranked Colleges
1,462 Degrees Awarded
$20,200 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor's in California For Those Getting Aid

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. 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 in California 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.

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.

This year’s “Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid” ranking analyzed 17 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.

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 picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. 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 Getting Aid

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

Top 17 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Environmental Studies in California (With Aid)

#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 Getting Aid. Located in Berkeley, California, this large public school handed out 311 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s ecosystem studies students 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 $15,329 for california bachelor’s degree ecosystem studies students with aid per year to attend UC Berkeley.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 96%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Environmental Studies at UC Berkeley

#8 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - Irvine. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid. Irvine, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s ecosystem studies degrees to 19 students in 2019-2020.

UC Irvine also took the #8 spot in our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UC Irvine is $14,783 for california bachelor’s degree ecosystem studies students with aid.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.

Read full report on Environmental Studies at UC Irvine

#3

San Diego State University

San Diego, California
#10 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend San Diego State University. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid. Located in San Diego, California, this large public school handed out 65 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s ecosystem studies students in 2019-2020.

SDSU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend San Diego State University is $14,788 for California Bachelor’s Degree Ecosystem Studies students with aid.

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 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

#5 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of California - Davis. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. This large school is located in Davis, California, and it awarded 76 bachelors’s ecosystem studies degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Davis did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The yearly cost to attend UC Davis is $14,669 for California Bachelor’s Degree Ecosystem Studies students with aid.

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

Full University of California - Davis Environmental Studies Report

#7 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of California - San Diego. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid. 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.

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. It costs about $14,232 for california bachelor’s degree ecosystem studies students with aid per year to attend University of California - San Diego.

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

#6

University of California - Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara, California
#6 in overall quality

University of California - Santa Barbara ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. Santa Barbara, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s ecosystem studies degrees to 358 students in 2019-2020.

UCSB also took the #6 spot in our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $15,884 for california bachelor’s degree ecosystem studies students with aid per year to attend University of California - Santa Barbara.

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

Read more about Environmental Studies at UCSB

#13 in overall quality

California State University - East Bay ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. Cal State East Bay is a public institution located in Hayward, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 13 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Cal State East Bay also made our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #13. The estimated yearly cost for Cal State East Bay is $11,116 for california bachelor’s degree ecosystem studies students with aid.

Read full report on Environmental Studies at California State University - East Bay

#8

University of California - Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz, California
#11 in overall quality

University of California - Santa Cruz came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. UC Santa Cruz is a fairly large school located in Santa Cruz, California that handed out 213 bachelors’s ecosystem studies degrees in 2019-2020.

UC Santa Cruz did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of California - Santa Cruz is $18,186 for california bachelor’s degree ecosystem studies students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, 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.

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 Getting Aid ranking. CSUMB is located in Seaside, California and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 41 bachelors’s ecosystem studies degrees to qualified students.

CSUMB also took the #14 spot in our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. It costs about $12,212 for California Bachelor’s Degree Ecosystem Studies students with aid per year to attend CSUMB.

The low student loan default rate of 5.0% 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%.

Read full report on Environmental Studies at CSUMB

#10

San Francisco State University

San Francisco, California
#15 in overall quality

San Francisco State University landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. This large school is located in San Francisco, California, and it awarded 27 bachelors’s ecosystem studies degrees in 2019-2020.

SFSU also took the #15 spot in our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The yearly cost to attend San Francisco State University is $15,113 for California Bachelor’s Degree Ecosystem Studies students with aid.

Full SFSU Environmental Studies Report

#11

Humboldt State University

Arcata, California
#16 in overall quality

Humboldt State University came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. Arcata, California is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s ecosystem studies degrees to 31 students in 2019-2020.

Humboldt State University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for Humboldt State University is $14,692 for California Bachelor’s Degree Ecosystem Studies students with aid.

Full Humboldt State University Environmental Studies Report

#17 in overall quality

The University of Arizona Global Campus did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #12. San Diego, California is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private for-profit school handed out bachelors’s ecosystem studies degrees to 49 students in 2019-2020.

UAGC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. The estimated yearly cost for The University of Arizona Global Campus is $20,510 for california bachelor’s degree ecosystem studies students with aid.

Full The University of Arizona Global Campus Environmental Studies Report

#13

University of Redlands

Redlands, California
#12 in overall quality

University of Redlands ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. University of Redlands is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Redlands, California. It awarded 17 bachelors’s ecosystem studies degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at University of Redlands, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Redlands is $27,958 for california bachelor’s degree ecosystem studies students with aid.

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 University of Redlands Environmental Studies Report

#14

University of Southern California

Los Angeles, California
#2 in overall quality

University of Southern California came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Los Angeles, California, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 18 degrees to qualified bachelors’s ecosystem studies students in 2019-2020.

USC also made our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #2. The yearly cost to attend USC is $29,528 for California 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%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read more about Environmental Studies at USC

#15

Occidental College

Los Angeles, California
#3 in overall quality

With a ranking of #15, Occidental College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid list. Occidental College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Los Angeles, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 15 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Oxy did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list. It costs about $29,638 for california bachelor’s degree ecosystem studies students with aid per year to attend Oxy.

The student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The low student loan default rate of 1.6% 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 Occidental College Environmental Studies Report

#16

Santa Clara University

Santa Clara, California
#4 in overall quality

Santa Clara University came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Santa Clara, California, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school awarded 30 degrees to qualified bachelors’s ecosystem studies students in 2019-2020.

SCU also made our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #4. It costs about $38,327 for california bachelor’s degree ecosystem studies students with aid per year to attend Santa Clara University.

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 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%.

Full Santa Clara University Environmental Studies Report

#17

University of San Francisco

San Francisco, California
#9 in overall quality

University of San Francisco did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in California For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #17. USFCA is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in San Francisco, California. It awarded 26 bachelors’s ecosystem studies degrees in 2019-2020.

USFCA also made our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in California” list, coming in at #9. The yearly cost to attend University of San Francisco is $36,424 for California Bachelor’s Degree Ecosystem Studies students with aid.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Environmental Studies at University of San Francisco

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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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