2023 Best Value Colleges for Environmental Studies in the Great Lakes Region (With Aid)
23
Ranked Colleges
1,381
Degrees Awarded
$20,100
Avg Net Price*
When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. 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 in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking - to help you make that decision.
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.
For this year’s “Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking, we looked at 23 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.
More Ways to Rank Environmental Studies Schools
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 in the Great Lakes Region 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. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.
Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid
The colleges and universities below are the best for great lakes region ecosystem studies students with aid.
Top 23 Best Value Colleges for Environmental Studies in the Great Lakes Region (With Aid)
Out of the 23 schools in the Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Wisconsin - Madison landed the #1 spot on the list. UW - Madison is a public institution located in Madison, Wisconsin. The school has a large population, and it awarded 338 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our great lakes region ecosystem studies students with aid list, UW - Madison has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Environmental Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $17,234 for Great Lakes Region Ecosystem Studies students with aid per year to attend UW - Madison.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national 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
Out of the 23 schools in the Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Indiana University - Bloomington landed the #2 spot on the list. Indiana University - Bloomington is a large school located in Bloomington, Indiana that handed out 52 ’s ecosystem studies degrees in 2020-2021.
IU Bloomington not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Environmental Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend IU Bloomington is $14,619 for great lakes region ecosystem studies students with aid.
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%. 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 IU Bloomington Environmental Studies Report
Out of the 23 schools in the Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor landed the #3 spot on the list. Ann Arbor, Michigan is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s ecosystem studies degrees to 142 students in 2020-2021.
U-M did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Environmental Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Michigan - Ann Arbor is $14,878 for great lakes region ecosystem studies students with aid.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.3% 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 96%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Full U-M Environmental Studies Report
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wisconsin - Green Bay. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. UW - Green Bay is a medium-sized public school situated in Green Bay, Wisconsin. It awarded 13 ’s ecosystem studies degrees in 2020-2021.
UW - Green Bay did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Environmental Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UW - Green Bay is $13,092 for great lakes region ecosystem studies students with aid.
Read full report on Environmental Studies at University of Wisconsin - Green Bay
Out of the 23 schools in the Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Michigan State University landed the #5 spot on the list. Michigan State is a large public school situated in East Lansing, Michigan. It awarded 66 ’s ecosystem studies degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Michigan State, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Environmental Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Michigan State University is $19,058 for great lakes region ecosystem studies students with aid.
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 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%.
Read more about Environmental Studies at Michigan State
University of Illinois at Springfield ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. This small school is located in Springfield, Illinois, and it awarded 14 ’s ecosystem studies degrees in 2020-2021.
UIS also made our “Best Environmental Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #19. It costs about $12,034 for Great Lakes Region Ecosystem Studies students with aid per year to attend UIS.
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 more about Environmental Studies at UIS
Central Michigan University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #7. Central Michigan is a public institution located in Mount Pleasant, Michigan. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 24 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Central Michigan also took the #11 spot in our “Best Environmental Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Central Michigan is $16,007 for great lakes region ecosystem studies students with aid.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Environmental Studies at Central Michigan
Grand Valley State University landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. GVSU is located in Allendale, Michigan and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 11 ’s ecosystem studies degrees to qualified students.
GVSU also made our “Best Environmental Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #10. It costs about $17,356 for Great Lakes Region Ecosystem Studies students with aid per year to attend Grand Valley State University.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Environmental Studies at GVSU
With a ranking of #9, University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. This fairly large school is located in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, and it awarded 14 ’s ecosystem studies degrees in 2020-2021.
UW Oshkosh also made our “Best Environmental Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #22. The yearly cost to attend UW Oshkosh is $14,687 for Great Lakes Region Ecosystem Studies students with aid.
Read full report on Environmental Studies at University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh
Northern Michigan University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Marquette, Michigan is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s ecosystem studies degrees to 27 students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our great lakes region ecosystem studies students with aid list, Northern Michigan University has also earned the #17 rank in our “Best Environmental Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $15,214 for great lakes region ecosystem studies students with aid per year to attend Northern Michigan University.
Read more about Environmental Studies at Northern Michigan University
Cleveland State University came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Cleveland State University is a fairly large school located in Cleveland, Ohio that handed out 15 ’s ecosystem studies degrees in 2020-2021.
Cleveland State University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best Environmental Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Cleveland State University is $16,943 for Great Lakes Region Ecosystem Studies students with aid.
Full Cleveland State University Environmental Studies Report
With a ranking of #12, Southern Illinois University Carbondale did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Carbondale, Illinois, this fairly large public school awarded 16 diplomas to qualified ’s ecosystem studies students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our great lakes region ecosystem studies students with aid list, SIUC has also earned the #20 rank in our “Best Environmental Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend SIUC is $16,285 for Great Lakes Region Ecosystem Studies students with aid.
Read more about Environmental Studies at Southern Illinois University Carbondale
University of Cincinnati - Main Campus ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. University of Cincinnati - Main Campus is located in Cincinnati, Ohio and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 49 ’s ecosystem studies degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UC, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best Environmental Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UC is $22,415 for Great Lakes Region Ecosystem Studies students with aid.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.7% 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 more about Environmental Studies at UC
Kent State University at Kent came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Kent, Ohio, this large public school awarded 33 degrees to qualified ’s ecosystem studies students in 2020-2021.
Kent State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best Environmental Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Kent State University at Kent is $19,117 for great lakes region ecosystem studies students with aid.
Read more about Environmental Studies at Kent State University at Kent
Augustana College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #15. Augustana is located in Rock Island, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 20 ’s ecosystem studies degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Augustana, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Environmental Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $23,489 for Great Lakes Region Ecosystem Studies students with aid per year to attend Augustana.
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%. 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 more about Environmental Studies at Augustana College
Northern Illinois University came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. NIU is a fairly large school located in Dekalb, Illinois that handed out 31 ’s ecosystem studies degrees in 2020-2021.
NIU also took the #23 spot in our “Best Environmental Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $13,956 for great lakes region ecosystem studies students with aid per year to attend Northern Illinois University.
Full Northern Illinois University Environmental Studies Report
Eastern Michigan University landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Eastern Michigan University is a fairly large public school situated in Ypsilanti, Michigan. It awarded 19 ’s ecosystem studies degrees in 2020-2021.
Eastern Michigan also made our “Best Environmental Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #24. The estimated yearly cost for Eastern Michigan is $15,127 for great lakes region ecosystem studies students with aid.
Read more about Environmental Studies at Eastern Michigan
Ohio University - Athens Campus landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Athens, Ohio is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s ecosystem studies degrees to 56 students in 2020-2021.
OHIO Athens not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #21 on our “Best Environmental Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for OHIO Athens is $23,831 for great lakes region ecosystem studies students with aid.
Full Ohio University - Athens Campus Environmental Studies Report
Lake Forest College ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Lake Forest College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Lake Forest, Illinois. It awarded 15 ’s ecosystem studies degrees in 2020-2021.
Lake Forest also took the #13 spot in our “Best Environmental Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Lake Forest is $23,991 for Great Lakes Region Ecosystem Studies students with aid.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.3% 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%.
Full Lake Forest College Environmental Studies Report
DePaul University ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. DePaul University is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 14 ’s ecosystem studies degrees to qualified students.
DePaul also took the #15 spot in our “Best Environmental Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend DePaul is $31,174 for Great Lakes Region Ecosystem Studies students with aid.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Environmental Studies at DePaul
Denison University came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Granville, Ohio, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 23 diplomas to qualified ’s ecosystem studies students in 2020-2021.
Denison also took the #5 spot in our “Best Environmental Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Denison is $29,597 for Great Lakes Region Ecosystem Studies students with aid.
The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad 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 Denison University Environmental Studies Report
Loyola University Chicago did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #22. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 16 diplomas to qualified ’s ecosystem studies students in 2020-2021.
Loyola Chicago also made our “Best Environmental Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #7. The yearly cost to attend Loyola Chicago is $36,434 for Great Lakes Region Ecosystem Studies students with aid.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Full Loyola University Chicago Environmental Studies Report
Oberlin College ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region For Those Getting Aid list. Oberlin is a small school located in Oberlin, Ohio that handed out 26 ’s ecosystem studies degrees in 2020-2021.
Oberlin not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Environmental Studies Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Oberlin College is $34,777 for Great Lakes Region Ecosystem Studies students with aid.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.0% 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 undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
Read more about Environmental Studies at Oberlin
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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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