2023 Best Value Colleges for Environmental Studies in the Southeast Region (With Aid)
24
Ranked Colleges
1,473
Degrees Awarded
$19,800
Avg Net Price*
Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. 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 in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking is part of that endeavor.
Environmental Studies is the 87th most popular major in the country with 9,899 degrees awarded in 2020-2021.
Across the Southeast region, there were 1,473 environmental studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.
For this year’s “Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid” ranking, we looked at 24 colleges that offer a degree in environmental studies. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great environmental studies programs and 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. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
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 Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid” list to help you make the college decision.
One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to you. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.
Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid.
Top 24 Best Value Colleges for Environmental Studies in the Southeast Region (With Aid)
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid. UNC Chapel Hill is a large school located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina that handed out 75 ’s ecosystem studies degrees in 2020-2021.
UNC Chapel Hill also made our “Best Environmental Studies Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #2. The estimated yearly cost for UNC Chapel Hill is $12,469 for Southeast Region Ecosystem Studies students with aid.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Environmental Studies at UNC Chapel Hill
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend North Carolina State University. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Raleigh, North Carolina, this large public school handed out 19 diplomas to qualified ’s ecosystem studies students in 2020-2021.
NC State also made our “Best Environmental Studies Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #3. The yearly cost to attend NC State is $16,411 for Southeast Region Ecosystem Studies students with aid.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Environmental Studies at NC State
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Appalachian State University. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid list. Boone, North Carolina is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s ecosystem studies degrees to 97 students in 2020-2021.
Appalachian State also took the #8 spot in our “Best Environmental Studies Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Appalachian State is $13,989 for Southeast Region Ecosystem Studies students with aid.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
Read more about Environmental Studies at Appalachian State University
Out of the 24 schools in the Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Virginia - Main Campus landed the #4 spot on the list. University of Virginia is a large school located in Charlottesville, Virginia that handed out 35 ’s ecosystem studies degrees in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our southeast region ecosystem studies students with aid list, University of Virginia has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Environmental Studies Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $22,006 for southeast region ecosystem studies students with aid per year to attend University of Virginia.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Environmental Studies at University of Virginia - Main Campus
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Duke University. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid list. Duke is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Durham, North Carolina. It awarded 59 ’s ecosystem studies degrees in 2020-2021.
Duke also took the #1 spot in our “Best Environmental Studies Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $32,459 for southeast region ecosystem studies students with aid per year to attend Duke.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.3% 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 Duke University
Virginia Tech came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Virginia Tech is a large public school situated in Blacksburg, Virginia. It awarded 23 ’s ecosystem studies degrees in 2020-2021.
Virginia Tech also made our “Best Environmental Studies Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #6. The yearly cost to attend Virginia Tech is $21,301 for Southeast Region Ecosystem Studies students with aid.
With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full Virginia Tech Environmental Studies Report
University of North Georgia landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. This fairly large school is located in Dahlonega, Georgia, and it awarded 15 ’s ecosystem studies degrees in 2020-2021.
UNG also made our “Best Environmental Studies Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #14. It costs about $10,444 for southeast region ecosystem studies students with aid per year to attend University of North Georgia.
Full UNG Environmental Studies Report
Florida International University landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. FIU is a large public school situated in Miami, Florida. It awarded 28 ’s ecosystem studies degrees in 2020-2021.
FIU also took the #19 spot in our “Best Environmental Studies Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend FIU is $5,298 for Southeast Region Ecosystem Studies students with aid.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Read more about Environmental Studies at FIU
With a ranking of #9, Florida Gulf Coast University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid list. Florida Gulf Coast University is a public institution located in Fort Myers, Florida. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 55 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
FGCU also made our “Best Environmental Studies Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #13. The estimated yearly cost for FGCU is $11,299 for southeast region ecosystem studies students with aid.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.2% 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%.
Read more about Environmental Studies at FGCU
With a ranking of #10, University of North Carolina at Asheville did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Asheville, North Carolina, this small public school awarded 60 degrees to qualified ’s ecosystem studies students in 2020-2021.
UNCA did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best Environmental Studies Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It costs about $12,551 for Southeast Region Ecosystem Studies students with aid per year to attend University of North Carolina at Asheville.
Read more about Environmental Studies at University of North Carolina at Asheville
With a ranking of #11, Columbia Southern University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid list. Orange Beach, Alabama is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private for-profit school handed out ’s ecosystem studies degrees to 106 students in 2020-2021.
Columbia Southern University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #22 on our “Best Environmental Studies Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Columbia Southern University is $11,241 for southeast region ecosystem studies students with aid.
Read full report on Environmental Studies at Columbia Southern University
Shepherd University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #12. Shepherd University is located in Shepherdstown, West Virginia and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 13 ’s ecosystem studies degrees to qualified students.
Shepherd University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #23 on our “Best Environmental Studies Schools in the Southeast Region” list. It costs about $10,983 for southeast region ecosystem studies students with aid per year to attend Shepherd University.
Read full report on Environmental Studies at Shepherd University
University of Kentucky did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #13. Lexington, Kentucky is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s ecosystem studies degrees to 17 students in 2020-2021.
UK did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Environmental Studies Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The yearly cost to attend UK is $18,203 for southeast region ecosystem studies students with aid.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Environmental Studies at UK
Emory University landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Emory University is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Atlanta, Georgia. It awarded 35 ’s ecosystem studies degrees in 2020-2021.
Emory also made our “Best Environmental Studies Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #4. The yearly cost to attend Emory University is $22,597 for Southeast Region Ecosystem Studies students with aid.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 93%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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 full report on Environmental Studies at Emory University
University of North Carolina at Wilmington did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #15. University of North Carolina at Wilmington is a public institution located in Wilmington, North Carolina. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 12 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.
UNCW also made our “Best Environmental Studies Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #12. The yearly cost to attend UNCW is $19,136 for Southeast Region Ecosystem Studies students with aid.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Environmental Studies at University of North Carolina at Wilmington
University of South Carolina - Columbia landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Columbia, South Carolina, this large public school awarded 25 diplomas to qualified ’s ecosystem studies students in 2020-2021.
UofSC also made our “Best Environmental Studies Schools in the Southeast Region” list, coming in at #7. The estimated yearly cost for University of South Carolina - Columbia is $20,559 for southeast region ecosystem studies students with aid.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Environmental Studies at UofSC
Tennessee Technological University came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Cookeville, Tennessee is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s ecosystem studies degrees to 12 students in 2020-2021.
Tennessee Tech University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #20 on our “Best Environmental Studies Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for Tennessee Tech University is $15,932 for southeast region ecosystem studies students with aid.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.1% 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 Tennessee Technological University
Virginia Commonwealth University ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid list. Virginia Commonwealth University is located in Richmond, Virginia and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 75 ’s ecosystem studies degrees to qualified students.
VCU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Environmental Studies Schools in the Southeast Region” list. The yearly cost to attend VCU is $20,490 for southeast region ecosystem studies students with aid.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Environmental Studies at VCU
College of Charleston landed the #19 spot on the 2023 Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. This fairly large school is located in Charleston, South Carolina, and it awarded 28 ’s ecosystem studies degrees in 2020-2021.
C of C also took the #21 spot in our “Best Environmental Studies Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for C of C is $19,654 for Southeast Region Ecosystem Studies students with aid.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full College of Charleston Environmental Studies Report
Roanoke College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #20. Located in Salem, Virginia, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 17 degrees to qualified ’s ecosystem studies students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our southeast region ecosystem studies students with aid list, Roanoke has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best Environmental Studies Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Roanoke is $26,997 for southeast region ecosystem studies students with aid.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Environmental Studies at Roanoke
Warren Wilson College ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid list. This small school is located in Swannanoa, North Carolina, and it awarded 28 ’s ecosystem studies degrees in 2020-2021.
Warren Wilson also took the #24 spot in our “Best Environmental Studies Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Warren Wilson is $24,696 for southeast region ecosystem studies students with aid.
The undergraduate 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 full report on Environmental Studies at Warren Wilson College
Rollins College landed the #22 spot on the 2023 Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Winter Park, Florida, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 23 degrees to qualified ’s ecosystem studies students in 2020-2021.
Rollins also took the #15 spot in our “Best Environmental Studies Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Rollins College is $29,562 for southeast region ecosystem studies students with aid.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Environmental Studies at Rollins
Eckerd College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #23. Eckerd College is a small school located in Saint Petersburg, Florida that handed out 59 ’s ecosystem studies degrees in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Eckerd, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best Environmental Studies Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. It costs about $36,531 for Southeast Region Ecosystem Studies students with aid per year to attend Eckerd College.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Environmental Studies at Eckerd College
Tulane University of Louisiana came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools in the Southeast Region For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in New Orleans, Louisiana, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 35 degrees to qualified ’s ecosystem studies students in 2020-2021.
In addition to being on our southeast region ecosystem studies students with aid list, Tulane has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Environmental Studies Schools in the Southeast Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Tulane University of Louisiana is $39,749 for Southeast Region Ecosystem Studies students with aid.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.1%, 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 92%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Read full report on Environmental Studies at Tulane University of Louisiana
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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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