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2022 Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region

33 Ranked Colleges
1,043 Degrees Awarded
$18,400 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor's in the Great Lakes Region

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region” ranking as one item you can use to help make this 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.

This year’s “Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region” ranking analyzed 33 colleges that offered 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.

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.

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” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

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. 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

The colleges and universities below are the best for great lakes region bachelor’s degree ecosystem studies students.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Environmental Studies in the Great Lakes Region

#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 #1 for the Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region. 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.

UW - Green Bay also took the #11 spot in our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $14,395 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Ecosystem Studies students per year to attend UW - Green Bay.

Read full report on Environmental Studies at UW - Green Bay

#2

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, Illinois
#14 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Northern Illinois University. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Dekalb, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s ecosystem studies degrees to 34 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at NIU, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend NIU is $18,259 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Ecosystem Studies students.

Read full report on Environmental Studies at NIU

#3

Western Michigan University

Kalamazoo, Michigan
#16 in overall quality

Out of the 33 schools in the Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Western Michigan University landed the #3 spot on the list. Western Michigan University is a fairly large public school situated in Kalamazoo, Michigan. It awarded 26 bachelors’s ecosystem studies degrees in 2019-2020.

WMU also made our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #16. The yearly cost to attend Western Michigan University is $19,433 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree ecosystem studies students.

Full Western Michigan University Environmental Studies Report

#4

Grand Valley State University

Allendale, Michigan
#13 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Grand Valley State University. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region. 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 $17,646 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Ecosystem Studies students.

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%.

Read full report on Environmental Studies at GVSU

#21 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. This fairly large school is located in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, and it awarded 22 bachelors’s ecosystem studies degrees in 2019-2020.

UW Oshkosh did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #21 on our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend UW Oshkosh is $15,463 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Ecosystem Studies students.

Full UW Oshkosh Environmental Studies Report

Southern Illinois University Carbondale did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #6. This fairly large school is located in Carbondale, Illinois, and it awarded 14 bachelors’s ecosystem studies degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $16,945 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Ecosystem Studies students per year to attend SIUC.

Full SIUC Environmental Studies Report

#7

Purdue University Global

Indianapolis, Indiana

Purdue University Global did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #7. Purdue University Global is a public institution located in Indianapolis, Indiana. The school has a large population, and it awarded 18 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Full Purdue University Global Environmental Studies Report

#23 in overall quality

University of Illinois at Springfield ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. University of Illinois at Springfield is a small public school situated in Springfield, Illinois. It awarded 9 bachelors’s ecosystem studies degrees in 2019-2020.

UIS not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #23 on our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UIS is $12,477 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Ecosystem Studies students.

Full University of Illinois at Springfield Environmental Studies Report

#9

Eastern Michigan University

Ypsilanti, Michigan

Eastern Michigan University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #9. Located in Ypsilanti, Michigan, this fairly large public school awarded 26 degrees to qualified bachelors’s ecosystem studies students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Eastern Michigan is $15,924 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Ecosystem Studies students.

Read more about Environmental Studies at Eastern Michigan University

#10

Northern Michigan University

Marquette, Michigan
#25 in overall quality

Northern Michigan University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #10. Northern Michigan University is a medium-sized school located in Marquette, Michigan that handed out 48 bachelors’s ecosystem studies degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree ecosystem studies students list, Northern Michigan University has also earned the #25 rank in our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $15,453 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree ecosystem studies students per year to attend Northern Michigan University.

Full Northern Michigan University Environmental Studies Report

#11

Central Michigan University

Mount Pleasant, Michigan
#18 in overall quality

Central Michigan University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #11. Central Michigan is a fairly large public school situated in Mount Pleasant, Michigan. It awarded 16 bachelors’s ecosystem studies degrees in 2019-2020.

Central Michigan also took the #18 spot in our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Central Michigan University is $15,981 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Ecosystem Studies students.

Read full report on Environmental Studies at Central Michigan

Northeastern Illinois University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #12. Northeastern Illinois University is a medium-sized public school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 16 bachelors’s ecosystem studies degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Northeastern Illinois University is $15,843 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree ecosystem studies students.

Read full report on Environmental Studies at Northeastern Illinois University

#12

University of Toledo

Toledo, Ohio
#24 in overall quality

With a ranking of #12, University of Toledo did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. University of Toledo is a fairly large school located in Toledo, Ohio that handed out 3 bachelors’s ecosystem studies degrees in 2019-2020.

University of Toledo also made our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #24. The yearly cost to attend University of Toledo is $17,630 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Ecosystem Studies students.

Read more about Environmental Studies at University of Toledo

#14

Cleveland State University

Cleveland, Ohio

With a ranking of #14, Cleveland State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Cleveland State University is a public institution located in Cleveland, Ohio. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 15 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Cleveland State University is $17,278 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree ecosystem studies students.

Full Cleveland State University Environmental Studies Report

#19 in overall quality

University of Cincinnati - Main Campus landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. University of Cincinnati - Main Campus is a public institution located in Cincinnati, Ohio. The school has a large population, and it awarded 52 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #19 on our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. It costs about $21,843 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Ecosystem Studies students per year to attend UC.

With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Environmental Studies at UC

#16

Hiram College

Hiram, Ohio

Hiram College landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. Hiram College is located in Hiram, Ohio and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 3 bachelors’s ecosystem studies degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend Hiram College is $21,294 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree ecosystem studies students.

Read full report on Environmental Studies at Hiram College

#4 in overall quality

With a ranking of #17, University of Wisconsin - Madison did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. This large school is located in Madison, Wisconsin, and it awarded 113 bachelors’s ecosystem studies degrees in 2019-2020.

UW - Madison not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UW - Madison is $17,708 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Ecosystem Studies students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. The low student loan default rate of 0.8% 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 University of Wisconsin - Madison

#18

Indiana University - Bloomington

Bloomington, Indiana
#6 in overall quality

With a ranking of #18, Indiana University - Bloomington did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Bloomington, Indiana is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s ecosystem studies degrees to 37 students in 2019-2020.

IU Bloomington not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend IU Bloomington is $13,253 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Ecosystem Studies students.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Environmental Studies at IU Bloomington

#19

Manchester University

North Manchester, Indiana
#22 in overall quality

With a ranking of #19, Manchester University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Manchester University is a private not-for-profit institution located in North Manchester, Indiana. The school has a small population, and it awarded 10 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our great lakes region bachelor’s degree ecosystem studies students 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 estimated yearly cost for Manchester University is $17,557 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Ecosystem Studies students.

Read more about Environmental Studies at Manchester University

#20

Michigan State University

East Lansing, Michigan
#7 in overall quality

Michigan State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking, coming in at #20. Michigan State University is a public institution located in East Lansing, Michigan. The school has a large population, and it awarded 67 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Michigan State, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” ranking. It costs about $19,173 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree ecosystem studies students per year to attend Michigan State University.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 3.6% 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%.

Read full report on Environmental Studies at Michigan State

Ohio University - Athens Campus came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. OHIO Athens is a public institution located in Athens, Ohio. The school has a large population, and it awarded 6 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for OHIO Athens is $22,906 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Ecosystem Studies students.

Full OHIO Athens Environmental Studies Report

#22

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 ranking, coming in at #22. Located in Ashland, Wisconsin, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 3 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s ecosystem studies students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Northland is $18,969 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree ecosystem studies students.

The student-to-faculty ratio of 10 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 Northland

#23

Augustana College

Rock Island, Illinois
#5 in overall quality

Augustana College landed the #23 spot on the 2022 Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region ranking. This small school is located in Rock Island, Illinois, and it awarded 29 bachelors’s ecosystem studies degrees in 2019-2020.

Augustana also made our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list, coming in at #5. The yearly cost to attend Augustana College is $23,874 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Ecosystem Studies students.

The low 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.

Read more about Environmental Studies at Augustana College

#24

DePaul University

Chicago, Illinois
#20 in overall quality

DePaul University ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. DePaul University is a large school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 18 bachelors’s ecosystem studies degrees in 2019-2020.

DePaul not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #20 on our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for DePaul is $30,090 for great lakes region bachelor’s degree ecosystem studies students.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Environmental Studies at DePaul University

#25

Knox College

Galesburg, Illinois
#12 in overall quality

Knox College ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Great Lakes Region list. Galesburg, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s ecosystem studies degrees to 13 students in 2019-2020.

Knox did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Great Lakes Region” list. The yearly cost to attend Knox is $22,292 for Great Lakes Region Bachelor’s Degree Ecosystem Studies students.

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 school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Environmental Studies at Knox

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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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