College Factual  by our College Data Analytics Team
       Unbiased Factual Guarantee

2023 Most Focused Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Environmental Studies

446 Ranked Colleges
7,853 Degrees Awarded
$30,900 Avg Cost*
Schools for a Bachelor's Highly Focused on Ecosystem Studies Major

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Ecosystem Studies Major” ranking is part of that endeavor.

Environmental Studies is the 87th most popular major in the country with 10,196 degrees awarded in 2021-2022.

At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 7,853 environmental studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,724 and $23,030 respectively.

This year’s “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Ecosystem Studies Major” ranking analyzed 446 colleges that offered a degree in environmental studies. This a ranking of the schools where the largest percentage of students has enrolled in environmental studies.

Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Rankings by Degree Other Award Levels
Rankings by Location Check Out Other Locales
More Ecosystem Studies Rankings Other Ranking Categories

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Ecosystem Studies Major” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most 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.

Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Ecosystem Studies Major

The following schools top our list of the Best “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Ecosystem Studies Major”.

Top 25 Most Focused Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Environmental Studies

1
Warren Wilson crest
Warren Wilson College
Swannanoa, North Carolina

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Warren Wilson College. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Ecosystem Studies Major list. Swannanoa, North Carolina is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s ecosystem studies degrees to 26 students in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. 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 more about Environmental Studies at Warren Wilson College

2
SMCM crest
St Mary's College of Maryland
St. Mary's City, Maryland

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend St Mary’s College of Maryland. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Ecosystem Studies Major list. St Mary’s College of Maryland is located in St. Mary’s City, Maryland and, has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 33 bachelors’s ecosystem studies degrees to qualified students.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Full SMCM Environmental Studies Report

3
Eckerd crest
Eckerd College
Saint Petersburg, Florida

Out of the 446 schools in the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Ecosystem Studies Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Eckerd College landed the #3 spot on the list. This small school is located in Saint Petersburg, Florida, and it awarded 83 bachelors’s ecosystem studies degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Environmental Studies at Eckerd

4

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Ecosystem Studies Major list. SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry is a public institution located in Syracuse, New York. The school has a small population, and it awarded 30 bachelors’s degrees in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad 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 SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry

5

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of North Carolina at Asheville. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Ecosystem Studies Major list. Located in Asheville, North Carolina, this small public school handed out 59 degrees to qualified bachelors’s ecosystem studies students in 2021-2022.

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 more about Environmental Studies at UNCA

6
Oxy crest
Occidental College
Los Angeles, California

Occidental College did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Ecosystem Studies Major ranking, coming in at #6. Occidental College is a small school located in Los Angeles, California that handed out 19 bachelors’s ecosystem studies degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%. 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 Occidental College

7
Western crest
Western Colorado University
Gunnison, Colorado

With a ranking of #7, Western Colorado University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Ecosystem Studies Major list. Western Colorado University is a small public school situated in Gunnison, Colorado. It awarded 28 bachelors’s ecosystem studies degrees in 2021-2022.

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%.

Read more about Environmental Studies at Western Colorado University

8
Ozarks crest
University of the Ozarks
Clarksville, Arkansas

University of the Ozarks landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Ecosystem Studies Major ranking. University of the Ozarks is a small school located in Clarksville, Arkansas that handed out 12 bachelors’s ecosystem studies degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Environmental Studies at University of the Ozarks

9
Prescot College crest
Prescott College
Prescott, Arizona

Prescott College ranked #9 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Ecosystem Studies Major list. This small school is located in Prescott, Arizona, and it awarded 24 bachelors’s ecosystem studies degrees in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.2% 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%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Full Prescott College Environmental Studies Report

10
Reed crest
Reed College
Portland, Oregon

Reed College came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Ecosystem Studies Major ranking. Reed College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Portland, Oregon. The school has a small population, and it awarded 12 bachelors’s degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%.

Full Reed Environmental Studies Report

11
Middlebury crest
Middlebury College
Middlebury, Vermont

Middlebury College did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Ecosystem Studies Major ranking, coming in at #11. Middlebury, Vermont is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s ecosystem studies degrees to 62 students in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. 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. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Environmental Studies at Middlebury College

12

Hobart and William Smith Colleges did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Ecosystem Studies Major ranking, coming in at #12. Located in Geneva, New York, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 54 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s ecosystem studies students in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 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. 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 Hobart and William Smith Colleges

13
Saint Michael's crest
Saint Michael's College
Colchester, Vermont

Saint Michael’s College landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Ecosystem Studies Major ranking. Saint Michael’s College is a small school located in Colchester, Vermont that handed out 19 bachelors’s ecosystem studies degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.

Full Saint Michael’s College Environmental Studies Report

14
Gettysburg crest
Gettysburg College
Gettysburg, Pennsylvania

With a ranking of #14, Gettysburg College did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Ecosystem Studies Major list. Gettysburg College is located in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania and, has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 29 bachelors’s ecosystem studies degrees to qualified students.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read full report on Environmental Studies at Gettysburg College

15

University of California - Santa Barbara came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Ecosystem Studies Major ranking. Located in Santa Barbara, California, this large public school handed out 318 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s ecosystem studies students in 2021-2022.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full UCSB Environmental Studies Report

16
New College crest
New College of Florida
Sarasota, Florida

New College of Florida ranked #16 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Ecosystem Studies Major list. New College of Florida is a public institution located in Sarasota, Florida. The school has a small population, and it awarded 10 bachelors’s degrees in 2021-2022.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. 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%.

Read more about Environmental Studies at New College of Florida

17
Centre College of Kentucky crest
Centre College
Danville, Kentucky

Centre College did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Ecosystem Studies Major ranking, coming in at #17. Centre College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Danville, Kentucky. The school has a small population, and it awarded 16 bachelors’s degrees in 2021-2022.

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 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 low undergrad 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 Centre College

18
Bates crest
Bates College
Lewiston, Maine

Bates College came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Ecosystem Studies Major ranking. Bates College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Lewiston, Maine. The school has a small population, and it awarded 40 bachelors’s degrees in 2021-2022.

The undergraduate 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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 92%.

Read more about Environmental Studies at Bates

19
FLC crest
Fort Lewis College
Durango, Colorado

Fort Lewis College ranked #19 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Ecosystem Studies Major list. This small school is located in Durango, Colorado, and it awarded 29 bachelors’s ecosystem studies degrees in 2021-2022.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Fort Lewis College Environmental Studies Report

20
SUNY Maritime College crest
SUNY Maritime College
Throggs Neck, New York

SUNY Maritime College ranked #20 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Ecosystem Studies Major list. SUNY Maritime College is located in Throggs Neck, New York and, has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 28 bachelors’s ecosystem studies degrees to qualified students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.5% 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 SUNY Maritime College

21
Hiram crest
Hiram College
Hiram, Ohio

With a ranking of #21, Hiram College did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Ecosystem Studies Major list. Hiram, Ohio is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s ecosystem studies degrees to 9 students in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.2% 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 Hiram

22
Ursinus crest
Ursinus College
Collegeville, Pennsylvania

With a ranking of #22, Ursinus College did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Ecosystem Studies Major list. Ursinus College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Collegeville, Pennsylvania. The school has a small population, and it awarded 9 bachelors’s degrees in 2021-2022.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.5% 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 Ursinus

23
Randolph - Macon crest
Randolph - Macon College
Ashland, Virginia

Randolph - Macon College landed the #23 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Ecosystem Studies Major ranking. Randolph - Macon College is located in Ashland, Virginia and, has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 17 bachelors’s ecosystem studies degrees to qualified students.

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%.

Read full report on Environmental Studies at Randolph - Macon

24
Alma crest
Alma College
Alma, Michigan

Alma College came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Ecosystem Studies Major ranking. Located in Alma, Michigan, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 4 degrees to qualified bachelors’s ecosystem studies students in 2021-2022.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.1% 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%.

Full Alma Environmental Studies Report

25

University of Minnesota - Morris did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Ecosystem Studies Major ranking, coming in at #25. University of Minnesota - Morris is located in Morris, Minnesota and, has a small student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 13 bachelors’s ecosystem studies degrees to qualified students.

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%.

Full University of Minnesota - Morris Environmental Studies Report

Rest of the Best 50 in Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Ecosystem Studies Major

Not only did these schools make the top 50 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

26
Hamilton crest
Hamilton College
Clinton, NY
27
Denison crest
Denison University
Granville, OH
28
Colorado College crest
Colorado College
Colorado Springs, CO
29
30
Colgate crest
Colgate University
Hamilton, NY
31
UVM crest
University of Vermont
Burlington, VT
32
33
34
St. Olaf crest
St Olaf College
Northfield, MN
35
Wellesley crest
Wellesley College
Wellesley, MA
36
37
38
Davidson crest
Davidson College
Davidson, NC
39
Oberlin crest
Oberlin College
Oberlin, OH
40
41
42
Luther crest
Luther College
Decorah, IA
43
Austin College crest
Austin College
Sherman, TX
44
Macalester crest
Macalester College
Saint Paul, MN
45
Lake Forest crest
Lake Forest College
Lake Forest, IL
46
Wofford crest
Wofford College
Spartanburg, SC
47
48
49
Bowdoin crest
Bowdoin College
Brunswick, ME
50
Haverford crest
Haverford College
Haverford, PA

Rest of the Top 15% Colleges in Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Ecosystem Studies Major

While not in the ’top 50’, these schools make the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

RankCollegeLocation
51Stockton UniversityGalloway, NJ
52University of California - Santa CruzSanta Cruz, CA
53Hendrix CollegeConway, AR
54Vassar CollegePoughkeepsie, NY
55Carleton CollegeNorthfield, MN
56Wesleyan UniversityMiddletown, CT
57Beloit CollegeBeloit, WI
58Cottey CollegeNevada, MO
59Earlham CollegeRichmond, IN
60Western Washington UniversityBellingham, WA
61Rollins CollegeWinter Park, FL
62Maryville CollegeMaryville, TN
63Kenyon CollegeGambier, OH
64Bennington CollegeBennington, VT
65Cornell CollegeMount Vernon, IA
RankCollegeLocation
66Birmingham Southern CollegeBirmingham, AL
67Keene State CollegeKeene, NH

Notes and References

References

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

Credits

Popular Reports

College Rankings
Best by Location
Degree Guides by Major
Graduate Programs

Compare Your School Options