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2023 Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Veterans in the Plains States Region

13 Ranked Colleges
459 Degrees Awarded
$27,500 Avg Cost*
Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Ecosystem Studies for a Bachelor's

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, veterans 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 “Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Ecosystem Studies for a Bachelor’s” ranking is part of that endeavor.

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 Plains States region, there were 530 environmental studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 459 environmental studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $41,046 and $29,021 respectively.

This year’s “Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Ecosystem Studies for a Bachelor’s” ranking looked at 13 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in environmental studies. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality environmental studies programs as well as strong veteran support.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the environmental studies program at the school, veteran affordability, and veteran satisfaction. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

More Ways to Rank Environmental Studies Schools

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

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 “Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Ecosystem Studies for a Bachelor’s” 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.

Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Ecosystem Studies for a Bachelor’s

The colleges and universities below are the best for plains states region bachelor’s degree vets studying ecosystem studies.

Top 13 Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Veterans in the Plains States Region

1

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Iowa State University. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Ecosystem Studies for a Bachelor’s list. Iowa State University is a public institution located in Ames, Iowa. The school has a large population, and it awarded 26 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Iowa State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list.According to our most recent data, Iowa State University supports 31,822 students, and 814 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 388 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $7,933. On top of their other funding sources, 9 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Iowa State University offers credit for military training for eligible students.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

[Read full report on veteran student life at Iowa State University]](/colleges/iowa-state-university/student-life/veterans/)

2
Iowa crest
University of Iowa
Iowa City, Iowa

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Iowa. The school came in at #2 for the Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Ecosystem Studies for a Bachelor’s. Located in Iowa City, Iowa, this large public school handed out 38 degrees to qualified bachelors’s ecosystem studies students in 2020-2021.

Iowa also made our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #5.According to our most recent data, University of Iowa supports 30,318 students, and 1 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 0 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $0. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

[Read full report on veteran student life at Iowa]](/colleges/university-of-iowa/student-life/veterans/)

3
KU crest
University of Kansas
Lawrence, Kansas

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Kansas. The school came in at #3 for the Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Ecosystem Studies for a Bachelor’s. This large school is located in Lawrence, Kansas, and it awarded 54 bachelors’s ecosystem studies degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree vets studying ecosystem studies list, KU has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking.Of the 26,744 students enrolled at KU, 70 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 40 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $10,917. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

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 [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

[Read full report on veteran student life at University of Kansas]](/colleges/university-of-kansas/student-life/veterans/)

4

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Nebraska - Lincoln. The school came in at #4 for the Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Ecosystem Studies for a Bachelor’s. This large school is located in Lincoln, Nebraska, and it awarded 35 bachelors’s ecosystem studies degrees in 2020-2021.

UNL also made our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #2.Of the 25,108 students enrolled at University of Nebraska - Lincoln, 690 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 344 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $6,374. In addition to receiving other benefits, 79 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, 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.

Full University of Nebraska - Lincoln Veteran Student Life Report

5
South Dakota State crest
South Dakota State University
Brookings, South Dakota

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend South Dakota State University. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Ecosystem Studies for a Bachelor’s list. Brookings, South Dakota is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s ecosystem studies degrees to 9 students in 2020-2021.

South Dakota State also made our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #3.According to our most recent data, South Dakota State supports 11,405 students, and 369 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 158 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $5,731. To help with additional expenses, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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 veteran student life at South Dakota State University]](/colleges/south-dakota-state-university/student-life/veterans/)

6

University of Minnesota - Duluth landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Ecosystem Studies for a Bachelor’s ranking. University of Minnesota - Duluth is located in Duluth, Minnesota and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 32 bachelors’s ecosystem studies degrees to qualified students.

UMN Duluth not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list.Among the 10,275 students enrolled at University of Minnesota - Duluth, 249 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 88 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $6,883. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

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

[Read full report on veteran student life at UMN Duluth]](/colleges/university-of-minnesota-duluth/student-life/veterans/)

7

With a ranking of #7, University of Minnesota - Morris did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Ecosystem Studies for a Bachelor’s list. Located in Morris, Minnesota, this small public school awarded 12 degrees to qualified bachelors’s ecosystem studies students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UMN Morris, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking.According to our most recent data, UMN Morris supports 1,339 students, and 17 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 8 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $10,785. To help with additional expenses, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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 University of Minnesota - Morris Veteran Student Life Report

8
Bemidji State University crest
Bemidji State University
Bemidji, Minnesota

Bemidji State University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Ecosystem Studies for a Bachelor’s ranking. Bemidji State University is a small public school situated in Bemidji, Minnesota. It awarded 13 bachelors’s ecosystem studies degrees in 2020-2021.

Bemidji State University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list.Our most recent data shows that 128 of the 4,577 students enrolled at Bemidji State University were GI Bill® students, of which 75 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $5,703. To help with additional expenses, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Bemidji State University offers credit for military training for eligible students.

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

Full Bemidji State University Veteran Student Life Report

9
Gustavus Adolphus crest
Gustavus Adolphus College
Saint Peter, Minnesota

Gustavus Adolphus College landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Ecosystem Studies for a Bachelor’s ranking. Gustavus Adolphus is a small school located in Saint Peter, Minnesota that handed out 17 bachelors’s ecosystem studies degrees in 2020-2021.

Gustavus Adolphus not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list.Of the 2,230 students enrolled at Gustavus Adolphus, 24 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 12 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $12,970. In addition to receiving other benefits, 7 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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 88%.

[Read full report on veteran student life at Gustavus Adolphus]](/colleges/gustavus-adolphus-college/student-life/veterans/)

10
SJU crest
Saint Johns University
Collegeville, Minnesota

Saint Johns University did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Ecosystem Studies for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #10. This small school is located in Collegeville, Minnesota, and it awarded 10 bachelors’s ecosystem studies degrees in 2020-2021.

SJU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list.Our most recent data shows that 26 of the 1,668 students enrolled at Saint Johns University were GI Bill® students, of which 13 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $5,435. During this same period, 6 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Saint Johns University Veteran Student Life Report

11
Luther crest
Luther College
Decorah, Iowa

Luther College came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Ecosystem Studies for a Bachelor’s ranking. Luther College is a small school located in Decorah, Iowa that handed out 15 bachelors’s ecosystem studies degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree vets studying ecosystem studies list, Luther has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking.Among the 1,802 students enrolled at Luther College, 19 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 9 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $9,670. On top of their other funding sources, 2 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read More…

12
St. Olaf crest
St Olaf College
Northfield, Minnesota

St Olaf College landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Ecosystem Studies for a Bachelor’s ranking. Located in Northfield, Minnesota, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 33 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s ecosystem studies students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree vets studying ecosystem studies list, St. Olaf has also earned the #8 rank in our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 23 of the 2,953 students enrolled at St. Olaf were GI Bill® students, of which 10 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $25,252. To help with additional expenses, 4 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full St. Olaf Veteran Student Life Report

13
Macalester crest
Macalester College
Saint Paul, Minnesota

Macalester College ranked #13 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in the Plains States Region for Ecosystem Studies for a Bachelor’s list. This small school is located in Saint Paul, Minnesota, and it awarded 19 bachelors’s ecosystem studies degrees in 2020-2021.

Macalester also made our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #6.According to our most recent data, Macalester College supports 2,049 students, and 13 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 9 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $24,323. On top of their other funding sources, 8 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 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 [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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 Macalester Veteran Student Life Report

Notes and References

References

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Footnotes

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