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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Sustainability Studies (Income $30-$48k)

45 Ranked Colleges
1,099 Degrees Awarded
$12,000 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Sustainability Schools for a Bachelor's For Those Making $30-$48k

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Sustainability Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

In 2019-2020, 2,645 people earned their degree in sustainability studies, making the major the 294th most popular in the United States.

At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,099 sustainability studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,303 and $24,501 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Sustainability Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking, we looked at 45 colleges that offer a degree in sustainability studies. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent sustainability studies programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the sustainability studies program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

One Size Does Not Fit All

The sustainability school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Best Value Sustainability Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k”.

In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest 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 Sustainability Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k

The colleges and universities below are the best for bachelor’s degree sustainability students whose families make $30-$48k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Sustainability Studies (Income $30-$48k)

#1 in overall quality

Out of the 45 schools in the Best Value Sustainability Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Columbia University in the City of New York landed the #1 spot on the list. Columbia is a private not-for-profit institution located in New York, New York. The school has a large population, and it awarded 45 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Columbia not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Sustainability Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend Columbia is $4,287 for bachelor’s degree sustainability students whose families make $30-$48k.

The 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. With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Columbia Sustainability Studies Report

#2

University of Florida

Gainesville, Florida
#9 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Florida. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Sustainability Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k. Located in Gainesville, Florida, this large public school awarded 74 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s sustainability students in 2019-2020.

UF also took the #9 spot in our “Best Sustainability Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Florida is $4,069 for bachelor’s degree sustainability students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 low 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%.

Read more about Sustainability Studies at UF

#6 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Washington - Seattle Campus. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Sustainability Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k. University of Washington - Seattle Campus is a public institution located in Seattle, Washington. The school has a large population, and it awarded 8 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UW Seattle also took the #6 spot in our “Best Sustainability Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UW Seattle is $7,467 for bachelor’s degree sustainability students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Sustainability Studies at University of Washington - Seattle Campus

#11 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Sustainability Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a public institution located in Champaign, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 41 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UIUC also made our “Best Sustainability Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #11. It costs about $8,464 for Bachelor’s Degree Sustainability students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UIUC.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Sustainability Studies at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

#5

University of Wisconsin - Platteville

Platteville, Wisconsin
#5 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Wisconsin - Platteville. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Sustainability Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k. UW - Platteville is a public institution located in Platteville, Wisconsin. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 13 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UW - Platteville did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Sustainability Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $12,930 for Bachelor’s Degree Sustainability students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UW - Platteville.

Read full report on Sustainability Studies at UW - Platteville

#6

Colorado Mountain College

Glenwood Springs, Colorado

Colorado Mountain College came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Sustainability Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Colorado Mountain College is a medium-sized public school situated in Glenwood Springs, Colorado. It awarded 40 bachelors’s sustainability degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $5,623 for Bachelor’s Degree Sustainability students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Colorado Mountain College.

Read full report on Sustainability Studies at Colorado Mountain College

Florida International University landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Sustainability Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Miami, Florida is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s sustainability degrees to 45 students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $6,683 for Bachelor’s Degree Sustainability students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Florida International University.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.

Read full report on Sustainability Studies at FIU

#8

University of Wisconsin - River Falls

River Falls, Wisconsin
#13 in overall quality

University of Wisconsin - River Falls came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Sustainability Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. River Falls, Wisconsin is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s sustainability degrees to 5 students in 2019-2020.

UW - River Falls did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best Sustainability Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The yearly cost to attend UW - River Falls is $10,124 for Bachelor’s Degree Sustainability students whose families make $30-$48k.

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

Read more about Sustainability Studies at UW - River Falls

#9

University of Maryland - College Park

College Park, Maryland
#8 in overall quality

University of Maryland - College Park landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Sustainability Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. University of Maryland - College Park is a public institution located in College Park, Maryland. The school has a large population, and it awarded 13 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UMCP also made our “Best Sustainability Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #8. The yearly cost to attend University of Maryland - College Park is $12,128 for Bachelor’s Degree Sustainability students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 95%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 2.4% 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%.

Full UMCP Sustainability Studies Report

#10

University of California - Riverside

Riverside, California
#21 in overall quality

University of California - Riverside came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Sustainability Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. UCR is a large school located in Riverside, California that handed out 51 bachelors’s sustainability degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UCR, the school also landed the #21 spot in our “Best Sustainability Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $9,151 for Bachelor’s Degree Sustainability students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UCR.

The low 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%. 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 Sustainability Studies at University of California - Riverside

#4 in overall quality

The University of Texas at Austin landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Sustainability Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This large school is located in Austin, Texas, and it awarded 61 bachelors’s sustainability degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UT Austin, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Sustainability Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for The University of Texas at Austin is $13,575 for Bachelor’s Degree Sustainability students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low student loan default rate of 2.7% 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%.

Full The University of Texas at Austin Sustainability Studies Report

#12

West Virginia University

Morgantown, West Virginia

West Virginia University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Sustainability Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #12. This large school is located in Morgantown, West Virginia, and it awarded 22 bachelors’s sustainability degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for West Virginia University is $10,486 for Bachelor’s Degree Sustainability students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Sustainability Studies at West Virginia University

#13

Western Washington University

Bellingham, Washington

Western Washington University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Sustainability Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Bellingham, Washington, this fairly large public school handed out 21 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s sustainability students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $11,228 for Bachelor’s Degree Sustainability students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Western Washington University.

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

Full WWU Sustainability Studies Report

#14

University of Massachusetts Amherst

Amherst, Massachusetts
#16 in overall quality

With a ranking of #14, University of Massachusetts Amherst did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Sustainability Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of Massachusetts Amherst is located in Amherst, Massachusetts and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 31 bachelors’s sustainability degrees to qualified students.

UMass Amherst also took the #16 spot in our “Best Sustainability Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. It costs about $14,474 for bachelor’s degree sustainability students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UMass Amherst.

The low student loan default rate of 2.8% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full UMass Amherst Sustainability Studies Report

#10 in overall quality

Miami University - Oxford ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Sustainability Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Oxford, Ohio, this fairly large public school awarded 31 degrees to qualified bachelors’s sustainability students in 2019-2020.

Miami University - Oxford not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Sustainability Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. The estimated yearly cost for Miami University - Oxford is $17,692 for Bachelor’s Degree Sustainability students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 Sustainability Studies at Miami University - Oxford

#16

University of Wisconsin - Superior

Superior, Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin - Superior ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Sustainability Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Superior, Wisconsin, this small public school handed out 4 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s sustainability students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend University of Wisconsin - Superior is $10,426 for Bachelor’s Degree Sustainability students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Sustainability Studies at UW - Superior

#17

Utah State University

Logan, Utah

Utah State University came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Sustainability Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Utah State University is a large public school situated in Logan, Utah. It awarded 23 bachelors’s sustainability degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for USU is $12,034 for Bachelor’s Degree Sustainability students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Sustainability Studies at USU

#2 in overall quality

With a ranking of #18, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Sustainability Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. RPI is a medium-sized school located in Troy, New York that handed out 3 bachelors’s sustainability degrees in 2019-2020.

RPI also made our “Best Sustainability Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #2. The estimated yearly cost for RPI is $24,361 for Bachelor’s Degree Sustainability students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full RPI Sustainability Studies Report

#19

Stony Brook University

Stony Brook, New York
#25 in overall quality

Stony Brook University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Sustainability Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #19. SUNY Stony Brook is a large public school situated in Stony Brook, New York. It awarded 10 bachelors’s sustainability degrees in 2019-2020.

SUNY Stony Brook also made our “Best Sustainability Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #25. The yearly cost to attend Stony Brook University is $12,993 for Bachelor’s Degree Sustainability students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low student loan default rate of 2.7% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%.

Read full report on Sustainability Studies at SUNY Stony Brook

#20

Montclair State University

Montclair, New Jersey
#24 in overall quality

Montclair State University came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Sustainability Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This large school is located in Montclair, New Jersey, and it awarded 20 bachelors’s sustainability degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Montclair State, the school also landed the #24 spot in our “Best Sustainability Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Montclair State University is $14,913 for bachelor’s degree sustainability students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low student loan default rate of 4.6% 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 more about Sustainability Studies at Montclair State University

#14 in overall quality

With a ranking of #21, University of New Hampshire - Main Campus did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Sustainability Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. This fairly large school is located in Durham, New Hampshire, and it awarded 22 bachelors’s sustainability degrees in 2019-2020.

UNH also made our “Best Sustainability Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #14. It costs about $18,826 for Bachelor’s Degree Sustainability students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UNH.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Sustainability Studies at University of New Hampshire - Main Campus

#22

Michigan State University

East Lansing, Michigan

With a ranking of #22, Michigan State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Sustainability Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. Michigan State is located in East Lansing, Michigan and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 27 bachelors’s sustainability degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $15,197 for bachelor’s degree sustainability students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Michigan State University.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.

Read more about Sustainability Studies at Michigan State University

#23

University of Northern Colorado

Greeley, Colorado

With a ranking of #23, University of Northern Colorado did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Sustainability Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. University of Northern Colorado is a fairly large public school situated in Greeley, Colorado. It awarded 16 bachelors’s sustainability degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $12,736 for Bachelor’s Degree Sustainability students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Northern Colorado.

Full University of Northern Colorado Sustainability Studies Report

#24

Aquinas College Michigan

Grand Rapids, Michigan
#17 in overall quality

Aquinas College Michigan ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Sustainability Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. Aquinas College Michigan is a small school located in Grand Rapids, Michigan that handed out 8 bachelors’s sustainability degrees in 2019-2020.

Aquinas College Michigan also made our “Best Sustainability Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list, coming in at #17. It costs about $14,125 for Bachelor’s Degree Sustainability students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Aquinas College Michigan.

Read full report on Sustainability Studies at Aquinas College Michigan

#25

George Mason University

Fairfax, Virginia
#22 in overall quality

George Mason University ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Sustainability Schools for a Bachelor’s For Those Making $30-$48k list. Fairfax, Virginia is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s sustainability degrees to 35 students in 2019-2020.

GMU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #22 on our “Best Sustainability Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools” list. It costs about $17,060 for bachelor’s degree sustainability students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend GMU.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.6%, 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 86%.

Read more about Sustainability Studies at GMU

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.

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