2022 Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Environmental Studies (Income $0-$30k) in Illinois

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. 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 for a Master’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

Environmental Studies is the 85th most popular major in the country with 9,869 degrees awarded in 2019-2020.

Across Illinois, there were 262 environmental studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the master’s degree level specifically, there were 31 environmental studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $57,267 and $46,814 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Master’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, we looked at 3 colleges that offer a degree in environmental studies. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent environmental 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 environmental 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

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 Master’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Master’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Master’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k.

Top 3 Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Environmental Studies (Income $0-$30k) in Illinois

#1

University of Chicago

Chicago, Illinois

#1 in overall quality

$61,548 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees

Out of the 3 schools in the Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Master’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Chicago landed the #1 spot on the list. University of Chicago is a fairly large school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 17 masters’s ecosystem studies degrees in 2019-2020.

UChicago also made our “Best Environmental Studies Master’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #1. Average graduate tuition and fees at UChicago are $61,548, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Read more about Environmental Studies at UChicago

#2

University of Illinois at Springfield

Springfield, Illinois

$16,757 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Illinois at Springfield. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Master’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k. University of Illinois at Springfield is a small public school situated in Springfield, Illinois. It awarded 3 masters’s ecosystem studies degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois master’s degree ecosystem studies students whose families make $0-$30k list, UIS has also earned the #0 rank in our “Best Environmental Studies Master’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at UIS are $16,757, but some majors have different tuition rates.

Read full report on Environmental Studies at University of Illinois at Springfield

#3

Southern Illinois University Carbondale

Carbondale, Illinois

#2 in overall quality

$32,928 Avg Grad Tuition & Fees

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Southern Illinois University Carbondale. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Master’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Southern Illinois University Carbondale is a public institution located in Carbondale, Illinois. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 11 masters’s degrees in 2019-2020.

SIUC also took the #2 spot in our “Best Environmental Studies Master’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. Average graduate tuition and fees at SIUC are $32,928, but you may pay more or less depending on your major.

Full SIUC Environmental Studies Report

• Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Environmental Studies (Income $0-$30k) in the Great Lakes Region
• Best Value Master’s Degree Colleges for Environmental Studies (Income $0-$30k)

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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