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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Environmental Studies (Income $48-$75k) in the Plains States Region

18 Ranked Colleges
458 Degrees Awarded
Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor's in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k

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 Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

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

Across the Plains States region, there were 555 environmental studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 458 environmental studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,786 and $25,576 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking, we looked at 18 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.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the environmental studies program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

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. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k

The colleges and universities below are the best for plains states region bachelor’s degree ecosystem studies students whose families make $48-$75k.

Top 18 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Environmental Studies (Income $48-$75k) in the Plains States Region

#17 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Minnesota - Morris. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. University of Minnesota - Morris is a public institution located in Morris, Minnesota. The school has a small population, and it awarded 23 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UMN Morris did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $7,558 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Ecosystem Studies students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of Minnesota - Morris.

The low student loan default rate of 2.9% 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 Minnesota - Morris

#1 in overall quality

Out of the 18 schools in the Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, Iowa State University landed the #2 spot on the list. This large school is located in Ames, Iowa, and it awarded 34 bachelors’s ecosystem studies degrees in 2019-2020.

Iowa State also made our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #1. The yearly cost to attend Iowa State is $14,161 for plains states region bachelor’s degree ecosystem studies students whose families make $48-$75k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The low student loan default rate of 3.3% 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%.

Full Iowa State Environmental Studies Report

#3

Saint Cloud State University

Saint Cloud, Minnesota
#10 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Saint Cloud State University. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k. Saint Cloud, Minnesota is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s ecosystem studies degrees to 14 students in 2019-2020.

St. Cloud State University 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. The yearly cost to attend St. Cloud State University is $13,373 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Ecosystem Studies students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full Saint Cloud State University Environmental Studies Report

#11 in overall quality

Out of the 18 schools in the Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Minnesota - Duluth landed the #4 spot on the list. UMN Duluth is a fairly large public school situated in Duluth, Minnesota. It awarded 20 bachelors’s ecosystem studies degrees in 2019-2020.

UMN Duluth did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for UMN Duluth is $12,438 for plains states region bachelor’s degree ecosystem studies students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full UMN Duluth Environmental Studies Report

#4 in overall quality

Out of the 18 schools in the Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Nebraska - Lincoln landed the #5 spot on the list. This large school is located in Lincoln, Nebraska, and it awarded 30 bachelors’s ecosystem studies degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our plains states region bachelor’s degree ecosystem studies students whose families make $48-$75k list, UNL has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Nebraska - Lincoln is $16,197 for plains states region bachelor’s degree ecosystem studies students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.2%, which is much lower than the national 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.

Read full report on Environmental Studies at UNL

#6

St Olaf College

Northfield, Minnesota
#5 in overall quality

St Olaf College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #6. St. Olaf is a small school located in Northfield, Minnesota that handed out 23 bachelors’s ecosystem studies degrees in 2019-2020.

St. Olaf not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for St. Olaf is $17,577 for plains states region bachelor’s degree ecosystem studies students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Environmental Studies at St. Olaf

#7

Macalester College

Saint Paul, Minnesota
#7 in overall quality

With a ranking of #7, Macalester College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Macalester College is a small school located in Saint Paul, Minnesota that handed out 18 bachelors’s ecosystem studies degrees in 2019-2020.

Macalester also took the #7 spot in our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $20,102 for plains states region bachelor’s degree ecosystem studies students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Macalester.

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 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 student loan default rate of 0.9% 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 Macalester College

#8

Saint Johns University

Collegeville, Minnesota
#2 in overall quality

Saint Johns University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Saint Johns University is a small school located in Collegeville, Minnesota that handed out 12 bachelors’s ecosystem studies degrees in 2019-2020.

SJU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The yearly cost to attend SJU is $19,017 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Ecosystem Studies students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Environmental Studies at SJU

#9

University of Iowa

Iowa City, Iowa
#9 in overall quality

University of Iowa did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #9. University of Iowa is located in Iowa City, Iowa and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 31 bachelors’s ecosystem studies degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Iowa, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Iowa is $18,272 for plains states region bachelor’s degree ecosystem studies students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low student loan default rate of 3.5% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%.

Read more about Environmental Studies at University of Iowa

#10

South Dakota State University

Brookings, South Dakota
#8 in overall quality

South Dakota State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #10. South Dakota State is a fairly large school located in Brookings, South Dakota that handed out 8 bachelors’s ecosystem studies degrees in 2019-2020.

South Dakota State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. The estimated yearly cost for South Dakota State University is $19,326 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Ecosystem Studies students whose families make $48-$75k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full South Dakota State University Environmental Studies Report

#11

Kansas State University

Manhattan, Kansas
#16 in overall quality

With a ranking of #11, Kansas State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Manhattan, Kansas, this large public school awarded 23 degrees to qualified bachelors’s ecosystem studies students in 2019-2020.

K -State also made our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list, coming in at #16. The estimated yearly cost for K -State is $16,889 for plains states region bachelor’s degree ecosystem studies students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Environmental Studies at Kansas State University

#12

Gustavus Adolphus College

Saint Peter, Minnesota
#3 in overall quality

Gustavus Adolphus College came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Gustavus Adolphus is a small school located in Saint Peter, Minnesota that handed out 24 bachelors’s ecosystem studies degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Gustavus Adolphus, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Gustavus Adolphus is $14,548 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Ecosystem Studies students whose families make $48-$75k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 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 Environmental Studies at Gustavus Adolphus

#13

University of Kansas

Lawrence, Kansas
#15 in overall quality

University of Kansas came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. University of Kansas is located in Lawrence, Kansas and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 47 bachelors’s ecosystem studies degrees to qualified students.

KU also took the #15 spot in our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The yearly cost to attend KU is $17,132 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Ecosystem Studies students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Environmental Studies at University of Kansas

#14

Luther College

Decorah, Iowa
#13 in overall quality

Luther College came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Luther College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Decorah, Iowa. The school has a small population, and it awarded 13 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Luther not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #13 on our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $19,852 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Ecosystem Studies students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Luther.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Environmental Studies at Luther College

#15

Drake University

Des Moines, Iowa
#6 in overall quality

Drake University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #15. Des Moines, Iowa is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s ecosystem studies degrees to 8 students in 2019-2020.

Drake also took the #6 spot in our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $26,589 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Ecosystem Studies students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Drake University.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its 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 more about Environmental Studies at Drake

#16

Bethel University Minnesota

Saint Paul, Minnesota
#14 in overall quality

Bethel University Minnesota came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Bethel University Minnesota is a private not-for-profit institution located in Saint Paul, Minnesota. The school has a small population, and it awarded 1 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Bethel University Minnesota also took the #14 spot in our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. It costs about $22,228 for plains states region bachelor’s degree ecosystem studies students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Bethel University Minnesota.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.0%, 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 Bethel University Minnesota Environmental Studies Report

#17

University of St Thomas Minnesota

Saint Paul, Minnesota
#12 in overall quality

With a ranking of #17, University of St Thomas Minnesota did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. Saint Paul, Minnesota is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s ecosystem studies degrees to 8 students in 2019-2020.

UST MN not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” list. It costs about $26,172 for plains states region bachelor’s degree ecosystem studies students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UST MN.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full University of St Thomas Minnesota Environmental Studies Report

#18

University of Dubuque

Dubuque, Iowa
#18 in overall quality

University of Dubuque ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Ecosystem Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in the Plains States Region For Those Making $48-$75k list. This small school is located in Dubuque, Iowa, and it awarded 1 bachelors’s ecosystem studies degrees in 2019-2020.

UD also took the #18 spot in our “Best Environmental Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Plains States Region” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Dubuque is $28,437 for Plains States Region Bachelor’s Degree Ecosystem Studies students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on Environmental Studies at UD

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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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