Best Environmental Science Schools Near Atwater, CA (2026)

Updated September 1, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Atwater, California has 5 accredited schools offering environmental science programs, with tuition ranging from $7,350 to $20,095 per year for indexed programs. Atwater has a population of about 32,013. Median household income is $63,945 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 13.1% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In California, the top-earning environmental science-related role is Environmental Engineer at a median $130,410 annually (BLS, May 2025).

Closest Environmental Science Schools to Atwater

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer environmental science programs near Atwater, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Atwater city center. The list is rebuilt from federal IPEDS data on every site update.

How We Rank Schools

Every school list on this site is ordered by the BOC Score, computed from the most recent school-level data published by the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and IPEDS). To qualify, a school must be currently operating and accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Each eligible school is then scored on five measures, percentile-ranked against schools at the same credential level:

  • Graduation rate 30%
  • Median earnings, 10 years after entry 25%
  • Average net price (lower is better) 20%
  • Retention rate 15%
  • Fully online availability 10%

Schools without enough outcome data appear after ranked schools, without a score. On this page, schools are ordered by distance from Atwater. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

Ranked by BOC Score — U.S. Dept. of Education outcome data. Advertising never affects rankings.

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#1

University of California-Merced

Merced, CA 9.5 miles from Atwater
  • 4 year
70.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 72%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $64,368
Avg net price $11,983/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 83%
  • Programs offered: 32

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Fresno City College

Fresno, CA 60.0 miles from Atwater
  • 4 year
41.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 25%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $37,361
Avg net price $8,069/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 95

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

California State University-Fresno

Fresno, CA 60.2 miles from Atwater
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
78.5 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 95%
Graduation rate 56%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $61,244
Avg net price $7,000/yr
Tuition
In‑state$7,350
Out‑of‑state$19,950
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 80%
  • Programs offered: 96

Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

San Jose State University

San Jose, CA 70.5 miles from Atwater
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
86.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 78%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $78,988
Avg net price $13,760/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 87%
  • Programs offered: 118

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

Santa Clara University

Santa Clara, CA 73.6 miles from Atwater
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
77.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 90%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $109,183
Avg net price $50,062/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 94%
  • Programs offered: 65

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

California State University-Monterey Bay

Seaside, CA 82.0 miles from Atwater
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
75.7 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 97%
Graduation rate 61%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $59,247
Avg net price $13,663/yr
Tuition
In‑state$7,779
Out‑of‑state$20,379
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 80%
  • Programs offered: 33

Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

California State University-East Bay

Hayward, CA 82.5 miles from Atwater
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
79.2 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 97%
Graduation rate 47%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $71,401
Avg net price $9,320/yr
Tuition
In‑state$7,583
Out‑of‑state$20,183
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 77%
  • Programs offered: 59

Source:Accreditor: Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Foothill College

Los Altos Hills, CA 84.0 miles from Atwater
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
61.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 25%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $57,072
Avg net price $7,653/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 69

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all California schools on the California environmental science page.

Environmental Science Wages Near Atwater

OccupationMedian Annual Wage (California, statewide)
Environmental Scientist and Specialist$106,510
Conservation Scientist$79,810
Environmental Engineer$130,410
Zoologist and Wildlife Biologist$98,530

Source: BLS, May 2025 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes wage data at the metro (MSA) and state level – not by individual city.

Atwater at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population32,013Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$63,945Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+13.1%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)98.3 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Atwater-Area Cities With Environmental Science Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited environmental science schools are near Atwater, CA?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering environmental science programs near Atwater. The closest is University of California-Merced in Merced, CA (9.5 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is California State University-Fresno (60.2 miles). 1 of the highlighted schools is flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying environmental science roles in California?

Based on BLS May 2025 state wage data, the top-paying environmental science-related roles in California are: Environmental Engineer ($130,410), Environmental Scientist and Specialist ($106,510), Zoologist and Wildlife Biologist ($98,530). Wages for Atwater workers will track these statewide medians, adjusted for local cost of living.

Should I look at programs in Merced instead of Atwater?

Merced, CA is 7.4 miles from Atwater and has its own set of local environmental science programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Atwater an affordable place to study environmental science?

Atwater’s median household income of $63,945 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Atwater while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and California public universities often offer reduced in-state online tuition.

How do I verify a program is accredited?

Confirm institutional accreditation via the U.S. Department of Education database (U.S. Dept. of Education database), and check for any program-specific accreditation listed by the school.

Learn More About Environmental Science Programs

Other Programs Available in Atwater

Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Atwater:

Data verified: September 1, 2026. Salary, employment, and tuition figures on this page are sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2024–2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.

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