Best Environmental Science Schools Near Folsom, CA (2026)

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

Folsom, California has 5 accredited schools offering environmental science programs, with tuition ranging from $8,018 to $50,974 per year for indexed programs. Folsom has a population of about 82,140. Median household income is $139,263 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 54.7% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA metro area, the top-earning environmental science-related role is Environmental Engineer at a median $133,240 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Environmental Science Schools to Folsom

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer environmental science programs near Folsom, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Folsom 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 Folsom. 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

California State University-Sacramento

Sacramento, CA 16.9 miles from Folsom
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
81.7 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 94%
Graduation rate 56%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $64,876
Avg net price $9,338/yr
Tuition
In‑state$8,018
Out‑of‑state$20,618
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 81%
  • Programs offered: 78

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

#2

University of California-Davis

Davis, CA 33.8 miles from Folsom
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
90.0 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 42%
Graduation rate 85%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $80,838
Avg net price $14,741/yr
Tuition
In‑state$16,774
Out‑of‑state$50,974
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 93%
  • Programs offered: 153

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

#3

Saint Mary's College of California

Moraga, CA 77.7 miles from Folsom
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
72.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 76%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $78,812
Avg net price $30,378/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 85%
  • Programs offered: 67

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

California State University-Chico

Chico, CA 81.9 miles from Folsom
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
79.3 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 93%
Graduation rate 63%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $64,172
Avg net price $14,480/yr
Tuition
In‑state$8,472
Out‑of‑state$21,072
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 83%
  • Programs offered: 74

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

#5

University of California-Berkeley

Berkeley, CA 82.0 miles from Folsom
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
93.9 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 11%
Graduation rate 93%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $92,446
Avg net price $13,481/yr
Tuition
In‑state$16,347
Out‑of‑state$50,547
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 97%
  • Programs offered: 127

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

#6

Northeastern University Oakland

Oakland, CA 83.5 miles from Folsom
  • 4 year
42.7 BOC Score
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $92,538
Avg net price $25,181/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 0%
  • Programs offered: 20

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

California State University-East Bay

Hayward, CA 85.8 miles from Folsom
  • 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

Sonoma State University

Rohnert Park, CA 85.9 miles from Folsom
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
76.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 69%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $65,986
Avg net price $12,885/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 77%
  • Programs offered: 50

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Environmental Science Wages Near Folsom

Folsom is part of the Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA metro area (BLS area code 40900). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to California statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
Environmental Scientist and Specialist$108,430Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA$101,621
Conservation Scientist$78,980Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA$74,021
Environmental Engineer$133,240Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA$124,873
Zoologist and Wildlife Biologist$84,620Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA$79,306

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.

Folsom at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population82,140Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$139,263Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+54.7%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)106.7 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Folsom-Area Cities With Environmental Science Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

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

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering environmental science programs near Folsom. The closest is Sierra College in Rocklin, CA (8.7 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Yuba College (37.6 miles). 3 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying environmental science roles near Folsom?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying environmental science-related roles near Folsom are: Environmental Engineer ($133,240), Environmental Scientist and Specialist ($108,430), Zoologist and Wildlife Biologist ($84,620). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with California statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Citrus Heights instead of Folsom?

Citrus Heights, CA is 7.7 miles from Folsom 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 Folsom an affordable place to study environmental science?

Folsom’s median household income of $139,263 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Folsom 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 Folsom

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

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.

Back to Best Environmental Science Schools in California (2026)