Best Environmental Science Schools Near Visalia, CA (2026)

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

Visalia, California has 5 accredited schools offering environmental science programs, with tuition ranging from $1,334 to $20,730 per year for indexed programs. Visalia has a population of about 142,649. Median household income is $79,952 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 22.9% 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 Visalia

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

Fresno City College

Fresno, CA 40.1 miles from Visalia
  • 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

#2

California State University-Fresno

Fresno, CA 40.7 miles from Visalia
  • 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

#3

Bakersfield College

Bakersfield, CA 66.4 miles from Visalia
  • 4 year
24.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 26%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $37,291
Avg net price $14,621/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 82

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

University of California-Merced

Merced, CA 94.0 miles from Visalia
  • 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

#5

California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo

San Luis Obispo, CA 103.0 miles from Visalia
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
89.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 87%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $90,768
Avg net price $16,665/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 95%
  • Programs offered: 84

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

University of California-Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara, CA 135.2 miles from Visalia
  • 4 year
  • Accredited
77.3 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 33%
Graduation rate 84%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $74,915
Avg net price $16,109/yr
Tuition
In‑state$16,414
Out‑of‑state$50,614
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 92%
  • Programs offered: 81

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

#7

California State University-Monterey Bay

Seaside, CA 139.0 miles from Visalia
  • 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

#8

The Master's University and Seminary

Santa Clarita, CA 141.9 miles from Visalia
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
57.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 64%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $57,106
Avg net price $32,647/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 85%
  • Programs offered: 40

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Environmental Science Wages Near Visalia

Visalia is part of the Visalia, CA metro area (BLS area code 47300). 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$80,360Visalia, CA$80,521
Conservation Scientist$79,810CA statewide$79,970
Environmental Engineer$130,410CA statewide$130,671
Zoologist and Wildlife Biologist$98,530CA statewide$98,727

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.

Visalia at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population142,649Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$79,952Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+22.9%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)99.8 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Visalia-Area Cities With Environmental Science Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

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

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering environmental science programs near Visalia. The closest is Reedley College in Reedley, CA (20.6 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Clovis Community College (44.7 miles). 2 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying environmental science-related roles near Visalia are: Environmental Engineer ($130,410), Zoologist and Wildlife Biologist ($98,530), Environmental Scientist and Specialist ($80,360). 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 Tulare instead of Visalia?

Tulare, CA is 8.8 miles from Visalia 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 Visalia an affordable place to study environmental science?

Visalia’s median household income of $79,952 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Visalia 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 Visalia

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

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)